Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
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137 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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DZ-36: Backmatter - Time Risk and Fixing Movies
30 oktober 2016 · 1 uur 7 min
Listen if you're juggling multiple projects and can't figure out which one deserves your attention right now. Lees meer
In this "special", backmatter-only episode, Stu & Chas take inspiration from Terry Rossio's excellent article on TIME RISK and ice skate over a range of topics. We talk about time investment in projects, Stuart's project Restoration, doing you down work first, managing feedback, thinking positive being a negative, and we open the listener mail bag for critiques, praise and suggestions. We also explore how we could do Draft Zero episodes exploring tone and theme.
We welcome any listener feedback as to whether we should do any backmatter-only episodes into the future.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
RESTORATION (2016) — (w) Stuart Willis, Matthew Clayfield (d) Stuart Willis
LINKS
Read: The Solute: Could the Mirror Be Really You? RESTORATION (2016)
Read: Screen Director Podcast: Ben Mizzi talks to Stu Willis about directing Restoration
YouTube: #Stranger2015 - Metallica's St Anger (2003) Album Re-Recorded
Read: Aeon: Thinking positive is a surprisingly risky manoeuvre
Read: Medium: Why You Should Do Your Work First, Others' Work Second
YouTube: David Foster Wallace Commencement Speech (Audio Only)
Watch: Ira Glass on Storytelling
Watch: THE GAP by Ira Glass
EPISODES IN THE BACKMATTER SERIES
DZ-17: Where's my gold-plated ensuite?
DZ-36: Backmatter - Time Risk and Fixing Movies
DZ-47: Backmatter - A Lost Jedi, White Knighting, and Writers-On-Set
DZ-57: Backmatter - Aesthetics and Forgiveness in Writing
DZ-64: Backmatter - Controlling your Work, Treatments, and Writing Styles
DZ-77: Backmatter - Prioritising and choosing projects
DZ-86: Backmatter - Minimum Viable Product
DZ-95: Backmatter - Building and…
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DZ-35: Driving Characters or Character Driven?
6 oktober 2016 · 1 uur 21 min
Listen if you're writing a character study and unsure how to build momentum without external conflict. Lees meer
Continuing their focus on "character", Stuart and Chas take a close look at films that may be considered character-driven... or rather character studies... or just plot-lite films? Whatever you call them, these films — CHEF, HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, and AMOUR — let their plots take a back seat to a closer examination of their characters. Stuart and Chas dive in to investigate how, without plot driving the story forward, do these films maintain our interest? We talk Mike Leigh's idea of the 'Running Condition', Character Choice, SceneWork and the myriad other techniques the filmmakers use to keep us interested.
PS: Note that all these films are writer/directors. Hmm. PPS: There is no backmatter this episode.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
CHEF (2014) — (w) Jon Favreau
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (2008) — (w) Mike Leigh
AMOUR (2012) — (w) Michael Haneke
SCRIPTS
Study the script: AMOUR (2012) — Michael Haneke
LINKS
IMDB: CHEF by Jon Favreau
Listen: Watch it on iTunes or find it on JustWatch
Read: Watch it on iTunes or find it on JustWatch
IMDB: HAPPY-GO-LUCKY by Mike Leigh
Listen: Watch it on iTunes or find it on JustWatch
Read: Watch it on iTunes or find it on JustWatch
IMDB: AMOUR by Michael Henke
Listen: Watch it on on iTunes or find it on JustWatch
Read: Watch it on on iTunes or find it on JustWatch
Read: ScreenOnline: On Mike Leigh
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More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons.
If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser.
We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitt…
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DZ-34: Game of Choices - Decision Making and Character Implications
14 augustus 2016 · 1 uur 26 min
After a spectacular end to Season 6 of GAME OF THRONES, Chas and Stu were struck by the very different portrayals of Sansa in Episode 9 - Battle of the Bastards and Cersei in Episode 10 - The Winds of Winter. Despite both characters having an enormous impact on the narrative, the audience's experience of those characters is very different -- largely because Sansa is absent from 98% of Battle of the Bastards. Lees meer
And thus: Stu and Chas embark on an exploration of how a writer's use of point of view - particularly in relation to how you show characters making decisions - can control how your audience perceives any given character (for good or ill).
Whether you are a Game of Thrones fan or not, we recommend you watch these two episodes for their contrasting but fascinating control of point of view and character. Both episodes were written by showrunners David Benioff & D. B. Weiss.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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SHOWS
GAME OF THRONES 6x9 "Battle of the Bastards" — Miguel Sapochnik (d), David Benioff, D B Weiss (w)
GAME OF THRONES 6x10 "The Winds of Winter" — Miguel Sapochnik (d), David Benioff, D B Weiss (w)
LINKS
Read: The AV Club: Thrones stages an epic battle, but to what end?
RELATED EPISODES
DZ-05: Shifting audience point of view and heightened emotions
DZ-20: Writing Strong Secondary Characters - Trinity, Bechdel and a Bamboo Killer
DZ-33: Protagonist vs Hero - Dawn of Character Function
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More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons.
If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser.
We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.
Full show notes at: https://draft-ze…
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DZ-33: Protagonist vs Hero - Dawn of Character Function
15 juli 2016 · 1 uur 58 min
Listen to see how splitting character functions across your cast sharpens what your story actually means. Lees meer
We are often told that our 'protagonist' needs to be a active. That they need to be compelling. That they need to change. And - old faithful - that they need to be likeable. But after looking at MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, STAR TREK (2009), THE FIGHTER, and SICARIO, Chas and Stu learn that your primary character does not need to do all these things. In fact, they learn that splitting these functions between your primary characters can reinforce theme and create potential for different types of narratives.
And stick around for backmatter if you want to hear Stu go on a rant. For a change.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
LIKE THIS EPISODE?
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015) — (w) George Miller, Nico Lathouris, Brendan Mccarthy (d) George Miller
STAR TREK (2009) — (w) Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman (d) Jj Abrams
THE FIGHTER (2010) — (w) Paul Tamasy, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Scott Silver, Keith Dorrington, Eric Johnson (d) David O Russell
SICARIO (2015) — (w) Taylor Sheridan (d) Denis Villeneuve
SCRIPTS
Study the script: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015) — George Miller, Nico Lathouris, Brendan Mccarthy
Study the script: STAR TREK (2009) — Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Study the script: SICARIO (2015) — Taylor Sheridan
LINKS
Read: Lia Matthew Brown - All We Have Are Our Bodies On FURY ROAD
Read: Bitter Script Reader: How STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS gave us the Kirk we deserve
RELATED EPISODES
DZ-03: Making Unlikeable Protagonists Compelling
DZ-19: Car-Crash Characters
DZ-20: Writing Strong Secondary Characters - Trinity, Bechdel and a Bamboo Killer
DZ-24: Forging story rules in TV pilots
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More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons.
If you…
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DZ-32: High-Tension Sequences
12 juni 2016 · 2 uur 23 min
Listen if you want to evoke fear and tension using only the written word (without relying on camera, lighting, music, or sound). Lees meer
Chas & Stu take a close look at sequences of high-tension - the ones that make you lean forward in fear, or jump backwards in terror. Without camera angles, lighting, music or sound, how can screenwriters can evoke those emotions in readers using only the page? These sequences can be found in any genre of film, not just thriller or horror. To that end, Stu and Chas dive into high tension scenes from NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, ZODIAC, ROOM, and THE BABADOOK. We cover their use of shifting POV, Dramatic Irony, Status Transactions, White Space, Sound FX, and many more.
And in backmatter we talk SICARIO and high tension, crack open the mail-bag, and look at how the so-called gurus rated the Oscar-nominated scripts.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
LIKE THIS EPISODE?
Send us feedback.
Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007) — (w) Cormac Mccarthy, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen (d) Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
ZODIAC (2007) — (w) James Vanderbilt (d) David Fincher
ROOM (2015) — (w) Emma Donoghue, Emma Donoghue (d) Lenny Abrahamson
THE BABADOOK (2014) — (w) Jennifer Kent
SCRIPTS
Study the script: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007) — Cormac Mccarthy, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Study the script: ZODIAC (2007) — James Vanderbilt
Study the script: ROOM (2015) — Emma Donoghue, Emma Donoghue
Study the script: THE BABADOOK (2014) — Jennifer Kent
SHOT ZERO DEEP DIVES
▶ The detached, indifferent camera of Zodiac
Perp & Victim 2: Opening Kills in Horror (2000s+)
LINKS
Read: Aeon: Neurothriller - Horror Films are scarier than they were in the past
Read: Film Crit Hulk - HULK EXPLAINS ACTION SCENES - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Read: Film Crit Hulk - HULK EXPLAINS ACTION SCENES - P…
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DZ-31: Tools for Better Dialogue 1
10 april 2016 · 2 uur 5 min
Listen if your want your dialogue to individualizes characters, reveal characterization, and shift status! Lees meer
Chas & Stu are joined once again by the renowned script developer and producer, Stephen Cleary. In the first part of our series on writing better dialogue (there will be more!), we take a close look at how dialogue serves character: individuating characters, revealing characterisation, shifting status, and much more.
Together, they (well, mostly Stephen) break down scenes from ANALYSE THIS, NOTTING HILL, REMAINS OF THE DAY and THE AVENGERS. In a first for Draft Zero, we include audio excerpts to make everything even clearer / stop Chas & Stu (mostly Stu) from butchering lines. That, and not everything is on YouTube.
And, in back matter, we continue the discussion into more academic areas of the difference between theatrical, cinematic and television dialogue.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
LIKE THIS EPISODE?
Watch and comment on YouTube.
Send us feedback.
Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
ANALYZE THIS (1999) — (w) Peter Tolan, Harold Ramis, Kenneth Lonergan, Kenneth Lonergan, Peter Tolan (d) Harold Ramis
NOTTING HILL (1999) — (w) Richard Curtis (d) Roger Michell
THE REMAINS OF THE DAY (1993) — (w) Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Kazuo Ishiguro (d) James Ivory
THE AVENGERS (2012) — (w) Joss Whedon, Joss Whedon, Zak Penn (d) Joss Whedon
SCRIPTS
Study the script: ANALYZE THIS (1999) — Peter Tolan, Harold Ramis, Kenneth Lonergan, Kenneth Lonergan, Peter Tolan
Study the script: NOTTING HILL (1999) — Richard Curtis
Study the script: THE AVENGERS (2012) — Joss Whedon, Joss Whedon, Zak Penn
LINKS
YouTube: Analyze This Anxiety Disorder
YouTube: The Remains of the Day: Book scene (complete)
YouTube: I'm also just a girl
YouTube: The AVENGERS - We're A TimeBomb [Stark vs Rogers] HD
Read: Direc…
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DZ-30: Oscars revisited - Spotlight and Carol
28 februari 2016 · 1 uur 44 min
Listen to learn how catharsis, world-building, mid-points, and status transactions elevate great writing Lees meer
In this episode Stu and Chas return to their first ever episode by tackling two Oscar-nominated screenplays. But this time - instead of exploring the rigid structures laid down by gurus - they use it as an opportunity to explore what they've learned in the last three years and apply them to the phenomenal writing in SPOTLIGHT and CAROL (with slight digression towards THE EXPANSE and GAME OF THRONES (which has possibly replaced Star Wars as the de facto reference point for anything.)
And so this slightly meandering episodes revisits the excellent execution of catharsis, world-building, mid-points, dramatic point of view, status transactions and more.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
SPOTLIGHT (2015) — (w) Tom Mccarthy, Josh Singer (d) Tom Mccarthy
CAROL (2015) — (w) Patricia Highsmith, Phyllis Nagy (d) Todd Haynes
SCRIPTS
Study the script: SPOTLIGHT (2015) — Tom Mccarthy, Josh Singer
Study the script: CAROL (2015) — Patricia Highsmith, Phyllis Nagy
LINKS
Read: The Q&A Podcast with Jeff Goldsmith: Phyllis Nagy - CAROL
Read: The Q&A Podcast with Jeff Goldsmith: Tom McCarthy - SPOTLIGHT
YouTube: OUR LITTLE SECRET directed by Monique Schafter, written by Monique Schafter & Chas Fisher, Produced by Lee Matthews (link available only outside of Australia)
YouTube: Every Frame a Painting: - Snowpiercer - Left or Right by Tony Zhou
Read: AV Club: Stu on GOT vs The Expanse (with excellent followup by Motard)
Read: SyFy: The Expanse
Read: TableRead Production App
EPISODES IN THE OSCARS SERIES
DZ-30: Oscars revisited - Spotlight and Carol
RELATED EPISODES
DZ-04: Catharsis and the Post-Coital Cigarette
DZ-05: Shifting …
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DZ-29: Showdowns & Scene Structure
25 januari 2016 · 1 uur 41 min
Listen to discover how fight scenes can be great inspiration for writing any kind of showdown (verbal or otherwise) Lees meer
In exploring how to write good fight scenes, Stu and Chas compare how writers structure memorable showdowns - both verbal and physical. Fights vs arguments. Swords vs insults. Lightsabres vs passive aggressive subtext. To do this, they analyse the showdowns in EASTERN PROMISES, ROB ROY, THE FORCE AWAKENS (yes, yes, we finally let Stu officially discuss Star Wars), A FEW GOOD MEN, BREAKING BAD and BEFORE SUNSET.
As a result, they discover how larger structural elements like mid-points, reversals and act breaks can play out in making individual scenes compelling and dynamic. Also, they learn that great screenwriters don't just write "They fight" when writing fight scenes.
In Backmatter, we learn that Quentin Tarantino is a listener!
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
LIKE THIS EPISODE?
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
EASTERN PROMISES (2007) — (w) Steven Knight (d) David Cronenberg
ROB ROY (1995) — (w) Alan Sharp (d) Michael Caton Jones
A FEW GOOD MEN (1992) — (w) Aaron Sorkin (d) Rob Reiner
BEFORE SUNSET (2004) — (w) Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Richard Linklater, Kim Krizan, Richard Linklater (d) Richard Linklater
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015) — (w) Michael Arndt, Lawrence Kasdan, Jj Abrams (d) Jj Abrams
SCRIPTS
Study the script: A FEW GOOD MEN (1992) — Aaron Sorkin
LINKS
Watch: Vimeo: Eastern Promises fight in the bath house
YouTube: The Nerd Writer: (YouTube)
YouTube: ROB ROY sword fight
Read: A FEW GOOD MEN by Aaron Sorkin
Read: Dailymotion.com: Saul Goodman kidnapped by the meth cooking duo
Read: BEFORE SUNSET by Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy
Read: No Film School: Simplest Way to Make Your Films More Interesting: Use 'Therefore…
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DZ-28: Containing Your Script
21 december 2015 · 1 uur 56 min
Listen if you're writing a contained thriller, drama, or any story limited to a single location Lees meer
Contained Thrillers seem to be a genre that never goes out of fashion. But being contained is not just limited to thrillers. It's a way of telling stories on a lower budget, regardless of genre. So - while allegedly easier to make / get made - limiting a story to a single location also limits the tools that maintain an audience's interest. Changing audience or character point of view, intercutting between locations or characters are all much harder (if not impossible) in contained films. So how do good contained films hook their audience and keep them?
In unravelling this locked room mystery, Stu & Chas look at three scripts form different genres: LOCKE - a drama; THE ONE I LOVE - a romcom or psychological thriller depending if you're Chas or Stu; and EVERLY - an exploitation action movie. They also discuss films including BURIED, PHONE BOOTH, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED, CUBE & CUBE 2, INFINITE MAN and BOXING DAY.
BACKMATTER
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
LIKE THIS EPISODE?
