Screenwriting Patterns

Little Big Screen

ulicifer@hotmail.com — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 01:48:00 GMT

I am asked on occasion why do I go to the trouble of analyzing movies?

There are many good answers. Philosophers like Plato and Aristotle had serious interest in creative writing which they called poetics. They were interested how a writer could create emotion and sway mas opinions about the subjects of the day. More recently Marshal McLouhan and his followers have reexaminded everyday popular media like film and television and how it shapes our society and life.There is plenty to learn about the times we live in and their morality from a good movie and on occasion we do meet a movie that chalanges us to question the sanity of this day and age.

More...

Surprise Surprise

ulicifer@hotmail.com — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:19:00 GMT

Unpredicatability - the most elusive quality

More...

The Threshold Experience & The Point of No Return

ulicifer@hotmail.com — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:45:00 GMT

The Threshold & The Point of No Return

When developing characters the main patterns you will need to use are dimensions; the fatal flaw; the character arc. More advanced writers will employ even more advanced techniques like the circle of being in the back story and the peak experience as part of the subconscious internal motivation.

The Threshold Experience and the Point of no return are two additional techniques that can be used to assist character development and progress along the arc. They are also character centric demarcation point of progress alone the character arc.

More...

The Moral Premise Pattern

ulicifer@hotmail.com — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:58:00 GMT

The moral premise of a story is a single sentence statement describing the lesson of the story as it reflects on real life. As such it can serve as a bridge between the worlds within the story inhabited and our world.

While a moral premise won't guarantee a movie will be free from other faults it does raise the bar and may compensate for other problems. With other things being equal stories with a moral premise will engender greater emotional impact than ones that lack it.

More...

It's A Gift And A Curse

ulicifer@hotmail.com — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 01:17:00 GMT

A crafty screenwriter will not fail to notice that in many episodes in Mr Monk the characters are ironically using screenwriting terminology to discuss their issues. While this narcissistic behavior may go unnoticed by most of the audience it hardly contributes to the quality of said episodes.

Irony in the storyline has received many praises. Robert McKee claims it is the source of the most realistic stories and the ones most difficult to get right. It requires that the ironic balance be slightly in favor of either positive or negative.

When it comes to character construction he explains that a well rounded character is one that is a walking contradiction of traits - with respect to different individuals. Sweet to one, uncouth to another. Loyal to a stranger, but unfaithful to his wife.etc.

In Mr Monk the screenwriters have not gone to great length to make the characters realistic. But they did employed many advanced techniques to develop the protagonist and his Cortie. He is given ironic traits which can be summed up in the oft repeated saying "it a gift and a curse"

For example Mr. Monk has a very sharp perception of the world about him and the people he meets but this gift is also a curse, he is unusualy lacking in empathy or even a sense of humor.

The Comic View Point In Mr Monk

ulicifer@hotmail.com — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:01:00 GMT

The TV series Mr Monk is mixed genre production which combines the sobering homocide investigations with the diametricaly opposed genre of comedy. How and on what levels does the use of comic elements contribute to the success of the series?

More...