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Should theme come out of the story or should story come out of the theme?
theme should come out of the story
What is the film’s theme often intertwined with?
the character’s need (ex. high noon, mean girls)
Is theme guaranteed in Hollywood films?
no
What do people care about when watching a movie?
PEOPLE
How does Moonlight use tension?
on a micro scene-by-scene level through tension and advertisements
What is the status quo in Moonlight?
Chiron getting bullied in a run-down area with compassionate drug dealers
What is the point of attack in Moonlight?
Chiron and Juan going to get a meal together
What is the suspense in the first sequence of Moonlight?
Will Chiron talk?
What is the first sequence tension of Moonlight?
Can Juan get Chiron back home?
What makes Chiron a likable underdog instead of a loser?
he can take care of himselfand shows resilience despite challenges.
What is the purpose behind placing the scene in the dance studio next to the childish dick comparison scene in Moonlight?
emotional contrast
What did Paula sell in Moonlight?
the TV
What is the lock-in in Moonlight?
When Chiron learns what makes him different from others (he’s gay)
What is an example of repetition with variation in Moonlight?
Chiron getting bullied and having different reactions to it each time
Food being used as a vehicle for getting Chiron to open up and talk
What is the main tension of Moonlight?
Will Chiron find his place in this bleak world?
What is one plant and payoff repeated throughout Moonlight?
the beach (Juan teaching Chiron to swim, Chiron and Kevin’s intimacy, Chiron finding peace with Kevin at the end)
What is the mid-point reversal in Moonlight?
Kevin turning on Chiron and Chiron getting arrested
What is the real resolution of Moonlight?
Chiron becoming an established drug dealer
Does Chiron get his need at the end of Moonlight?
yes, at least for one moment with Kevin
What is Chiron’s need?
to accept himself
What is Chiron’s want?
to find his place in the world
What is Chiron’s life dream?
he doesn’t have one
What is story?
What your film is about
What is plot?
What happens in the film/story - how the story unfolds
What is the key to character?
Plot
What is a situation?
critical, trying state of affairs at a certain moment
What is an example of a situation?
a character having a hard time getting what they want
What is the status quo of Breaking Bad?
Walter White is an underdog - an underpaid chemistry teacher who was a previous contender for a Nobel prize
What is the pilot of Breaking Bad filled with?
life events
What is the theme of Breaking Bad?
chemistry = change/transformation
What is Walter White’s need?
to stand up for himself/change himself
What is the point of attack in Breaking Bad?
Walt being diagnosed with lung cancer
What is the debate sequence in Breaking Bad?
How will Walt react to his diagnosis?
What is the main tension in Breaking Bad?
Will Walt’s meth business get established?
What is the lock-in for Breaking Bad?
Walt confronts Jesse about helping him become a meth dealer
What is Walt’s want?
to become a successful meth dealer to help his family
When does Breaking Bad explore Skylar’s character?
halfway through the episode
What is Skylar’s life dream?
to become an author
What makes cliches not feel like cliches?
Specificities!!!!
What is a massive reversal in Breaking Bad?
Crazy 8 and what Walt does to the men who ambush them
What is the false resolution in Breaking Bad?
Crazy 8 is going to kill Walt/the cops are going to arrest him
What instance of repetition with variation demonstrates Walt’s character development?
Walt and Skylar in bed
What is Walt’s life dream?
to be great at something
What is the main tension of the Breaking Bad series?
Will Walt be caught/killed as he becomes a more powerful drug lord?
What is the status quo in The Social Network?
A student at Harvard is a genius, abrasive, and self-centered
What is Mark’s life dream?
to be among the elite so it can lead him to a better life
What is Mark’s need in The Social Network?
to make connections/friends
What makes a scene unfold beautifully?
every scene should be a complication or a direct consequence of something that happened directly before w/ implied advertisements
What is Lady Bird’s genre?
coming of age
What is the tension around Lady Bird’s mom?
Can she accept Lady Bird leaving home?
What is Lady Bird’s want?
to experience something by escaping Sacramento (going to the “cultured” East Coast)
What is the status quo of Lazy Bird?
