THE SPIRAL AND THE SEQUEL: HOW TO INNOVATE AN INNOVATION

Radomír D. Kokeš

Department of Film Studies and Audiovisual Culture Masaryk university E-mail: [email protected] SPIRAL NARRATIVE • A spiral narrative is identified as a specific audiovisual storytelling pattern with a protagonist stuck in an iterative segment of space, time and causality. The protagonist is not only fully aware of this situation but also tries to deal with it.

SPIRAL NARRATIVE

Protagonist is not in a time loop, but in Other characters are not in a spiral, but a spiral of time. in a time loop.

• I have discussed the following questions: • Based on what principles spiral narratives work as aesthetic systems? • How do they tell stories? • How do they guide our attention? • What types of fictional worlds do they establish? • What logic do they follow?

• What is the production dynamics of innovation through a spiral narrative schema?

CHRISTMAS SPIRAL TV MOVIES

Christmas spiral narratives: Fictional worlds and narratives are directed by an axiological modal system, which stays in the forefront and above all.

• 1996 - Christmas Every Day • 1999 - Donald Duck: Stuck on Christmas • 2004 - 12 Days of Christmas Eve • 2006 - Christmas Do-Over • 2011 - 12 Dates of Christmas • 2012 - A Wedding Christmas Date • 2016 - Christmas All Over Again

CHRISTMAS SPIRAL TV MOVIES

Christmas spiral narratives: Fictional worlds and narratives are directed by an axiological modal system, which stays in the forefront and above all. They focus on the relationship of the protagonist to the communities of which she is a part, especially their families – and the real Christmas values. • 1996 - Christmas Every Day • 1999 - Donald Duck: Stuck on Christmas • 2004 - 12 Days of Christmas Eve • 2006 - Christmas Do-Over • 2011 - 12 Dates of Christmas • 2012 - A Wedding Christmas Date • 2016 - Christmas All Over Again

CHRISTMAS SPIRAL TV MOVIES

Christmas spiral narratives: Fictional worlds and narratives are directed by an axiological modal system, which stays in the forefront and above all. They focus on the relationship of the protagonist to the communities of which she is a part, especially their families – and the real Christmas values. • 1996 - Christmas Every Day • 1999 - Donald Duck: Stuck on Christmas AESTHETIC BACKGROUND: • 2004 - 12 Days of Christmas Eve Other non-spiral Christmas TV movies of the • 2006 - Christmas Do-Over current year.

• 2011 - 12 Dates of Christmas Viewers get their pack of new Christmas films • 2012 - A Wedding Christmas Date about Santa Claus or rediscovering family values. And one of them is innovative: it tells • 2016 - Christmas All Over Again about Christmas and the rediscovery of family values in a spiral way.

NETFLIX

• 2016: ARQ NETFLIX

• 2016: ARQ • 2017: NAKED

NETFLIX

• 2016: ARQ • 2017: NAKED • 2018: WHEN WE FIRST MET

NETFLIX

• 2016: ARQ • 2017: NAKED • 2018: WHEN WE FIRST MET • 2019: RUSSIAN DOLL

Creators (HAPPY DEATH DAY)

• Scott Lobdell (screenwriter): “Like most horror fans, I noticed the staple where the bad girl dies in the beginning of the story and the good girl is left to stand alone against the killer. I was intrigued by the challenge of writing a movie where the bad girl and the good girl were one and the same.“

Creators (HAPPY DEATH DAY)

• Scott Lobdell (screenwriter): “Like most horror fans, I noticed the staple where the bad girl dies in the beginning of the story and the good girl is left to stand alone against the killer. I was intrigued by the challenge of writing a movie where the bad girl and the good girl were one and the same.“ • Christopher Landon (director): “She starts out as an incredibly unlikeable and selfish person, and it is a joy to watch her evolve into someone that you come to care and root for. The screenplay pulled that off.”

Creators (HAPPY DEATH DAY)

• Scott Lobdell (screenwriter): “Like most horror fans, I noticed the staple where the bad girl dies in the beginning of the story and the good girl is left to stand alone against the killer. I was intrigued by the challenge of writing a movie where the bad girl and the good girl were one and the same.“ • Christopher Landon (director): “She starts out as an incredibly unlikeable and selfish person, and it is a joy to watch her evolve into someone that you come to care and root for. The screenplay pulled that off.” • Jessica Rothe (actress): ”Tree is a true modern-day scream queen, and her transformation from bitchy victim to badass heroine is one you do not get to see often.”

TACTICS

HAPPY DEATH DAY • THREE PHASES OF PLOT DEVELOPMENT (1) genre self-reference (2) narrative recapitulation (3) narrative refocusing • PLOT CHUNKS • WORKING GOALS > PRIVATE GOALS TACTICS

HAPPY DEATH DAY • THREE PHASES OF PLOT DEVELOPMENT (1) genre self-reference (2) narrative recapitulation (3) narrative refocusing • PLOT CHUNKS • WORKING GOALS > PRIVATE GOALS TACTICS

HAPPY DEATH DAY • THREE PHASES OF PLOT DEVELOPMENT (1) genre self-reference (2) narrative recapitulation (3) narrative refocusing • PLOT CHUNKS • WORKING GOALS > PRIVATE GOALS TACTICS

HAPPY DEATH DAY • THREE PHASES OF PLOT DEVELOPMENT (1) genre self-reference • “Here’s my idea [about the sequel]. (2) narrative recapitulation Open with a grand sequel title, (3) narrative refocusing such as ‘It’s Groundhog Day — • PLOT CHUNKS Again!’ Or ‘Groundhog II: Return to Punxsutawney.’ • WORKING GOALS > PRIVATE GOALS

TACTICS

HAPPY DEATH DAY • THREE PHASES OF PLOT DEVELOPMENT (1) genre self-reference • “Here’s my idea [about the sequel]. (2) narrative recapitulation Open with a grand sequel title, (3) narrative refocusing such as ‘It’s Groundhog Day — • PLOT CHUNKS Again!’ Or ‘Groundhog II: Return to Punxsutawney.’ • WORKING GOALS > PRIVATE GOALS After that: Just re-release the original movie.“ TACTICS

HAPPY DEATH DAY HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U • THREE PHASES OF PLOT • THREE PHASES OF PLOT DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT (1) genre self-reference (1) continuation and external variation (2) narrative recapitulation (2) returning and internal variation (3) narrative refocusing (3) complete re-genrefication • PLOT CHUNKS • PLOT CHUNKS • WORKING GOALS > PRIVATE GOALS • WORKING GOALS < PRIVATE GOALS

TACTICS

HAPPY DEATH DAY HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U • THREE PHASES OF PLOT • THREE PHASES OF PLOT DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT (1) genre self-reference (1) continuation and external variation (2) narrative recapitulation (2) returning and internal variation (3) narrative refocusing (3) complete re-genrefication • PLOT CHUNKS • PLOT CHUNKS • WORKING GOALS > PRIVATE GOALS • WORKING GOALS < PRIVATE GOALS

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!