Film Analysis -2 - Professor Guy Nicolucci PDF

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Professor Guy Nicolucci...

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Thursday 9/5 Dramatic Structure ●

Introduction to the protagonist and/or antagonist ○

The thing he/she/it wants almost always needs to be visual (Ex: Froto wants to destroy the ring)

Tends to follow biblical themes: Aquaman -> Cain and Abel

Collective consciousness Everything liked in a story is YOU

BASIC POINTS: ●

Character ○

Heel: Villain, Face: Good guy ■

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If the main character never changes, there is no point. Nothing has been learned. ■

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Must have someone facing your character

Not advised to write a main character that does not change

IF character achieves what he desires, it is in an unexpected way

Setting ○

Affects the story

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Projection of main character. ■

Part of the main character

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Conflict (Story)

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Theme

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ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE

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What you are trying to tell the audience: Toy Story -> Friendship, overcoming jealousy

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Has to argue against or push for it the conflict

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Builds to what’s at stake in a movie

Scene ○

Can be any length

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What he faced while going what he was after

SET-UP, ACTION, RESOLUTION Toy Story ●

Setting: Andy’s home/ room ○

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Andy’s Birthday party replaces older toys

Characters: ○

Andy

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Woody

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Mr. Potato-Head

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Bo Peep

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Slinky

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Rex

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Andy’s mom

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Etc... ■

Sets up most important characters within first 10 minutes

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Opens with main characters doing what they do best/ better than anyone else; shows character being EXCELLENT.

Thurs. 9/12 Act 1 (Ordinary World) Introduction to the hero doing what he does best.

Act 2 A Midpoint reversal

B The whiff of death

Crisis that changes character’s main goal

All is lost

Act 3 New Plan Climax

Refusal of the call.

● Act 1: ○ An introduction in which the protagonist is lowly is less attractive to the audience than one where the protagonist is doing what he does best. ○ Refusal of the call: The “hero” does not want to leave home. *Most powerful s in a person can have is PRIDE.* ● Act 2: ○ Part A: ■ Crisis that changes the protagonist's main goal ○ Part B: ■ Somebody dies or is going to die ■ Everything characters worked towards is at a loss ● Act 3: ○ Characters need to come up with a new plan and “save the day” ○ Climax

Thurs. 9/19 Thelma and Louise Act 1

Act 2

Inciting incident: Thelma leaves without permission

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A Two women on the run

Act 3 Climax = Death Car crash Going Home

B All is lost New plan: Drive off the cliff

Midpoint: Gas station robbery Thelma is now active, not passive

Five focal points a. Inciting incident b. Crossing the threshold (Between act 1 and act 2) c. Midpoint crisis d. All is lost e. Climax

Thurs. 9/26 Hero Sacrifice. Dealing with death, change, character flaws

Mentor

Ally

Trickster

Teaching, Serve as Provides giving audience comic advice and surrogates relief and gifts Unexpressed respite Provides part of the Thievery motivation, hero and conscience, trickery occasional sexual advances

Shadow

Herald

Represents Brings the energy news, of the dark provides side motivation Challenges Provides the hero exposition to the audience

Shapeshif Threshold ter Guardian Brings suspense

Testing the hero

● Hero ○ Willing or unwilling ● Mentor ○ Willing or unwilling as well ■ Gandalf: a willing mentor ■ Thelma and louise: Thelma is the hero, Louise is the mentor ○ Can influence the hero’ s conscience ○ Heroes need to “earn” the gifts that the mentor gives ○ Do not have to be heroic, just has the wisdom that the hero needs ● Threshold guardian ○ Tend to be on the side of the villain but not the main villain ○ Can either kill them or convince them to be on your side ○ Projection of hero’s limitations ● Herald ○ Brings news and information ○ Often the spark that sets off the information ■ R2D2, Effie Trinket, etc. ○ Can be either a good or bad character ○ Not always a human/living thing ● Shapeshifter ○ Traditionally a female character ○ Brings suspense to the film ● Ally ○ Provides exposition ○ Heightens heros powers ○ Does NOT have to be human OR alive ○ Expresses something that the hero lacks ● Shadow

○ Represents the dark side of the protagonist ○ *A movie is only as good as its villain* ○ When you don’t acknowledge your dark side, you will see it more in everyone around you ■ People tend to project their inner insecurities ■ I.E. Batman villains projections of Batman ○ Creates the conflict that drives the movie ○ Villain should have vulnerabilities ● Trickster ○ Can provide comedic relief and respite ○ Thievery and trickery ○ “Lightens” the story ■ Loki, Deadpool, Ferris Bueller, *Robin Hood*

10/3: The Hero’s Journey

Hero Meet the hero in the ordinary world: opening image.

