This Is How 99% Of Screenwriters Write A Story - Jill Chamberlain
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In this Film Courage video interview, Script Consultant/Author/Writer Jill Chamberlain on This Is How 99% Of Screenwriters Write A Story.
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Jill Chamberlain is the author of one of the highest rated screenwriting books on Amazon entitled The Nutshell Technique: Crack the Secret of Successful Screenwriting.
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To watch the full episode with Jill Chamberlain: kzhead.info/sun/ituhZrRra3-mf4E/bejne.html
Thank you Jill!
Meanwhile films like The Assistant come out and make everything she said mute.
Hello, I'm from Venezuela, I have high quality film projects, American style, can you help me? only original projects.. thanks
Yes it.s helping me!. I.m working on a story about a bunch of Catalan exiles in France back in 1939 .And that was a situation!. No matter how much melodrama love and tragedy and.... nazis were involved!. Thanks!!!
She seems like one of those teachers that you keep handing your work back to and she hands it back saying “You’re still missing the point”
What did she say that you disagree with?
Patali He didn’t say he disagreed with her
She's right, and if you can't tell, you shouldn't be writing. It'd say 99.999% of all the scripts have the very same thing that she said: this happens, then this happens, then this happens. It's totally bullshit writing. IT's not writing. IT's utter nonsense. Writing is about problem solving, and in any story, not only screenplays, but in anything, there are at least 10 major problems, ladder of problems, so that the character, when least trained, has to get trained, to solve these problems. Situations are not problems. They are "being there". Not solving problems.
@@defiverr4697 Correct. In short, let's take a simplistic story. A little boy wants to climb a tall tree to get an apple, a special apple, the only one like it on the tree. The situation would be written in the action lines. He's trying to get up the tree, he's failing to get up the tree, he skins his knee trying to get up the tree, etc...Now, the story, however, is him wanting to get that apple and win the day, right? So, how does he get that apple? He asks his father for a ladder, his father doesn't have a ladder. Conflict. He needs to find a way to get up the tree. He tries to get a job to save money for a ladder. The ladder is $49, but he's too young to work. Conflict, but he manages to get a job cutting lawn. So he solved one problem. Now his next journey is to save that money. But, mom and dad need money too because he and his family are poor. Conflict. He won't be able to get that ladder as quick as he'd like because he's helping his parents. That's another problem. Fall is coming, and those apples won't be on the tree for long, and so on, and so on...until he finds the resolution.
@@1973vanguard Exactly. A story, a movie, is as good as the problems the characters are experiencing, and in very very great movies, like T2, Titanic, Aliens, the problems are mixed with big action. Problems define story, and the character who's unable to at first solve these problems has to change to gain more skills, needed to solve these problems.
So, character development is a story, problem solving is a situation.
Even good characters need tough problems to solve.
It's not always like that actually, but it's the best way to do it.
Check out Magnus Mills's book All Quiet on the Orient Express. It follows these rules, but the extrinsic obstacle is at first just to paint a gate.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is situational while War Games is story telling. Both are problem solving movies. A story has a beginning, middle and end of an arc. A situational movie just ends. Let's say the movie is about a bank heist. A situational plot has the thieves riding into the sunset with the money for an ending. A story would be that they had 24 hours to save an orphanage in Mexico by robbing a bank in Texas.
Character development should be done by page five which in a well written screenplay is about five minutes into the story. The character should be clearly defined so we know their strengths, their weaknesses, their flaws etc because the STORY is the main characters journey of emotional change. If you can't clearly demonstrate who they are emotionally then you'll never demonstrate that they went through personal changes. Clearly demonstrate who they are; demonstrate their routine; their "want" and then something/someone comes along with throws their whole "routine" into chaos (usually the antagonist or antagonistic force). The problem solving will usually fail at least once or twice (demonstrating that they need to change or have something to let go of before they can solve that problem) - hence the "emotional change" part. Also any well written story is driven by the protagonists actions - not by what's happening to him or her. It has to be their actions that drive the story forward (this is where the problem solving comes in). It's also good to continuously raise the stakes so that this dramatic "want" becomes a dramatic "need" something they MUST accomplish (Marty MUST get his parents back together for example; the shark MUST be killed etc). And then add a "ticking time bomb" or a time constraint - they need to get it done within a specific time frame in order to add tension. Oh yeah... and a "point of no return" or what I call a "Lock In" can add tension and in fact I think is necessary. For example after Marty goes past 88 miles per hour; he's now stuck in 1955 - he's locked into the story; there's no turning back; no alternate solution - he HAS TO find Doc Brown. These are just general guidelines though, nothing I've said above is necessarily "true". It's just one way to approach the craft of writing but ultimately you should follow your own heart, instincts and intellect. If it doesn't MOVE you then it probably won't move your audience or as they say "no tears in the writer = no tears in the reader".
1) The story needs to test the protagonist's flaw. 2 The protagonist must make the story happen.
SPOILER!!! - Just remember that in Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Indiana Jones wasn't needed for the plot to progress. The Nazis still would have found the Ark and all died on the island. Indy's sole contribution was then getting the Ark into the hands of the government, who locked it away, instead of studying its power.
@@TubenIt83 that makes no sense. The hero was needed for the plot until divine intervention happened. But divine intervention itself is something that makes no sense since God could have created the world right, in the first place -- in which case no stories would exist. I think divine intervention was the final "shit got serious" and the payoff that the story needed, and your complaint makes no sense because... even Indiana Jones is insignificant next to god. You know, a story is still in place even if the protagonist does not achieve what he wanted. In the end we are just over-analyzing an adventure flick... There's no part of it that works great because of its logic. It's actually a wonder of an incredibly fun movie that never makes any sense -- like its model, the 007 flicks.
@@nandoflorestan true
@@TubenIt83 Big Bang Theory broke my heart when it explained this. Lol. It was a sad day.....
@@nandoflorestan "Create the world right" Free will allows for the possibility sin. If the world was "created right," then there would be no point to humans since we'd be (mindless) robots. The world was created right. Everything that you just said made zero sense.
