Story Design

by Richard Michaels Stefanik

  The "objective" of the scene may not be something physical. It could very well be a piece of information that one character is trying to get from another character, or it could be a change in attitude that one character is trying to bring about in another. But something vital to both characters is usually at stake.

  Since film is a visual medium, its primary mode of communication is through actions and images, instead of dialogue. Dialogue is more essential to radio or stage plays.

  There are four moments (or beats) in the "model or ideal" standard scenes: a scene crisis occurs when one of the characters receives information that forces him into action; a scene confrontation between two opposing characters; a scene climax in which the conflicting character actions reach a peak; and the scene resolution that reveals which character obtains the objective and how they emotionally feel about the result.

  The story is told through a series of scenes starting from the opening scene and ending with the final scene of the story. There are specific types of scenes that must be part of this structure: a scene that introduces the protagonist to the audience; a scene that introduces the antagonist;

  a climax scene in which these two characters battle for control of the primary objective; and a resolution scene in which one of the characters is celebrated as the victor.

  Some writers believe that there must be two other critical scenes in each story: "plot points" (or plot twists) that occur one-third and two-thirds of the way through the series. They believe that this is necessary to make the story unpredictable and, thereby, hold the audience's attention.

  A plot twist is a subgoal that leads to a dead end and that fails to help the protagonist achieve the primary goal as he expected that it would. He must, therefore, revise his plans and choose another subgoal. Two-thirds of the way through the story, this new subgoal will also fail to bring about the desired objective. He is then forced to choose one more course of action that will lead directly to the climax scene in which the protagonist will fight with the antagonist.

  The scenes should naturally flow into each other; the actions taken by characters in the earlier scenes must cause actions in the scenes that follow. The intensity of the conflict should increase with each scene. This can be accomplished by sequentially placing in danger objects that are of a higher personal value to the protagonist and the audience.

  The protagonist will demonstrate the priority of the objects that he values through his actions, decisions, and the intensity of the anguish that he exhibits at the possibility of loss of these objects. For example, one preference ordering, from the lowest to the highest priority, might be as follows: material possessions, a job, money, status, honor, integrity, self-respect, respect of his family, his personal freedom, the survival of the community, his life, the life of his lover, and the life of his child.

  The same preference ordering might also be shared by the audience. The conflict is intensified when objects that have a lower value are placed in jeopardy first at the beginning of the story, while objects with the highest value are placed in jeopardy during the climax scene.

  This priority structure increases the audience's emotional involvement with the story, since the protagonist's order of values reflects their own, or what the audience would like their values to be, under ideal or heroic conditions. This structure also solidifies the audience's empathy for the protagonist and hatred for the antagonist who continues to place these objects of value in danger of being destroyed.

  Each scene should emotionally advance the story forward. Once the internal structure of each scene is clearly understood, this can be easily accomplished. Each scene would consist of a unique decision and transformation of character that would not be repeated again in a later scene.

  In each scene, either the protagonist and his supporters win, or the antagonist and his supporters win. Alternating the victors helps to keep the audience involved and makes the conflict less predictable. Alternating the scenes between interior and exterior locations also maintains the audience's interest because it induces a visual variation for the audience.

  SCENE POINT-OF-ATTACK

  Scenes usually start in the middle of the action, within the midst of the conflict. They should start at the beginning of the essential information, which is the scene crisis. The real-life time span is never used because this would bore the audience. Character entrances and exits are often not written into the scene. Instead the characters are shown in the midst of an emotion or action. This causes the audience to remain emotionally involved with the story.

  Crisis: this is the event in which the primary character receives information that forces him into confrontation with his opposition. It is a turning point for the character. During the crisis, the character decides to take action that will lead to confrontation and then to the climax.

  Confrontation: this is the section of the scene in which a character confronts another character with the information that he has received during the scene crisis. This generates the conflict that will peak in the climax.

  The final confrontation in the series of scenes is between the protagonist and the antagonist, which leads to the fight to the death. This has traditionally been called the "obligatory scene."

  Climax: this is the moment of greatest tension, with the characters in the greatest jeopardy at the peak of the conflict. One character will lose and the other will win, whatever is at stake in the scene. If the outcome is not predictable, the audience will remain on the edge of their seats, completely engrossed in the scene.

  Resolution: presents the outcome of the climax fight. It reveals which character won the battle, and how each of the characters feels about this situation. The emotional reactions of the characters are important, for these reactions will propel them into the next scene and cause the next crisis. With the scene resolution, the scene quickly ends, and the story continues to the next scene of the sequence.

  A MODEL SCENE

  As an example of an ideal structured scene, consider the scene from the Wizard of Oz, within which Elmira Gulch comes for Toto.