Mother is concerned about money and views Lady Bird as selfish
What does the teaser of Lady Bird reveal?
a combative mother-daughter relationship
What type of scene is the teaser of Lady Bird?
scene of persuasion (talking LB out of college)
What is LB’s need?
to be less selfish and self-centered
What is the main tension in Lady Bird?
Will Lady Bird experience something?
How is Immaculate Heart in Lady Bird depicted in the status quo?
as a loving place (LB doesn’t recognize the blessings of Sacramento)
What is LB’s fear?
She won’t get out of Sacramento
What is the point of attack in Lady Bird?
the sister notices that LB has a “performative streak”
What is the physical manifestation of LB’s life’s dream?
the blue house in the wealthy part of town
What is Danny’s life’s dream in Lady Bird?
to go to Paris
What is an instance of repetition with variation in Lady Bird?
LB is pursuing a man
What is the first cathartic moment in Lady Bird?
Mother is there for LB after virginity scene
Are the main tension and sequence resolved at the end of Lady Bird?
Yes
What is repeatedly used throughout Lady Bird to create emotions?
life events
What is the purpose of film?
to engage the audience and make the audience feel something
What are the elements of a good screenplay?
1) bonded early with protagonists
2) advertising = create anticipation
3) inside information
4) emotionally moved
5) leave the reader w/ emotional truth
What is Mike’s life’s dream?
To get a scholarship and get out of his town
Why is Mike’s life dream in Friday Night Lights sophisticated?
it is also his mom’s life dream
What is Chris’s need in Friday Night Lights?
to be himself
What is the theme in Friday Night Lights?
the older people live vicariously through their kids
What is the goal in Friday Night Lights?
to win the state championship
How are protagonist’s shadows included in Friday Night Lights?
Mike is an everyman and every character represents a different version of Mike
What is the main tension of Friday Night Lights?
Can Permian win the state championships?
What is the point of attack in Friday Night Lights?
Boobie tears his ACL
What is the lock-in for Friday Night Lights?
the goal to win the state championship
What is the debate sequence in Friday Night Lights?
when Permian adapts their plays to start winning without Boobie
When does psychological exploration occur in Friday Night Lights?
before midpoint - between Donny and his dad & Coach Gaines and Mike
What is the mid-point reversal scene in Friday Night Lights?
the coin-toss scene
What are some emotional payoffs in Friday Night Lights?
Christian finally talking during halftime
Gaines’s halftime speech about what it means to be perfect
Donny’s Dad giving him the ring after he loses
What is the new hope in Friday Night Lights?
Half-time speech
What is the new status quo in Friday Night Lights?
football moves on w/ new kids and players find new paths
What is Mike’s need in Friday Night Lights?
to lighten up
What is the heart of dramatic storytelling?
elements of the future
Why are elements of the future so important?
our brains are more active when considering the future, which keeps the audience engaged in the story
What should suspense add to the film?
the audience should hope for one outcome and fear another
What are some techniques used to create suspense?
advertising, scenes of preparation, timelocks - references to future events
lock-in - makes the audience await what will happen
sequences - creates elements of the future w/ sequence tensions
inside information
plants and payoffs
What do non-obvious plants and payoffs play into?
Gestalt psychology and creating subliminal effects on the audience
What is the teaser in Parasite?
there isn’t one
Why are the characters in Parasite underdogs?
they are poor and live in a basement-apartment
What is a common plant and payoff in Parasite?
“What is your plan?”/”I have a plan” —> scheming family
What is the significance of the shotput award in Parasite?
it shows that there were once glory days
What is the point of attack in Parasite?
Min offers Ki-Woo a tutoring job
What is Kim’s need in Parasite?
to take responsibility
What is Ki-Woo’s life dream in Parasite?
attending university
What visually demonstrates the contrast between the families?
the upwards ascent to the Park family home
What is the main tension of Parasite?
Can the main family get away with scamming the Parks?
What is the collective want in Parasite?
to get away with the scam
What is repetition with variation primarily used for in Parasite?
to show the building gravity of the schemes
What instance of repetition with variation demonstrates Ki-Woo’s character development?
the confrontation with the pisser (vigor)
