KelseyMihachik’sScreenwritingGuidePIXARSTORYTELLING

• ChoosingtheIdeao Upsetthecharacterbytappingintoaweakness/fearo Theremustbeaprobleminprotagonist’slifeorworldo Character’sexistingflawmustbedirectlyrelatedtotheplot

• CreatingCharacters&Empathyo Whatisimportanttothem?o Wecaredeeplybecausetheycaredeeplyaboutsomethingo DefeatismisNEVERthecharacter’sflawo Thereisnosuchthingas“smallcharacters.”Maketheminteresting.

• Drama&Conflicto Conflict=obstaclesstandbetweenyourprotagonistandtheirgoalo Conflictexposes/changessomethingemotionalinthecharacter’scoreo Conflictposesthequestion:“Whichforcewillwin?”

• Structureo IncitingIncident=propelscharactertoacto 1stplotpoint=cementstheircommitmenttoquesto Midpointo 2ndplotpoint=strongblowtoprotagonisto 3rdplotpoint=Climax.Thisanswersthemaindramaticquestionofstory

• Antagonistso HavetheirOWNstoryandareasonfortheiractions.o Avaluesystemthatmakesthembelievetheiractionsarerighto Onebenevolent(bondingplot=thisonebecomesanally),andone

malicious.Ex.Buzz/Sid.o Friends,supportingcharacters,andeventheenvironmentcanbe

antagonists• DevelopingIdeas

o Avoidclichés.Pushstory/charactersintomoreinterestingandexcitingplaces.

o Subvertexpectations.Addtwiststocharacters/situations.Thesedestroyfamiliarityandboredom

o 2waystodevelop=PlottingandExploringUniverseo Imposecreativelimitations.Ex.MonstersInc.wasnevergoingtobeabout

destroyingcities/eatingchildren• Endings

o Mustmakesensewithoutbeingpredictable.o Willthemaincharacterexecutehisplan,orwillhefail?o Answerthequestionthattheaudiencehasalreadyforgotten.Endingrelates

toaseedyousubtlyplantatthebeginningofthefilm.o Resolutioncreatesarippleeffect,leavingabetterworldbehind.

• Themeo “Whatisinherentlyhumanaboutit?”o It’snotapartoftheplot.Rather,it’swhattheplotexpresses.

SAVETHECAT!

• Whatisit?o One-Line/Logline=fast&creative.o 1-2-3-4:Irony,Hook(ormentalpicture),Audience/Cost,KILLERTITLEo EMAILbsnyder264@aol.comwithgoodloglineforfamilycomedy

• Givemethesamething,onlydifferent!

o After“Whatisit?”askyourself:“Whatisitmostlike?”

o GenreTypes:1. MonsterintheHouse=primal2. GoldenFleece=goesontheroad,onlytodiscoverhimself3. OutoftheBottle=“IwishIhada___.”Curseaspectofwishing,

butsomethinginthemisworthsaving4. DudewithaProblem=ordinaryguy,extraordinarycircumstance5. RitesofPassage=everybody’sinonjokeexceptthehero6. BuddyLove=Buddiesthathateeachotherenduptwohalvesof

awhole7. Whydunit=Audienceunveilshumannature:“Arewereallythis

evil?”8. TheFoolTriumphant=furtherexaminationrevealshe’sthe

wisestamongus9. Institutionalized=“Who’scrazier:meorthem?”10. Superhero=extraordinaryguyinanordinaryworld

o Trueoriginalitycan’tbeginuntilyouknowwhatyou’rebreakingawayfrom

• Astoryaboutaguy,WHO…

o Loglinemusthave:adjectiveforhero,adjectiveforbadguy,andacompellinggoalweidentifywith

o The“WHO”makesthe“Whatisit?”workbettero Thispersonneedstogoonthisspecificjourney,butdoesn’tknowityeto Wewantheroeswho1.Offerthemostconflict,2.Havealongwaytogo(or

cangrowthemost),and3.Aredemographicallypleasingo Ahero’smotivationmustbeabasicone.Somethingrealandsimplethat

everyoneunderstands.o Mustbeaboutaguywecanrootfor.o Afterfindingtheperfecthero,gobacktoyourloglineandmakeitperfect!

