I read somewhere that there are only two best-case scenarios for a great screenplay—either it meets the expectations of the audience or it doesn’t. Either they sigh in relief or gasp out loud in shock.Giving your audience what they want shouldn’t be difficult for a practiced writer. A character has a desire, and they achieve it at the end of the story. Boom! Expectations met! But there’s something oddly satisfying about not meeting those expectations in a screenplay, leaving the audience shaken in disbelief.Many compelling screenplays use something called misdirection—it's sneaky, it's intelligent, and it takes viewers somewhere unexpected. It's all about planting subtle clues that seem insignificant until a revelation forces us to reconsider everything. Let’s examine how this narrative tool, when used thoughtfully, can transform straightforward storytelling into something more complex and satisfying.What is Misdirection?Misdirection is distracting the audience to mislead them, preventing them from getting on to your scheme of actions, until you finally reveal the truth. In essence, it is a style of storytelling, where the “audience proposes, filmmaker disposes.” In misdirection, a filmmaker manipulates information, character(s), and their timing in the narrative while building the conflict, until everything falls into place to reveal an unexpected resolution that does not match the audience’s expectations. Many times, the audience is also purposefully misdirected by exploiting their biases, prejudices, and gullibility. Why Would Any Filmmaker Misdirect Their Audience?A story is as interesting as its narration. Be it a bedtime story or Nolan’s Inception, if the narrative is linear...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Today