  POINT-OF-ATTACK:

  The scene does not start with Elmira entering the house and exchanging social pleasantries. It begins in the midst of the argument, with Elmira demanding Toto.

  SCENE CRISIS:

  Elmira tells Aunt Em that she is going to take Toto to the Sheriff, where Toto will be destroyed. Dorothy listens to this then decides to save Toto, the "objective" of the scene.

  SCENE CONFRONTATION:

  Dorothy confronts Elmira Gulch and says that she will not let her destroy Toto. Dorothy appeals both to her aunt and uncle to help her save Toto. The aunt and uncle are supportive until Elmira shows them an order from the Sheriff. She threatens to take away their farm if they "go against the law."

  SCENE CLIMAX:

  Dorothy physically struggles with Elmira as she tries to place Toto into the basket. Dorothy pleads for help from her aunt and uncle. Finally, Aunt Em tells Uncle Henry to put Toto into the basket, because "they can't go against the law."

  SCENE RESOLUTION:

  (The Characters' Emotional Reactions)

  Elmira wins the "objective": possession of Toto. Dorothy cries in despair and runs out of the room. Aunt Em wants to tell off Elmira but can't because she's "a Christian woman." Uncle Henry is amused by the situation, and Elmira indignantly leaves the house. As each character's emotional reactions are recorded for the audience, the scene quickly ends. The audience does not even see Elmira exiting through the door.

  Writing Assignment: Create a 3x5 Index Card (40 cards)

  for each scene that includes the major obstacle or problem, crisis, confrontation, climax, and resolution for the scene. Convert your index cards into a detailed plot outline for your movie. Study scenes from Lord of the Rings.

  OPENING SCENE

  Most popular filmmakers attempt to emotionally engage the audience in the story as soon as possible. One device is to place them into a "semi-hypnotic receptive state,"
even as the opening credits role onto the screen. This technique is evident in the beginning of Batman. Some films start with diffused imagery that forces the audience to concentrate their full attention in order to understand what

  is occurring on the screen. Other films engage the audience with a surprise event or a violent action.

  A character is often shown to be in jeopardy in the first few scenes, even though this character may not be the protagonist. While the protagonist is the first character that we see in Wizard of Oz and E.T., this is not the case for

  Star Wars, or Batman. In these cases, it is the antagonist

  or his supporters that are introduced first, with the intention of creating audience enmity for them.

  Usually the world of the story is immediately revealed through a specification of the locale and the historical period. Most stories, like scenes, do not start at the beginning of a situation, but in the midst of the action. This forces the audience to concentrate their full attention on the action in order to understand the situation.

  In popular films, many of the characters can be considered abandoned, or, in some sense, left on their own in a dangerous situation. This is definitely the case for Dorothy in Wizard of Oz and E.T. This is an effective technique for creating strong audience empathy for the protagonists, for the feelings of insecurity and being rejected are universal and easily give rise to sympathy.

  Lord of the Rings Trilogy

  The back story of the creation of The One Ring, the death of Sauron, and the loss of the Ring is narrated.

  E.T.

  The first image is of a star-filled night and a dark forest, which is visually confusing and demands the audience's undivided attention. A spaceship with bright lights is barely seen through the forest trees. Smoke diffuses the atmosphere. Creatures seem to be moving about in the forest, but no image is clear or distinct. Strange long fingers move a branch. Exotic plants lie on the floor inside the spaceship. Outside a dog howls, causing the red hearts of the creatures to intensify their glow. A small tree sprout is dug up by alien fingers. In another shot, a small child-like creature is seen in the far distance as it walks among tall trees. The gigantic trees overwhelm the creature that still cannot be seen clearly by the audience. This forces the audience to pay close attention because they want to see what the creature looks like. Sympathy is also generated for the child-like creature as it stands under the over-towering trees. The creature walks to the edge of the forest and looks at the city lights in the distance. Suddenly, a truck, with headlights glaring, drives up and suddenly stops at the edge of the forest. More trucks pull up and men with flashlights get out of the trucks. They are shadow figures covered in darkness. The audience cannot see their faces. The small creature runs away and is pursued by the men with flashlights. The alien spaceship departs. The creature squeals like a terrified small animal as he runs toward the departing ship in his efforts to escape from his faceless pursuers. Finally, the creature is abandoned in a strange land as the spaceship disappears into the night sky.

  Pirates of the Caribbean

  The young girl Liz is standing in front of a ship as it sails out of the fog. She is singing a song about pirates.

  Writing Assignment: Describe the opening scene of your movie in one paragraph.

