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There are three types of structure for stories, due to the fact that we are shooting this in different locations our most likely will either be MINIPLOT or ANTIPLOT. Have a look at some of these Miniplot and Antiplot examples and it might trigger some new ideas.
I think writing a miniplot is probably a little more difficult than archplot but still follows a rough three act structure as opposed to antiplot which could go pretty much in any direction. I'm hoping we go Miniplot.
http://www.rickwisedp.com/St%20Marys/COMM%20158/McKee%20Plot%20Design.jpg
An Archplot movie has the following characteristics (in its purest form):
* All events happen for a clear reason. * The ending is not ambiguous; everything is resolved. * The protagonist deals with a clear, external conflict. * The movie progresses along a clear, linear time frame. * There is one clear protagonist. * Whatever reality the movie takes place in, the rules established for that reality are consistently followed. * The protagonist is actively deals with the conflict.
Miniplot is similar in some ways to the Archplot, with these possible exceptions:
* The ending is ambiguous and not everything is obviously resolved. * Rather than dealing with an external conflict, the protagonist contends with an internal struggle. * There is more than one protaganist, which leads to various subplots. * The protagonist is more passive or reactive toward the conflict, rather actively confronting it.
Miniplot examples * Nanook of the North (1922) * Zero de Conduite (1933) * Paisan (1946) * Wild Strawberries (1957) * Through a Glass Darkly (1961) * The Red Desert (1964) * Five Easy Pieces (1970) * In the Realm of the Senses (1976) * Tender Mercies (1983) * Paris, Texas (1984) * A River Runs Through It (1993) * Pulp Fiction (1994) * Shall We Dance (1997) * Watchmen ?
Antiplot is typical of surrealist and and avant-garde movies, where events don't happen for a clear reason, reality is not consistent, and the time frame is unclear and non-linear. (Think Godard and Buñuel.)
* Antiplot examples * Un Chien Andalou (1928) * Blood of the Poet (1932) * The Running, Jumping and Standing Still Film (1959) * Last Year at Marienbad (1960) * Persona (1966) * Weekend (1967) * Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) * That Obscure Object of Desire (1977) * Koyaanisquatsi (1983) * Stranger than Paradise (1984) * After Hours (1985) * Wayne's World (1993) * Lost Highway (1997)
@Imaginate 12/12/2011
interesting, but i think there are more:
1 The choral structure, where we have more than one main character
2 The Mcguffin, (from wikipedia) “a plot element that catches the viewers' attention or drives the plot of a work of fiction”.[1] The defining aspect of a MacGuffin is that the major players in the story are (at least initially) willing to do and sacrifice almost anything to obtain it, regardless of what the MacGuffin actually is. In fact, the specific nature of the MacGuffin may be ambiguous, undefined, generic, left open to interpretation or otherwise completely unimportant to the plot. Common examples are money, victory, glory, survival, a source of power, a potential threat, or it may simply be something entirely unexplained. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGuffin
3 The enlightening ending, where we don´t know wha´ts going on and the unaswered questions drive the movie until the very end, where all the questions gets answered, this type of structure, must of the times gets mixed with others types
and about the possible conflicts, there are three, and the good movies always have the three types, but one always remains as the main (or the most remembered).
1 internal conflicts, the character with himself.
2 external conflict, the character with the enviroment surrounding him.
3 inter-personal conflict, the character with other characters.
and for the structure must suitable for this proyecvt i think the choral structure can be the best, but it depends on wich story will be chosen
@lolo 13/12/2011
@lolo
thats what I mean by MINIPLOT structure … multiple protagonists as apposed to ARCHPLOT with only one.
All the other plot devices etc that you mention are great, they are elements that can be found in all three of the MAIN STORY STRUCTURES…
My Main point in my first post is that in our case we can pretty much rule out ARCHPLOT… considering we are shooting in so many places with different groups of actors.
@imaginate 13/12/2011
At some point after the group has voted about the kinds of elements or plot points that they want in the story the next phase that the group or writing team will move into is THE BEAT SHEET. The purpose of this post is not to be some kind of screenwriting tips, but to get feedback on the need for a BEATSHEET. I've written one screenplay and hired writers to finish two others and a lot of our time before we got into the major grunt work of writing was to get the OUTLINE or beatsheet correct.
