Film Courage: What is dilemma?
Jen Grisanti, Speaker/Story/Career Consultant, Author: Dilemma is something that I can’t believe I didn’t know the value of dilemma when I was an executive. I cannot believe in all the scripts I analyzed over 12 and a half years that I didn’t have it termed. I think I loosely understood dilemma in terms of story and conflict, however it wasn’t until after I left the studio and dived into story in every way imaginable that the word dilemma came into my realm. I understood dilemma through a structuralist Jeff Kitchen that I first took one of my very first structure courses from when I became an executive. When I left the studio I re-looked at what I learned from Jeffrey Kitchen and dilemma somehow just came to me in this way that changed how I see story. That became everything for developing my brand and looking at the value of dilemma. I feel like so many story people skip over or don’t define dilemma and dilemma is everything to setting up a story when we feel how the character is caught between a rock and a hard place. For me I think the aha moment that went beyond what I learned from Jeff was the recognition that the choice the character makes in the dilemma is what defines the external pursuit. That was my big aha moment that helped me. I think there’s so much that we learn from everybody who’s studying story. I’ve been analyzing story for 30 years now and when I look at my counterparts who think in alignment like Jeffrey Kitchen, like Michael Hague, like John Yorke, when you have people like Dara Marks that are seeing story in a similar way and look at what is their terminology versus my terminology and what is aligning and what is missing and how do you redefine something so that the writer can grasp it more. Is dilemma the same as problem…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
BIO:
International speaker Jen Grisanti is an acclaimed Story/Career Consultant at Jen Grisanti Inc., a 13-year Writing Instructor for Writers on the Verge at NBC, and a former 12-year studio executive, including VP of Current Programming at CBS/Paramount. Jen is the author of three books, Story Line: Finding Gold in Your Life Story, TV Writing Tool Kit: How To Write a Script That Sells, Change Your Story, Change Your Life: A Path To Your Success.
Grisanti started her career in 1992 as an assistant to Aaron Spelling. He served as her mentor for 12 years. She quickly climbed the ranks and eventually ran Current Programs at Spelling Television Inc., covering all Spelling’s shows, including Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, and Charmed. In 2004, Grisanti was promoted to Vice President of Current Programs at CBS/Paramount, where she covered numerous shows, including Medium, Numbers, NCIS, 4400, and Girlfriends.
In January 2008, Grisanti launched Jen Grisanti Inc., a highly successful consulting firm dedicated to helping talented writers break into the industry. Drawing on her experience as a studio executive, where she gave daily notes to executive producers/showrunners, Grisanti guides writers to shape their material, write from their emotional truth, hone their pitches, and focus their careers. Since launching the consulting firm, Grisanti has worked with over 1000 writers specializing in television and features. Due to her expertise and mentorship, one hundred and six pilots have sold, including ten that went to series, and one hundred fifty-two writers have staffed.
BUY THE BOOK – STORY LINE: Finding Gold In Your Life Story
BUY THE BOOK – CHANGE YOUR STORY, CHANGE YOUR LIFE: A Path to Success
BUY THE BOOK – TV WRITING TOOL KIT – 2nd Edition: How To Write A Script That Sells
MORE VIDEOS WITH JEN GRISANTI
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