Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast

How can writers dramatise Given Circumstances? In this final podcast release of last year’s run of LiveSoLation episodes, Chas and Stu are joined by Uber-geek Mel Killingsworth (who else?) in an epic exploration of how Dave Gibbons’ and Alan Moore’s seminal graphic novel WATCHMEN is adapted differently in Zack Snyder’s 2009 film and Damon Lindelof’s 2019 HBO television show. For this podcast release, we focus on a single craft tool: GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES. Traditionally an acting tool, we look at how it is also a useful writing tool: how is your story world different to your audience’s lived world and how best to communicate that? In terms of WATCHMEN (as you will hear), there is so much given circumstances to convey — in terms of alternate history, superhero rules, political rules, character backstory, character worldview — that is done excellently in both the movie and the TV show that this becomes a masterclass in exposition. We also touch on narrative structure and tone: how presenting the exact same information in a different order or through a different tonal lens can change how it lands for an audience. ie this diagram -- But this is explored much more fully in the very-visual companion YouTube videos: Adapting the Watchmen - Comic to Movie, or: how changing the tone changes the theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KKLhpDj10Q Narrative Structure and Given Circumstances in Watchmen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ByPIqI2WzY&t While this episode may not be for the feint of heart, we feel it is one of our best. Hope you do too. Quantity has a quality of its very own. Spoilers abound. Audio excerpts used for educational purposes. Thanks to Chris for wrangling this into shape! CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:02 - Watching the Watchmen 00:06:13 - Summaries 00:17:07 - Given Circumstances 00:38:39 - The Characters 00:51:07 - Theme & Characters 01:02:13 - Narrative Structure & Theme 01:27:07 - Worldview 01:33:47 - Dr Manhattan 01:51:50 - Wrap Up LINKS Watch: Watchmen (2009) screenplay by David Hayter & Alex Tse Watch: Watchmen (2019) created by Damon Lindelof Read: Watchmen illustrated by Dave Gibbson and written by Alan Moore RELATED EPISODES DZ-37: Excelling at Exposition (Part 1) DZ-38: Excelling at Exposition (Part 2) Thanks to all our patrons, especially Thomas, Garrett, Bjorn, Randy, Jesse, Theis, Sandra, and Khrob. Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis and @chasffisher on twitter. And you can find @draft_zero on Instagram and Twitter.

Learn how to create effective pitch decks and look books for your projects with writer/director Marc Furmie. Discover the differences between pitch decks and look books, how they help sell your projects, and tips for making yours better. Explore the importance of visual materials in pitching, including designing director's lookbooks for unique projects like a Space Pirates Murder Mystery. Dive into the world of visual language in sci-fi projects and the power of simplicity in pitch decks.

How can interweaving timelines elevate the emotional experience for the audience? In our final part, part 3, of our Interweaving Timelines series, we — Chas, Stu & Mel — take a deep dive into Greta Gerwig's 2019 adaptation of Little Women. In her adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's iconic novels, Greta chose to interweave the seperate timelines of Little Women and it's sequel, Good Wives, to create a thematically and emotionally potent work. This differs from all the other adaptations, which have chosen to keep the chronological storytelling of the source material. We compare Gerwig's choices and their resulting effects with Gilliam Armstrong & Robin Swicord's more faithful (and chronological) 1994 version. It's almost like a scientific experiment! Stay tuned! SPOILERS ABOUND! Audio quotations used for educational purposes only. Timestamps indicated below. Chapter markers included in the mp3. Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode. RUNNING ORDER 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:00:37 - ScriptUp Sponsorship 00:02:00 - Little Women - 2019 vs 1994 00:06:35 - 2019's Interweaving Timelines 00:15:29 - Summarising the plot points 00:31:39 - Initial contrasts with chronological telling 00:35:32 - Laurie's Proposal 00:54:10 - Amy and Laurie's courtship 01:03:34 - Beth's Death 01:26:44 - Book burning and ice skating 01:36:51 - How the structure expresses theme 01:44:06 - Key Learnings and Wrap Up 01:59:02 - Backmatter LINKS Watch: Little Women (2019) screenplay by and directed by Greta Gerwig Watch: Little Women (1994) screenplay by Robin Swicord and directed by Gilliam Armstrong Read/Listen: Scriptnotes, Ep 433: The One with Greta Gerwig RELATED EPISODES DZ-78: Interweaving Timelines 1 - Destroyer DZ-79: Interweaving Timelines 2 – The Social Network This episode brought to you by ScriptUp – https://www.scriptupstudio.com – use promo code DZ10 to get 10% off. Many thanks to all our patrons but particularly to Randy, Garrett, Bjorn, Jessie, Khrob, and Sandra. They’re good humans. Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis and @chasffisher on twitter. And you can find @draft_zero on Instagram and Twitter.

