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Towards a Character-Centred Model of Screenwriting

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Towards a Character-Centred Model of Screenwriting The Plot Against Character: Towards a Character-Centred Model of Screenwriting By Anthony Mullins (Bachelor of Arts, Media Studies and Media Production, Griffith University) A feature film screenplay and exegesis submitted for the requirements for the award, Master of Arts (Research). Faculty of Creative Industries Queensland University of Technology 2004 i Keywords Screenwriting theory, character, turning points, acts, plot, arc, structure. ii Abstract Summary of exegesis A review and critique of some of the most popular screenwriting concepts as well as a proposal for a screenplay model that seeks to conceptually synthesise character with structure. Summary of Screenplay When Andrew's infamous punk band is forced to earn extra money playing part-time as a children's act they unexpectedly discover a potentially lucrative market for their music. Unfortunately, playing to screaming three year olds is not the rock and roll lifestyle Andrew was hoping for as he approaches his thirtieth birthday. Tensions within the band grow and the old friends are forced to decide not only the future of their music, but also rest of their lives. iii Table of Contents Keywords………………………………………… i Abstract…………………………………………... ii Table of Contents………………………………… iii List of Illustrations and Diagrams……………....... iv Statement of Original Authorship…………..……. v Acknowledgements…...…………………………... vi Screenplay: The Curlies…………………………. 1 Exegesis…………………………………………... 109 Introduction………………………………. 110 Methodology…………………………….... 113 Literature Review………………………... 113 Analysis…………………………………… 126 Conclusion and Further Analysis of The Curlies 147 Bibliography and Filmography……………………. 151 Bibliography………………………………. 151 Filmography………………………………. 152 iv List of Illustrations and Diagrams Table # 1 – Comparative Table of Field, Seger, McKee and Vogler… 114 Figure # 1 – General Character Traits…….…………………………. 130 Figure # 2 – Conflict………………………………………………… 131 Figure # 3 – Existing Conflict 133 Figure # 4 – Act One (Character)…………………………………… 134 Figure # 5 – Commitment at the End of Act One…………………… 137 Figure # 6 – Act Two (Challenges)…………………………………. 138 Figure # 7 – Commitment at the End of Act Two…………………… 141 Figure # 8 – Act Three (Crisis)……………………………………… 142 Figure # 9 – Commitment at the End of Act Three…………………. 144 Figure # 10 – Act Four (Change)……………………………………. 147 v Statement of Original Authorship The written work contained in this thesis (creative work and exegesis) has not been previously submitted for a degree or diploma at this or any other higher education institution. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made. Signed:…………………………………… Date:……………………………………… vi Acknowledgements Thanks are due to the academic and general staff of the Creative Industries Faculty at the Queensland University of Technology. Special Thanks are due to Gerard Lee, Stuart Glover, Kris Kneen, Shane Armstrong, James Cowen, Mark Enders, Ross Hope, Shane Krause, Steven Lang, Grant Marshall, Els Van Poppel, Michelle Warner, Charlie Strachan, Mark Chapman Veny Armanno, Owen Johnston. 110 The Plot Against Character: Towards a Character-Centred Model of Screenwriting Introduction The last twenty-five years have seen a dramatic rise in the number of books on screenwriting theory available to the budding, as well as the established, writer. Despite the regular publication of scenario manuals since at least the 1910s, the release of Syd Field’s Screenplay-the Foundations of Screenwriting in 1979 heralded an unprecedented interest in books seeking to explain the inner workings of the screenplay. A simple search of the category ‘screenwriting’ on the website Amazon.com uncovers 565 books about the screenwriting process and/or paperback versions of produced screenplays. Naturally there has been a corresponding expansion of the terminologies employed to describe the various conventions of screenwriting. Not all of these terms are new or exclusive to screenwriting but all aim to demystify and facilitate the process of writing a screenplay. The most widely promoted terminologies in the last twenty-five years largely focus on a description of screenplay ‘structure’ at the expense of ‘character’. Terms like ‘turning point’, ‘inciting incident’, ‘acts’, ‘midpoint’, ‘climax’ and ‘resolution’, while proving immensely useful in describing the structural shape of the screenplay’s events, fail to adequately and transparently describe how the protagonist relates to these events. This is not to say that popular screenwriting theorists do not recognise the importance of synthesizing character and structure in a screenplay. All of the most popular theorists have described how a