The Truman Show is another good example. Anyone could be plopped into the situation of being raised unknowingly on a television show. But Truman as a character is one who struggles with leaving his comfort zone, even though he wants to go out and explore, because of his fears. And in the end he makes the decision to go into the great unknown, away from the safety of his previous life, in spite of what may happen to him out there. And that's what makes it a story
Awesome example! Truman’s desire to explore is challenged by his intense personal fear of water and drowning from the traumatic loss of his father. Once he confronts that personal flaw, facing his fears, he can change as a person and complete that character arc. The most dramatic moment of the film is Truman on the boat in the sea during the storm, and while almost dying, as his “creator” nearly destroys him using the artificial storm, everyone engages in the drama to witness whether Truman successfully faces his flaw and fears. Such a good movie
Calling the flaw "something you can blame the character for" is exactly what I needed to hear that understand the concept. Thanks Jill!
This helps me to write my grand opus- Fat Tootsie 2:electric boogaloo. I am already writing my acceptance speech for the inevitable awards that are to follow
I'm already penning Fat Tootsie 3: Tokyo Drift. Where he becomes a fat woman with a siamese twin that wants to be a rocket scientist but to pay for school they have to race cars against Vin Diesel who is also in disguise as a fat woman, but also bald.
You both inspired me to write Fat Tootsie Episode 4: An Old Hope. It's where the main character searches for who he is and why his father won't accept him for how fat he is, even on his death bed; it's something he's wondered about for many years while zooming through the galaxies. I look forward to the fourth award that I'll win for this amazing series.
Holy shit we've got some serious franchise potential here guys. Not only are we gonna sweep the awards and box office with these masterpieces in progress but the merchandise potential is thru the roof. I'm talking fat tootsie action figures, happy meal tie ins, licensed video games, plushies, board games, play sets, coffee mugs, t-shirts and even an animated series to introduce a younger audience to fat tootsie. Sky's the limit here, I'll call my cousin Ira he can make things happen.
😂😂😂😂😂😂
I'm gonna skip ahead and start working on Fat Tootsie X: No USB's Allowed. Tootsie will go on a journey throughout east Asia in order to find the last USB port in a dying market only to find out that Apple has been buying up all the USB ports to hoard in their secret underground base.
It's so funny how the interviewer tries to bring up "A star is born" as an example, and it's exactly the kind of movie where none of the characters have any actual arc or effect on the events, so Jill just moves on :D
Jill acts as a teacher, and it´s great. More than an interview this has been like seeing from a hole some "learning lessons" between master and student.
The WHOLE POINT of ‘a star is born’ is the arc of the uprising star and the partner that can’t Handle it, so yeah it actually does work. (Yes im a screenwriter)
@@Nazaba09 Well, I, as a screewriter don't agree with you :) There is definitely an *assumed* arc. We all know the structure and trajectory of the plot by the setup, but that does not equal a well executed story arc in my book. To me it felt like the movie was like "You all know how this goes" and then never bothered to tell us the actual story, rather just show us scenes of it.
JonesAndYou it’s ironic because your statement goes against most criticisms of the movie. Of course it was critically acclaimed but the ONE problem critics had with it, was that the middle dragged on too long. It’s almost like the critics WANTED the movie to have the approach of ‘you know how this goes’ But nope, we had to suffer through it anyway. 😂
@@Nazaba09 Well, I'm not sure I am communicating myself clearly now because that exactly is my critisism also :D The middle part of the movie drags on because nothing is happening to the characters. They just exist in the middle of all of these events without either changing as people or being significant catalysts for the events. This is not a problem if the event rail-road is strong and dynamic enough so that the plot we all can see a mile away is served to us in a fun way. In this movie it was just boring and banal to me because the character reactions and emotional weight of their situation was the device the movie was built upon, and at least for me it did not connect. But I'm glad you enjoyed it and that it speaks to you, not every work of art is made for everyone! :)
Had been listening to a screenwriting podcast this spring - a couple of Brit guys - their take is that these screenplay writing gurus and their formula books work best for analyzing already completed works that are successful, but have their limitations when it comes to a writer in the process of trying to be truly creative in narrative storytelling.
Exactly.. you can never be creative, if you structure and instructions to follow.. going wild has risks and also surprise outcomes..
Respectfully disagree. I got Jill's book and ended up digging up and repairing all the main pieces of a novel I've been plotting -- completely based on what she explains in her book. I was able to figure out why my "situation" and "events" were not gelling. This book changed my way of building the story 180 degrees.
What’s the podcast called?
I just added a new post on the Chamberlain Video that references your reply. Appreciate your comment. You have a good understanding of creativity.
Just added a new post on the Jill Chamberlain video that addresses your reply (in a positive manner). Best of luck with your novel.
Great insight, especially the part of the the protagonist should be contributing to the problem. Definitely will take another look at my script:)
Check out episode 403 of the Scriptnotes podcast. Craig Mazin goes in depth wrt a protagonist’s false belief (the flaw) being at odds with a film’s thematic thesis and creating the journey for that character to change and embrace a new belief. It’s very much a continuation of the ideas presented here.
@@MarcosElMalo2 I appreciate this, and I'll definitely listen!! Thanks.
Marci Urling Marci Urling It’s a good podcast not just on screenwriting, but also the business of screenwriting. Mazin is part of WGA leadership, and on a different episode he explained the agency strike pretty well. Episode 403 was solo; usually it’s him and John August, whom you might know. I think the most important thing I got from 403 was that plot structure arises from the character of the protagonist, which mirrors what Chamberlain is talking about here (situation vs story). Anyway, this Film Courage video and that podcast episode are jumpstarting me on something I’ve been wanting to do as well as something I’m currently writing. Best of luck on your current script! Hit me up if you need a reader.
@@MarcosElMalo2 Sounds good!
I would even say that the character is the problem.
One of the best examples of the plot set up to “cure” the character is Ground Hog Day.
Yaa
Definitely will check this out
It's more about Success than curing anybody. Caddyshack, every Griswald family vacation.. A movie where people fail at the end never sells dvds, never recommended, etc..
Groundhog Day is one of my favorite movies. Still.
yep!!!!!
Watching this makes me go back to everything I've ever written. Turns out I'm one of the 99% of writers creating a just a situation and not actually a story. This has been a really helpful experience. Thanks
Can you tell me more ? What exactly did you change in your story ? And why ?
Does this help you with the story you are writing now?
i think a good way to make people understand how to make your protagonist less of a victim, is to get them to realise the difference between an active and reactive protagonist. do you have any videos describing the difference. if not could you make one please.
This is some great advice that I didn't know I needed. My stories never feel as compelling as I want them to be, and I feel like this is one of the mistakes I'm making.
