Exploring Character-Driven vs. Plot-Driven Sequences

What gives your sequences their intensity?

Chas and Stu are joined for the fourth time by the inestimable Stephen Cleary - this time to take a deep dive into sequences. A real deep dive. A 3+ hour deep dive.

Stephen postulates that sequences can compel the audience in different ways via the type of dramatic questions being posed. Are they plot questions ("Will she defuse the bomb?") or character questions ("Will she understand what compels her to defuse bombs?") or a combination of both? What is the impact on the pacing, structure of your story or audience experience of your characters by changing the type of question being asked? What happens to your story when your protagonist decides to literally abandon the plot?

Our deep dive roams through THE BOURNE IDENTITY, NAKED, THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, FARGO (the movie) and CHILDREN OF MEN... with many-a-tangent referencing HEAT, FRENZY, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, AMOUR, CHEF, HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, THE KINGSMAN, FURY ROAD, THE COLOUR OF POMEGRANATES, LIVING IS EASY WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED, MOONLIGHT, and probably some more that we've forgotten.

SPOILERS ABOUND!!

Audio quotations used for educational purposes only. Timestamps indicated below. Chapter markers included in the mp3.

PS: Thanks to all our listeners who provided feedback on a draft edit of this episode.

EPISODE LINKS

• HISTORY & THEORY OF SEQUENCES  [@ 1m 38s]
• PLOT-LITE REVISITED - AMOUR, CHEF and HAPPY-GO-LUCKY [@ 13m 24s]
  • DZ-35: Character driven or driving characters?
  • DZ-29: Showdowns & Scene Structure
• HIGH INTENSITY PLOT SEQUENCES [@ 24m 01s]
  • Youtube: Heat - Bank Robbery
  • JustWatch: Heat
  • Youtube: Frenzy - Potato Truck Scene
  • JustWatch: Frenzy
  • Youtube: Saving Private Ryan - Omaha Beach Landing
  • JustWatch: Saving Private Ryan
• PLOT/CHARACTER SEQUENCES
• THE BOURNE IDENTITY w Tony Gilroy [@ 36m 07s]
  • Youtube: Bourne vs The Professor
  • Find it on JustWatch
• PLOT SEQUENCES MOVING INTO PURE CHARACTER SEQUENCES
• NAKED w & d Mike Leigh - Maggie Sequence [@ 54m 43s]
  • Youtube: Naked - "Maggie!" scene
  • IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107653/
• ROAD MOVIES [@ 1hr 06m 35s ]
  • IMDB: Living Is Easy with Your Eyes Closed
  • JustWatch: The Motorcycle Diaries
• NAKED w & d Mike Leigh - Security Guard Sequence [@ 1hr 13m 00s]
  • Youtube: Naked - Jonny and the Security Guard
  • IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107653/
• PLOT AS THE HOOK [ @1h 21m 31s]
• THE KINGSMAN w Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn [@ 1h 26m 44s]
  • Find it on JustWatch
• CHARACTER SEQUENCES & AUDIENCE INTROSPECTION [@ 1h 34m 52s]
• THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY w Ronald Harwood [@ 1h 34m 52s]
  • Script: http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/The_Diving_Bell_and_the_Butterfly.pdf
  • Find it on JustWatch
• THERE WILL BE BLOOD w Paul Thomas Anderson [@ 1h 55m 41s]
  • Vimeo: There Will Be Blood Opening Scene
  • Find it on JustWatch
• FARGO (1996) w Joel & Ethan Coen [@ 2h 05m 28s]
  • Youtube: Mike Yanagita
  • Find it on JustWatch
• CHILDREN OF MEN w A Cuaron, T Sexton, D Arata, M Fergus, H Ostby [@ 2h 20m 12s]
  • Youtube: Faith vs Chance
  • Youtube: Baby Ceasefire
  • Find it on JustWatch
• SUMMARY & FINAL WORDS [@ 3hr 03m 44s]

Please send feedback to ask at draft-zero.com, via our web form or twitter @draft_zero  We are @chasffisher and @stuwillis on twitter.