coherent screenplay intimately designs character into the structure so that the two concepts become one. However, while it seems popular screenwriting theory has developed a range of terminologies to describe ‘structure’, far fewer terms have been developed to describe ‘character’ and, almost none, to adequately describe how the two are connected. Ironically, this has happened in a way that has alienated a wide range of writers while concurrently empowering associated non-writers such as studio executives, government funding agencies, critics, producers, and directors by arming them with a list of technical prerequisites for a successful screen story. With such a wide variety of terms available to analyse structure, writers who approach their work from the starting point of ‘character’ are often impeded within the resulting process. Even 111 writers who engage structural processes may feel frustrated with choices that sacrifice an original character design for a formulaic structural demand. In the few instances where a more character-centred approach has been developed, such as Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey (based on the writing of Joseph Campbell), the terminologies employed verge on the esoteric. Terms like ‘Approach the Innermost Cave’, ‘Seize the Sword’ or ‘The Ordeal’ are of limited use to writers who have not thoroughly read and memorised Vogler’s book. This example highlights a second problem with current screenwriting terminologies: a tendency towards the highly technical or abstract that can create confusion rather than clarity. For example, during a recent screenwriting process, in which I participated, the question was raised ‘what’s the first act turning point?’ The ten members of the group gave ten different answers to this simple question. There were numerous and varying understandings of what a ‘first act turning point’ actually is, and this is not counting those who denied that such a thing even existed. In this instance, one of the most popular concepts of present day screenwriting theory was rendered analytically useless. A Character-Centred Approach to Screenwriting With these issues in mind, is it possible to define a screenwriting model that uses transparent and easily understood terminologies that synthesise character with structure? Furthermore, is it possible to do this in a way that acknowledges and incorporates the widely adopted structural approaches to screenwriting developed over the last twenty-five years? I will be arguing that this may be achieved by adopting a more character-centred approach to screenwriting. To demonstrate this I will be proposing a character- centred model that has the potential to combine concepts of character with concepts of structure in a few easily understood common language terms that are consistent and complimentary to the most popular structural terms developed by screenwriting theorists. The defining feature of the ‘character-centred’ model is its conceptual focus on the central character’s evolving relationship to the other narrative elements over the course of the story. In other words all principles and explanatory terms are centred on what the central character is experiencing in relation to the other story elements such as family, friends, enemies, events, social and the natural environment, and how this 112 defines the story. I will be arguing that this conceptual focus on the central character’s experiences presents the opportunity to establish a terminology, based on common language concepts, that has the potential to be widely comprehensible to both writers and associated practitioners. Additionally, due to the use of a small set of common language concepts, the ‘character-centred’ model can also be easily represented graphically, for improved accessibility. The character-centred model uses four key terms to define the narrative focus of each part, or ‘act’, of the structure. These are: • Character • Challenges • Crisis • Change In essence, the character-centred model argues that mainstream screenplays are structured around a story where a ‘Character’ experiences a conflict that presents them with a series of ‘Challenges’ that lead to a ‘Crisis’ which has the potential to ‘Change’ their life in some way. It also uses four key terms to closely relate the character to this structure. These are: • Internal Characteristics • External Circumstances • Conflict • Commitment The main character is defined using the variables of ‘Internal Characteristics’ (values, beliefs, fears, desires, memories, etc) and ‘External Circumstances’ (family, friends, career, social and natural environment, etc). ‘Conflict’ is defined as the growing tension between these two variables. Each act of the structure is divided by a ‘Commitment’ made by the main character to a particular
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