Yes, actually. Thank-you very much.
Cheers!
If you make adjustments to your story / character, would be interested to hear how much difference it made.
This channel is absurdly resourceful and delivers so much detailed information about relevant issues/factors in the writing process and the industry itself that I genuinely feel like someone ripped these videos from a paid program and streamed them on KZhead. Thank you for all of the content. This was very helpful!
Hi Dre, that is an outstanding compliment. Thank you. Love to see you finding such value here. Our best to you as you move forward with your own creative work.
What this boils down to is the difference between story and plot, as described by E.M. Forster in "Aspects of the Novel." (1927) A story is "the king died, and then the queen died." A plot is "the king died, and then the queen died of grief." Action, reaction. Cause, effect. Tie those scenes together and you have
I wasn't so sure about the conversation even half way through, but it won me over. Great insight here, thanks!
I am working on a novel, rather than a screenplay, but this is great for me because Story is critical, regardless of the form it takes. Great instruction.
I highly recommend the book "Inside Story: The Power of the Transformational Arc" by Dara Marks. One of the best Screenwriting book ever published.
Honest to God I'm buying it right now
Purchased.
@@LouStoriale How was the book?
Simple yet, brilliant insight.
Wow, grateful for this advice. Thank you!
The phrase 'Fat Tootsie' has been uttered so many times now that I feel like I've seen that film.
Ms. Chamberlain is correct in all of this. I've owned a book formatting and proofreading company for several years. The vast majority of the fiction I get is from self-published people and most of the nonfiction is from very small publishers often doing POD books. Some of the nonfiction is not bad, but probably 90% or more of the fiction I get to work on is so poor, it's just a meandering mess with no goal in sight for any of the characters. It's very obvious that most people who try to write a fictional story just sit down and write anything that comes into their heads. I'm not saying you need an outline (though it helps tremendously most of the time), but before you start writing, you should already have the end in sight. You need a goal for your main character whether it's saving a town from a bursting dam, finding the fountain of youth, or settling the first colony on Ganymede. Then you need to decide on a character type to achieve that goal. (Man, woman, young, old, job type etc.) Once you have a goal and a main character, then you have the basis for writing a story. Yes, the journey may end up being more important than the destination, but you need to know where you're going before you can start. It also helps to have a goal for a secondary character so you can create a good subplot as well. Subplots help maintain the reader's interest. You may in fact have three or four. Just trying to be helpful.
Man, people in these comments are getting so bent out of shape, yet can't say what they actually disagree with.
@Gary Nelson I half-disagree. No matter how much joy and inspiration I have in an idea, it will die if I don't have its story plotted out in advance of writing as to how the characters will grow and develop as they strive to accomplish their goal because I won't know where they're going otherwise. Sometimes, however, my characters take the reins of the story away from me and go in a direction I didn't plan for or expect and I let them because it feels natural to the characters I've written.
Binging all the videos on your channel and this one really stood out. Great insight, thanks Jill :)
It works!!! If you want the waif of your story to trail long after your screenplay is read, hire a master. I read and applied the formula in Jill Chamberlain’s book, The Nutshell Technique, and then I hired her. A script consultation with Jill is like a session with a master perfumer. Her notes on my structure alone, elevated the entire fragrance of my story. (“A successful perfume is one in which the formula is as beautiful as the fragrance….” Francois Demachy.) Jill sniffed out and distinguished the aromatic moments to keep, and the distilling ones to eliminate. Jill infused my screenplay’s bouquet, helping me take it from decent, to full-bodied and rich with conflict. Thank you, Film Courage and Jill Chamberlain!
So, put a character with a certain bias in a specific situation that challenges that bias.
Yes. She makes some very valid points. Situation and story differences. And a flaw which makes the character who he or she is and how her actions point to this flaw ,thus developing the story . A good teacher.
This was insightful and inspiring. Great advice!
Getting addicted to your videos, Jill. Can't wait to apply your advice!
This ties in with the whole Hero’s Journey thing. Your character has to have a flaw that they overcome in order for it to be a story. Great insight, excellent example.
She's obviously never seen 'IP Man' . A Morally flawless character who's virtually unbeatable thrown into a situation where his individual strength doesn't actively help him solve the story's problem, (I believe Japanese occupation of his village). Narrative structure doesn't have to be a ridged as she makes it appear to be, otherwise stories of helplessness through existential threats would be non existent.
bbr64 bbr64 it also doesn’t help Nolan Batman trilogy, maybe on the third, but the the first two not one bit.
The Hero's Journey is a very tired and predictable formula these days. It panders to the majority, sure. You have your A New Hope which is an amazing example of the formula--but it is SO tired. The Hero with a Thousand Faces was written in 49 and it is definitely showing it's age.
Caitlin You are right. The tropes have been seen a thousand times. I can’t think of any that did it better than A New Hope 🤔 ... Could The Hero’s Journey be done in a way that is fresh and invigorated? I think it can, but it needs one hell of a writer, and production & post where it wasn’t mucked up. If someone told me that non-linear storytelling is the most efficient route to subverting the tiredness, I’d trust that opinion~ but regardless, lazy screenwriting will always produce tired work, will it not? A genius is needed to revamp Campbell’s structure, for it is still the most attractive house on the block despite its weathering.
@@Evanderj I agree 10000%. We have some hero's return stories that are noteworthy. Mad Max Fury Road. Interstellar (Christopher Nolan really does amazing hero returns). I think The Hero's Journey did well for the era it was most popular. From pulp fiction up until maybe early 2000s. Things are changing. The average viewer wants something more dynamic. Which is asking a lot considering the formula is already pretty complicated. I told someone that one of the best TV hero's journeys is Starz's Spartacus (season 1). There is no better representation of the Belly of the Whale than episode 6 of that series. It goes to show that the elements will always be important--but elevating it is even more so.
Write a story you like first, play with theories and changes later. If you're worried about what's going to sell, know one knows. If you know you've got something but it needs some work and you want a good discerning pair of eyes on it, that could be the time for some script theory folks to take a looksee - - - but I'd rather get it to someone who has written a screenplay I truly love than an academic. "Good stories" cannot simply be analysed by the left brain. ("Does it contain this element? Does it do this on this page? Ism ism this?") Good stories activate the heart, and there's no arguing when they do.
