[Watch the video interview on Youtube here]
Film Courage: How does a writer give story meaning?
Script Doctor, Writing Coach, and Author Daniel Calvisi: It probably comes down to theme and making us root for the main character, for the protagonist or care for the characters in general. Theme is absolutely crucial that you define that theme as early on as possible in your foundational elements. It’s the:
-Why are you writing this?
-Why is it relevant?
-Why is it urgent?
-What is this story about?
-What is it communicating?
If that is something that is compelling and pure and relevant to our times and you’re showing it not telling us and you’re not preaching a message but you’re just showing drama that explores that theme, then I think you have a good chance of giving your story meaning.
Film Courage: Do we always have to like the main character?
Dan: We don’t always have to but that’s probably a good example. If we don’t like the main character, if they’re an anti-hero, there needs to be some meaning to the story. There needs to be a reason for it to exist or there’s other characters that we really care about. In Breaking Bad, Walt [Walter White] just keeps getting worse and worse…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
About:
DANIEL P. CALVISI is a Script Doctor, Writing Coach and the author of Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay and Story Maps: TV DRAMA: The Structure of the One-Hour Television Pilot. He is a former Story Analyst for major studios like Twentieth Century Fox, Miramax Films and New Line Cinema. He coaches writers, teaches webinars on writing for film and television and speaks at writing conferences. Many of his clients have worked with the top networks and studios in the industry, such as Netflix, HBO, Warner Brothers, Disney, Sony, ABC, Showtime, Apple TV+ and more. He holds a degree in Film and Television from New York University. He lives in Los Angeles.
MORE VIDEOS WITH DANIEL CALVISI
BUY THE BOOK – STORY MAPS: How To Write A GREAT Screenplay
http://amzn.to/2hcbRwS
BUY THE BOOK – STORY MAPS: TV Drama: The Structure of the One-Hour Television Pilot (Volume 4)
CONNECT WITH DANIEL CALVISI
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