Comments on: Screenwriting structure Part 15

By: Garner + McQueen 4th of July = Best thing ever. - nicolle c jones.com

Garner + McQueen 4th of July = Best thing ever. - nicolle c jones.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:05:31 +0000

[...] had another installment on screenwriting structure last week, focusing on the Protagonist’s entrance into the NEW WORLD which would, as it turns [...]

By: Carolee

Carolee — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:19:35 +0000

I am just learning to format my scripts. What I want to know is the format for action screenplays are different form the norm.

By: I am a Whatever |

I am a Whatever | — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:31:28 +0000

[...] and their brother wants to write screenplays… LOL. Remember the post about those “questions” I get? Well, now they’re coming even faster than [...]

By: Christian Howell

Christian Howell — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:52:54 +0000

Wow, I missed a lot of good stuff. Maybe I’ll let down my hair and post that meme. At Zane, it actually sounds like you answered your own question. I think the answer is “whatever works for you.”

I just try to make sure that 10 different scripts have 10 different beginnings, middles and ends.

Elements will always be the same (side-kick, comic relief, danger,) so the way it’s introduced has to change.

By: Joshua James

Joshua James — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 03:45:54 +0000

A sequel? Oooo . . . we have all the major players, except the director, it could work!

Angry sex? It’s awesome.

By: Unk

Unk — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:56:27 +0000

Josh,

There’s talk about doing a sequel with Hutton and Portman.

Could work.

Carlo… Have I ever heard of angry sex? I wrote the book on it. It’s always angry.

And it’s all my fault.

At least that’s what they tell me.

Unk

By: Carlo Conda

Carlo Conda — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:31:37 +0000

Unk said:
“Carlo,
When’s the last time you had sex?
“The last time I read one of your scripts alone.”
I like it… Unfortunately, no screenplay has ever moved me enough to have sex.”

Ever hear of angry sex? lol

By: Joshua James

Joshua James — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:06:02 +0000

and DAZED AND CONFUSED, an awesome flick, there there is one identifable protag in just about every group (the stud senior, the freshman, the girl freshman, etc) who discovers something new about themselves on the last day of school.

Totally awesome.

I loved BEAUTIFUL GIRLS, but I thought it was cruel that a movie about a high school reunion NEVER TAKES US TO THE REUNION, LOL! We get right in the lobby and that’s it!

But it is a great piece of writing.

By: Unk

Unk — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 20:55:06 +0000

Zane,

Finally a question that MAKES SENSE!

Of course I am… Did it myself.

Jewish? Nope.

I’m a fucking Heinz 57. You name it — I probably got it somewhere inside.

In an ensemble piece, all the co-protagonists MORE OR LESS go through all the same modes. That’s the BASIC rule but a rule that can easily be broken if it makes the story better.

A great film to watch to see this in action is BEAUTIFUL GIRLS. Lots of co-protags that learn something about themselves and grow.

Unk

By: Zane

Zane — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 19:57:14 +0000

UNK,

I know it seems irrelevant, but could you tell me whether or not you’re circumcised? It’s just … I have these serious issues with my own foreskin, but I KNOW that if you had foreskin too, it would make everything all right. You’re not Jewish are you?

OMG WTF LOLZ!!!

On a less serious note, I’m wondering what the “rules” are on utilizing this stuff within an ensemble piece (i.e, Pulp Fiction).

Let’s say I want to introduce my Primary Protagonist at the beginning of the script, and give him an inciting incident that forces him to open his fuckin eyes (thus, shift from Loner phase to Explorer phase).

Then, I want to jump right into the world of my Secondary Protagonist (who I will have introduced by means of my Primary Protagonist’s ordinary world). But I want my secondary protagonist to be in a DIFFERENT PHASE of her transformational arc (hence: she will be making a shift from, say, Explorer to Activist)

THEN, I want the audience to spend a little time with my Third Protagonist – who’s a total douche bag that’s stuck in the Loner phase and probably won’t get out of it (in other words, he needs to “ketchup.”)

AT THE SAME TIME, my Third Protagonist is my Primary Protagonist’s best friend. So, as I jump into the Loner Douche Bag’s world, I jump back into my Primary Protagonist’s transformation arc.

At this point, we’re 50 pages deep. And we’re JUST getting into my Primary Protagonist’s entrance into the new world. But I think it’ll work …