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DZ-101: Oners - Creating Immediacy & Anchoring Action on the Page

Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast

Release Date: 07/03/2023

DZ-118: Adolescence and tension through questions show art DZ-118: Adolescence and tension through questions

Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast

How do dramatic questions create tension?  In this episode, Stu and Chas delve into the cultural phenomenon of ADOLESCENCE. We try to find the craft tools that have made the show so compelling and such a catalyst for conversation.  In particular, we breakdown how the show’s emphasis on questions creates tension: not just tension through plot, but tension through character, and ultimately tension through theme. We analsyse the show episode-by-episode, and discuss how the overall structure skilfully shifts from a plot-heavy police procedural towards a thematic-heavy melodrama...

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Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast

How can we teach our audience new storytelling rules in the middle of our story? Following on from our episodes on establishing tone through action lines and through character, this is what we have been building up to: how to pull off a tonal switch… that does not throw the audience out of the film. And, in particular, how to pull that off on the page when writers don’t have framing, lighting, music, editing, etc. at our disposal? With that goal in mind, Mel and Chas dissect specific moments on the pages of SHAUN OF THE DEAD, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU and SWISS ARMY MAN. While there are definite...

info_outline DZ-116: Writing physical comedy show art DZ-116: Writing physical comedy

Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast

How do you make extended technical scenes funny on the page? Mel joins Chas to tackle physical comedy. We limited our homework selection to extended scenes (as opposed to moments and sight gags) in live action projects and - with the help of our Patreons - selected early sequences from BRINGING UP BABY, the pilot for HAPPY ENDINGS and that wonderful food poisoning scene in BRIDESMAIDS. We discover how these incredible writers take their time (on the page) to set up geography, framing and running gags. We also get tips on judicious use ALL CAPS, ellipses and M-dashes to recreate visual gags…...

info_outline DZ-115: A Christmas Special - Rewatching & Rituals show art DZ-115: A Christmas Special - Rewatching & Rituals

Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast

What magic do Christmas movies use to make them so rewatchable? In this “backmatter” episode of Draft Zero, Stu, Chas, and Mel Killingsworth embark on a festive exploration of what makes holiday films so engaging and so re-watchable that they can become part of our rituals. To that end, we breakdown the charm of of Christmas films like KISS KISS BANG BANG, RIDERS OF JUSTICE, and IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE.  We discuss what defines a holiday movie, the power of nostalgia, the importance of ensembles to a sense of family, and how voiceover, snappy dialogue and intricate plots can make...

info_outline DZ-114: Climaxes in Challengers show art DZ-114: Climaxes in Challengers

Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast

How does ending your story on the climax affect audience experience? While Stu is on show, Mel and Chas sit down to analyse the meaning behind the ending of 2024’s CHALLENGERS, especially when - upon reading the script - the most impactful moment of the ending on screen (for Chas in particular) is not written on the page. Following on from episodes on filmmakers talking directly to the audience as well as previous exploration into choices and decisions (and hopefully serving as a prelude to our episode on Hero’s Choice), Mel and Chas explore the choices the characters make in that final...

info_outline DZ-113: Tools for filmmakers to talk to the audience show art DZ-113: Tools for filmmakers to talk to the audience

Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast

What tools help ensure that you as the filmmaker are not misunderstood? In our final (ha!) episode looking at Talking Directly to the Audience, we turn away from character-and-text based craft tools to look at other ways that filmmakers - whether they be directors, writers, editors, or anyone else - can make the audience feel their 'hand' more. To that end, Mel, Stu and Chas dive into ADAPTATION, STORIES WE TELL and THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION.  We discuss structure (in particular how to structure more “meta” stories), the influence of TikTok and YouTube in portraying character...

info_outline DZ-112: Breaking the 4th wall show art DZ-112: Breaking the 4th wall

Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast

DZ-112: Breaking the 4th wall How is the effect of breaking the 4th wall different to VoiceOver? As part of our series on how filmmakers can directly communicate to the audience, we finally examine the most blatant tool of them all: when character look directly down the barrel of the camera… and thus look directly at us, the viewer. Chas, Stu and Mel take the craft tools/levers they identified in previous episodes and use them to examine HIGH FIDELITY, ABBOTT ELEMENTARY and - of course - FLEABAG. By examining how “in-world” the camera is, who is talking, and whom the character is talking...