● Title (mostly) reveals the world you’re in ● Ordinary world ○ Contrasts where the hero is going ○ Foreshadowing ○ Raises the dramatic question ■ Addresses hero’s inner problem and outer problem ○ Establish what’s at stake ○ Establish the theme; what the story is about ● Opening image ○ Often mirrored to the closing image

○ What you see in the beginning you often see a variation of in the end ● You want to introduce the characters in an interesting way ● Call to action ○ The last resort ● Refusal of the call ○ Can lead to tragedy ○ Threshold guardians often stop their refusal ■ Threshold guardians are often family members ● Allies externalize Dorothy’s need ○ She realizes that she had what she needed all along

10/10 ● Title of the movie: punchy, describes the plot in a short, effective way ○ Bad title hurts your movie ● Opening music ○ Sets the tone and introduces your world ● Opening ○ MUST introduce your hero ○ “Ordinary World” ● Inciting incident ○ Usually happens on page 10

10/17 ● Elixir ○ Hero finds new life ○ Resurrection ● Subplot ○ Has to tie in with the rest of the movie, has to help drive the story ○ All have inciting incidents, midpoints, and a climax ■ Same structure, shorter form

● McGuffin (?) ○ Plot device ○ You need something to drive the plot ○ Not real things, only real in terms that they drive the story Quiz next week on the hero’s journey 10/24

10/24 ●

Hero’s Journey Recap ○ Prologue ■ Not all movies have them ■ Takes place in ordinary world ○ Call to adventure/inciting incident ○ Ordinary world ■ Contrasts sharply to where the hero is going ○ Refusal of the call ○ Mentors ■ Can be met throughout the movie ■ Usually during the call to adventure ○ Crossing the threshold ■ When the journey starts ■ Threshold hero has to cross ○ Tests, allies, and enemies ○ Approach to the inmost cave ■ Has to prove themself ○ Reward ■ Break for the audience ■ Provides something fun ○ The road back ○ Resurrection

■ To be born again ■ Hero finds “true self” ○ Return with the elixir ● Tragic flaws ○ Need to be resolved within protagonist before the hero can win

● Genre ○ Category in which film fits into ■ Action, adventure, sci-fi, etc. ○ Genres are for  the  audience ○ Marketable towards a certain demographic

● A new opportunity or a new temptation can be the call to adventure ● During the ordeal stage the hero must encounter some kind of death, either literal or metaphorical ○ Whiff of death ● The purpose of the test stage is to prepare the hero for the meeting of the “villain” ● The “road back” stage ○ Act 3 ○ Stuff has to get harder ● Ordeal ○ Act 2B ○ Will often contain a reversal ● Resurrection stage includes the final confrontation ● The reward stage does NOT always mean the hero has won and the journey is over ● Elixir may include ○

A punishment ■ Lightning McQueen

○ New information

○ Farewell to an old personality ○ Awareness ○ Love ● Not limited to one of each archetype ● Heroes should have both inner and outer problems ● Crossing first threshold ○ End of act one ○ “Plot point 1” ● Crossing the first threshold indicates the hero has a limited awareness ● Every step of the journey there is a threshold

11/7: Non-Linear ● Most non-linear films have a three-act structure ○ Like 99% of the time ● Framing Device: Keeps non-linear structure together ○ Often a problem they are trying to solve ■ Pulp Fiction: restaurant scenes, Reservoir Dogs: Warehouse scenes ● Each scene should illuminate the theme from different angles

11/14: North by northwest

11/21: ●

Dangling-cause: foreshadowing

12/5: ● Daybreak: Five focal points: ○ Inciting incident: Josh finds Angelica in the church ■ Refusal of the call: Turning down allies ○ Crossing the threshold: Agrees to work with allies/ throwing the blood

○ Midpoint crisis: Ghoulies attack/ Mad Max people chase after him ■ The ordeal ○ All is lost: Hiding in the truck ○ New plan: Run to mall ○ Climax: Motorcycle man shows up/ cliffhanger

● 8 Characters of Comedy:

Logical Smart one

Lovable Loser

Neurotic

Dumb One

Ex.: Monica

Ex.: Ross, Chandler

Ex.: Ex.: Joey Monica, Chandler, Ross

Bitch/Ba stard

Womani Material zer/Mani istic One zer Ex.: Joey

Rules of Comedy: 1. Choose a specific character with specific personality traits 2. Be committed to the character 3. Good comedy comes from pain and conflict 4. Follow the script and punctuation 5. Be Louder! 6. Be Faster! 7. Hold for laughs (crowd/ live-audience) 8. Don’t mug for a laugh 9. Have Fun!

Ex.: Rachel

In Their Own Universe Ex.: Phoebe

● Sitcom characters: tragic, sad, and trapped ○ Incapable of human growth ■ Growth = No show...