Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
How and why should every scene have an emotional event? For the first episode of our tenth anniversary year, we are joined by Judith Weston to talk about Emotional Events. What is an emotional event? Well, it’s a way of thinking about scenes through relationships rather than plot. Instead of asking how a scene moves the plot forward, ask how the scene alters the relationship between characters. While emotional events are ostensibly a tool for directors to interpret scenes, we believe that the emotional event starts with the writer(s). But it is an idea better illustrated through...
info_outline DZ-107: Establishing Tone Through CharacterDraft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
How can we use dramatisation to create tone? In this episode, Chas and Stu continue their deep dive into how to write tone by examining films with “light” (we use the phrase loosely) tones: LADY BIRD, EMILY THE CRIMINAL, THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS, and SPONTANEOUS. We also talk a surprising amount about DUNE and CRAZY STUPID LOVE. We focus on the relationship between character & tone and how the writers of these films use dramatisation to create their unique tones. We talk minimalism vs maximalism, dialogue, character actions & reactions, emotional dynamic range, and rules of the...
info_outline DZ-106: How do you know if you have enough story?Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
How do you know if you have enough narrative fuel to write a script? In this episode, Chas, Stu and Mel attempt to answer a listener question: “In your own pre-writing process, how do you know you have enough for a feature? And do you have a specific pre-writing method you're going to?” Thus we launch into a discussion on our writing processes and the varying usefulness of tools such as log lines, turning points, beat sheets, synopsis, treatments, and scene breakdowns. We also tackle the challenges encountered while developing an idea to first draft, such as balancing the pace of the...
info_outline DZ-105: Establishing Tone Through Big PrintDraft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
How can we teach the reader to find the humour in our darkness? Chas and Stu finally start their long-mooted exploration of tone with a series that examines films and shows with unusual tones and dives into how the writers establish those tones in the first 5 pages. How does your script want your reader to experience violence in your story? Humour? Sex? Prejudice? To answer these questions, this episode look at how films with “darker” or “sadder” tones teach the reader what they can laugh at, namely: THE NICE GUYS, THE BANSHEES OF INISHIRIN and the pilot for YELLOWJACKETS. Together...
info_outline DZ-104: Characters Alone - Dramatizing the InternalDraft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
How can scenes where characters are alone increase our connection with them? In this episode, we explore the audience's connection with characters through the lens of characters being alone. Chas and Stu breakdown scenes (and their scripts) from AFTERSUN, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY and THE EQUALIZER to discuss the significance of solitude in giving the audience insight into a character’s interiority. We talk how big print can reflect character; how finding moments for vulnerability allows characters to drop their masks; and how staging can help these moments occur organically. Thanks to Chris...
info_outline DZ-103: Game of the Scene 2 - Triangle of Sadness, The FavouriteDraft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
How can games elevate dramatic scenes? In part two of this two parter, Stu and Chas go further into the game (of the scene) and look at how games force characters *other* than the protagonist to interact. We deep dive into the wonderful social satires of TRIANGLE OF SADNESS and THE FAVOURITE. We discuss how games reveal character through competency and decisions, how resources and skills impact the tactics that characters employ, and the difference between referees, rule lawyers, rule makers and rule breakers. Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode. As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all...
info_outline DZ-102: Game of the Scene - Bluey, John Wick 4Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
How can ‘games’ help us write better scenes? Stu and Chas turn their attention to a topic that has long eluded them: the game of the scene. We look at how considering the game that characters are playing — its rules, arenas, players, referees, and win conditions — can help you write more dynamic scenes. This will be a two-parter, and for this half, we talk BLUEY, “The Quiet Game” (from Season 2) and “Phones” (from Season 3), and JOHN WICK 4. We also touch on GAME NIGHT and LIFE OF BRIAN. Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode. As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all...
info_outline DZ-101 Creating Immediacy & Anchoring Action on the PageDraft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
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...
info_outline DZ-100: Scenes through SwordsDraft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
What scene work tools can be learned from martial arts? In this slightly unusual episode of Draft Zero (but also incredibly on brand), Stu and philosopher swordsperson Damon Young discuss how the lessons they have learned from martial arts can be applied to scenes. In particular, they discuss how approaching an opponent in a sword fight can be analogous to how characters approach conflict, such as: the distance between the characters, who chooses to engage first, how to feint, how to lure an attack by leaving yourself vulnerable, etc. They reference classic conflicts such as Clarice...
info_outline DZ-99: Scene QuestionsDraft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
How do audience questions shape scenes? nspired by our earlier episodes on sequences, Chas and Stu narrow their focus to look at the atomic unit of screen storytelling: the scene. In particular, we breakdown how question and answers prompted in the audience structure individual scenes. We talk plot, character, and theme questions (and their hybrids) by analysing scenes from LOKI, THE LAST CRUSADE, THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, QUEEN AND SLIM, and DO THE RIGHT THING. We also briefly discuss SUCCESSION, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOUR AMONG THIEVES, and ANDOR. As always: SPOILERS ABOUND CHAPTERS ...
info_outlineWorkshopping ways to fix character motivations.
In this second part of their exploration of character motivations, Chas and Stu dive into what makes “BAD” screenplays NOT work. They examine at moments where they (and maybe you, dear listeners) did not believe a key decision being made by a character and so were taken out of the movie. In a departure from the Draft Zero format, they apply the tools they developed in Part 1 to workshop potential fixes to these beats.
Character decisions that come under the microscope are AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (again), SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, DIE HARD (which is a good example for contrast, not a bad one!), PREDATOR 2, SICARIO 2: DÍA DEL SOLDADO and PROMETHEUS (with an honourable mention to A PRINCESS BRIDE).
Let us know if you like the variation on our format or not!
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND!
Audio quotations used for educational purposes only. Timestamps indicated below. Chapter markers included in the mp3. Watch it on on YouTube.
Read the transcript on GitHub or in HTML.
Special thanks to our Patreon supporters. If you would like more Draft Zero episodes more often, click here!
LINKS
- DRAFT ZERO RELATED EPISODES
- DZ-55: Character Motivations (Part I) http://draft-zero.com/2019/dz-55/
- DZ-33: Protagonist vs Main Character http://draft-zero.com/2016/dz-33/
- AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR screenplay by Markus & McFeely [@ 10m 41s]
- SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY screenplay by Jonathan & Lawrence Kasdan [@ 16m 58s]
- DIE HARD screenplay by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza [@ 34m 04s]
- PREDATOR 2 written by Jim Thomas & John Thomas [@ 38m 04s]
- Youtube: Child vs Predator https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsDci3A76N0
- JustWatch: https://www.justwatch.com/au/movie/le-predateur-2
- SICARIO 2: DÍA DEL SOLDADO written by Taylor Sheridan [@ 53m 30s]
- PROMETHEUS written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof [@ 1h 35m 15s]
- TV Tropes: Idiot Ball https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IdiotBall
- Engineering Prometheus – From Jon Spaihts to Damon Lindelof:https://www.avpgalaxy.net/alien-movies/prometheus/engineering-prometheus/
- JustWatch: https://www.justwatch.com/au/movie/prometheus
- WRAP UP & KEY LEARNINGS [@ 2h 04m 06s]
- Scriptnotes - Plot Holes: https://johnaugust.com/2019/plot-holes
- Scriptnotes - A Princess Bride: https://johnaugust.com/2019/the-princess-bride
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