I am supporting a campaign called "Walk For Story" it's focused on helping gifted women writers who want to make positive social change through storytelling through full or partial scholarships. You should take a look at it fundly.com/walk-for-story
I remember once in Lincoln Plaza hearing someone who was probably a producer saying into his phone, "I don't care how good the writing is. What I'm looking for is how close it follows the model of Joseph Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces." The guy doesn't get that that book was supposed to be descriptive, not prescriptive, just like people who cling to Aristotle's unities of time, space, and action. Aristotle's Poetics was first published in English in 1608. By 1610, William Shakespeare wrote The Winter's Tale, which some scholars have argued is Shakespeare making fun of those who take Aristotle prescriptively.
Agreed but I think what is academic saying that you NEED both. A good story or having heart or an amazing idea dental to be an amazing movie isn't enough. You're hopefully going to create something you love anyway so might as well focus on the technicalities of a good script.
Yes tremendously helpful! Got me rethinking everything. Thank you
Thank you! Film Courage & Jill Chamberlain.
This woman is brilliant! Before watching this, I had just read a friend's script and this is EXACTLY what the prob was.
This solved something I was struggling with in my script. Thank you!!
This really helped me as well with my script.
This was a very insightful video, Jill's perspective regarding "situation" storytelling is familiar to me. When it comes to writing, some people work better building a series of situations, that eventually form an event / story. Essentially it may boil down to individual preferences, however if the end result is achieved (i.e. an emotional, thought-provoking / satisfying journey) then that's also a good thing.
This was so insightful, thanks. It gives such a clear lens through which to see a story's problems, and relate them back to the viewer's experience of the story. Very clever, and very simple.
insightful...the choices a character makes when put in a situation have everything to do with their flaws. the choices they make, make the story...
Writing is my passion the ONE thing I've ever thought I was any good at, and watching things like this really keep me going and believing I've chosen the right career. I'm not trying to brag, writing is the only thing I would ever even attempt to brag about but still. It's just, everytime I hear things like this, that they say a lot of people get certain things wrong never seem to be things I have any trouble with. According to the many similar videos I've seen I seem to naturally be able to write a well rounded story that has a good plot good characters and good flow throughout and yes things tie together and no another character wouldn't fit into them. I have no idea how I know how to do that and as I said I'm not saying this to brag but rather just thank people for making videos like this because it gives me hope and reassurance I'm on the right track and that I shouldn't let others in my life convince me otherwise, they don't know or understand that I really can write and that someday I really will make a name for myself. Watching these validates my life and lets me know I haven't been wasting it, so thank you.
Excellent observation and advice. Thanks.
I love this channel. Thanks so much.
I just can't help but laugh when I see all those script consultants taking themselves so serious when they pretend to deliver or discover such a unique approach! 😂 if you're reasonable you really have a hard time not shaking your head to this. What she is describing is essentially what others call the necessity of the inner journey. I'm not hating on her in particular. She's just trying to make a living by doing what she loves, but all these screenlay consultants have one thing in common. They haven't written screenplays that were actually made and became a huge success by themselves. And they all basically say the same in different words. If you look behind it, most of it is not much different from what Aristotle already said. All these approaches are legit but they don't delivee any new insight really, they just portray it in different ways. And the thing is that even by following all these formulas and rules, that doesn't garantee you a great screenplay or movie! Many bad movies are written considering and applying tjese formulas and still suck or don't succeed. That's why cinema and movie making is ART and great art has no formulas! There's more to it, that' why it's art. It's the same as music. You may be the best music theorist but there's no formula to produce a hit. Good for all these screenplay consultants and gurus, if they can make a living out of it but the delusion in them is what really strikes me.
You read my thoughts Bro! And they are always selling some book with their 'magic recipe' for success that is just SO basic. But by far the most frustrating thing is that I pick up popular books every day that are 'bestsellers' translated into a dozen languages, yet none of these super-basic rules seem to apply. Then, at the other end of the scale, high literature simply does not have to adhere to any of these principles. I guess screenwriting and writing - and, like you say ART - are very different worlds...
All that might be basic, but the problem is, people actually DO need help applying that to their scripts. Basic and easy are not the same thing. Then all of us would be great writers. Besides, you have no idea what this woman, or any other consultant has written or not. Just because it wasn't made doesn't mean they haven't sold any, or doctored scripts that were made (this happens, ALL the time). Do you have any idea the statistics on films being made? There are writers out there who own houses on scripts that they've written that have not yet been, nor probably ever will be made. That's how the industry works.
Did you write any movie? Cuz if not, then criticizing her makes you look a bit stupid IMO.
Spending all your time watching these videos as opposed to writing is obviously a mistake. But I think these videos (and consultants in general) have a place and can be very helpful. To me, it’s not much different than how we learn in school. In school, we learn about writing YEAR AFTER YEAR, essentially hearing the same advice portrayed in different ways by different teachers. It’s all mostly useful to some degree, as long as you also have enough time reserved to actually work on the craft.
I’m glad people have their own interpretations of these types of story elements. Sometimes you don’t get something until you hear a different explanation of it.
I admit. I had a hard time understanding "Fat Tootsie." But... I got it. She's talking about personal growth for the character. It's a rare thing. Love it.
One of the most insightful screenwriting teachings I have ever read or viewed. Jill Chamberlain explains everything so simply, but so perfectly.
loved the initial '99% are writing situations. great explanation ! Jill Chamberlain is awesome ! cheers from Rio
This is for abhi ram, Melanie Moore,, and Ash's Allotment... Starting with Melanie... You confirmed my doubts (after hitting the comment button) about about the clarity of my original post. Actually I found Jill Chamberlain a compelling voice on story building when writing screenplays. And at some point will get a copy of her book. Your positive testimony confirmed my suspicions about the value of her advice. I've read Truby. Found William Goldman's Adventures in the Screen Trade narrative absorbing, Then there's these: You Tube's Lessons from the Screenplay (esp the Gone Girl one) extremely insightful, and Nerdwriter's Interstellar essay (again on KZhead) same thing, five/5 stars. For what I'm doing... drawing from a multiplicity of sources works most effectively. But that's an individualistic concern. All writers/creators are different. What works for one, might not be successful for another and that's a good thing, otherwise there'd end up being a ubiquity of regression towards the mean literary production. What I liked especially about the two podcast guys was that they take an analysis approach to studying/dissecting successful screenplays, applying different formulas (such as Chamberlain's) to screenplays for films in distribution. Up to the point where I was last spring in listening to their shows was that they had four screenplay writing technique authors they were using to analyze/breakdown screenplays with (who the authors were are in my notes somewhere). I really found this type of all encompassing approach to their discussions refreshing. Worth checking out starting with episode one... DRAFT ZERO Working out what makes screenplays work. Chas and Stu (from Australia, they're not Brits my bad) Link: draft-zero.com/. Here's the two youtube links... Lessons from the Screenplay - Gone Girl kzhead.info/sun/dqpsnKqIjmZ7ZKc/bejne.html Nerdwriter - Interstellar When Spectacle Eclipses Story kzhead.info/sun/ZsqKZduHin6GqYE/bejne.html...
