[Quick Summary: Archeologist Indiana Jones must track down the lost Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis do.]
Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't talk to me about bad B stories/subplots.
I've seen bunches of them that:
- Wander off to nowhere
- Compete with the A story for the biggest twist
- Strangle the A story in complications
I define the B story as sub-story that supports, reflects, or pushes the A story forward.
So let's check out how Kasdan setup a good B story between Indy and Marion:
ex. "[Marion] is almost on him when Indy looks up smiling. Marion stops, stares, shocked.
INDY: Hello Marion.
She hits him with a solid right to the jaw, knocking him off the barstool on the floor. He rubs his jaw and smiles up at her.
INDY: Nice to see you, too.
MARION: Get up and get out.
INDY: Take it easy. I'm looking for your father.
MARION (bitterly): Well you're two years too late."
What do we know from this 1st meeting?
- Indy left Marion on bad terms, but still likes her. [The B story complicates his journey.]
- He needs her cooperation to find the ark. [The B story pushes the A story forward to his goal.]
- Marion is a useful partner. [She has a stake in his success, which keeps us focused on the goal.]
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: The tension between Marion and Indy (subplot) increases the fun of the hunt (main plot).
That's really all you want in a subplot.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
by Lawrence Kasdan
Showing posts with label Subplots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Subplots. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Saturday, November 6, 2010
TODAY'S NUGGET: #25 WGA Script of All Time - Wizard of Oz (1939)
[Quick Summary: A tornado sends Dorothy to Oz, where she befriends the Scarecrow, Tin Man & Lion. She must bring the Wicked Witch of the West's broomstick to the Great Oz in order to get home.]
Usually I see:
1) subplots that are disconnected from the main plot.
2) subplots w/ minor characters that try to stand out too much, i.e., They think this is their movie.
Wizard of Oz stands out b/c all the subplots support the main character's goal, i.e., Dorothy's journey home.
This is especially clear in Act 3 when Dorothy isn't around:
ex. The Scarecrow uses his brain to get into the castle to rescue Dorothy.
ex. The Tin Man cares so much that he breaks down her jail door.
ex. The Lion faces his fear and uses courage to rally the troops when he'd rather back down.
Why does this work?
Because the supporting cast are all invested in the main character.
Because they know this is Dorothy's movie, thus they are working toward Dorothy's goals. Yes, they get their goals met too, but only b/c they're in service to the main character's goals.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Subplots should echo the theme back to the main character.
Here's Dorothy realizes "there's no place like home" b/c each of the subplots remind her how much she took the Kansas farmhands for granted.
Wizard of Oz (1939)
by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allen Woolf
Usually I see:
1) subplots that are disconnected from the main plot.
2) subplots w/ minor characters that try to stand out too much, i.e., They think this is their movie.
Wizard of Oz stands out b/c all the subplots support the main character's goal, i.e., Dorothy's journey home.
This is especially clear in Act 3 when Dorothy isn't around:
ex. The Scarecrow uses his brain to get into the castle to rescue Dorothy.
ex. The Tin Man cares so much that he breaks down her jail door.
ex. The Lion faces his fear and uses courage to rally the troops when he'd rather back down.
Why does this work?
Because the supporting cast are all invested in the main character.
Because they know this is Dorothy's movie, thus they are working toward Dorothy's goals. Yes, they get their goals met too, but only b/c they're in service to the main character's goals.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Subplots should echo the theme back to the main character.
Here's Dorothy realizes "there's no place like home" b/c each of the subplots remind her how much she took the Kansas farmhands for granted.
Wizard of Oz (1939)
by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allen Woolf
Sunday, January 10, 2010
BOOK CLUB: To Subplot or Not to Subplot? (Ch. 4)
BOOK CLUB: To Subplot or Not to Subplot
[Today we're reading Ch. 4 Forget Sub-plotting - The Best Plots Have One Track Minds, from Aristotle's Poetics for Screenwriters, by Michael Tierno (2002). ]
I found this chapter misleading - what, no more subplots?
I think the confusion stems from the fact that: 1) the author defines "issues" as sub-plots (I don't think they're the same); and 2) what I call sub-plots, he renames them "sub-actions."
But however it's defined, a script must only have ONE main issue. Any supporting plots/actions must be necessary and bolster the main issue.
I think writers understand the concept of the ONE main issue. It's when the writer creates supporting plots/actions that are semi-related, but are not necessary, for the main issue.
ex. I read a script about a female villain who wants to capture a superhuman female fighter. The issue was that the villain wanted to control the fighter. The numerous supporting plots did not support this issue. Instead, there was a plot about a second antagonist, a smuggling run that went bad, etc. The result: a script without focus or vision.
WHAT I’VE LEARNED: A minor character is there to mirror or echo whatever is happening to the main character., i.e., the minor character 's actions, words, & thoughts need to should come back to affect the main character.
[DISCLAIMER: I have not been asked, nor paid, to read or comment on this book.]
[Today we're reading Ch. 4 Forget Sub-plotting - The Best Plots Have One Track Minds, from Aristotle's Poetics for Screenwriters, by Michael Tierno (2002). ]
I found this chapter misleading - what, no more subplots?
I think the confusion stems from the fact that: 1) the author defines "issues" as sub-plots (I don't think they're the same); and 2) what I call sub-plots, he renames them "sub-actions."
But however it's defined, a script must only have ONE main issue. Any supporting plots/actions must be necessary and bolster the main issue.
I think writers understand the concept of the ONE main issue. It's when the writer creates supporting plots/actions that are semi-related, but are not necessary, for the main issue.
ex. I read a script about a female villain who wants to capture a superhuman female fighter. The issue was that the villain wanted to control the fighter. The numerous supporting plots did not support this issue. Instead, there was a plot about a second antagonist, a smuggling run that went bad, etc. The result: a script without focus or vision.
WHAT I’VE LEARNED: A minor character is there to mirror or echo whatever is happening to the main character., i.e., the minor character 's actions, words, & thoughts need to should come back to affect the main character.
[DISCLAIMER: I have not been asked, nor paid, to read or comment on this book.]
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