DZ-63: Tools for Better Dialogue (Part 2) - Hook and Eye
Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
Stu and Chas have kidnapped Stephen Cleary to once again develop some craft tools around dialogue. In Part 2 of this series, we analyse key scenes from films and TV shows famous for their dialogue, namely FLEABAG (Season 2, Episode 5), JUNO and DEADWOOD (The Pilot). The biggest tools we explore are: the hook and eye; how dialogue can reveal status and empathy; rhythm; contrast and affinity; and pacing.
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DZ-62: Unfilmables and Unscriptables (Part 3) - As Ifs & Emotional context
Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
In this final part of our series on unfilmables, Chas and Stu turn their critical eye to... each other’s work! They take their key learnings from the previous ep and apply them to rewriting scenes from their own projects. They discuss metaphors, emotional context, and how you can write tone on the page without resorting to unfilmables.
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DZ-61: Unfilmables and Unscriptables (Part 2) - Moments of Awe
Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
Chas and Stu continue their deep dive into how writing the “unfilmable” can enhance your script. Rather than looking at micro moments, they turn their gaze to ‘moments of awe’ — those often breathtaking cinematic moments that feel beyond writing. But are those scenes actually unscriptable?
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DZ-60 Unfilmables and Unscriptables (Part 1) - Engaging imagination
Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
In this episode, Chas and Stu deep dive into the controversial area of “unfilmables” — those alleged screenwriting sins, where a writer writes a line that (apparently) cannot be seen or heard. But many produced spec scripts use unfilmables to great effect. So how and why do they “get away with it”?
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DZ-59: Avengers Endgame - Ending Character Journeys
Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
A short-shot into Avengers Endgame. What began as an exploration of how to dramatise character change swiftly became an exploration of how to position audience in relation to your characters. Do you want the audience empathising with the characters? Feeling what they are feeling in the moment? Or do you want your audience sympathising with your characters? Being rocked by surprise after the fact? Reminding your audience of their own personal relationship with the characters.
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DZ-58: Game of Thrones - Character Exposition
Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
while we thought this episode would be an extension of our previous musings on exposition, in nearly every great scene we assessed, the characters basically said “screw talking about plot or backstory” and instead exposited about their character. How it feels to be them. How they have, or have not, changed.
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DZ-57: Backmatter - Aesthetics and Forgiveness in Writing
Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
It is time (in fact, well past time) for our semi-annual #Backmatter episode. For the uninitiated, this is an episode where Stu and Chas discuss career and craft-related topics beyond what makes great screenplays work. To that end, Stu and Chas dive into: a five year review of Draft Zero and how it has changed their writing craft and process; a discussion on the aesthetics of writing; learnings for emerging writers in having their work produced; and finally forgiving yourself for not writing.
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DZ-56: Character Motivations (Part 2)
Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
Chas & Stu examine moments where they did not believe a key decision being made by a character and so were taken out of the movie. They apply the tools they developed in Part 1 to workshop potential fixes to these beats.
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DZ-55: Character Motivations (Part 1)
Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
In part 1 of this 2-part episode, Chas & Stu look at examples of good character motivation. We’ve all watched movies where we don’t believe the motivation of a character or characters. We may have even written scripts where readers don’t buy the character’s choices. To help us solve the problem of how to improve our character motivations, in this episode we explore great examples of character motivation and how they have helped the audience believe a character’s decision.
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DZ-54: Thematic Sequences
Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast
Chas and Stu are joined, once again, by the inestimable Stephen Cleary. This episode is a spiritual sequel to our last episode with Stephen, the one on sequence structure. We talk about a different type of sequence: the thematic sequence. By limiting (or removing all together) questions related to character or plot, filmmakers can force their audience to engage with the deeper, underlying meaning of the story.
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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