Here are two examples of BEAT SHEETS:
One which has helped me immensely over the years is a system created by Blake Snyder in his first book entitled SAVE THE CAT, where he breaks down story structure into 14 beats.
The second is by a company called CONTOUR which a demo can be downloaded for free. http://www.marinersoftware.com/products/contour/
Both of these BEAT SHEETS (especially Contour) are designed more with an archplot story structure… BUT the beats still apply to stories with multaple protagonists. We might end up shooting for a 'miniplot structure' similar to “Pulp Fiction” or “Crash” that have several mini stories/protagonists revolving around a theme. In pulp fiction it was three separate stories merged together around a theme of Loyalty and with Crash it was six different stories around racism.
CRASH (the movie) is a really good example of the direction that we hopefully head in, Paul Haggis is an amazing writer and rose to the challenge that these miniplot present us with of connecting so many peices together and properly resolving/ or not resolving them. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375679/
CRASH , 6 different stories all revolving around the theme of racism that intersect with each other… Each story within crash also is featured in each beat of synders breakdown. I can upload that example for those writers interested.
For our own purposes I suggest 4 to 5 production teams (Max 6) each with their own set of characters. we can break those more complex stories down into 14 BEATS… read on.
BTW Crashes genre is what is called INSTITUTIONALIZED - 1.every story in this catagory is about a group, family organization or business that is unique
2.the story is about a choice, the ongoing conflict between naive inexperieced underdog vs. the systems “Company” man.
3. Finally a sacrifice must be made leading to one of the three endings: Join, burn it down … or commit suicide.
Here’s Blake Snyder’s patented Beat-Sheet that serves as a template for all scripts, broken into 15, named mini-acts (with their page numbers).
1. Opening Image (1) 2. Theme Stated (5) 3. Set-Up (1-10) 4. Catalyst (12) 5. Debate (12-25) 6. Break into Two (25) 7. B Story (30) 8. Fun and Games (30-55) 9. Midpoint (55) 10. Bad Guys Close In (55-75) 11. All Is Lost (75) 12. Dark Night of the Soul (75-85) 13. Break into Three (85) 14. Finale (85-110) 15. Final Image (110)
( i can upload more detailed descriptions for each of these beats if anyone is interested )
Plot Summary for Crash (2004/I) More at IMDbPro »
Several stories interweave during two days in Los Angeles involving a collection of inter-related characters, a police detective with a drugged out mother and a thieving younger brother, two car thieves who are constantly theorizing on society and race, the white district attorney and his irritated and pampered wife, a racist white veteran cop (caring for a sick father at home) who disgusts his more idealistic younger partner, a successful Hollywood director and his wife who must deal with the racist cop, a Persian-immigrant father who buys a gun to protect his shop, a Hispanic locksmith and his young daughter who is afraid of bullets, and more.
Pulp Fiction hits the STC beats but not in a formulaic rom-com/action movie sense. The beats are more about eliciting an emotional response from the viewer, and is what sets Pulp Fiction apart from arty-farty indie-style gangsta flick.
Theme crime being unexpected & Loyalty
Opening Image: scumbags at a restaurant feeling powerful and looking down on “regular” folk because they are just sheep, while the scumbags are kings of their world.
Setup: After nobody moves because every mother-f*ing last one of them don't want executing, Sam Jackson and John Travolta wisecrack and show what pros they are in their gangsta world. They retrieve a suitcase, whilst along the way casually shooting some small-time crooks who tried to fk Marcellus Wallace like a bitch.
We also learn John is to take out Marcellus Wallace’s wife. Entertain, not execute.
We also meet Butch at the bar, a fading boxer being ordered to take a dive by Marcellus.
John then gets his buzz on by visiting his old pal’s casa, a madman hit of heroin.
Catalyst: Tough one, this. It could be argued the catalyst is the heroin, since this seems to affect the mood of the film from here on in, but I’d say the “catalyst” moment is when John meets Uma. Although this event doesn’t necessarily affect each plot point, it changes the nature of what has come before it. The mood shifts. It’s a break, a change. It feels like we’ve built up to this.
