Two emerging screenwriters – Chas Fisher and Stuart Willis – try to work out what makes great screenplays work. Discovering what it takes by analysing what successful writers put on the page.
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episode 97: DZ-97: Ensembles 2 - Servicing Characters
How do you give your audience access to a lot of characters?
In Part 2 of our exploration into ensemble stories, Stu, Chas and Mel examine films whose plot and genre require a lot of characters. Thus we tackle a team sports film (PITCH PERFECT), a murder mystery (GLASS ONION), a slasher (SCREAM 2022) and a family holiday flick (THE FAMILY STONE).
By looking at these films, we discover tools for writers to service characters and give them more dimension. These tools include: shifting group dynamics; the spectrum of private to public behaviour; breaking POV, and quintessential group introductions.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND
Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode.
CHAPTERS
- 00:00:00 - Cold Open
- 00:01:46 - Intro: Servicing Characters
- 00:14:40 - Pitch Perfect
- 00:37:54 - Glass Onion
- 01:09:20 - Scream 5
- 01:32:17 - The Family Stone
- 02:13:22 - Key Learnings & Wrap Up
RELATED EPISODES
- DZ-96: Ensembles 1 - What do we mean by an ensemble?
- DZ-43: Driving Sequences – Character and Plot Intensity
- DZ-09: Characterising Introductions
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