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Lecture 7:Lecture 7:

Rules of EngagementRules of Engagement

Shortcuts (2005)

Raymond Carver (Writings)

Robert Altman (Screenplay)

Professor Daniel Ctrara

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Previos !essonPrevios !esson

" #$e Problem of

Comedy

"Sbgenres

" %egotiating !ag$s

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#$is !esson#$is !esson

" #$e Story

Spectrm

" #$e &ey'actors

" Assignments

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#$e Story Spectrm#$e Story Spectrm

!esson * Part +

In an ideal world art and politicsIn an ideal world art and politicswould never touch. In reality they cantwould never touch. In reality they cantkeep their hands off of each other. Sokeep their hands off of each other. Soas in all things, politics lurks inside theas in all things, politics lurks inside thestory triangle: the politics of taste, thestory triangle: the politics of taste, thepolitics of festivals and awards, and,politics of festivals and awards, and,most important, the politics of artisticmost important, the politics of artistic

versus commercial success.versus commercial success.

- Robert- RobertMckeeMckee

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Classical DesignClassical Design

" According to ,c&ee* Classical Design

means a story bilt arond an active

protagonist -$o strggles against primarilye.ternal forces of antagonism to prse $is

or $er desire/ t$rog$ continos time/

-it$in a consistent and casally connected

fictional reality/ to a closed ending of

absolte irreversible c$ange

5

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Classical Design1 Arc$plotClassical Design1 Arc$plot

" According to ,c&ee* Casality

Closed 3nding

!inear #ime

3.ternal Conflict

Single Protagonist

Consistent Reality

Active Protagonist

4

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,inimalism,inimalism

" According to ,c&ee* ,iniplot and ,ltiplotare c$aracteried by t$e follo-ing*

6pen 3nding

+nternal Conflict ,lti1Protagonists

Passive Protagonists

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Anti1Strctre (Antiplot)Anti1Strctre (Antiplot)

" According to ,c&ee*

Antiplot is

c$aracteried by*

Coincidence

%on1linear #ime

+nconsistent Realities

7

After Hours(8975)

Directed by ,artin Scorsese/ Written

by :osep$ ,inion

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%on1Plot%on1Plot

" According to ,c&ee*

non plot is

c$aracteried by*

Slice of life

%o c$aracter arc

%o significant clima.

9

Leaving Las Vegas(8995)

:o$n 6;

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#$e &ey 'actors#$e &ey 'actors

80

!esson * Part ++

Little Miss Sunshine (2004)

Written by ,ic$ael Arndt

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#$e &ey 'actors1 2#$e &ey 'actors1 2

" According to ,c&ee* #$e =ey factors t$atdetermine -$ere a story falls on t$e spectrm are*

Closed vs 6pen 3ndings

3.ternal vs +nternal Conflict

Single vs ,ltiple Protagonists

Active vs Passive Protagonists

!inear vs %on1linear time

Coincidence vs Casality C$ange vs Stasis

88

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Closed vs 6pen 3ndingsClosed vs 6pen 3ndings

" According to ,c&ee*

Closed 3nding 1 A Story Clima. of absolte/

irreversible c$ange t$at ans-ers all >estions

raised by t$e telling and satisfies all adienceemotion

" ,ost Action?Adventre fall into t$is category

6pen 3nding 1 A Story Clima. t$at leaves a

>estion or t-o nans-ered and some

emotion nflfilled

" No Country for Old Men

82

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3.ternal vs +nternal Conflict3.ternal vs +nternal Conflict

" 3.ternal Conflict 1 3ngaging -it$ obstaclest$at are otside of t$e protagonist* peers/

family/ breacracy/ co1-or=ers/ criminals/

etc Indiana Jones, erris !ueller"s #ay Off

" +nternal Conflict 1Protagonist strggling

-it$ intellectal/ emotional/ moral andet$ical dilemmas

$he Accidental $ourist

8@

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Single vs ,ltiple ProtagonistsSingle vs ,ltiple Protagonists

" Single Protagonists 1 #$is is t$e norm formost Action?Adventre films +t can be split

in

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,ltiple Protagonists,ltiple Protagonists