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
LOCKE (2014) — (w) Steven Knight
THE ONE I LOVE (2014) — (w) Justin Lader (d) Charlie Mcdowell
EVERLY (2015) — (w) Yale Hannon, Yale Hannon, Joe Lynch (d) Joe Lynch
SCRIPTS
Study the script: LOCKE (2014) — Steven Knight
LINKS
YouTube: Locke - Trailer
Read: The Q&A Podcast: Steven Knight - Pawn Sacrifice Q&A
IMDB: The One I Love by Justin Lader (IMDB)
Read: Watch on Netflix (US) and on Stan (Australia)
IMDB: Everly screenplay by Yalo Hannon, story by Joe Lynch & Yale Hannon (IMDB)
YouTube: Everly - Official Trailer #1
Read: The Movie Crypt with Adam Green & Joe Lynch
IMDB: Boxing Day (IMDB)
YouTube: Boxing Day - Trailer
Listen: Boxing Day - Watch on iTunes
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DZ-27: Competing views on Screenplay Competitions
15 november 2015 · 1 uur 42 min
Listen if you're considering entering a screenplay competition and want to hear from writers and industry professionals about whether it's a worthwhile investment! Lees meer
After being repeatedly asked by listeners for thoughts on screenplay competitions, Stu and Chas go full back matter for this special episode. They tackle the question - do comps just feeding the hope machine or are they a valid investment? - in their typical detailed (i.e. long) style. With their differing perspectives, Stu (a director looking for material) and Chas (a writer keen for exposure), talk to an impressive roster of guests. We start with Gordy Hoffman, founder and judge of the Bluecat Screenplay Competition; repeat Austin Film Festival attendees - first for the screenplay and now for the finished web series of EX BEST - Diana Gettinger & Monica Hewes; Launchpad 2014 finalist Tony Pitman; and Insite Competition winner Blake Ashford, whose winning script CUT SNAKE hit cinemas in 2015... ten years after winning the competition.
These short descriptions in no way do justice to these eclectic and talented writers so - if you want to find out more - head to the links below.
Our apologies in advance for the inconsistent sound quality in these interviews. Sadly, that's the nature of pulling together four different interviews across states, countries, times zones and technological barriers.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
LIKE THIS EPISODE?
Send us feedback.
Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
CUT SNAKE (2015) — (w) Blake Ayshford (d) Tony Ayres
DOG BOWL (2015) — (w) Gordy Hoffman
LINKS
Read: DOG BOWL by Gordy Hoffman
Read: EX-BEST by Diana Gettinger & Monica Hewes
Read: Tony Pitman's skeptic podcast REALITY CHECK
IMDB: CUT SNAKE directed by Tony Ayres, written by Blake Ayshford
YouTube: CUT SNAKE Trailer
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More Draft Ze…
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DZ-26: Horror and Collaboration- Wolf Creek 2
31 oktober 2015 · 1 uur 49 min
Listen if you're co-writing and need to figure out where your voice ends and your collaborator's begins. Lees meer
In this halloween special, Chas (sans Stu) is joined by a very special guest... Aaron Sterns the co-writer of WOLF CREEK 2 -- the big budget sequel to the infamous WOLF CREEK, also directed by Greg McLean. Chas and Aaron talk horror, anti-horror, collaboration, novels and how a screenwriter works within an existing franchise.
In backmatter, Stu & Chas talk about their experiences and methods for collaborating with other writers & directors.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
LIKE THIS EPISODE?
Send us feedback.
Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
WOLF CREEK 2 (2013) — (w) Greg Mclean, Aaron Sterns (d) Greg Mclean
WOLF CREEK (2005) — (w) Greg Mclean
LINKS
Read: Web
Read: GoodReads: Wolf Creek Origin by Greg McLean & Aaron Sterns
YouTube: Wolf Creek 2 Trailer
YouTube: Wolf Creek 2 Clip - the infamous 'kangaroo' scene
IMDB: Wolf Creek 2
Read: For Australian listeners it is on Stan
Read: Movie Crypt - Ep 124: Greg McLean
Read: WriterDuet - Real-time collaborative screenwriting software
Read: Fountain : Fountain is a plain text markup language for screenwriting
Read: Fountain Tools for Google Docs
Read: Literature & Latte: Scrivener
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More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons.
If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser.
We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.
Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2015/dz-26/
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DZ-25: Coincidences, Contrivances & Giant Eagles
15 september 2015 · 1 uur 40 min
Listen when you need to know which coincidences earn trust and which ones feel like cheating. Lees meer
Remember that time in THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS when Bruce suddenly - magically - returned to Gotham, and you were like "WTF?!" Well, it turns out that many of the best films have moments that are just as coincidental or contrived (or a flock of Giant Eagles) and yet get away with it. Does Pixar's "rule" that it is 'cheating to use coincidences to get your characters out of trouble', always apply?
In exploring how to get the audience to buy into these moments where the writer needs story to intrude over character or even logic, Stu and Chas dive into FINDING NEMO, MICHAEL CLAYTON and PULP FICTION (as well as honourably mentioning THOR II, OUT OF SIGHT, MAD MAX FURY ROAD, EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, INDEPENDENCE DAY and those bloody Giant Eagles in both RETURN OF THE KING and THE HOBBIT).
In back matter, we talk about moving forward vs working backwards when developing screenwriting skills.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
LIKE THIS EPISODE?
Send us feedback.
Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
FINDING NEMO (2003) — (w) Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, David Reynolds (d) Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
MICHAEL CLAYTON (2007) — (w) Tony Gilroy
PULP FICTION (1994) — (w) Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary, Quentin Tarantino (d) Quentin Tarantino
SCRIPTS
Study the script: FINDING NEMO (2003) — Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, David Reynolds
Study the script: MICHAEL CLAYTON (2007) — Tony Gilroy
Study the script: PULP FICTION (1994) — Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary, Quentin Tarantino
LINKS
Read: Draft Zero - Short Documents
Read: io9.com: The 22 rules of storytelling according to Pixar
Read: Wikipedia: Coincidence
Read: Scriptmag.com - SPECS & THE CITY: Deus Ex Machina and Lord of the Rings by Brad Johnson
YouTube: MICH…
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DZ-24: Forging story rules in TV pilots
3 augustus 2015 · 2 uur 6 min
Listen if you wanna know great television pilots establish the dramatic, literary, and cinematic rules that sustain their entire run. Lees meer
Stu and Chas move away from the world of features and dive into the Pilot Episodes of some (New) Golden Age Television: THE SHIELD, THE WIRE, BREAKING BAD, and MAD MEN. And we sneak in some discussion about ANGEL, THE SOPRANOS and GAME OF THRONES.
Our spiritual guide on this tele-vision quest is Wallflower (aka Grant Nebel), writer at The Solute and formerly of The Dissolve and the AV Club.
Together, they examine how the final acts of these pilot episodes - and the Dramatic, Literary and Cinematic rules established therein - will set the scene for the entire life of these seminal shows, right up to their end. Obviously, abound.
This was one of our favourite episodes to record and - given that both Chas and Stu are casting seductive glances at writing television - hopefully one of our most useful too.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
LIKE THIS EPISODE?
Send us feedback.
Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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SHOWS
THE SHIELD 1x1 "Pilot" — Clark Johnson (d), Shawn Ryan (w)
THE WIRE 1x1 "The Target" — Clark Johnson (d), David Simon, David Simon, Ed Burns (w)
BREAKING BAD 1x1 "Pilot" — Vince Gilligan (d), Vince Gilligan (w)
MAD MEN 1x1 "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" — Alan Taylor (d), Matthew Weiner (w)
LINKS
Read: The-Solute.com: Wallflower (Grant Nebel)
Read: Grant Nebel: Collected writing on THE SHIELD
Read:
Read: Vulture.com: Man Men Pilot Predicts the Final Episodes
Read: StyleCaster: 'Breaking Bad' and Colors: A Comprehensive Guide to the Theories, Costumes
Read: The Disenchanted Costumier: Breaking Bad Costumes
Read: ActionCutPrint: Elia Kazan - On What Makes a Director (excerpted)
Watch: Every Frame A Painting: David Fincher - And the Other Way is Wrong
Read: …
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DZ-23: LIVE - Starting A Career In Film And Television
6 juli 2015 · 1 uur 46 min
Listen if you're an emerging filmmaker looking to break into the industry Lees meer
Draft Zero was invited to moderate a panel as part of the 2015 St Kilda Film Festival. In our very first live episode, we are joined by TV Writer Mithila Gupta (Winners and Losers), Director Corrie Chen (Reg Makes Contact) and Producer/Executive Simon de Bruyn (Acquisitions Executive, XYZ Films and Producer) to talk about 'breaking in', how it has changed, the different approaches, opportunities and challenges. They share their tips on networking effectively, setting up an online presence, persevering through doubt and getting relevant experience.
It's pretty out-of-format for us, but it's an informative and fun discussion.
