Aug
23
Structure: Jaws
Filed Under Article Series, Structural Analysis | 3 Comments
A structural overview of Jaws (Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb, Novel by Peter Benchley 1975)
Steven Spielberg first drew me into movies with Close Encounters of the Third Kind, back in 1977.
Because I was too young for Jaws in 1975, it wasn’t until later when I discovered the movie that really made Spielberg.
Jaws literally changed the movie industry as its tremendous success not only started the ‘wide opening’ with over 500 theatres, it also launched the summer season as the most profitable movie season in the US.
Jul
27
A structural overview of Raiders of the Lost Ark (Laurence Kasdan, Story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman 1981)
The first film of the extraordinarily successful Indiana Jones quadrilogy, created by Spielberg and Lucas, the greatest filmmakers of their generation. A timeless piece of of the very best entertainment. This is your typical Hero’s Journey and an excellent starting point for screen story study.
Did I mention it is also great fun?
ACT ONE
Sequence A
Jul
4
Interview: Michael Hauge (2)
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Finally, here is the second part of my interview with Michael Hauge in which he talks about favourite movies that break with his own structural principles, how emotion relates to anticipation and about the choice to follow “Hollywood structure” or not.
I hope you’ll enjoy it.
Karel: Do you have any favourites that don’t follow the principles you teach?
Jul
2
Checklist: Active Protagonist
Filed Under Story Basics | 2 Comments
Are you struggling with a passive protagonist? Let’s look into what causes a character to be passive.
A hero is not ‘active’ because he is constantly running, fighting, arguing etc. A hero is not ‘passive’ because he is never running, fighting, arguing etc.
Here is a list of points that in my view will have a positive impact on the protagonist’s ‘activity’ level.
Like any other principle, there will be numerous examples of successful films that stray from these. It doesn’t mean you can just ignore them.
Jun
5
Arcs and Endings (1)
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“The finest writing not only reveals true character,
but arcs or changes to that inner nature, for better or worse.”
-Robert McKee
In 1998 McKee signed my first edition hardback of STORY. He wrote:
“To Karel: Tell the TRUTH!”
Ironically with the quote at the top of this article, McKee is not telling his own truth.(*)
He contradicts something he teaches in his art film seminar. On Ingmar Bergman’s THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY(**), McKee makes the point that Bergman