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Lecture 3:Lecture 3:It’s the Same ThingIt’s the Same Thing

Professor Christopher Bradley

Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

Written by Adolph Green and Betty Comden

Previous LessonPrevious Lesson

• Why good writing matters!

• Conflict and Goals

• Action and Dialogue

• Building to the Climax

• Writing Exercise #2 Back to the Future (1985) Written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale

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In this LessonIn this Lesson

• Creating Character

– Aspects of Character

– Dimension = Contradiction in Character

– Character creates Story

– Story creates Character

Frankenstein (1931)Screenplay by

Edward Faragoh & Garret Fort

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In this Lesson (Continued)In this Lesson (Continued)

• Story Structure

– The basics of how to put a screen story together

– Every scene brings the character closer or further away from their goal

Frankenstein (1931)Screenplay by

Edward Faragoh & Garret Fort

• Writing Exercise #3:

– Write a “journal entry” for both your protagonist and antagonist. Why do they want

what they want? 4

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Creating CharacterCreating Character

Lesson 3: Part I

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) Screenplay by Richard O’Brien and Jim Sharman

CharacterCharacter

• Characterization• Character is revealed by

goals• Character is revealed by

choices under pressure– What’s Up, Doc?– Citizen Kane– What Ever Happened to

Baby Jane?6

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)Screenplay by Lukas Heller

Character RevelationCharacter Revelation• Characters should never be what they

seem, or not only what they seem.• A character changes significantly over

the course of a story.– Characterization– True nature– True nature at odds with seeming truth– Increasingly difficult choices– Character significantly changed

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Story Creates CharacterStory Creates Character

• When you have a story you want to tell, you need characters that would believably live that story by who they are and by the principles by which they live their lives.

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Character Creates Story - 1Character Creates Story - 1

• If you change an aspect of your character, the story can’t remain the same. A change in the character moves the story in a new direction.

• Characters do what they do because of who they are.

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Character Creates Story - 2Character Creates Story - 2

• Pause the lecture and watch the clip from Singin’ in the Rain. Notice as you’re watching that Lena LaMont’s actions come out of character.

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Character Creates Story - 3Character Creates Story - 3

• Lena’s actions forward the plot. If she were a different person (if she had compassion or if she were perhaps more intelligent) completely different things would have happened.

• Now pause the lecture and watch the clip from Tootsie. Michael Dorsey’s confrontational character finally finds a place where it pays off.

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Character Creates Story - 4Character Creates Story - 4

• If Michael Dorsey were intimidated by people in authority, if he were less arrogant, the scene would have turned out very differently.

• Now pause the lecture and watch the clip from Raging Bull, in which Jake surrenders his soul, his integrity, throwing a fight for a chance at a meaningless outward symbol of victory.

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Character Creates Story - 5Character Creates Story - 5

• Jake doesn’t understand his own values. He actually values his integrity more than the outward symbol of victory, but he doesn’t know it.

• Socrates wisely said, “The unexamined life is not worth living”. If Jake had lived an examined life, the story could not have been written this way.

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Function of CharacterFunction of Character

• There needs to be believable characterization.

• Characters should have the qualities that a person who does the things in the story would have.

Carrie (1977)Screenplay by Laurence D. Cohen

Based on the novel by Stephen King

Goals and CharacterGoals and Character• For compelling storytelling, the goal of your

protagonist and the goal of your antagonist must be in direct conflict.

Carrie (1977)Screenplay by Laurence D. Cohen Based

on the novel by Stephen King 15

ConflictConflict

• You want to join the conflict already in progress. The seeds should have been germinating for a long time, even if they’re just now reaching the surface.

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Multidimensional CharactersMultidimensional Characters

• Multidimensional characters aren’t created by giving your characters a lot of various characteristics. They are created by giving your characters conflicting characteristics.– Hannibal Lechter is insane, yet highly

intelligent– Stanley Kowalski seems to be a heartless

sadist, but he weeps in the street when his wife leaves him

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Story StructureStory Structure

Lesson 3: Part II 18

Pulp Fiction (1994)Screenplay by Quinton Terantino & Roger Avary

Function of StructureFunction of Structure

19Harold and Maude (1972)

Screenplay by Colin Higgins

• The function of structure is to layer ever-increasing pressure on the characters, asking more and more of them in terms of risk and difficulty of choice.

Your ProtagonistYour Protagonist• A protagonist has a strong, clear GOAL.• The protagonist is actively pursuing that goal.• The protagonist may have a contradictory goal of

which he or she isn’t even aware.• The protagonist has the ability to convincingly

pursue his or her goal.• The protagonist may be good or bad, but the

audience must empathize.• The story builds to a climax where the protagonist

does or does not get their goal.20

Your AntagonistYour Antagonist• Your Antagonist is not necessarily “the bad

guy.” He or she simply has a goal in direct conflict with your Protagonist.

• It might be a perfectly rational, ethical goal. Remember the principle of “Good Answer /Better Answer. No one is wrong. One character is just more right.

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Your Antagonist (continued)Your Antagonist (continued)• Make sure the goal of your Antagonist is just

as clearly stated as that of your Protagonist, and that they are also aggressively pursuing that goal.

• A weak antagonist will make for a weak story! Put your Protagonist up against a real opponent, so that it’s not clear how or even if the Protagonist can win.

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AssignmentsAssignments

Raging Bull (1980)

Screenplay by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin

23Lesson 3: Part III

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ReadingReading• Read Chapter 5 in Robert McKee’s

Story, “Structure and Character.” • Take the Reading Review to be sure

you’ve gotten the concepts!

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E-Board PostE-Board Post

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• Write a “journal entry” for both your Protagonist and Antagonist where they discuss their goals and how they plan to accomplish those goals (about a paragraph for each).

• Write in the first person.• Make sure your Protagonist and

Antagonist are both right.

End of Lecture 3End of Lecture 3

Next Lecture: Compelling First Acts26

Alien (1979)Screenplay by Ted Tally