Debate: Uma is hot. Really hot. It’s a time of decision-making, or so John thinks. They dance, they drink, they do some coke, and back at home John is worried he’s about to do something really unethical (unlike shooting some unarmed kids). Meanwhile, Uma snorts the madman heroin believing it to be coke.
Break into two: Uma Thurman has OD'd and the shit has hit the fan. It's not happy gangsta wise-cracky stuff anymore! John sweeps her off to his dealer’s house for a shot of adrenaline. It’s a seriously frenetic change of pace and mood, and it totally fits the Break into 2 rhythm, if not the plot-point.
B-Story: The watch. What it means. How much it means. We only see Christopher Walken the once but his appearance has repercussions throughout. (Yes, I could see a case for Butch/Fabian being the b-story, but I think it’s more to do with the undercurrent than a love-story)
Fun and Games: Butch’s story. Deeply ingrained into the gangsters’ world, and trying to escape. Bruce Willis’s character just killed a man in the ring and escaped in a taxi with Isabella de la Lobos, who wants to know what it feels like. Bruce gets back to his girlfriend and sleeps, ready to collect the winnings from bookies he left bets with; but he’s on the run because he crossed Marcellus. And now, disaster, he discovers his prized watch has been left at the apartment where he can never return, as someone will be waiting to pop a cap in his ass.
But, return he does. He gets very lucky and kills John Travolta with John’s own weapon, retrieves his watch, and drives away, whistling a jaunty tune. That’s how he’s gonna beat ‘em; they keep underestimatin’ him.
Mid-Point: happy, and about to get away with it, Bruce halts at a crossroads, and a large black man crosses in front of him. The man stops, glares at Bruce, and we realise that this is Marcellus Wallace! Bruce floors the gas and runs Marcellus down, crashing his Honda, and the film fades to black.
Bad guys close in: Again, this is much more of a tonal shift. Things get DARKER. As we fade back up, Marcellus shoots at Bruce, but hits an innocent by-stander. He pursues Bruce to the Gimp’s house and the an*l r*pe dungeon, and a samurai sword rescue. Bruce is given a reprieve, while Marcellus gets medieval on some redneck rapist asses. Bruce and his girlfriend escape into the distance.
Back to the earlier scene, after John and Sam retrieved the case, the tone is very different to the jokey style with which we opened. Marvin is in a panic, and John and Sam are a bit annoyed with him, although Sam thinks a miracle occurred, increasing tension between John and Sam. On the way to breakfast in the car, John accidentally shoots Marvin in the face: a perfect “whiff of death” since it is the only unintentional death in the movie (on-screen, at least; I don’t count the boxer).
All is lost: they’re in the middle of rush hour in a car covered in blood. They’re not in friendly territory, but there may be a chance if Sam’s old partner is home. A definitely crisis point for the characters.
Dark night of the soul: like the other shifts, we get darker still. Quentin is very unhappy and uncooperative, but eventually relents. We even get a time-clock of sorts, speeding up the pace in the latter part of the movie, in Bonnie coming home very shortly. It’s not essential to the plot as in most films, but it helps with the urgency of this section, otherwise they could just wait until after dark. So they call in “The Wolf”, someone so good at his job that John and Sam are in awe of him. The nasty, dirty business of cleaning iddy-biddy bits of skull off the back seat is the key part of this dark night of the soul, the worst part, the “dark turn” if you will. Then they have to dress like dorks and drive the car out to a scrap yard.
Break into three: More of a clean break, a transition between acts rather than a firm plot shift. Wolf: “Yes, I see it – there’s a cab in your future.” Sam: “You wanna get some breakfast?”
Finale: the restaurant. Sam asserts to leave the gangster life and walk the Earth. Life a bum? No, like Caine in Kung Fu. Tim Roth and Yolanda rob the restaurant while John is in the restroom. Sam gets the upper hand, but spares Tim Roth’s life, despite being able to take him and Yolanda out quite easily. Sam’s story is at a close. Although he has no knowledge of what is to come regarding Butch and Marcellus and John dying in a bathroom, all of which will happen later timeline-wise, as far as the emotional journey is concerned, the viewer is satisfied that we have come full circle, been on a journey, and come out the other end, changed.