We continue the discussion into BACKMATTER where we focus on emerging writers approaching directors to get stuff made.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
LIKE THIS EPISODE?
Send us feedback.
Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
REG MAKES CONTACT (2015) — (w) Andrew Slattery, Corrie Chen (d) Corrie Chen
BLOOMERS (2013) — (w) Michelle Law (d) Corrie Chen
THE INFINITE MAN (2014) — (w) Hugh Sullivan
LINKS
Read: HEARTS ONLINE by Mithila Gupta
Watch: Vimeo: BLOOMERS by Corrie Chen
YouTube: Henry & Aaron - It's a Snap
Read: GoodReads: The Art of Asking: or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help by Amanda Palmer
Read: Ted Talks: The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer
Read: Short of the Week
Watch: Vimeo Staff Picks
Read: Director's Notes
Listen: iTunes: The Infinite Man
YouTube: TEDxConejo 2012 - Lindsay Doran - Saving The World vs Kissing The Girl via @troyguze
Read: io9: The 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar
RELATED EPISODES
DZ-12: Craft, Career and Coffins
DZ-22: Romantic Comedy, Actually
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DZ-22: Romantic Comedy, Actually
11 juni 2015 · 1 uur 40 min
Listen if you're writing a romcom and want to understand what makes this gentre tick. Lees meer
With Stu busy working on Hollywood blockbusters, Chas is joined by Alli Parker (script department on Aussie TV series and former co-ordinator of European #scriptchat) to unpick successful romcoms to see if they can illuminate a path for writers working in this struggling genre. Cheap to produce and potentially highly lucrative, Chas and Alli look at RomCom's conventions to see what it may take to reinvigorate this genre.
To that end, they look at deep breath WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, WHAT IF, THE PROPOSAL, 500 DAYS OF SUMMER, NOTTING HILL, FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS as well as special mentions to GOING THE DISTANCE, SEAN OF THE DEAD and ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY... (1989) — (w) Nora Ephron (d) Rob Reiner
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER (2009) — (w) Michael H Weber, Scott Neustadter (d) Marc Webb
THE PROPOSAL (2009) — (w) Peter Chiarelli (d) Anne Fletcher
NOTTING HILL (1999) — (w) Richard Curtis (d) Roger Michell
SCRIPTS
Study the script: WHEN HARRY MET SALLY... (1989) — Nora Ephron
Study the script: (500) DAYS OF SUMMER (2009) — Michael H Weber, Scott Neustadter
Study the script: THE PROPOSAL (2009) — Peter Chiarelli
Study the script: NOTTING HILL (1999) — Richard Curtis
LINKS
Read: Vulture.com: 10 Most Over-Used Romantic Comedy Plot-Points
Read: Goodreads: Writing the Romantic Comedy by Billy Mernit
YouTube: WHAT IF trailer
YouTube: (500) DAYS OF SUMMER - Expectations vs Reality
YouTube: Girls (HBO) Season 2 Episode 10 Finale
Read: NewStatesman: "Let's talk about genre" - Neil Gaiman and Kazuo Ishiguro in conversation
Read: TheDailyDot.com: The Mako Mori Test: 'Pacific Rim' ins…
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DZ-21: Scene Transitions and the Hook
7 mei 2015 · 1 uur 41 min
Listen to understand how transitions compress time, enhance thematic connections, unify story threads, and orient your reader Lees meer
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Stu and Chas look at one of the basic building blocks of a script: scene transitions. Transitions don't just move you from one scene to another in a slick way, they can help you compress time, enhance thematic connections, unify different story threads, orient (or disorient) your reader... and just make your script feel more like a movie.
To help us see how scenes connect & collide in interesting ways, we take a close look at scripts of films with great transitions to see how much of the work was done by the writer (as opposed to the director or editor): SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD, HIGHLANDER, AMERICAN SPLENDOR and BOYHOOD.
And then, in backmatter we take a self-reflective look at TIME MANAGEMENT (and naps).
Oh, we are also holding a LIVE EPISODE of Draft Zero at the 2015 St Kilda Film Festival. May 25, 8pm. More details shortly!
BACKMATTER LINKS
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD (2010) — (w) Michael Bacall, Edgar Wright (d) Edgar Wright
HIGHLANDER (1986) — (w) Gregory Widen, Peter Bellwood, Larry Ferguson (d) Russell Mulcahy
AMERICAN SPLENDOR (2003) — (w) Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini, Harvey Pekar, Joyce Brabner (d) Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
BOYHOOD (2014) — (w) Richard Linklater
SCRIPTS
Study the script: SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD (2010) — Michael Bacall, Edgar Wright
Study the script: BOYHOOD (2014) — Richard Linklater
LINKS
Read: David Bordwell
Read: The Hook: Scene Transitions in Classical Cinema
Read: There Will Be Blood - Hands and Faces Across the Table
Read: Watching You Watch There Will Be Blood
Watch: Vimeo: There Will Be Bl…
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DZ-20: Writing Strong Secondary Characters - Trinity, Bechdel and a Bamboo Killer
2 april 2015 · 1 uur 18 min
Listen when you're writing secondary female characters and need them to have more depth. Lees meer
Chas & Stu are joined by Bamboo Killer (aka Emily Blake) - one of the co-hosts of the Chicks Who Script podcast. They take a critical look at secondary female characters in mainstream movies through the lens of the oft-cited Bechdel test and the new, less-cited, Trinity Syndrome. The Trinity Syndrome berates movies for creating a "Strong Female Character With Nothing To Do" (like Trinity in the Matrix sequels) and raises a list of questions for filmmakers to ask themselves about their (female) characters.
Chas, Stu & Emily take these questions and use them to analyse the use of female characters in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL, EDGE OF TOMORROW, DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES and HOW TO TRAIN YOU DRAGON 2. They also cover the awesomeness of the awesomeness that is Rose Tyler (Doctor Who), Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games), and Kira Nerys (Deep Space Nine).
Funnily enough, turns out writing better female characters is really about writing better characters... who happen to be female.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL (2011) — (w) Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec (d) Brad Bird
EDGE OF TOMORROW (2014) — (w) Christopher Mcquarrie, Hiroshi Sakurazaka, Jez Butterworth, John Henry Butterworth (d) Doug Liman
DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2014) — (w) Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver (d) Matt Reeves
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (2014) — (w) Dean Deblois
SCRIPTS
Study the script: EDGE OF TOMORROW (2014) — Christopher Mcquarrie, Hiroshi Sakurazaka, Jez Butterworth, John Henry Butterworth
Study the script: DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2014) — Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Study the script…
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DZ-19: Car-Crash Characters
2 maart 2015 · 2 uur
Listen when you're writing a protagonist who does terrible things but you need the audience to keep watching. Lees meer
Stu and Chas revisit a topic from a year ago: how do screenwriters make unlikeable characters compelling? This time, we turn our focus to dramas and analyse how AMERICAN HISTORY X, YOUNG ADULT, NIGHTCRAWLER all make their asshole protagonists compelling to watch. We expand our original list of five writer's tools to include a few more for your tool belt.
In response to our audience survey, we also introduce our first episode of backmatter.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
AMERICAN HISTORY X (1998) — (w) David Mckenna (d) Tony Kaye
YOUNG ADULT (2011) — (w) Diablo Cody (d) Jason Reitman
NIGHTCRAWLER (2014) — (w) Dan Gilroy
SCRIPTS
Study the script: YOUNG ADULT (2011) — Diablo Cody
Study the script: NIGHTCRAWLER (2014) — Dan Gilroy
LINKS
Read: YOUNG ADULT by Diablo Cody (Final Draft) - First 20 pages. For educational purposes only
Read: YOUNG ADULT by Diablo Cody - First 20 pages. For educational purposes only
YouTube: Young Adult - Trailer
YouTube: New York Times: 'Nightcrawler' Anatomy of a Scene with Dan Gilroy
YouTube: THE KILLER INSIDE ME - Trailer
Watch: Every Frame a Painting: Snowpiercer - Left or Right
Read: The Contrarians: Episode 2 - Alien 3
Read: Temple of the Seven Golden Camels: Staging and How It Affects Mood & Drama
Read: Temple of the Seven Golden Camels: (Just a Little Bit) More Flat and Deep
Watch: Every Frame a Painting: Drive (2011) - the Quadrant System
Watch: Every Frame a Painting: The Bad Sleep Well (1960) - the Geometry of a Scene
Read: Day One: A Simple and Elegant Journal for iPhone, iPad and Mac
Read: Shawn Blanc: Day One review
IMDB: David Caesar
RELATED EPISODES
DZ-0…
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DZ-18: Michael Bay - F*ing the Frame and P*ing the Page
22 januari 2015 · 1 uur 7 min
Listen to understand how one of the world's highest-grossing directors structures story, makes great villians, controls information flow, and makes visual decisions on the page Lees meer
Of course there are. How could there not be? After all, Michael Bay is the 3rd highest grossing director at the worldwide box office... of all time. Behind, y'know, Spielberg and stuff. How could a man of such credentials not know story? Or, so argues this week's guest: the author of MICHAEL F-ING BAY: THE UNHERALDED GENIUS IN MICHAEL BAY'S FILMS... [drumroll]... the Bitter Script Reader!
