DZ-113: Tools for filmmakers to talk to the audience

Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast

What tools help ensure that you as the filmmaker are not misunderstood?

In our final (ha!) episode looking at Talking Directly to the Audience, we turn away from character-and-text based craft tools to look at other ways that filmmakers - whether they be directors, writers, editors, or anyone else - can make the audience feel their 'hand' more.

To that end, Mel, Stu and Chas dive into ADAPTATION, STORIES WE TELL and THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION. 

We discuss structure (in particular how to structure more “meta” stories), the influence of TikTok and YouTube in portraying character authenticity, how to set up scenes where your characters can actually debate what your story is really about., and get into the gritty of how “in the story world” the communication from the filmmakers is.

Ultimately, in exploring these three power films through this lens, we discover that these tools give filmmakers more control in conveying their theme. Quelle surprise.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

Thanks to Chris Walker for his excellent editing this episode.

CHAPTERS

  • 00:00:00 - Cold Open
  • 00:00:28 - The Meta of Meta
  • 00:11:01 - Adaptation
  • 00:36:43 - Sponsor: Arc Studio Pro
  • 00:39:40 - Adaption (Part 2)
  • 00:42:23 - Stories We Tell
  • 01:12:13 - The Forty Year Old Version
  • 01:48:14 - Wrap Up & Key Learnings
  • 02:01:24 - Many thanks to our Patreons <3

RELATED EPISODES

  • DZ-53: Antagonists! 5 - vs Audience
  • DZ-109: Talking DIRECTLY to your audience
  • DZ-110: Voiceover
  • DZ-111: Unreliable Narrators and Fight Club 
  • DZ-112: Breaking the Fourth Wall

This episode brought to you by (drum roll) ArcStudio: go to https://www.arcstudiopro.com/draftzero for $30 off a pro subscription!

And how can we forget our awesome Patreons? Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

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We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

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