Closing image: the scumbag robbers are humbled and scared, themselves now victims of unexpected criminals more powerful than them. John and Sam, dressed like dorks, victorious, go on their way to deliver the briefcase.
What we know at the end of the movie is this: Sam was a cold motherfr before, involved in a violent world; we have seen into that world, and been on a number of journeys throughout that world; now, Sam Jackson knows he must leave that world, and has decided to walk the Earth.
Beginning, middle, and end.
And the beats along the way don’t necessarily fall into the plot-heavy side of STC, but they certainly hit the beats in terms of tonal shifts and the audience’s emotional responses.
* This is another popular beat sheet structure that is more geared to archplot but that can definately be applied to MINIPLOT. Contour Beat Sheet
Approx. Pages Mnemonic Guide 1 - 6 I Donʼt Get No Respect 6 - 12 You Know What Your Trouble Is? 12 - 17 Calls And Busy Signals 17 - 28 Through The Looking Glass 28 - 35 Kick The Dog 35 - 45 Which Way Is Up? 45 - 55 When Life Gives You Lemons… 55 - 65 …Make Lemonade 65 - 75 Inside The Whale 75 - 85 Death & Rebirth 85 - 95 Whatʼs The Worst That Can Happen? 95 - 105 Good Guy Vs. Bad Guy Over Stakes
I DONʼT GET NO RESPECT Most screenplays are about one thing…respect! Your protagonist doesnʼt have it, knows he doesnʼt have it, and wants it. In this first section make it clear to the reader that your main character is an orphan; an outsider looking in at world that doesn't want him. Shrek is being hunted by the townspeople who hate ogres. (SHREK) Elliot is ignored and disrespected by his brother and his brotherʼs friends (E.T. – THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL) Peter Parker is a slight, nerdy high school kid. (SPIDER-MAN)
YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR TROUBLE IS? Make the protagonist's problem or flaw clear both to the protagonist and the reader. When in doubt, you may use the (overused) line of dialog that goes “You know what your problem is?” uttered by the protagonist's ally or best friend. Luke wants to leave the farm early and join the academy, but his uncle tells him no. (STAR WARS) Elliot is told that he needs to think about how other people feel. (E.T. – THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL) Hooper arrives and determines that “this was no boating accident!” (JAWS) CALLS & BUSY SIGNALS Give the protagonist the famous “call to adventure” which is followed by the equally famous “refusal of the call.” Jack sees Rose but doesn't dare go after her because of the difference in social status. (TITANIC) Luke is told by Obi-Wan that he must learn how to be Jedi but Luke says he can't…he's got too much to do. (STAR WARS) Fletcher wants to take his son to wrestling, but the big case is dropped in his lap and he chooses to prepare for the trial. (LIAR LIAR) Sam gets the letter from Annie but refuses to answer it. (SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE)
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS Force the protagonist out of the normal world and have him or her answer the “call to adventure.” Sometimes the protagonist does this by choice, sometimes by circumstance. Neo chooses to take the red pill. Or was it the blue pill? (THE MATRIX) Luke's aunt and uncle are killed and now there's no reason for him to stay on Tatooine. (STAR WARS) Will Turner joins with Jack Sparrow to pursue Elizabeth on the Black Pearl. (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL)
KICK THE DOG Show that the bad guys are not just bad, but really, Really, REALLY bad. Give the protagonist (and the reader) the idea that answering the Central Question is going to be harder than the initially thought. If you don't have a standard antagonist (as in a love story) show that the obstacles to the protagonist are overwhelmingly strong. The Deathstar destroys a whole planet. (STAR WARS) Butch and Sundance begin to be pursued by the “super posse.” (BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID) Dr. Neville tries a new serum on a mutant and fails spectacularly. (I AM LEGEND)
WHICH WAY IS UP? Give the protagonist a series of successes and failures as he or she “wanders” and starts to master the skills needed to ultimately answer the Central Question. Dr. Cole makes progress in getting Cole to tell him what his problem is. (THE SIXTH SENSE) Kevin gets groceries, orders pizza, and starts defending his house. (HOME ALONE) Jack starts conquering the class divide and begins his relationship with Rose. (TITANIC)
