Genre Convention

Problem the missing link to finish the Unifield Story Theorem.

https://www.savannahgilbo.com/blog/obligatory-scenes-and-conventions
http://www.screenplayology.com/content-sections/paths-problems-in-screenplay-studies/2-4/
https://www.shorescripts.com/is-genre-a-tool-or-a-trap-for-the-screenwriter/
https://tvtropes.org/
https://creativescreenwriting.com/conventions-cliches-and-lazy-screenwriting/
http://www.aspera.org.au/wp-content/uploads/06-Weaving-2016.pdf

Back to work!

Editing my One Red Paperclip script. With my renewed understanding, the way forward is much clearer. There is really only one main subplot in the script with Dom and Kyle.

Completion date of first draft? Tentatively marked for Feb 1st. Or March 1st the latest. Destined for workshopping and reviews over at Talentville.

Current projects:

One Red Paperclip.
The Last Ninjas and the Mutants of Chernobyl.
Martingale - new project deadline: June 14th, 11.59 Pacific Time.

Charades

All good storytelling is just a big game of charades.

Morning Glory - Feature Film

Morning Glory.

First scene immediately exposes Becky's obvious Character Flaw: Workaholic.

Must create empathy for character in beginning, fired from job, underdog, hard worker.
Becky


After Act 2 downfall - Protagonist is usually pulled out of funk with the help of an ally e.g Amelie, and the old man tape.

Good Will Hunting - Chuckie gives Will a reality check.

Harrison Ford tells her to stay with Daybreak in a rare show of affection by doing the egg show.


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Character and subplot sometimes share the same character flaw, (usually in an older ally) to show that the protagonist must change in order to avoid making the same mistakes.

Harrison Ford and Becky are both workaholics. They put their work before family and love. Ford regrets doing that as it resulted it his bad relationship with kids and grand kids due to his absent parenting.

Amelie - Glass man with brittle bone tells Amelie to go out and risk getting hurt or she will end up old and alone like him.

Good Will Hunting - Will will end up like Chuckie working in menial jobs like construction if he doesn't fully utilize his genius for a better life.

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All subplots must be closed - or brought to a closure.

Subtext

The best way to create subtext is to have a character with a previous assigned role that changes some time in the story. etc. Darth Vader - Villain changes to ally.

Subplot Graph - The Hunger Games

I found an interesting subplot visualization graph here. Although the black and white dots explanation is very confusing...

Each road or subway line represents a different story-thread or plot line.  The dots (exits on the highways or subway stops) represent different scenes or moments in the story.  Black dots represent local exits or subway stops (moments that apply only to that one storyline) while the white dots indicate moments where two or more plot lines intersect.

By mapping your story out in this way, you can tease apart the different plot threads in your story and make sure that each story arc makes sense in terms of build-up and tension.  Also, it can be difficult to juggle multiple story threads at the same time so when you use this subway map technique, you can isolate the main plot or one of the subplots and look at it separate from the others.

Original source: https://diymfa.com/writing/mapping-out-your-story

The Hunger Games

Inciting Event: Katniss Everdeen volunteers for the games when her little sister is chosen as tribute. Peeta gets chosen as the male tribute.

First Plot Point: The lie of faking a romantic connection between Katniss and Peeta is started and developed. Katniss scores 11 in her private lesson with the game makers painting a bullseye on her for once the game starts. She has no chance of going in under the radar now. They enter the game. She delves deep into the woods, hoping to bide her time as much as possible. She’s unsure exactly what she’s going to do.

First Pinch Point: Tributes die and eventually she is forced to move from her safe environment when a wall of fire accompanied with fireballs send her in a certain direction. The careers (with Peeta) find her and chase her up a tree. She saws a home of tracker jackers down upon the careers sending them running. Peeta comes back and screams for her to run away. She does so.

Midpoint: She allies with Rue. They unite to find a way to even the odds between them and the rest of the tributes. They decide to destroy the stockpile of supplies near the cornucopia that the careers were using to survive. Katniss succeeds and returns to the woods to meet up with Rue.

Second Pinch Point: Rue is killed in front of her. She reacts by killing the boy that killed Rue.

Third Plot Point: Seneca Crane announces a rule change. He states that two people from the same district can now team up and win the games together. Katniss seeks out Peeta, finds him seriously injured needs to nurses him back to health. She must risk her life to get some medicine to do so and succeeds. She embraces the romantic story they’ve been feeding Panem.  Once they are healthy enough the game makers dry up all the water surrounding them forcing them to go to the lake at the center of the arena which is where they know they will finally have to face Cato. Cato is now the last tribute they must fight.

Climax:  Cato, Katniss and Peeta find themselves being chased by vicious wolf like creatures. They run to the cornucopia and climb it to find safety from the beasts. Cato uses Peeta as a negotiating tactic to control the situation but Katniss shoots him in the hand causing him to fall down and get mauled. He survives through the night. She ends up putting Cato out of his misery when he continues to linger on with the animals gnawing at him. It is a mercy kill.

Climactic Moment: Seneca Crane decides to change the rule back to force them to fight each other but they decide to eat the poison berries Peeta found the day before and die together. Seneca stops them and declares they both are the winners of the 74th Hunger Games.

Resolution:  Katniss and Peeta are restored to health. Katniss continues to battle with her feelings over Peeta vs Gale. She decides to embrace the illusion of love that she’s developed when she learns from Haymitch that the capitol is angry with what they did with the berries. He tells her that her only choice is to explain that she couldn’t bare the idea of killing Peeta. She does so and they return to District 12 knowing that she has to play into the lie if she doesn’t want the Capitol coming after them.

(Submitted by Kurt Petrey.)

Ninja Scroll - Villain Analysis

Just applied the Villain graph to the Japanese anime, Ninja Scroll, and was pleasantly surprised to find it does indeed work. The fact that it can work on a movie that is not from the west means it is universal in its application.



The main villain is Gemma.



Jubei, Dakuan and Kagero's investigation into a epidemic in Shimodo village uncovers Gemma's master plan through a series of clues that also reveals his past and connection with the main protagonist, Jubei.

(NOTE: Some Dramatic movies tend to not have a visible villain. Instead these are replaced with the character's flaw acting as the villain e.g. Good Will Hunting, Amelie etc.)