THOMAS SEABOLT many thanks
this was brilliant
This is beautiful! I started writing a few years ago and this helps my by leaps and bounds. Thank you!
You did it again film courage! Told me what I needed to know at exactly the right time.
Great to see the channel having that effect. Keep writing!
Depends on the type of story. Take Spirited Away for example. She has two simple character moments: she refuses the gold and she decides to go to to Yubaba's sister. And two character traits melded into a simple arc: she goes from being scared and bratty to courageous and hard working. Chihiro is not an active protagonist for most of the movie.
Yes, but that s a completely diferent way of telling things. Miyazaki comes from another tradition and also has his own kind of public.
Same for Big Lebowski.
Interesting. I have to go back and watch it again, but what you say here does ring true. Cheers from Tokyo (Miyazaki-sama is my neighbor :)
Chihiro makes more choices than that, though. The medicine from the River Spirit an important plot device that must be used actively, and it is an element of the story she has 100% control of. In a dream, it is shown that she intends to use the medicine to break the spell on her parents. She chooses to use it on Haku and Noh Face, her ally and her enemy, sacrificing a solution to her original goal in order to help people who have been poisoned (in a literal/figurative sense).
Actually most arthouse films don't follow what she is saying. They are based more on experiences and reactions and don't usually have an arc or satisfying conclusions.
I like the part about not making your character a victim. Many stories start with the protagonist being victimized by the antagonist in some way. But at the end, the protagonist seeks out the final fight on their own. They want the showdown, however it ends for them.
This is incredible help. Many thanks!
This is so helpful ! Thanks.
The problem I have is that from other successful writers, we're told to make the character suffer. "Imagine your character is stuck in a tree and people are throwing rocks at him/her. He/she must find a way down if they want to succeed." This is the format we're taught. She has a great point of what the difference is between the two, but most writers are taught this. I personally think situations like Get Out sell and stories like Forrest Gump live on. I think in a money hungry business like Hollywood, it would behoove the writer to write what sells and then once their foot is in the door, they can write whatever they want.
This was fabulous, also coulda been 4 min instead of 12
Like features that could have been short films? haha
Thank you for sharing 💗
Super Helpful Great stuff as usual !
I tend to go against the grain. Your story doesn't have to be about your protagonist having a pre-determined goal, and about his or her journey trying to achieve that goal. It just as well may be about a goal reached by the hero over a period of self-discovery, during which the protagonist finds out what he or she really longs for. The reason many good stories don't get told on screen isn't that they're bad, it's that they're reaching the wrong people at the wrong time and that making that Superhero do-over will almost certainly pay the studio more than investing in a great story written by an unknown noobie writer.
i agree.
falling down
Deep character leads to deep and compelling story.
The story is about the character, not just something that happens to them.
you need a deep plot that tells a good story and reveals interesting characters.
You guys are easily fooled. Should we conclude then that E. T. is a situation, not a story, because the protagonist is an average kid with very few friends who could just as well be the neighbor? I mean, the trick she describes in the interview is GREAT if you can pull it off, but it must by no means be essential to a story.
Wow. She is one of the most practicle voice to follow at filmcourage . Thanks for sharing this interview
I’ve been watching this channel for a long time. THIS is the best advice I have ever seen here!
She’s completely wrong in her analysis of Tootsie. Hoffman’s character is not presented as lacking respect for women. The party simply shows he is unsuccessful with women, but using the same pickup line is not lack of respect, it’s lack of ability. He talks to an attractive woman and asks her if she might want to do something after the party, but he later sees her leaving the party with a much better looking guy. It is also an important part of the scene that it is a his birthday and Bill Murray’s character put together the surprise party for him, but he hardly knows anybody at his own birthday party. He actually says so. Murray’s character is the one with all the friends and acquaintances. THAT is an important piece of information the writer is conveying in that scene. Not that he lacks respect for women. I doubt that notion was in any way part of the writer’s intent. And he NEVER intended to sleep with Terri Garr’s character. She walked in on him in her bedroom in his underpants because he was TRYING ON HER DRESSES. In order to cover and hide what he was REALLY doing, he pretends to be in his underpants because he wants her and they sleep together. So, of course he freaks out afterwards. He was in that situation only because he almost got caught being, or working on being Tootsie. In fact, he is very helpful to Garr’s character and helps her prepare for the soap opera audition. The fact is that she is not a good actor and she whines and complains and says she is giving up acting and, yet, Hoffman’s character doesn’t give up on her and tries to help. And keep in mind that the part in the soap opera that he won by being Tootsie was the same part that Garr’s character was trying to land, so even MORE reason he had to avoid revealing his secret to her. And based on this woman’s analysis, one could make “Fat Tootsie” in which Hoffman’s character looked down on fat people, but after living as a fat guy, changed his attitude. It would literally be the same movie according to her analysis of the character’s “flaw.” But lack of respect for women was not that character’s flaw. That conclusion is not supported by the movie. Maybe you could say that he was never “himself” with women he was interested in, but that being around Jessica Lange’s character when she thought he was a woman allowed him to relax and be himself rather than trying to use “lines.” But again, that arc is not about him respecting women, it is about him learning how to be natural and himself with women that he is attracted to.
I feel like what you're saying is true, but it's also an alternative view of the same thing as disrespecting women, another way of looking at the situation. Ignorance of women and of how to approach women goes hand-in-hand with disrespect, with each informing (or mis-informing, maybe) the other. Dissing women means that men don't get to know them, which makes it more difficult to approach them, which increases disrespect, and so on. Alternatively, start with not knowing much about women, finding it difficult to approach them, etc. Dorsey's character maybe isn't a total red-pill, MGTOW, Pick-Up Artist doofus as we know them today, but there's a touch of that about his approach. He's looking for the secret formula, the key that will unlock any woman. In Hollywood fashion, he's not totally irredeemable, though, because if he was, that wouldn't be his story, just a situation. So he infiltrates the world of women and sees what he looks like from the other side through seeing other men doing what he was trying to do and what it looks like to women. And that leads to understanding, which leads to character growth, which makes the story.