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS… Just when your protagonist thought he or she was making progress, you pull the rug out from under! Force your protagonist to stop wandering and start fighting. Batman realizes that trying to fight the Joker by the Joker's rules isn't going to work. (THE DARK KNIGHT) Lester argues with Carolyn about their sex life. (AMERICAN BEAUTY) Luke and company are pulled into the Deathstar and discover that the Leia is being held onboard. (STAR WARS)
…MAKE LEMONADE Have your protagonist get into direct confrontation in a big way. Tony Stark uses his suit to defend a village. (IRON MAN) Luke starts gets Leia out of the the detention block and brings down the wrath of the Stormtroopers. (STAR WARS) Brody's own son is almost attacked by the shark and he compells the Mayor to hire Quint. (JAWS)
…INSIDE THE WHALE In classic mythological storytelling, this is the “belly of the beast” or the “inside the darkest cave” moment for the main character. Often the scene takes place in a confined space, representing that the forces at play against the protagonist are closing in…tightening…and the protagonist must dig “deep” and face his or her darkest fear. Indiana Jones is abandoned inside the Well of Souls, surrounded by snakes. (RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK) Luke goes into the cave and faces what he thinks is Darth Vader, but is actually a representation of the dark side of the force that is within him. (THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK) Sam and gang are deep within Hoover Dam as Megatron is unfrozen. (TRANSFORMERS) Kevin is forced to go into the basement and confront the very scary boiler. (HOME ALONE)
DEATH & REBIRTH Another classic moment. Have your main character seemingly die and then be reborn. In many ways this is the ultimate moment in the arc of your protagonist; the moment when he sheds the skin of his old life and emerges newly formed, selfactualized, and ready to prove himself to the world. The death and rebirth can massaged in a variety of ways, and you can sometimes hand it to the character most closely associated with your protagonist's highest aspirations. In romantic comedies, write this section so that it charts the death of the hoped for relationship followed by the realization of what's needed to give it new hope. Elliot is fading, and E.T. “disconnects” himself from Elliot. Elliot's vital signs improve and E.T. “dies.” Once Elliot heartbreakingly admits how little he now feels, E.T. is resurrected with the return of the spaceship to take him home. (E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL) Annie believes that Sam is involved in a serious relationship and is giving him up, only to be called to action by Jonah's letter asking her to meet at the Empire State Building. (SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE) Bob jumps into the water and is presumed blown to bits. (THE INCREDIBLES)
WHAT'S THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN? The title says it all! Your protagonist's whole life (your whole story) has been built towards both avoiding this moment as well as confronting it. Avoiding, because it is his worst fear. Confronting because this is what he needs to do in order to become the person he needs to be. Luke is out-gunned, out-numbered, and the Death Star is closing in on destroying the Rebel Base and killing Leia. (STAR WARS) Jonah runs away and Sam frantically has to go to New York to find him. (SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE) The ship is breaking up and Jack and Rose are being pursued by the murderous Cal. (TITANIC) And lest we forget…the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man! (GHOSTBUSTERS)
GOOD GUY VS. BAD GUY OVER STAKES The climax of every well-told story is the protagonist in pitched battle against the antagonist over the stakes of the story. I've seen films where the final battle is handed to some subordinate or minor character, and you can feel your brain rebel while watching. In your story, make sure it is your main character who has to get his hands dirty, not someone else. You main character might get some desperately needed help, but choices and action belong to your main character. In romantic comedies, this can be a seemingly small moment right at the very end of the story, because after all, when boy gets girl it's all over. Brody is on the sinking Orca and squares off against the shark to save Amity. ( JAWS) Jack fights Barbossa to save Will and Elizabeth. (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL) Sam finds Jonah at the top of the Empire State building, almost misses Annie, but finds her when they come back to retrieve Jonah's backpack. (SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE) Luke destroys the Deathstar and saves Leia. (STAR WARS)
@imaginate 13/12/2011
