What is supposed to happen in the middle of your story? What are some ways to construct the middle of it?
The middle of the story, or the midpoint, is the turning point for the story, where a major shift takes place and the trajectory of the story changes. A way to think of it is that the character(s) have a clear goal in the first half, which gets derailed at the midpoint and the second half is their reaction and recourse until the story resolves. Another good way to construct the midpoint is to use Dan Harmon's Story Circle, where the midpoint is around numbers 5 and 6 where the character gets what they want, but pays a price for it. There are two major questions which can help you write the midpoint: 1) what does your character want and 2) what major cost will come when they get what they want.
What should you be thinking about when writing a scene for the first time? What does this video have to say about this? What should you be thinking about rewriting a scene? What does this video have to say about that?
When writing a scene for the first time, there are two important questions that you should answer for the scene: 1) "What do my characters want, both in the scene and in the story?" and 2) "What happens in the scene that changes the story and moves it forwards?" Knowing what the characters want in the scene is very important because motivation is needed for a scene to actually have a purpose, helping to keep the story focused and moving forwards. It is important that the scene changes the story's trajectory in some way as it changes the characters and progresses the different types of conflict within the story. This can range from major moments, such as confrontations, to smaller moments, like characters debating.
When rewriting a scene, you should being keeping in mind what the characters want, what the specific problem is in the scene, how the characters try to get what they want, and how does the scene change the overall story. These are good reminders of what is needed to make an effective scene in the first place, such as understanding the goals of the character(s) in the scene and knowing how it affects the story. Additionally, these guiding questions help hone the important details about the scene and make them more interesting. Including a source of conflict in the scene creates a more entertaining/engaging one as, without conflict, it would simply be exposition, which can bore the audience. Understanding the way that characters are trying to get what they want can reveal important characterization and show the lengths which the character may go to in order to achieve their goal.
What are set-ups and pay-offs? Why are they so important in the screenplay you are writing?
Set-ups and pay-offs are ways for the story to logically develop, creating a sense of inevitability and cohesion that make the resolution feel more earned. Essentially, set-ups are where you establish a line of information which will be relevant and/or affect the story later on and pay-off are where that information or detail comes back and accomplishes something. These are so important in writing a screenplay because they help the story flow better and the important details feel like they are earned and fit; it breaks the audience's suspension of disbelief when a new piece of the plot appears with no set-up. Additionally, having this system in-place can improve the audience's engagement and keep them interested with more info-heavy stories.
How is Dan Harmon's Story Circle similar to "The Hero's Journey" monomyth cycle you've learned about? How is it different? Which system do you prefer? Why?
Dan Harmon's Story Circle is a story structure which breaks down the story into 8 key points: 1) comfort zone, 2) need/desire, 3) unfamiliar situation, 4) adaptation, 5) get what they wanted, 6) but pay a price, 7) return to comfort, and 8) having changed. The Story Circle is similar to "The Hero's Journey" monomyth cycle as it bares similarity in key moments such as a character having to leave their comfort zone into an unfamiliar situation, learning and changing from it, before inevitably returning to a comfort zone. The Story Circle differs from the Hero's Journey as it is able to work effectively at much smaller scales and acts much more loosely compared to the Hero's Journey. I believe I would prefer using the Story Circle because of its great versatility and how you can use it for smaller components of a story on top of the entire story. That being said, there is a level of simplicity with the Hero's Journey that would make it easier to follow so, in execution, I may wind up using one or both of these two tools when writing my next story.
What storytelling patterns does this video discuss, and what significance do they hold when you are writing a short film?
Some storytelling patterns that this video discusses are tropes and how they are used effectively. When writing in a genre, there are going to be conventions and tropes commonly tied to the genre, which match the expectations that the audience will have of any media within that genre. It is important to use these expectations and also know when to subvert them. There is a balance required of following and breaking the set rules of any category you're following. In the video, they explain this through the archetype of the hero's journey, which is a popular formula that contains a set of rules and structures that allows writers to create a compelling story. These are significant to writing a short film because you need to work with the audiences expectations in order for your story to actually be effectively conveyed to them. You'll need to use tropes and follow some rules in order for the audience to be receptive to your story. Following their expectations to a level allows for them to be interested; however, you must also add a level of uniqueness as well in order to have an interesting story.
How did Kurosawa influence George Lucas? What parts of the samurai film did Lucas incorporate into Star Wars? What is the most interesting thing that you learned in this video?
Kurosawa influenced George Lucas as Kurosawa had been raised on Western Films but was a filmmaker during the time of war, thus creating unique, action-packed, films about Samurai in order to slip past war-time requirements of only imperial propaganda being produced in film. The types of films which Kurosawa had created during this time fit the kind of films which a young George Lucas was getting into during his time at film school. Some parts of the samurai film which Lucas incorporated into Star Wars were inspired naming and modeling plot details and scenes after ones in Kurosawa's films. This includes the name of the Jedi, many scenes such as the Cantina scene, characters like the peasants (becoming R2D2 and C3PO), and filmmaking techniques such as the wipe. The most interesting thing that I learned about in this video was the Japanese filmmaking scene both during and after WWII. I had never previously realized that filmmaking was as big as it was in Japan and that there were films being produced and made during wartime.
What do you notice when watching this video example of the hero's journey in these films? How is it represented in each film?
When watching this video example of the hero's journey within the films, I notice that each film follows the formula nearly to a T, with little to no deviations from it. However, despite the formula, they still are compelling and unique stories that people love and enjoy; they are able to convey different themes and create different connections whilst following this tried and true formula. The archetype is represented in the arc that the protagonist goes through, i.e., the way that their character progresses through the story and the major story beats that are important to that journey. Each character starts off as a regular person before recieving a call to action and meeting a mentor that leads them over the threshold. They learn lessons and face a series of trials, overcoming their fears and ultimately being reborn in someway, using some kind of boon to accomplish their mission. In many instances, they also typically find love as it is part of the human condition and is often used as an important obstacle and goal for the hero.