For those unfamiliar with the Bitter Script Reader and his puppet avatar, he is one of the internet's greatest free resources for emerging screenwriters. A man who shares his experiences of being a Hollywood gatekeeper for nothing because he's "sick of reading bad scripts".
Together, Stu, Chas and Bitter come through with their long-threatened episode to see what - if anything - screenwriters can learn from analysing the work of one of the most successful filmmakers all time, Michael Bay. We look at THE ROCK, THE ISLAND, and PAIN & GAIN, and cover writing great villains, controlling the flow of information to the audience (via car chases, of course) and creating visual decisions on the page.
So sit back and relax while Stu, Chas and the Bitter Script Reader learn how you can f@*k the page and not just the frame.
Oh, and if you have 7 seconds to spare, click here to go to our 2-question Draft Zero listener survey!
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
THE ROCK (1996) — (w) Douglas S Cook, David Weisberg, Mark Rosner, Jonathan Hensleigh (d) Michael Bay
THE ISLAND (2005) — (w) Caspian Tredwell Owen, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Caspian Tredwell Owen (d) Michael Bay
PAIN…
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DZ-17: Where's my gold-plated ensuite?
6 januari 2015 · 1 uur 14 min
Listen when you're deciding between shorts, features, and web content--and need to know which format actually builds a sustainable creative practice. Lees meer
It's our Holiday Special! In this episode (recorded December 2014), Chas and Stu break all the rules. No homework. No pages. No empirical analysis. They reluctantly but boldly reflect over the first year of Draft Zero and how it has influenced their 'careers' (such as they are). They also engage in a heated debate on whether a short film, a micro-budget feature or web-based content is the best way to go in terms of pushing a filmmaking career forward.
As the 2014 "season" comes to a close, Chas and Stu hold two polls for the listeners:
Should Chas and Stu spruik a favourite crowd-funding campaign run by listeners each episode?
Should Chas and Stu stick to the rules or occasionally set format aside to talk about their personal approaches to career and craft?
Click here to go to our 2-question / 7-second Draft Zero listener survey!
May 2015 be great for all our listeners and may Chas and Stu finally open a door to find a gold-plated ensuite.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
PLAY IT SAFE (2015) — (w) Chris Pahlow, Jack White (d) Chris Pahlow
PAYLOAD (2011) — (w) Stuart Willis
LINKS
Read: Austin Film Festival Staff Picks review of THE SUICIDE THEORY
Read: THE TYGER written by Matthew Clayfield, art by Melanie Cook
Read: THE TYGER written by Matthew Clayfield, art by Melanie Cook
Read: THE TYGER written by Matthew Clayfield, art by Melanie Cook
Read: PLAY IT SAFE written & directed by Chris Pahlow
Read: MEATSPACE - Leon East's production company. He the man
Watch: PAYLOAD written and directed by Stuart Willis
EPISODES IN THE BACKMATTER SERIES
DZ-17: Where's my gold-pl…
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DZ-16: Masters of Time and Whitespace
16 december 2014 · 1 uur 49 min
Listen if you want your screenplay to feel cinematic before a director ever reads it. Lees meer
Chas and Stu are joined by Khrob Edmonds - an award-winning filmmaker - to discuss manipulation of time...
... on the page!
Cinema is a time-based art, and one of the primary tools in film editing is manipulation of time. A closer look at sequences in the scripts of PULP FICTION, THE BOURNE IDENTITY, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, WOMAN IN BLACK, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, UP, WHIPLASH, and THE UNTOUCHABLES reveals how master screenwriters use the same time-controlling techniques on the page. The closer a writer can recreate cinema's use of time on the page, the more of an "I'm watching a movie" feeling you can generate for the reader. Or, as Chas puts it, writing like you'd edit. We discuss use of white space, super-present tense, decompression & compression, Soviet Montage Theory, the Kuleshov effect and just a tiny amount of grammar.
NB: Stu refers to '-ing' words as 'present participles', John August (cited below) refers to 'present progressive'. Turns out there's a subtle difference between the two! Grammar esoterica FTW. See: What Is the Difference between Present Participle and Present Progressive -> http://grammar.about.com/od/basicsentencegrammar/f/progpartdiff.htm.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
PULP FICTION (1994) — (w) Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary, Quentin Tarantino (d) Quentin Tarantino
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) — (w) Philip Kaufman, George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan (d) Steven Spielberg
THE BOURNE IDENTITY (2002) — (w) William Blake Herron, Tony Gilroy, Robert Ludlum (d) Doug Liman
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM (2007) — (w) Tony Gilroy, George Nolfi, Scott Z Burns, Robert Ludlum (d) Paul Greengrass
THE UNTOUCHABLES (1987) — (w) David M…
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DZ-15: World Building Rules, Okay?
4 november 2014 · 2 uur
Listen when your opening pages feel like exposition dumps (which is bad, okay?) Lees meer
In our most epic/longest episode yet, Chas and Stu tackle world building in films. Specifically, how the rules make something a world and not just a setting. Starting with world-centric genres like sci-fi and fantasy, we also cover horror, crime drama and - er - "other". We discuss a variety of techniques for setting up the rules of the world, including cold opens, voiceover, title cards and outsider characters! We've limited ourselves to the opening 3-5 pages... mostly... because (so the theory goes) they're the pages that teach the audience how to read/watch your story/film.
Like with the character introductions episode, we cover a lot of scripts. In no particular order... [deep breath]... THE MATRIX, THE MATRIX RELOADED, MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, INCEPTION, GRAVITY, MINORITY REPORT, MOON, LOOPER, ELYSIUM, JURASSIC PARK, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, MADAGASCAR, FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, PAN'S LABYRINTH, SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, NIGHT WATCH, VAN HELSING, THE ONE I LOVE, 28 WEEKS LATER, WORLD WAR Z, DAWN OF THE DEAD, 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, ZOMBIELAND, WOMAN IN BLACK, BRICK, ANIMAL KINGDOM, DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE, THE UNTOUCHABLES, GOODFELLAS, SHORT TERM 12, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, MOONRISE KINGDOM, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, and FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL.
Damn that was a lot! And we've probably missed some, too. So have a listen and please let us know!
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
LIKE THIS EPISODE?
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
THE MATRIX (1999) — (w) Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
INCEPTION (2010) — (w) Christopher Nolan
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001) — (w) Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, J R …
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DZ-14: Writing For Actors with Succession's Sarah Snook
22 oktober 2014 · 1 uur 17 min
Listen to understand how writers can craft more compelling material for actors (and how they approach scripts) Lees meer
In this episode, Chas and Stu are joined by a very special guest, SARAH SNOOK - star of Succession, Predestination, Jessabelle, and Oddball, amongst many others - to discuss ACTING and it's relationship with WRITING.