  INTRODUCTION OF THE PROTAGONIST

  The protagonist is usually introduced in a way designed to immediately generate audience empathy for the character. Dorothy and E.T. are sympathetic characters chased by unseen "faceless" assailants. By not showing the pursuers, the audience’s empathy increases because they envision the pursuer to be the most horrible creature they can imagine. Dorothy, Luke Skywalker, and Kevin are both neglected by their families. Elliott has the additional problem that his mother does not believe him what he tells her he has seen a creature in the yard. This immediately generates empathy for him in the audience because they know he is telling the truth, yet he is not believed. Luke Skywalker also feels that he is not getting the support that he needs from his aunt and uncle.

  Each of the protagonists are initially presented in a manner designed to immediately create an empathetic bond between them and the audience.

  Finding Nemo

  Marlin and Coral look over their new home and batch of eggs when they are attacked by a barracuda. Marlin tries to defend his home, but is knocked out.

  Lord of the Rings Trilogy

  Frodo sits under a tree in the Shire. He is reading a book when he sees Gandalf approach in a cart. They are happy to see each other.

  Writing Assignment: Describe the introduction of the protagonist scene in one paragraph.

  INTRODUCTION OF THE ANTAGONIST

  Ruthlessness and betrayal are traits that generate enmity for the antagonist. Especially betrayal! It is important that a relationship of trust is established in the minds and feelings of the audience between the antagonist and one of the antagonist’s supporters in the story. The audience should not suspect that the sympathetic character will be betrayed. Then, when the betrayal occurs and major harm is caused to the character with whom the audience has empathy, the audience will react with intense emotion, hate the antagonist, and feel that he is worthy of destruction. This is the type of emotional hatred that the writer wants the audience to feel, because they must emotionally want the protagonist to destroy the antagonist.

  To have the antagonist laugh with glee at the desperate state of a sympathetic character is another way to create enmity for the antagonist. If the antagonist terrorizes a vulnerable character, then enmity is generated for him and his supporters. Both Elmira Gulch (Wicked Witch) and Darth Vader are introduced pursuing young women whom they place in jeopardy (Dorothy and Princess Leia).

  E.T.

  Faceless men with flashlights chase the child-like E.T. through the forest.

  Matrix Trilogy

  Agent Smith interrogates Neo.

  Lord of the Rings Trilogy

  Sauron slaughters men in the opening sequence until the ring is finally cut off his finger.

  Writing Assignment: Describe the introduction of the antagonist scene in one paragraph.

  CLIMAX SCENES

  The climax scene of the movie is always the most exciting and emotionally engrossing scene for the audience. This is the "obligatory scene" in which there is a battle between the protagonist and the antagonist. The survival

  of the love interest will also be determined by the actions

  of the protagonist. The outcome of this battle determines the fate of the unique concrete object and the primary objective. Only one of these characters will survive the conflict that rages in this scene.

  The story climax, the final choice of values by the protagonist as discussed in another section of this book, may or may not be part of this scene. But the plot climax always is. In this scene, the following questions are resolved: What happens to the primary objective? Who obtains the unique concrete object at the end of the film? Who wins the battle between the protagonist and the antagonist?

  Star Wars

  The climax occurs when Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader fight with each other and the Death Star is finally destroyed.

  E.T.

  The climax occurs when E.T. and Elliott fly over the road blockade constructed by the agents of the U.S. Government.

  Spider-Man:

  Spider-Man battles the Green Goblin at the bridge over Roosevelt Island. He must save his love interest, MJ, and

  the children in the cable car. It is a fight for control of NYC.

  Writing Assignment: Write a one page description of the climax scene of your movie. Create three new surprise plot twists that will take place in the climax scene, before the protagonist finally triumphs over the antagonist.

  RESOLUTION SCENES

  (The Final Scene of the Movie)

  The final scene consists of the resolution of the story. The conflicts are resolved both for the protagonist and the community (including the audience). All open questions, complications, and loose end
s are tied up. After this scene, there are no more crises and no more confrontations, for there no longer is any opposition that could generate conflict.

  In the climax scene of the movie, the threat to the protagonist and the community has been destroyed, and the community returns to stability and equilibrium.

  There is usually a celebration for the defeat of the antagonist and his forces; a joyous event where the protagonist reunites with the community. This allows the audience to express joy and release all the emotional tensions that had been built up in the climax scene.

  Once the conflicts are resolved, the movie usually ends as quickly as possible. This final resolution has traditionally been called the denouement of the story. In most popular films, there is a preference for clear endings that lack moral ambiguity. The protagonist and his values have overcome the obstacles, and he has triumphed over the antagonist. The audience is happy, feeling that once again, all is well with the world. To paraphrase Aristotle, their emotions have been purged through pity (for the protagonist) and fear (of the antagonist). The audience then leaves the theatre having had an emotionally satisfying experience.

  Titanic

  Rose walks into the Titanic stateroom and up the stairway to meet Jack by the clock. They kiss and Rose rejoins the community on the Titanic. The ghosts of those who drowned on the Titanic applaud. Love is eternal.