A
A+ for completely missing the point. An analysis of her misreading of Tootsie is besides the point she was making which is that writers are writing situations, not stories.
@@FTLNewsFeed And in order to demonstrate her assertion, she used Tootsie as an example, but because her interpretation of Tootsie is flawed, so is her attempt to rely upon it to demonstrate her claim that "most writers are writng 'Fat Tootsie.'" So, her analysis of Tootsie is entirely relevant. Not to mention the issue of her credibility as someone giving advice on writing for movies. If her interpretation of a film she holds out as an example is flawed, then why should I give any weight to her opinion on writing? Why should I have any confidence in her advice? Maybe she is completely wrong. I mean, she doesn't appear to have any film writing credits of her own. She is one of these people who wrote a book about how to write screenplays, yet she has no screenplay credits for any film that I can find except a couple of "shorts" she also directed in 2001 for which she is further credited as the editor and as an actress, so my guess is these are short films she made herself. www.imdb.com/name/nm0150172/ I'm not saying someone has to have written screenplays that have actually been produced as major feature films in order to have something useful to say about writing, but it sure would help. I'm always skeptical of these "experts" on "how to write scripts for film" who have somehow not been able to sell any script that they wrote. And her flawed interpretation of Tootsie further increases my skepticism about whether it makes sense to listen to her opinions at all. If you want screenwriting advice from someone who has no screenplay credits, I'd be happy to oblige. I have no screen credits either, so I guess I am equally as qualified as Chamberlain.
I agree with you, if anything Hoffman character flaw is that he is very manipulative, which serves him well in convincing everyone he is a woman and having Lange confide in him about stuff. But his ability to dupe everyone had to blow up on him eventually. It has been a long time since I've seen this film, but I found her analysis very strange. A situation IS a story so long as it is drawn out thru character development so we understand why the conflict continues thus creating rising conflict that leads to a climax. Pretty basic stuff really.
Did she just write "Shallow Hal"? 😂
no. Do you remember Tootsie or Shallow Hal?
Extremely insightful and informative. Jill gave a fresh perspective on a structure element that I hadnt recognized the full importance.
Thanks for watching Rickie. Great to see so many people responding to Jill's teachings. We're planning on having a new segment published on either Monday or Tuesday.
I found this very valuable and memorable, thank you. The only good stories are the great stories being retold in a new way.
so, 99% of screenwriters (she's known) aren't storytellers. good news for those who merely know the basics, I guess and it sorta helps if you actually have something worth expressing -- besides ambition for a paycheck.
Man, when she was talking about Tootsie, I kept thinking about Mrs. Doubtfire. I would've answered her query completely wrong.
Very informative, very informative indeed.
WOW...! Great interview!!
Why she avoided A Star is Born? It's been remade several times, it should be a good example, what if you trade some character(s) with, say, Singing in the Rain, how would that turn out? If her concept of a flawed script is so solid why not use a different movie that the one she likes...?
Agreed... This particular interviewee didnt convince me as a reliable consultant. She speaks a fair bit about not being the 99% whilst giving platitudes the 99% has already heard over and over.
because she can't do it on the fly :P
@@demitrisalloum5131 Fair enough, still, when was the last time you saw Tootsie? I remember that the protagonist was kind of a jerk and that he learned his leason in the end but by now I had completely forgotten about him using the same pick up line with several girls. A more contemporary example could be Total Recall; in the original there was a need for the character to have his mind erased, the resistance leader was a telepath, big issue, yet the people who worked the remake scrapped that completely leaving no need whatsoever for Quade to erase his mind. Fat Toosie reminds me of The Naughty Professor; I'm sort of partial to Stella Stevens and stuff so I prefer the original but I have nothing against the remake, it worked well enough to justify a sequel, so you should be able to make fat Toosie work. On hindsight, maybe it's because there is no failed remake of Tootsie that this example is not that good, a more relatable example would be Schumacher's Batman & Robin where they removed the angst on Batman, a key element of the character (and Bane's strategic mind, his more menacing aspect) or the out of character Superman as presented by Zack Snyder's objectivism. But only one of those count as a remake so I propose Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes where the god damned humans talk. They. Talk. And the apes speak in fear about the human ingenuity. In fear. In the original adaptation the humans have de-evolved, they are dumb. So, why is it that the apes rule the planet again? I want to enjoy this movie but it doesn't make it easy...
I would put it down to her having already used it as an example other times. She says in the video that it's her favourite example.
You can't analyze a movie on the fly. You have to figure it out. What she says is correct. A story is about your protagonist. Not about a situation. Movies that don't get that put you to sleep. You can't root for your protagonist if they have no personal stakes in the story. I get why she uses Tootsie. The "fat tootsie" allusion is perfect.
Love RAW conversations like this..nothing but the truth 💯
Great analysis of a problem -- not only must the protagonist choose the situation, exposing themselves to the dangers, but also the situation must expose a flaw in the protagonist. This is helpful for me right now as I'm honing a character to make them more fully 3-D in their motivations.
This was a terrific help in getting to the point of character.
Write your script. Let it flow organically. Keep writing.
She's referring to 99% of writers who woke up one day and tried writing a screenplay, then spent 200 - 1000 dollars for a script doctor to help them out with a 4 - 15 page coverage. When I started out writing my first screenplay, (my baby if you would), I knew before writing anything what my story was about, and perfectly visually seen my beginning, middle and exactly how I wanted to end it. I had previously wrote a backstory for each of my characters. This first draft was only 60 pages in length and I wanted to write it to 120 because when I go to the movies, I appreciate a lengthy movie, that is entertaining. And I am blessed with endless notions. Today producers and directors prefer shorter scripts with more blank pages. I remember entering that script in monthly Screenplay Contests. The script doctor or script analyst loved my screenplay. It was almost perfect, but most of all it told a story and will be an excellent time at the theater.
I'm an aspiring screenwriter. This was very educational for me! I'll make sure I keep this in mind. Thank you so much for this video!
She was exceptionally clear and delightfully concise. Kudos to her!