We focus our analysis on two scenes from AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, a screenplay that started life as a Pulitzer Prize winning play, and whose writer - Tracy Letts - is a successful actor in his own right. But, as usual, we ice-skate between a whole range of topics, including what attracts actors to a script, writing realistic characters, how actors analyse scenes, character spines & objectives, and the importance of hugs.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (2013) — (w) Tracy Letts (d) John Wells
PREDESTINATION (2014) — (w) Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
SCRIPTS
Study the script: AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (2013) — Tracy Letts
LINKS
IMDB: Sarah Snook
IMDB: PREDESTINATION
YouTube: USC School of Cinematic Arts: James L. Brooks and Larry Moss at USC (YouTube)
Read: Wikipedia: Practical Aesthetics
Read: Wikipedia: The GOTE Method
Read: Directing Actors by Judith Weston
Read: The Film Director's Intuition: Script Analysis and Rehearsal Techniques by Judith Weston
Read: Goodreads: ACTIONS: The Actors Thesauraus by Marina Caldarone & Maggie Lloyd-Williams
Listen: ScriptNotes: Ep 134 - So Many Questions & transcript (discussed John Ridley & 12 Years A Slave)
Read: ScriptNotes: Ep 134 - So Many Questions & transcript (discussed John Ridley & 12 Years A Slave)
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More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons.
If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a r…
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DZ-13: True That - Tips from Tarantino
5 oktober 2014 · 1 uur 25 min
Listen to steal Tarantino's technique for planting details that detonate as payoffs three scenes later. Lees meer
Chapter 1: Of Milk and Men
Tarantino is widely heralded as one of the great writer/directors. Yet new writers are advised to avoid emulating Tarantino because his voice is so strong. Only Tarantino can get away with being Tarantino. Or so the theory goes.
But if Tarantino is that good, why shouldn't we look under the hood and analyse his screenwriting? You don't have to want to emulate his voice to want to understand why his craft is so good.
Chapter 2: The Bloodied Purpose
To that bloodied end, Chas and Stu look at three scripts from distinct phases of QT's career: TRUE ROMANCE, KILL BILL (Volume 1), and INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS. Stu and Chas break down QT's use of structure, detail and - in particular - dramatic irony in an attempt to understand how Tarantino's films are just that good.
Chapter 3: Epilogue, or, Links To Things We Talk About
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
TRUE ROMANCE (1993) — (w) Quentin Tarantino (d) Tony Scott
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2009) — (w) Quentin Tarantino
KILL BILL: THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR (2011) — (w) Quentin Tarantino
KILL BILL: VOL. 1 (2003) — (w) Quentin Tarantino
KILL BILL: VOL. 2 (2004) — (w) Quentin Tarantino
SCRIPTS
Study the script: TRUE ROMANCE (1993) — Quentin Tarantino
Study the script: INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2009) — Quentin Tarantino
Study the script: KILL BILL: VOL. 1 (2003) — Quentin Tarantino
Study the script: KILL BILL: VOL. 2 (2004) — Quentin Tarantino
LINKS
YouTube: USC School of Cinematic Arts: James L. Brooks and Larry Moss at USC (YouTube)
Read: The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith: Writing for Tony Scott: A Quentin Tarantino & Richard Kelly Q&A
YouTube: The Dice Tower:…
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DZ-12: Craft, Career and Coffins
16 september 2014 · 1 uur 2 min
Listen if you're navigating multiple creative disciplines and wondering how to build a sustainable career across them. Lees meer
Well, half of us is... Chas (sans Stu) is joined by a very special guest - Natasha Pincus. As a screenwriter, Tash's feature CLIVE was on the 2012 Black List. As a director, her music video for Goyte's Someone I Used To Know was nominated for an MTV Music Video Award. And at the time of this recording, her debut feature as a screenwriter FELL was weeks away from opening night.
In other words, Tash has great experience behind the keyboard, behind the camera, and - as it turns out - in front of the camera. Experience that she is only happy to share with Chas as they discuss career, craft and process.
Stu wasn't around to bring up STAR WARS but he feels that linking to The Star Wars I Used To Know parody video will suffice.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
LIKE THIS EPISODE?
Watch and comment on YouTube.
Send us feedback.
Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
FELL (2014) — (w) Natasha Pincus (d) Kasimir Burgess
LINKS
Read: Stark Raving Productions
IMDB: IMDB and
IMDB: FELL by Natasha Pincus
Read: CLIVE was on the 2012 Black List.
YouTube: The Star Wars I Used To Know
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More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons.
If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser.
We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.
Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2014/dz-12/
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DZ-11: Adventure for the MacGuffin!
31 juli 2014 · 1 uur 49 min
Listen to discover why the MacGuffin's emotional weight--not its function--determines whether your audience cares enough to follow the entire adventure. Lees meer
Stu and Chas are joined by a special guest - Scriptmag contributor Brad Johnson - to discuss how the choice of the MacGuffin can impact on the quality of an action/adventure film. To test this thesis, our heroes compare the auspicious originals of two iconic franchise with their, um, less-than-auspicious 4th instalments (in other words we compare RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK with KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL and THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL with ON STRANGER TIDES) as well as look at two recent & original entries into the genre, namely NATIONAL TREASURE and PRINCE OF PERSIA.
Our heroes uncover how key the relationship between the protagonist and the MacGuffin is and how this can impact on writing in any genre, not just action/adventure. Suprisingly, Brad brings up STAR WARS before Stu does...
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Send us feedback.
Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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CHAPTERS
00:00:00 – Intro: Adventure for the MacGuffin!
00:01:27 – What is a MacGuffin?
00:06:14 – Raiders of the Lost Ark
00:11:59 – Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Cystal Skull
00:26:38 – Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl
00:41:24 – Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides
00:55:00 – National Treasure
01:17:00 – Princes of Persa: The Sands of Time
01:37:00 – Wrap Up & Key Learnings
FILMS
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) — (w) Philip Kaufman, George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan (d) Steven Spielberg
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (2008) — (w) George Lucas, David Koepp, Jeff Nathanson (d) Steven Spielberg
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (2003) — (w) Terry Rossio, Ted …
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DZ-10: Midpoint Reversals and The Ride
8 juli 2014 · 1 uur 20 min
Listen when your second act sags and you need a structural jolt to accelerate audience engagement. Lees meer
Stu and Chas embark on the first of a series of explorations into the dreaded Second Act. Their first stop is midpoint reversals or shifts, a plot point bang in the middle of ACT II that changes the protagonist's goal, raises the stakes and potentially leaves your audience leaning forward and asking "How the hell is this going to end?".
To get to the bottom of what makes a good midpoint shift (and whether your story needs one or not), Stu and Chas ride through DEATH AT A FUNERAL, PRISONERS, SHORT TERM 12, ALIEN, ALIENS and UP. We also drift across FULL METAL JACKET, PHILOMENA, HOW I LIVE NOW, ELYSIUM, DIE HARD and STAR WARS. Of course. Stu couldn't resist. It's not even funny anymore, is it?
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
LIKE THIS EPISODE?
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
DEATH AT A FUNERAL (2007) — (w) Dean Craig (d) Frank Oz
PRISONERS (2013) — (w) Aaron Guzikowski (d) Denis Villeneuve
SHORT TERM 12 (2013) — (w) Destin Daniel Cretton
ALIEN (1979) — (w) Dan Obannon, Dan Obannon, Ronald Shusett (d) Ridley Scott
ALIENS (1986) — (w) James Cameron, David Giler, Walter Hill, James Cameron (d) James Cameron
THE BOURNE SUPREMACY (2004) — (w) Robert Ludlum, Tony Gilroy (d) Paul Greengrass
FULL METAL JACKET (1987) — (w) Gustav Hasford, Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr, Gustav Hasford (d) Stanley Kubrick
PHILOMENA (2013) — (w) Jeff Pope, Steve Coogan, Martin Sixsmith (d) Stephen Frears
HOW I LIVE NOW (2013) — (w) Meg Rosoff, Jeremy Brock, Penelope Skinner, Tony Grisoni (d) Kevin Macdonald
ELYSIUM (2013) — (w) Neill Blomkamp
DIE HARD (1988) — (w) Roderick Thorp, Jeb Stuart, Steven E De Souza (d) John Mctiernan
STAR WARS (1977) — (w) George Lucas
SCRIPTS
Study the script: DEATH…
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DZ-09: Characterising Introductions
23 juni 2014 · 1 uur 23 min
Listen if you want your character introductions to pop! Lees meer
Stu and Chas argue about different techniques for introducing characters and whether character descriptions are even necessary. This is important for writers, as we only have words to compensate for the whole range of cinematic expression. And so Chas and Stu explore techniques like introducing characters through action, having other people discuss the character first, ensuring the introduction represents the character's goal/flaw/theme, and many more.
