Passively Accepting the Journey? (Structure)

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  • #16
    Re: Passively Accepting the Journey? (Structure)

    In a mainstream HW movie there are certain events-- "plot points" or "beats"-- that happen early on in the movie.

    1) The Protag is introduced in his/her ordinary world.
    2) A problem is presented that disrupts this ordinary world.
    3) The protag decides (or is forced) to solve the problem or pursue a goal.

    Collectively, these events are called "the set up" or the 1st Act.

    Although there is no set rule as when these events take place, they occur before the 30 minute mark. More recent movies have the set up completed even sooner.

    Some movies have these early events coming one on top of the other, some have them spread apart. Some movies have a long set up, some movies have a short set up. The trend nowadays is to have a very short set up, esp in certain genres like comedy.

    Some movies dispense with the "ordinary world" part of it and open with the protag in the middle of dealing with a big problem (in medias res).

    If you watch a lot of movies and pay attention, you'll see there are various ways to set up a movie that work.

    As long as you set up the story to your satisfaction, and the protag is on his/her way to solving their problem by around page 25, I think you're fine.
    Last edited by Laura Reyna; 08-12-2011, 09:20 AM. Reason: correcting my Latin

    "Trust your stuff." -- Dave Righetti, Pitching Coach

    ( Formerly "stvnlra" )

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    • #17
      Re: Passively Accepting the Journey? (Structure)

      I'm not going to wade into this, but:

      I can safely say without reading a single word of your script that you should make everything happen sooner. I'm quite positive that you're taking too much time in the first 25 pages.

      Get to the mothereffing point.

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      • #18
        Re: Passively Accepting the Journey? (Structure)

        Originally posted by TwoBrad Bradley View Post
        Remove everything that is not entertaining and not engaging.
        Judgemenmt calls left and right. But I agree.

        Originally posted by TwoBrad Bradley View Post
        In those successful movies you listed, it's not that those elements happened at a specific place or in a specific order. It's that they happened at all and they were entertaining and engaging. And all the stuff in-between was entertaining and engaging (that probably can be debated on a case-by-case basis).
        I think their order of occurence is critical. First we have to see the dude in his normal world; then we have to see that world challenged in some fashion that carries high stakes; then we have to see him being reluctant; then we have to see him become fully motivated so that he launches into action and goes for it.

        There is human logic to this order.

        Originally posted by TwoBrad Bradley View Post
        I refer back to the "principles" when I'm trying to figure out why something is not working.
        Isn't this exactly where our OP writer is? He's unsure if what he's got is working, so he's trying to figure out why. To assist him in that analysis some of us broached the idea of him checking to see if he had his mythic principles in place and had them generally in the right order.

        He did seem to be a bit confused about the difference between a hero being reluctant and a hero who finally becomes fully motivated and decides he's gonna go for it.

        It'd be nice to hear back from him and see how he's doing with it.

        Originally posted by TwoBrad Bradley View Post
        Who's to say that if something is working that you can't do that?
        Exactly nobody. If it works, it stays, regardless of any other consideration. It may not accord fully with any and all paradigms, but if it works, it stays, and if it works realy smashingly, you may win an Oscar, principles be damned.

        In other words, the principles only provide guidance. The rest is up to us.

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