info_outline DZ-111: Unreliable Narrators and Fight Club show art DZ-111: Unreliable Narrators and Fight Club

Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast

How does the unreliability of a narrator impact the way a story is told? In this episode, Stu and Mel (sans Chas!) take a deep dive into FIGHT CLUB and its use of the unreliable narrator. This is a bridging episode between our previous episode on VOICEOVER and our forthcoming episode on TALKING TO CAMERA as Fight Club does both. We dissect the film’s disconnected sequence-driven structure and how the voiceover ’stitches’ the film together.  And then we look at what makes ‘Jack’ an unreliable narrator and how his control over the storytelling impacts us.  As...

info_outline DZ-110: Voiceover show art DZ-110: Voiceover

Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast

How can you use Voiceover without it feeling like a cheat? In this episode, we finally delve into the world of VOICEOVERS (as part of our larger series exploring craft tools that allow characters & storytellers to talk directly to the audience). Chas, Stu and Mel deep dive into the VERONICA MARS pilot, Disney’s THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE, and the Michael Bay epic PAIN & GAIN. In exploring what makes these particular examples of Voiceover great (and not feel like a cheat or a well-worn trope), we apply the four levers identified in our Part 1 (in particular ‘when in time is the...

info_outline DZ-109: Talking DIRECTLY to your audience show art DZ-109: Talking DIRECTLY to your audience

Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast

What are the different ways a filmmaker can ask something of the audience? Chas and Stu are joined by recurring guest Mel in this prelude episode to upcoming episodes on Voice Over and Breaking the Fourth Wall. In this episode, we attempt to taxonomise the different ways filmmakers can ask something directly of their audience. To this end, we identify 4 levers that can be pulled: Diagetic to non-diagetic (in story world to outside story world) Who is talking? From story-teller to a character Whom are they talking to? Themselves or directly to the audience? From when in time is the...

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What can we learn by analysing how ‘oners’ are written on the page?

Chas, Stu and Mel reunite to talk about writing the *feel* of camerawork in screenplays. We use “oners” — a long-playing continuous take — as a lens to talk about how some writers have “directed” from the page. We talk immediacy, camera positions, handovers, and anchoring action and more.

We breakdown the famous Copacabana shot from GOODFELLAS, the awe-inspiring chase sequence from THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN, and the heart pounding ‘Zed attack’ from CHILDREN OF MEN. We also briefly discuss THE BOURNE IDENTITY, HEREDITARY, THE BEAR, ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN and TOUCH OF EVIL.

And we do this breakdown by closely reading the actual words on the page. So thanks to Meegan May (of Starship Q Star) for performing the big print / action lines. Script Pages available on our Patreon.

Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

CHAPTERS

  • 00:00:13 - Cold Open
  • 00:00:23 - ScriptUp Sponsorship
  • 00:00:33 - New Chapter
  • 00:01:58 - Intro: Camerwork on the page
  • 00:09:50 - Contrary Examples: The Bourne Identity and Hereditary
  • 00:13:15 - Narrative Purpose and Oners
  • 00:16:30 - Goodfellas (intro)
  • 00:16:57 - Goodfellas (excerpt)
  • 00:18:22 - Goodfellas (discussion)
  • 00:32:48 - The Adventures of Tintin (intro)
  • 00:34:14 - The Adventures of Tintin (excerpt)
  • 00:37:23 - The Adventures of Tintin (discussion)
  • 00:49:34 - Children of Men (intro)
  • 00:53:38 - Children of Men (excerpt)
  • 01:00:32 - Children of Men (discussion)
  • 01:12:24 - Key Learnings and Wrap Up

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This episode brought to you by (drum roll):

And how can we forget our awesome Patreons, especially Lily,  Alexandre, Casimir, Eduardo, Jennifer, Thomas, Garrett, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, Alex, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis, and @chasffisher on twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

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