The scripts Stu and Chas tackle are... [takes a deep breath]... PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL, BLADE, THE DARK KNIGHT, the BREAKING BAD pilot, GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, BLADE RUNNER, CHILDREN OF MEN, THE WRESTLER, THE SIXTH SENSE, MISS CONGENIALITY, LOCK STOCK & TWO SMOKING BARRELS, AMELIE, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, FIGHT CLUB, ROCKY, JAWS, CABIN IN THE WOODS, and (mutters under breath) STAR WARS.
Is that it? Probably missed some. Bugger. Oh well. Have a listen and let us know.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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LINKS
YouTube: Captain Jack Sparrow's intro
YouTube: Blade Opening Scene
YouTube: The Dark Knight Bank Robbery Scene
YouTube: Miss Congeniality Opening
YouTube: Children of Men Opening
YouTube: The Head, the Tail, the Whole Damn Thing
YouTube: Introduction of Amelie's parents (in French, no subtitles)
Read: Jane Espenson: That's 'jack-assity', not Jack Cassidy
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More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons.
If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser.
We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.
Full show notes at: https://…
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DZ-08: Status Transactions
10 juni 2014 · 1 uur 33 min
Listen to make your character relatinships more dynamic. Lees meer
Stu and Chas explore an idea they both came across studying theatre: status and by extension (or juxtaposition) power. Is a story where a character changes status or experiences loss (or gains) in power more compelling?
In order to explore this source of drama, Stu and Chas limit themselves to scenes where the status or power of a character shifts without the writer resorting to violence or revelation or plot.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
———
FILMS
THE KING'S SPEECH (2010) — (w) David Seidler (d) Tom Hooper
THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987) — (w) William Goldman, William Goldman (d) Rob Reiner
THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010) — (w) Aaron Sorkin (d) David Fincher
TRUE GRIT (2010) — (w) Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Charles Portis (d) Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
SCRIPTS
Study the script: THE KING'S SPEECH (2010) — David Seidler
Study the script: THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987) — William Goldman, William Goldman
Study the script: THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010) — Aaron Sorkin
Study the script: TRUE GRIT (2010) — Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Charles Portis
LINKS
Read: People Triggers: Keith Johnstone's Status Transaction
Read: People Triggers: Status Transactions and the Actor
Read: Taking Stock - The Theatre of Max Stafford-Clark
YouTube: Battle of Wits from THE PRINCESS BRIDE
YouTube: Sean Parker restaurant scene from THE SOCIAL NETWORK
YouTube: The Art of Negotiating a Dispute from TRUE GRIT
YouTube: Cypher's Death in THE MATRIX
YouTube: Agent Kujan realises the truth in THE USUAL SUSPECTS
YouTube: Get Busy Livin' scene from THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
YouTube: Joey tries to make peace in A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
YouTube: Santa's Little Helpers scene in COLLATERAL
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More Draft Zero is brought to you by …
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DZ-07: On Rewriting - How much Bull is left in the Hustle?
26 mei 2014 · 56 min
Listen to learn how impactful rewriting can be. Lees meer
Stu and Chas look at AMERICAN BULLSHIT (the 2010 Black List spec script by Eric Warren Singer) and the film it became… AMERICAN HUSTLE (co-written and directed by David O'Russell), which garnered 10 Oscar nominations in 2014.
With both Singer and O'Russell credited on HUSTLE, Stu and Chas explore what O'Russell changed and what stayed the same from BULLSHIT. By comparing the spec with the eventual on-screen product, Stu and Chas gain valuable insights into the re-writing process: character, theme, voice over, back story and more.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
AMERICAN HUSTLE (2013) — (w) David O Russell, Eric Warren Singer (d) David O Russell
SCRIPTS
Study the script: AMERICAN HUSTLE (2013) — David O Russell, Eric Warren Singer
LINKS
Script: AMERICAN BULLSHIT by Eric Warren Singer
Read: The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith: 7th Annual Screenwriting Nominees Q&A
Read: The 2010 BLACK LIST - AMERICAN BULLSHIT is 8th, in between MARGIN CALL and ARGO
YouTube: American Hustle - Science Oven*
Read: Line by Line: No passive verbs! by Khrob Edmonds
Read: DGA Quarterly: Picturing Life with David O Russell
———
More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons.
If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser.
We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.
Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2014/dz-07/
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DZ-06: Key Scenes and Unlocking the Story
12 mei 2014 · 1 uur 19 min
Listen if you want to understand how a single key scene between protagonist and antagonist can unlock the entire structure of your story! Lees meer
Can one scene be the key to unlocking the whole story?
Stu and Chas are joined once again by the inestimable Stephen Cleary to explore his idea of 'key scenes'. Scenes like the diner scene in HEAT. Or the boardroom showdown in MARGIN CALL. These scenes are not only key to a film, they can also be key to developing a story. Why? Stephen's observation is that if you put your protagonist and antagonist in a scene together for a period of time and they will instinctively play out the beats of your whole story... if you have the characters figured out.
An interesting theory and one we put to the test. In addition to HEAT and MARGIN CALL, we look at scenes and sequences from THE GODFATHER, NOTTING HILL, THE DARK KNIGHT, THE RAID 2: BERANDAL and Stu avoids mentioning STAR WARS by working in EMPIRE STRIKES BACK instead.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
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FILMS
HEAT (1995) — (w) Michael Mann
MARGIN CALL (2011) — (w) Jc Chandor
SCRIPTS
Study the script: HEAT (1995) — Michael Mann
Study the script: MARGIN CALL (2011) — Jc Chandor
SHOT ZERO DEEP DIVES
▶ Why the fight choreography of Arnie's TOTAL RECALL is so good (and so brutal).
LINKS
YouTube: The Dark knight: The Joker's interrogation
Read:
YouTube: The Godfather: Corleone Family Flashback
Read: Michael Mann's Heat: How Research Created a Classic Thriller
YouTube: Mann Made From LA Takedown To Heat Part 1
YouTube: Margin Call - Be First, Be Smarter or Cheat
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More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons.
If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser.
We are @st…
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DZ-05: Shifting audience point of view and heightened emotions
27 april 2014 · 1 uur 29 min
Listen to learn about the most powerful tool in screenwriting: narrative POV. Lees meer
Stu and Chas delve into audience point of view - not character point of view! Does your audience know more, less or the same as your characters? And does changing this within a scene trigger or heighten the desired emotional response?
To test this theory, we look to the genre that changes the audience's point of view the most: thrillers. So we analyse scenes and sequences from THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, ZERO DARK THIRTY and ARGO. As usual though, we can't help ourselves and also consider scenes from GROUNDHOG DAY, PHILOMENA and - of course - Stu refers to STAR WARS.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
LIKE THIS EPISODE?
Send us feedback.
Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
———
FILMS
THE BOURNE SUPREMACY (2004) — (w) Robert Ludlum, Tony Gilroy (d) Paul Greengrass
ZERO DARK THIRTY (2012) — (w) Mark Boal (d) Kathryn Bigelow
ARGO (2012) — (w) Chris Terrio (d) Ben Affleck
SCRIPTS
Study the script: THE BOURNE SUPREMACY (2004) — Robert Ludlum, Tony Gilroy
Study the script: ZERO DARK THIRTY (2012) — Mark Boal
Study the script: ARGO (2012) — Chris Terrio
LINKS
YouTube: Hitchcock on Mastering Cinematic Tension
Read: Lumina: New Thoughts in Screenwriting Prompted by the Thriller by Stephen Cleary
YouTube: Beach and Goa car chase from THE BOURNE SUPREMACY
YouTube: The bomb goes off from ZERO DARK THIRTY
YouTube: Third checkpoint from ARGO airport sequence
———
More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons.
If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser.
We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.
Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2014/dz-05/
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DZ-04: Catharsis and the Post-Coital Cigarette
14 april 2014 · 1 uur 25 min
Listen if you want to make you endings great! Lees meer
Stu and Chas are joined by their first guest – illustrious script developer and producer Stephen Cleary – to explore how certain films can trigger an outpouring of emotion from the audience. Turns out that Aristotle may have figured it out a few thousand years ago and called it Catharsis.