How can interweaving two timelines change how we feel about a character? In this Part 2 of Interweaving Timelines (aka The Stu Monologue Episode), Mel, Chas and Stu tackle Sorkin/Fincher's The Social Network. As you’ll hear, it is clearly Stu’s favourite of the examples we cover and, ah, *not* Mel’s favourite. While all three bring their own biases and opinions on the reality of Facebook as it has become, we do manage to put the destruction of democracy to one side to actually analyse the meticulous craft that this film displays. We analyse Sorkin’s on-the-page skill with time jumps, managing intercutting and introducing characters - as well as explore how the flash-forward technique manages the absence of stakes (i.e. we know Facebook exists) and creates a different emotional experience to the flashbacks of Destroyer. Finally, and most importantly, we look at how the interweaving timelines change how the audience feel about Mark Zuckerberg (as portrayed in this film). Stay tuned! SPOILERS ABOUND! Audio quotations used for educational purposes only. Timestamps indicated below. Chapter markers included in the mp3. Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode. RUNNING ORDER 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:48 - The Social Network 00:07:36 - The flash forward structure 00:18:46 - Why did we pick this film? 00:29:41 - What are the stakes? 00:42:45 - Time jumps & transitions 00:52:59 - Audience's perception of Mark 01:00:45 - Storyteller cuts 01:09:20 - Sorkin vs Fincher 01:16:07 - Wrap up & key learnings 01:23:15 - Backmatter LINKS Watch: The Social Network written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher Read: Wordplayer - The Storyteller Cut RELATED EPISODES DZ-78: Interweaving Timelines 1 - Destroyer DZ-43: Driving Sequences – Character and Plot Intensity This episode brought to you by ScriptUp – https://www.scriptupstudio.com – use promo code DZ10 to get 10% off. Many thanks to all our patrons but particularly to Randy, Garrett, Bjorn, Joakim, Khrob, and Sandra. They’re good humans. Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis and @chasffisher on twitter. And you can find @draft_zero on Instagram and Twitter.

How does interweaving two timelines change how the audience feel? Stu and Chas are joined by Mel Killingsworth to dissect interweaving timelines. Not anthology films. Not Cloud Atlas. But films where two plot lines featuring the same characters, but from different timelines, are woven together. How do you manage stakes when you know a character’s future? What questions does this prompt in the viewer? And how the hell do you orient the reader? To answer these questions, it will take three episodes. In this Part 1, our intrepid team (and Mel’s 42 pages of homework) tackle the 2018 film DESTROYER directed by Karen Kusama, written by Hay & Manfredi and starring Nicole Kidman. Meanwhile, Part 2 will cover THE SOCIAL NETWORK and Part 3 will compare the 1994 Gillian Armstrong version with 2019 Greta Gerwig version of LITTLE WOMEN. Whew. Stay tuned! SPOILERS ABOUND! Audio quotations used for educational purposes only. Timestamps indicated below. Chapter markers included in the mp3. Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode. RUNNING ORDER 00:00:10 Intro 00:01:46 Interweaving Timelines? 00:14:54 Destroyer & Timelines 00:35:28 Indicating Timelines 00:39:21 Ordering the Key Events 00:51:50 Theme & Timelines 01:06:44 Questions prompted by the ending 01:20:58 Key Learnings & Wrap Up 01:37:37 Backmatter EPISODE LINKS WATCH: Destroyer (2018) FOLLOW: Melanie Killingsworth – @mehlsbells on twitter READ: "A Game Designer’s Analysis Of QAnon" RELATED EPISODES DZ-05: Shifting audience point of view and heightened emotions DZ-46: Structure & Point of View This episode brought to you by ScriptUp - https://www.scriptupstudio.com - use promo code DZ10 to get 10% off. Many thanks to all our patrons but particularly to Randy, Garrett, Bjorn, Jack, Khrob, and Sandra. They’re good humans. Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis and @chasffisher on twitter. And you can find @draft_zero on Instagram and Twitter.

In this podcast, they discuss character journeys, hyperlink cinema, managing multiple projects, choosing your next project, co-writing relationships, and Star Wars. They delve into the challenges of project prioritization, navigating different writing relationships, and the complexities of decision-making in the creative industry. They also compare Star Wars movies, particularly praising The Mandalorian for its narrative choices and character development.