• BEATITOUT

o OpeningImage=setstone/moodo ThemeStated=aquestionorstatementposed(notbymaincharacter)that

getsatthemeo Set-Up=introduceeverycharacterinAPlot.Show“6thingsthatneed

fixing,”forcallbacks/runninggagso Debate=ShouldIstayorshouldIgo?What’smychoice?Stayhere?Asksa

questionofsomekind.o BreakIntoTwo=Herocannotbetricked/luredintoActII.Hemakesthe

decisiontogo.

o BStory=Carriesthetheme,alsocalled,“thelovestory.”It’stheupside-downofcharactersinActI.Atime-outfromtheAStory.

o FunandGames=thepromiseofthepremise.Weseewhattheideaisabout!(thisiswherebuddiesin“buddylove”dothemostclashing.ie:Stepbrothers)

o Midpoint=thethresholdbetweentwomoviehalves.Funandgamesareover,theherogetsafalsevictory.It’sneverasgoodasitseemstobeatthemidpoint.

o BadGuysCloseIn=forcesagainstherotightentheirgrip.o AllisLost=Falsedefeat,oraplacewherementorsgotodie.It’sneveras

badasitseemstobeattheAllisLost.o DarkNight=Howdoesyourcharacterfeelaboutit?o BreakIntoThree=theAandBstoriesintertwine,andanideatosolvethe

problememerges.o Finale=creationofanewworldo FinalImage=proofthattheworldhaschanged

• BuildingthePerfectBeast

o 40indexcards,denotingeachsceneo 9-10perrowo Revisit“6thingsthatneedfixing”inActIIItofillo Colorcodeforthemes(orAvs.BStories)o Thereisaneedforsomethingdefinitetohappenoneachcard.Ensure

conflict&emotionalchangeo EMAILwww.mikecheda.comwherehewillanalyzescreenplayfor$500

• Checklistbeforestarting:

1. Greatidea:completewithtitle&logline2. Genrehomework3. PerfectHero4. BeatSheet&Board

• ScreenplayPhysics/Tricks

o SavetheCat–Herodoessomethingtomakeuslikehim/wanthimtowin.Whenyouhaveananti-hero,maketheantagonistworse.

o PopeinthePool–buryingthebackstoryinasceneo DoubleMumboJumbo–onlyONEpieceofmagicinamoviewillbebelievedo LayingPipe–don’tputtoomanystorypointsbeforegettingtothereason

whypeoplewanttowatcho BlackVet–Simpleisbetter,oneconceptatatimeo Watchoutfortheglacier–Dangerhastobepresentdanger…notslowo CovenantoftheArc–allcharacterschange,exceptorthebadguyso KeepthePressOut–Magicstaysrealwhenit’sonlybetweenaudienceand

characters

• What’sWrong…o …Withmycharacter?

1. Ishero’sgoalclearlystatedinthesetup?2. Docluesofwhattodonextcometoyourhero,ordoesheSEEK

THEMOUT?

3. Isyourheroactive?4. Doestheherotellothercharacterswhattodo?Peoplearound

theheroshouldbelookingtoHIMfortheanswers.o …Ingeneral?

1. TalkingthePlot=gooddialoguesaysmoreinSUBTEXTthanitdoesonthesurface.

2. Makethebadguybadder=theheroandbadguyshouldbelightanddarksidesofthesameperson

3. Turn,Turn,Turn=plotshouldspinandintensify,notjustmoveforward.

4. Emotions=Scriptshouldbeacolorwheel,notjustone-note5. Makecharactersspeakdifferently.6. ALimp/Eyepatch=Giveunmemorablecharacterssomethingto

berememberedeasierwith7. Isitprimal?=storymustbegroundedinsomethingthat

everyoneunderstands.ContactingPeople(inorderyoushouldtry):

A. InpersonB. PhonecallC. QueryLetterD. Email

**”IsthereanyoneelseyoucouldrecommendIcontactaboutmycareer?”

THEBLAKESNYDERBEATSHEET

PROJECTTITLE:GENRE:DATE:

1. OpeningImage(1)

2. ThemeStated(5)

3. Set–Up(1–10)

4. Catalyst(12)

5. Debate(12-25)

6. BreakIntoTwo(25)

7. BStory(30)

8. FunandGames(30–55)

9. Midpoint(55)

10. BadGuysCloseIn(55–75)

11. AllisLost(75)

12. DarkNightoftheSoul(75–85)

13. BreakIntoThree(85)

14. Finale(85–110)

15. FinalImage(110)

MAKINGAGOODSCRIPTGREAT

• GatheringIdeaso Don’tforceyourselftomakeuppartofthestorythatisn’tcleartoyouo ATreatmenthasalogline,amarketinghook,anda1-3pagesynopsiso Themoretimeyouspendplanningascript,thefasterit’swritten

• Structure

o ACTI:Setup,catalyst,raisingofthecentralquestion(materialistic,not“themessage”)

o Motivation.Whyisthecharacterdoingthis?o ACTII:

o Lovestory,practiceandpreparation.o Maybeatickingclock.o IncludesaMIDPOINTwhichchangesthedirectionoftheActwhile

maintainingoverallgoal.o Charactersdothings,andthingshappenasaresultoftheseactions.