Id like to hear someone talk about 'The Law of Attraction' in storytelling. Is that something you could ask your guests some time? I notice that if a character has suppressed anger problems then a lot of angry people appear and cause them problems in their outer world... but when they deal with and embrace their anger... the angry people go away. Same with criticism - a person suppresses their inner critic and then a whole bunch of critics show up in their external world. Id like to know what your guests have to say about this.
Hmm, that sounds like it would be writing a message within a story. To me "Law of Attraction" is a theory and a belief, not a writing tactic. It's kind of like writing about karma or reincarnation. These are beliefs, not storytelling strategies.
@@cameronmack1863 Well... It is definitely used by the top screenwriters / storytellers / novelists... so whether you believe it exists or should be used or not doesnt negate the fact that it is a technique widely used and is obviously highly effective. Thats why people use it and it rings true to reality. Our perceptions are distorted by our psychological states.
Another way to frame that might be "if it smells like shit everywhere you go, check your own shoe". Our mindset both informs how we act in the world and how we perceive others actions. Those two things each have an effect on the other, in a cycle and can over time change how one would act. It allows us to rationalise a behaviour one day that we might not on another day. Nothing's wooey about the law of attraction. Worth thinking about when writing, for sure.
if you turn on the captions, it says "chauvinistic" every time the lady said *sexist* . what's wrong with the word sexist and why change it?
Then turn off the captions. Done.
@@MrMarcJackson dude, the captions literally change what she said. it's like mild censorship, and you're like "jUsT pReTeNd ThEy DiDn'T"
Maggy Frog I noticed this as well. Just KZhead flexing their censorship muscles. Only a matter of time until they start changing the spoken language as well in different content
women can't be sexist in a leftist transgender utopia
KZhead thinks negative-sounding gender-neutral words are doubleplusungood
Wow. This lady has blown my mind. Thank you. This is humbling as a writer.
this channel really has some helpful stuff
Doing our best, thanks for subscribing!
Yesh finally someone putting it in words what i felt about joker and a 100 other movies. They just make the character a victim of circumstance(s). That makes for a bad story overall.
because of people like this we're devoid of more people like tarantino, paul thomas anderson, the coen brothers, david lynch etc
Thank you! According to this lady, the probably best movie ever made, 2001, is a situation, not a story.
This ABSOLUTELY is helping me right now 1000% with creating the protagonist of my latest pilot script. THANK YOU Jill Chamberlain! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Yes ,it made a great difference with situation creativity and story creation....
Her "Fat Tootsie" example is a very long ridiculous hypothetical way to say something very simple. As I am watching, I'm thinking... "99% of screenwriters are writing stories where the protagonist doesn't have a flaw that needs to change from the beginning to the end?" Really? 99%?" This seems like a very unfounded assumption. I guess if she says 99% of screenwriters need help, it is a good way to sell them books discussing super basic writing advice.
Agreed. Though to be fair some writers give their characters flaw that dont speak to the story at all. Then the flaw becomes almost like a quirk. Flaws done right propel a story ineveitably. So id take your point and add that the flaw chosen has to be the crux of that characters story
It does seem like an exaggeration, but I think you missed the point she's making. It's not about whether the writer has the hero overcoming the flaw or not, it's about having a flaw that is TESTED by the story, and having the tests primarily come as a result of the hero's own actions or decisions. It would be easy to follow a lot of screenwriting formulas and insert cool obstacles that become episodic and repetitive and a flaw that gets resolved without them being deeply CONNECTED - which is clearly what happens when writers try to imitate something they've seen without thinking about why it worked as a story.
DribbleFunk Well said
I don't want to sound bad or bitter, but everyone who's read at least one screenwriting book knows about flaws and how essential it is for the story world and circumstances to challenge that flaw and making the character overcome it. Which makes me think that it can't be 99%. John Truby's Anatomy of Story specifically uses Tootsie as an example (among others), which makes this feel like she's just reciting this (which obviously might just be because Tootsie is a good example).
@@chrisd7733 Sure, I would do that. I just hate the titling of the video and how much she stretches out her argument. I was waiting for her to say something I didn't know (that sounded very pretentious), but couldn't know that she wouldn't get there. And the title implies that this is worth watching for everyone, as it'd be arrogant to believe that you don't fall into the 99%.
I agree with you. 99% is ridiculous
Awesome information. I just started a new script thank God I saw this before finishing.
situation < story THAT'S ALL. That's all I really needed and she just made me 'get it', even before tootsie explanation. Wow. Thank You.
What about the movie "After Hours?" That's a situation where bad things just keep happening to the protagonist. It's been a while since I've seen it, but I can't quite remember what the guy's flaws are, haha.
You'll always find exceptions to the "rules", especially in Indie or artsy type films. Even in Forrest Gump - a hugely successful big "studio" film - it could be argued that Forrest doesn't have a central flaw that he overcomes; Forrest stays essentially the same throughout the whole movie. However, he is the catalyst for change to the other characters (Jenny, Lt. Dan). Bottom line, once you've learned the basic rules, it's all the more easier to break those rules effectively for your own purposes.
@@Finians_Mancave I don't think it's breaking the rules, it's just an example of a Flat Arc, kind of like the Paddington movies.
If that’s the case, almost none of the horror and thriller movies are stories. They’re just people thrown into situations. Bad fate as she calls it. If the character can be replaced, this makes the character generic rather than a story turning into a situation. And please tell me one story where there’s no situation. The things she said just doesn’t make any sense to me. To me anything that has a beginning a middle and an end is a story, regardless who’s in it or if they have flaws or what not.
Do you have an example of almost perfect horror or thriller movie that people have thrown into situation? Name it please then you will come to realize they have contribute to the problem
Stories are usually about a character overcoming a flaw [or fail to] (and not about the external goal). In seeing the protagonist overcome a flaw [or fail], the audience experiences catharsis. If the flaw isn't tested throughout the story, it will often feel episodic, and even repetitive, because the audience can't see how events relate to one another. They should relate to the internal goal the character has. If the story doesn't test the flaw of the character, it isn't unique to them, and therefore feels generic. If the protagonist isn't responsible in some way for their situation (as a result of a flaw), it seems like they are just a helpless victim. If their own actions/choices are not making the situation worse how would they be capable of overcoming the situation in the climax? In many ways, what she's saying is similar to Truby in "Anatomy of Story" and Michael Hauge.