To examine how Catharsis can be triggered by a sequence of fixed beats, Stu, Chas and Stephen zone in on the last few pages of FIELD OF DREAMS, TOY STORY 3 and SE7EN. And Stu brings up FROZEN. Again.
Thanks to Noisepig Productions for location recording and producing this episode.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
LIKE THIS EPISODE?
Send us feedback.
Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.
———
FILMS
FIELD OF DREAMS (1989) — (w) Phil Alden Robinson, Wp Kinsella (d) Phil Alden Robinson
TOY STORY 3 (2010) — (w) Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich (d) Lee Unkrich
SE7EN (1995) — (w) Andrew Kevin Walker (d) David Fincher
SCRIPTS
Study the script: FIELD OF DREAMS (1989) — Phil Alden Robinson, Wp Kinsella
Study the script: TOY STORY 3 (2010) — Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
Study the script: SE7EN (1995) — Andrew Kevin Walker
LINKS
Script: FROZEN by Jennifer Lee - Last 10 pages. For educational purposes only
Script: FIELD OF DREAMS by Phil Alden Robinson -- Last 5 pages. For educational purposes only
Script: SE7EN by Andrew Kevin Walker -- Last 18 pages. For educational purposes only
YouTube: Field of Dreams -- "Ray meets his father" (Youtube)
YouTube: Field of Dreams -- "You're not invited" (Youtube)
YouTube: Se7en - "The Box" (Youtube)
Read: Scriptchat Archives
———
More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons.
If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on …
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DZ-03: Making Unlikeable Protagonists Compelling
31 maart 2014 · 1 uur 18 min
Listen if you want to make audiences care about deeply flawed protagonists! Lees meer
In this episode, Stu and Chas try to work out what stops a-holes protoganists from pushing the audience out of the movie.
To work this out, we tackle the first 20 pages of HOT FUZZ, AS GOOD AS IT GETS and GROUNDHOG DAY. And we break down how in each script the protagonist's flaw is stated out loud to the audience and to the character within a handful of pages. And how this changes the question from "what's wrong with this guy?" to "how will he ever change?".
The other tools we discuss:
The yin-yang oscillation — the peaks and troughs in our sympathy, where cruelty is followed by a beat that complicates it (e.g. the dog peeing before Melvin throws it down the chute, so we get the motivation even as we reject the act).
Laugh at, not just with — making the unlikable bits so extreme the audience laughs rather than recoils. The GRAN TORINO trick.
Steve Kaplan's definition of comedy: an ordinary person struggling against insurmountable odds without the skills to win, who never gives up hope.
How a protagonist doesn't always have to be compelling. In HOT FUZZ it's the situation — the car crash you can see coming.
We also wander through DUE DATE, SUPERBAD, ANCHORMAN's pantsless desk-scotch, GRAN TORINO's weaponised racism, DUCKMAN, GIRLS, THE OFFICE (David Brent the Office versus the US Steve Carell) and the British tradition of letting its leads be proper a-holes.
PS: In ANCHORMAN... um... they renamed the character of Alicia Corningstone to Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) in the shooting script. We keep on referring to her as Alicia as that is what she is referred to in the screenplay. Sorry.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Send us feedback.
Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre & Natalie and Lily.
→ Read the tra…
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DZ-02: Do the Screenplay Gurus score big at the Box Office?
16 maart 2014 · 1 uur 24 min
Listen if you need to know which guru frameworks actually deliver in Act Three. Lees meer
Part 2 of our Screenplay Gurus series takes the same lens from Part 1 — Vogler, Snyder and Hauge — and points it at the two highest-grossing original films of 2013: GRAVITY and FROZEN. No franchise, no sequel. Just the two films that audiences went to see in the biggest numbers that year, and the question of what their scripts actually look like when you run them against the guru formulas.
The short answer is: both films cleave much more closely to these structures than the award-season dramas we looked at in Part 1. Which is interesting — but not as interesting as how they deviate when you look more carefully.
GRAVITY maps onto Vogler's Hero's Journey in surprising depth: the umbilical tether as threshold crossing, Matt Kowalski as Obi-Wan, the hallucinated ghost in the pod giving the "use the Force" instruction. The structure isn't just present — it's legible, almost mythological. FROZEN brings a genuine dual-protagonist puzzle (who is actually driving the story — Anna or Elsa?) and a third act that plays out under its own rules rather than anybody's formula.
What starts to emerge is that the frameworks are more useful at some points than others. Vogler has real things to say about Act 3; Snyder's "finale — finish it" turns out to be pretty thin guidance for actually generating that emotional hit. And as Chas lands at the end of the episode: the three-act model itself might not be the useful unit. Sequences might be. Though you'll have to wait quite a few episodes until we tackle them!
The craft questions in this episode:
When a framework beat is present but compressed — a half-page refusal of the call, three lines of dialogue — what is it actually doing for the story?
FROZEN has a protagonist who barely changes and a secondary character who changes enormously. Who is actually driving? Does it matter?
If the three-act model makes Act 2 and Act 3 feel like a single blob, what h…
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DZ-01: Do Screenplay Gurus win you Oscars?
1 maart 2014 · 1 uur 37 min
Listen if you want to know whether Blake Snyder, Michael Hauge and Christopher Vogler's structural theories actually apply to Academy Award-nominated screenplays Lees meer
Three of the most widely read structure books in screenwriting — Snyder's Save the Cat, Vogler's The Writer's Journey, and Michael Hauge's Six Stages — all make essentially the same claim: this is how great films are built. In our debut episode, we run that claim against two Oscar-nominated films to see if it holds: PHILOMENA and DALLAS BUYERS CLUB.
We map both against Snyder, Hauge, and Vogler, looking for where the beats land, where they don't, and — more usefully — what those gaps reveal about how the films actually work. As Chas puts it: "the answer as to whether these structural theories apply is actually less important than what the act of testing them against great films teaches us
PHILOMENA turns out to be a dual-protagonist script that makes the frameworks interesting precisely because it doesn't fit cleanly.
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB seemingly has a cleaner structure — the A-plot is Ron Woodruff's drug-smuggling operation — but the more interesting structural question is the B-story: Stu identifies it as "the battle for Ron's soul," with Rayon and Eve staging Ron's transformation from a man "sick in both body and soul" into something else.
The structural question we keep returning to: if a great film breaks the rules, does that mean there are no rules, or that it found something better?
And we skim over a few other ideas: why we picked these films over other nominees, the problem with Page 12 catalysts, and whether "Save the Cat" moments are actually doing what Snyder says they are.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre & Natalie and Lily.
→ Read the tran…
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DZ-00: Welcome to Draft Zero
1 februari 2014 · 9 min
Listen if you're new to the podcast and want to understand our philosophy on screenwriting craft! Lees meer
Welcome to Draft Zero. A message from 2019 to those starting with our first episodes dating from 2014. We’ve learned a lot in five years. So where do you begin?
Since launching our podcast, we’ve embarked on an ambitious mission: to enhance our writing skills by dissecting the very elements we grapple with in our own projects. From thematic structure to character development, we study successful films and scripts to glean insights that not only improve our own craft but also enable us to share valuable resources with our listeners.
Basically we do our homework and share it with you: leaving you with (hopefully!) golden nuggets.
Attention first-time listeners! We’d like to highlight that our episodes are not necessarily linear, nor do they follow a strict curriculum of lessons. Instead, we jump from topic to topic, tackling micro-elements such as inducing catharsis in scenes or mastering pacing through white space on the page. We understand that this might not suit everyone; thus, we encourage new writers to explore our website and the “Beginner’s Guide to Draft Zero,” where we’ve categorized our episodes into manageable themes like character work, scene development, and thematic exploration.
Remember, this podcast isn’t about following a structured course; it’s about opening up the conversation around screenwriting. Whether you are an aspiring writer or someone who enjoys dissecting media narratives, we do our best to provide insights. We’re constantly learning ourselves and sharing what we’ve discovered. The ultimate goal is to foster growth, creativity, and community within the field of filmmaking.
Many thanks to all our patrons but particularly to Chris, Khrob, Sandra, Nick, Rob, Matteo, Daniel and Carrie. They’re good humans.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
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Send us feedb…