Elements of a Good Story

1. Elements of a Good Story

2. A good story is… • 1. unified in plot • 2. credible • 3. interesting • 4. both simple and complex • 5. careful with emotional material

3. Good story is unified in plot • Single thread of continuous action • One event leads to another naturally (event A leads to event B then event C etc.) • Sometimes plot is episodic, composed of events that bear no direct relationship to each other (event B is shown then A then C) • In this case the audience is expected to make the connections • Usually there is a plot or thematic reason for doing this • Examples: Pulp Fiction, Memento

4. Good story is credible • 3 ways to make a story credible • 1. externally observable truths, the way things really are • 2. internal truths of human nature, the way things are supposed to be (ie fairy tale endings, poetic justice) • 3. artistic semblance of truth, the way things never were and never will be • Imaginary but believable through the magic of film • “willing suspension of disbelief”

5. Good story is interesting • The filmmaker is expected to do away with the irrelevant and distracting, instead they focus on… • Suspense- heightens our interest by withholding information and answers • Action- movement and change, can be internal or external

6. Good story is both simple and complex • Film should be subtle enough to keep viewer guessing • The good ending DOES derive naturally out of the film • No sudden surprise out of nowhere

7. Good story is careful with emotional material • Overusing emotional material can lead to some viewers claiming sentimentality (too mushy, too lovey-dovey) • Understatement means downplaying emotional material • Example- To Kill a Mockingbird, Rudy