Lecture 3: Make It Fresh

Lecture 3:Make It Fresh Professor Daniel Cutrara Aliens (1986) Story by James Cameron, David Giler, and Walter Hill, Screenplay by James Cameron

Previous Lesson Scene Fundamentals Scene Analysis Casablanca (1942) Written by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch

This Lesson Genre and Structure Conventions as Creative Limitations Reinventing Genre Mixing Genres Assignments

Genre and Structure “To anticipate the anticipations of the audience you must master your genre and it’s conventions.” - Robert Mckee Lesson 3: Part I

Genre and Structure • According to McKee: • Each genre imposes conventions on story design. • Conventions are specific settings, roles, events and values that define individual genres and their subgenres. • To satisfy your audience you must master your genre.

Audience Expectations • Conventions must be followed because: • Audiences go to movies with expectations that must be met. • Horror, Action, Adventure, Mystery • However, you can “break” conventions with well constructed “inventions” that will surprise and please your audience. 6

An Invention Scream (1996) Written by Kevin Williamson The Horror convention where the hero and audience believe the monster is dead, but the monster really isn’t, became standard for thrillers and action movies in the 90’s. 7

Conventions as Creative Limitations The Age of Innocence (1993) Edith Wharton (Novel) Jay Cocks and Martin Scorsese (Screenplay) Lesson 3: Part II 8

Convention Categories • Settings • Historical, future, war, medical… • Roles - type of characters expected • Nobles, aliens, detectives, arch-villains… • Events • Love at first sight, a crime, a chase… • Values • Love conquers all… 9

Creative Limitations • According to McKee: • The principle of creative limitations calls for freedom within a circle of obstacles. • Genre conventions are the “rhyme scheme” of a storytellers “poem.” • Genre convention is a Creative Limitation that forces the writer’s imagination to rise to the occasion.

Reinventing Genres Lesson 3: Part III 11

Reinventing Genres - 1 “Genre conventions are not carved in stone, they evolve, grow, adapt, modify, and break apace with the changes in society.” (According to McKee.) 12

Reinventing Genres - 2 The Western has shifted from the simplistic portrayal of good settlers versus bad indians in films like John Ford’s 1939 Drums along the Mohawk to the exploration of flawed humanity in the HBO series Deadwood, created by David Milch. 13

Mixing Genres Lesson 3: Part IV 14

Mixing Genres • Bringing different genres together in one story allows for fresh and exciting storytelling. • However, if it isn’t done well, it can lead to a failed screenplay. • Depending on the mix, Hollywood can find it difficult to market. • Boys on the Side - Road Story turns Aids Drama

Mixing Genres - Alien Pause the lecture and watch the clip from Alien. What genre(s) are present in this scene? What elements of the storytelling create the genre conventions? 16

Mixing Genres - Alien (continued) • Alien contains elements of Sci-Fi and horror. • These can be found in the following: • settings, roles, events, values • Horror is also communicated through the direction. 17

Conventions - Alien • Settings • Sci Fi - spaceship • Horror - enclosed space - like Haunted House • Roles • Sci Fi - scientists, explorers • Horror - the preyed upon victims • Events • Sci Fi - encountering aliens • Horror - encountering monsters 18

Conventions - Alien(continued) • Values • Sci Fi - knowledge of new species • Horror - survival of the human species 19

The Action Description - Alien • Mood is created through the action description. • Lighting: shadows, enclosed spaces • Setting: stark, mechanical • Pacing: the slow build up of tension • Point of view: when we see what the character sees and when we see more 20

Mixing Genres 2 Pause the lecture and watch the clip from Aliens. What genre(s) are present in this scene? What elements of the storytelling create the genre conventions? 21

Mixing Genres - Aliens • Aliens contains elements of Sci-Fi and Action. • These can be found in the following: • settings, roles, events, values • Action is also communicated through the direction. 22

Conventions - Aliens • Settings • Sci Fi - Colony in another solar system • Action - A devastated colony • Roles • Sci Fi - Space Marines • Action - Space Marines • Events • Sci Fi - The encounter with an alien species • Action - Battling the alien species 23

Conventions – Aliens (continued) Aliens (1986) Story by James Cameron, David Giler, and Walter Hill Screenplay by James Cameron • Values • Sci Fi - saving the human race • Action - saving the human race 24

The Action Description - Aliens • Action requires a different mood from horror. • Lighting; not the ominous look of horror. The Marines bring the light into the darkness. • Setting: the weather and the structures are embattled. • Pacing: fast, energetic, not the slow build of horror. • Point of view: we see the bigger picture. 25

The Alien Franchise Alien Resurrection (1997) Written by Josh Whedon The same story can be told in different genres, and mix of genres, however, the genre choices help define the uniqueness of each story. 26

The Importance for Hollywood The Market - Hollywood identifies genre markets, caters to them, and works to sustain them over time. 27

The Challenge for the Writer Genre demands Mastery Genre imposes Creative Limitations 28

Assignments Lesson 3: Part V

E-Board Post #1 What genre or genres does your script fit? Explain why? Is this the best genre to tell your story? 30

E-Board Post #2 Choose one of your peer’s analysis of their genre and post a comment. You can affirm their analysis and/or raise questions and offer suggestions. 31

End of Lecture 3 Next Lecture: Subplots and Secondary Characters Aliens 3 (1992) Story by Vincent Ward Screenplay byDavid Giler, Walter Hill and Larry Ferguson

Lecture 3: Make It Fresh