Discover Sofia Coppola's masterful character writing in scripts like 'Lost in Translation' and 'The Bling Ring'. Explore her unique approach to screenwriting and uncover the secrets behind her captivating films. Dive into the intricacies of character dynamics and the impact of visual storytelling. Delve into discussions on satire, racism, and gender portrayal in Coppola's work. A must-listen for aspiring screenwriters and film enthusiasts alike!

How can you do powerful storytelling... without dialogue? Stu and Chas are joined by filmmaker, podcaster and writer Matthew Brown to deep dive into FURY ROAD and its astounding visual storytelling, both on the page and on screen. We talk about setups and payoffs, given circumstances, image systems, environmental storytelling, and how the relationship between Furiosa and Max is built over the course of the story with very little dialogue (besides Tom Hardy’s grunts and the odd bellow of “MEDIOCRE!”). You can also watch the complete live stream on YouTube or just the breakdown of the Furiosa/Max fight (which isn’t in the podcast) here. As always: SPOILERS ABOUND Audio quotations used for educational purposes only. Timestamps indicated below. Chapter markers included in the mp3. RUNNING ORDER 00:00:00 Intro: Fury Road & Visual Storytelling 00:01:07 Why Fury Road? 00:06:17 World Building & Given Circumstances 00:23:19 World Building & Plot Points 00:30:50 Setups & Payoffs 00:35:03 Who is the Protagonist? 00:35:08 Max & Furiosa's Arc 01:00:44 Stray Observations 01:05:28 Wrap Up EPISODE LINKS FOLLOW: Matt Brown - @tederick on twitter, or buy his book at tederick.com/furyroad READ: Cinephillia and Beyond - In Search of Our Better Selves: The Rebirth, Redemption and Road Warriors of George Miller’s ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ WATCH: Mad Max: Fury Road READ: The Art of Mad Max Max Fury Road RELATED EPISODES DZ-33: Protagonist vs Hero – Dawn of Character Function DZ LiVE Ep3 - Watchmen - The Comic, The Movie & The Show Many thanks to all our patrons but particularly to Stuart, Jack, Chris, Khrob, and Sandra. They’re good humans. Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis and @chasffisher on twitter. And you can find @draft_zero on Instagram and Twitter. LINKS @ http://linktr.ee/draftzero BUY DRAFT ZERO MERCH via TeePublic

What can we learn from folk horror? Draft Zero return with their next YouTube livestream! Stu and Chas are joined by previous guest (and successful screenwriter) C.S. McMullen for a deep dive into MIDSOMMAR! We analyse the film through the lens of Folk Horror, but tackle broader topics such as horror vs dread, rising tension, transgressions, unfilmables, and portraying toxic relationships. You can also watch the recorded live stream on YouTube. As always: SPOILERS ABOUND Audio quotations used for educational purposes only. Timestamps indicated below. Chapter markers included in the mp3. RUNNING ORDER 00:00:00 Intro: Misommar & Folk Horror 00:00:15 Why Midsommar? 00:03:54 What makes horror "folk"? 00:18:20 The First Ritual 00:32:17 Transgressions 01:07:32 Grief & The Ending 01:23:18 The May Queen 01:40:04 Wrap Up & An Exercise EPISODE LINKS Watch: Midsommar Watch: The Wicker Man RELATED EPISODES Listen: DZ-60: Unfilmables 1 - Engaging imagination Listen: DZ-61: Unfilmables 2 – Moments of Awe Listen: DZ-62: Unfilmables 3 - As Ifs & Emotional context Many thanks to all our patrons but particularly to Stuart, Jack, Chris, Khrob, and Sandra. They’re good humans. Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis and @chasffisher on twitter. And you can find @draft_zero on Instagram and Twitter. LINKS @ http://linktr.ee/draftzero BUY DRAFT ZERO MERCH via TeePublic

How do I write selling documents differently to development documents? In developing our stories and scripts, we have probably written some combination of treatments and loglines and outlines. Some of us have probably even sent these development materials out to producers or agencies when “selling” a project — as a step towards getting someone to read or *gulp* produce your material. If so… have you written them differently? Should you have? You probably should have... In this final part from the epic recording on short documents, Stephen explores how we should craft the words on the page and structure these documents differently when they are to sell the project as opposed to develop the project. Something that Chas and Stu badly need to hear, learn and apply right now. RELATED EPISODES Listen: DZ-71: Treatments & Loglines - Development Tools Listen: DZ-72: Theme & the Story Synopsis - Development Tools 2 Many thanks to all our patrons but particularly to Theis, Jack, Chris, Khrob, Sandra, and Matteo. They’re good humans. Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis and @chasffisher on twitter. And you can find @draft_zero on Instagram and Twitter. LINKS @ http://linktr.ee/draftzero