Pase t$e lectre

and -atc$ t$e clipfrom Short Cuts*

85

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Short CutsShort Cuts

" %otice $o- t$e opening se>ence

introdces t$e mltiple protagonists and

ties t$em toget$er t$rog$ location

" #$e spraying for t$e medfly connects t$em

all to !os Angeles/ and t$ey are all tied

toget$er in t$e t$ird act by an eart$>a=e

84

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Active vs Passive ProtagonistActive vs Passive Protagonist

" Active Protagonist 1 #$is is t$e norm for t$eClassic Design #$e Bero ta=es on t$e

problem/ overcoming obstacles to ac$ieve

t$e goal

" Passive Protagonist 1 Appears to be

inactive/ bt in-ardly prses goal +elle the Conueror

8

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!inear vs %on1!inear #ime!inear vs %on1!inear #ime

" !inear #ime 1 A story -it$ or -it$ot flas$bac=sand arranged into a temporal order of events t$at

t$e adience can follo- #B+S +S #B3 %6R,

" %on1!inear #ime 1 A story t$at eit$er s=ips $elter

s=elter t$rog$ time or so blrs temporal

continity t$at t$e adience cannot sort ot -$at

$appens before and after -$at is told !ad $i-ing" 'irst time vie-ers of #onnie #ar&omay $ave t$is e.perience

87

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Casality vs Coincidence 1 8Casality vs Coincidence 1 8

" Casality 1 Drives a story in -$ic$ motivatedactions case effects t$at in trn become t$e

cases of yet ot$er effects/ t$ereby interlin=ingt$e varios levels of conflict in a c$ain reaction of

episodes to t$e Story Clima./ e.pressing t$e

interconnectedness of reality" #B+S +S #B3 %6R,

89

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Casality vs Coincidence 1 2Casality vs Coincidence 1 2

" Coincidence 1 Drives a fictional -orld in -$ic$nmotivated actions trigger events t$at do not

case frt$er effects/ and t$erefore fragment t$estory into divergent episodes and an open

ending/ e.pressing t$e disconnectedness of

e.istence" Pase t$e lectre and -atc$ t$e Clip fromAfter

Hours

20

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After HoursAfter Hours

" #$e erratic driving of t$e cab driver

appears nmotivated/ disconnected from

t$e needs of t$e passenger and t$e traffic

" #$e t-enty dollar bill accidentally blo-s ot

and -ill appear in a papier mac$e

sclptre later pnctating t$e randomnessof life

28

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Consistent vsConsistent vs

+nconsistent Realities+nconsistent Realities

" Consistent Realities 'ictional settings

t$at establis$ modes of interaction bet-een

c$aracters and t$eir -orld t$at are =eptconsistently t$rog$ot t$e telling to create

meaning

" W$et$er Action or 'antasy in an arc$plot

t$e rles of t$e -orld are never bro=en

22

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C$ange vs StasisC$ange vs Stasis

" C$ange 1 Can occr -it$in t$e c$aracter/

and in t$e resoltion of a story problem/

eg t$e -orld is saved from nclear

destrction

" Stasis 1 Eirtally no c$ange in eit$er

c$aracter or plot #$is is non1plot/ one oft$e rarest forms 'or it to be sccessfl

c$ange mst occr in t$e adience

Leaving Las Vegas, Na&ed 2

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#$e Politics#$e Politics

" Classic Design 1Arc$plot is t$e most

commercial

" W$et$er yo are -riting

for film or television

mastery of t$e arc$plot

is for all practical

prposes essential

25

$he )odfather(892)

,ario Po (%ovel)

,ario Po (Screenplay)

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24

AssignmentsAssignments

!esson * Part +++

Shortcuts (2005)

Raymond Carver (Writings)

Robert Altman (Screenplay)

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2

" Watc$ +ul( iction (899)

" Pay attention to t$e strctre/ and -$at yo

t$in= ma=es it an engaging film

+ul( iction (899)

Fentin #arantino and Roger

Avary (stories)

Fentin #arantino (Screenplay)

Screening AssignmentScreening Assignment

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27

31

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End of Lecture 7End of Lecture 7

%e.t !ectre*

Departing from t$e @ Act Strctre

After Hours (8975)

Written by :osep$ ,inion