Thisbuildsmomentum.Responsesworkbestwhenthey’revisual/dramatic.

o Acomplicationisthebeginningofanewsubplot.Itdoesn’tpayoffimmediately,butitkeepsthestorymovingwithanewtwist.Ex.DonkeydiscoversFionaisanogre,too.

o Keepprotagonist’sgoaloutofreach.Makeitseemlikehe’llneverachieveit.

o ACTIII:Urgencyandtension,withabigfinish

• Subplotso Plotsaretheactionstory,whatthefilmisabouto Subplotsareusuallytherelationshipstory,whatthefilmisreallyabouto “DoIneedthesubplot?Doeseachsubplothaveclearstructure?”

• Voiceoverso Pullusintocharacters’attitudesandphilosophyo Couldbeunreliable,getsinthewayofourexperienceofthefilm

• Flashbackso Chieflyinformational,neverreallydramatic

• HowScenesFunction:

1. AdvanceStory2. RevealCharacter3. Exploreatheme4. BuildanImage

o Scenesdrawenergyfromactiono “HaveIstructuredeach,individualscenetohavedirection?A

senseofgoingsomewhere?Apointtomake?”

• Foreshadowing=makealist:o IseverythingI’vepaidoffforeshadowed?o IseverythingI’veforeshadowedpaidoff?

• Images

o “CanImakeanyofmyscenesmorecinematicallyinteresting?”o “CanIrendermythemetoanystrongimagery/visuals?”

• Charactersmustthink,act,andfeel.

o Constructtransformationalarco Whatskillsandcharacteristicswillyourcharacterneedtoachieve

goal?o SeveralcharacterscannotperformthesameFUNCTION:

i. Protagonistii. Antagonistiii. Loveinterestiv. Catalystcharacterv. Confidantvi. Comicreliefvii. Contrastingviii. Balance–makessurethemeisrepresentedix. “Voiceof”

3ElementsforCommercialSuccess:

1. ScriptStructure2. Creativity3. StrongMarketability

HOWTOWRITEAMOVIEIN21DAYSPreparing

• Take8MINUTEStojotdowneverythingyouknowsofaraboutyourmovie• Workoutlogline• Whatdoestheherowant?Whatdoesheneed?• “Inoneword,mymovieisabout________.”• Writeoutthe9-MinuteMovie

1,3,10,30,45,60,75,90,1201. Setmood/tone2. Centralquestion3. Whatisthestory4. Eventoccursthatmovesherointonewterritory5. Initialgrowthofhero6. Heroisinbigtrouble,hemakesdeepercommitment7. Allislost,butthiseventgivesheronewhope8. Resolutionofproblemstarts9. Audiencesatisfactionscene

WritingSchedule• Days1–7:Writearandomfirstdraft.

a. Day1:10pages10pages,ortwohours.Whichevercomesfirst.

b. Day2:30pagesc. Day3:45pagesd. Day4:60pagese. Day5:75pagesf. Day6:90pagesg. Day7:120pages

• Day8:Rest.• Day9:Readfirstdraft.

• DidItellthestoryIwantedto?• Isittruetomyoriginalfeeling?• Doyouknowwhatit’sabout?• Canyouidentifywithcharacters?• IsthemovieaboutwhatIthoughtitwasabout?

• Days10–17:Rewritethedraft.a) Day10:RewriteActItopg.10b) Day11:RewriteActItopg.30c) Day12:RewriteActIItopg.45d) Day13:RewriteActIItopg.60e) Day14:RewriteActIItopg.75f) Day15:RewriteActIItopg.90g) Day16:RewriteActIIItopg.100h) Day17:RewriteActIIItopg.120

• Days18–21:TweakandPolisha. Day18:TweakActIb. Day19:TweakActIIc. Day20:TweakActIIId. Day21:Closing

• DoIbelievethestory?• WheredoIloseinterest?