@@Ruylopez778 Geez I don't know about that, writing a story about the Holocaust (The Pianist for example) and says that the main characters (say a Jewish person) is somehow responsible for their situation is kinda an irresponsible move
@@somewherelongago "If the protagonist isn't responsible in some way for their situation (as a result of a flaw), it seems like they are just a helpless victim. If their own actions/choices are not making the situation worse how would they be capable of overcoming the situation in the climax?" *IN SOME WAY..... AS A RESULT OF A FLAW* *Being Jewish isn't a flaw*. And a character can't "overcome" the Holocaust. They overcome the obstacles, and themselves internally, in the story. Their own actions, as a result of their flaw, can still sometimes create obstacles for them. That is what they are responsible for. If the obstacles happen at random like bad luck it is pointless, since they don't have the means to learn anything. Isn't that obvious from the video? What you're implying I'm saying is ridiculous. And there aren't "stories about the Holocaust". There are stories about characters reacting to events during/before/after the Holocaust. If I character is stubborn, and as a result they are captured by Nazis, the flaw results in the capture. It doesn't make them responsible for the Holocaust. They might come to discover they are stubborn and avoid a similar mistake in future. They can't undo the Holocaust by being less stubborn. Why did you utterly misunderstand this?
RuyLopezQB6 I'm sorry if I have misunderstood you in any way to crank a bad joke, but what was I originally meant to say (until I turn into a bad joke instead) is that in social commentary films, especially those which are meant to criticize a system, if a character('s action) is portrayed to be at fault for their situation and whose flaws are meant to overcome so as to avoid similar mistakes, then the story could potentially come across as inconsiderate to its subjects by downplaying the weight of history. I'm not trying to say that you can't be a critique of society and have flawed character, but just that there are the wrong kinds of flaws and the wrong kind of emphasis on such flaws that you can give to your historical "victim" characters, especially if it's the system you are trying to criticize. I know I'm talking in circles a lot, so here is an example: If you're trying to write a story about the Holocaust (or Jewish people reacting to the Holocaust), criticizing the crimes of the Nazis, but then you go on to make your Jewish protagonist flaw's being that his/her stubbornness, and only if he/she can get over his/her stubbornness he/she could avoid the mistake of being caught by the Nazis, your audience might be getting the wrong idea that you're downplaying the fact that "Hey, maybe such crimes against humanity shouldn't be committed" (it's kinda like writing a story about Tiananmen and saying that if you hadn't protest maybe you would have lived) I kinda think that's one of the reasons why there are fewer films that are directly about the Jewish people in the concentration camps and often have to rely on an outsider character. Because the guide to film storytelling and what is considered respectful to the historical subject don't often mesh But then I again, I don't really believe that the other approach to a character is wrong (or uninteresting) I wonder if you have seen the movie Cathy Come Home by Ken Loach, it's rather interesting because the protagonist is written to be exactly like the "helpless victim" (if anything her flaws are framed to be normal), but the film ultimately benefits from the episodic, almost repetitive structure that follows because it further denotes the characters lack of control. And while the protagonist doesn't feel unique, I would argue that it's because she isn't supposed to, she's supposed to represent "the everywoman" who have fallen victim to the system, it's not the character who is unique, it's the situation that is unique. I could be reading this wrong, however, so I want to ask your opinion on this first I apologize again for the bad joke, I didn't try to come off as a jerk (though it does look like it) and I hope this long comment provides some context to that comment to what I meant when I wrote that joke. Everything I say here could be wrong thou (since I haven't read John Truby's books so I might misunderstand you again), so please explain if I'm missing anything EDIT: I have NOT read John Truby's book
Amazing nugget of knowledge. This helps me with the writing of my story, in my case a novel. Cheers!!
Love to hear this. Our best to you as you move forward with your novel.
This was excellent, thank you.
Watching videos when we could be writing ......ummm
Don't call me out like that.
i'd disagree with this one, i honestly prefer well thought out and executed "situations" to a boring one with character flaws and shit. its great advice but saying that a story isnt a story unless a character has a "flaw" is just something i strongly don't believe in.
The key about characters in film is the Evolution of a character. That is why flaws is important. That is what makes Batman more interesting than Superman. During The story The character deals with their flaws, learn from them or just never learn. But history has shown that characters with no flaws make no good film.
@@insaniacproductions5775yes thats true but it mostly shines through and works very well when the "situations" or rather plot is innovative and interesting. if not the movie will most likely be more boring that the one with great situation but no character flaw
Insaniac Productions, inception wasn’t about a character flaw. Kill Bill Vol. 1 wasn’t about the flaws of “The Bride.” She was merely thrown into a situation where he was left for dead, and went on a journey of revenge for those who attempted to murder her.
@@charlesdodson7521 Dude, what movies do you watch? In Inception Cobb is constantly putting his own inner demons and his past in the line during the jobs and get his team hurt and killed by it. In Kill Bill The Bride is naive enough to think that she can escape a life of violence and get his friends killed by her actions, that flaw starts a story about doing what she had to been done long time ago.
This is great information that helps me .
Thiss iss such a great advice... Thankyou so much
Cheers! Thanks for the comment.
Story and situation seem more like need vs want.
Not exactly. The story is the change from want to need.
Isnt that what a story is when its broken down? A bunch of situations? Two words. Forrest Gump. A movie about an endearing character in a bunch of situations
There's a great video about paddington bear by lessons from the screenplay that highlights how some movies with flat arcs work because it's everyone around the protagonist who changes and the situations highlight the protagonist's defiant unchanging noble character trait.
An interesting insight with considerable merit. But she glossed over the more important point she touched on early in the video -- the one page outline or chart of your story. In my experience as an editor, the vast majority of amateur writers simply don't know where they are going from the first. They wing it and hope it ends up somewhere. Ms. Chamberlain speaks of a central flaw that is tested. Others talk about a series of conflicts leading to a dramatic conclusion that illustrates the central theme. Others speak of cause and effect leading inexorably to a thematic denouement. However you wish to think of story, knowing where you're going is vital. Putting down the mechanics or structure of the story on a piece of paper first and working out the flaw, the conflict, the resolution is what pros do first. And it makes the writing itself far more efficient and directed.
@@cesarhernandez7108 Yeah but that's why he's generally panned for having terrible endings to his stories. Lots a great ideas along the way but no end goal in mind
Yes! Thank you.