[Watch the video interview on Youtube here]
Film Courage: What is the spine of a story?
Andy Guerdat, Television Writer, Producer, Instructor, and Podcaster: I use the term spine to describe what is actually the central conflict of the story. I kind of stole the word spine from William Goldman who uses it a bit in his books. His books are more just telling stories about the business but he does use the term spine. I use it because I liked it and it accurately describes what the spine is because just like an animal’s spine is a vertebrae and the animal can’t move and function without it, that’s the same function it has in a story. Everything emanates from the spine of the story.
The more accurate term is the central conflict, it is the conflict which must be resolved before this story is over and likewise the second it is resolved, the story is over. It’s absolutely essential that the screenwriter know what the spine of the story is before he or she begins writing. Even before you begin…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
About:
Andy Guerdat has been a working writer/producer in film and television for the past 45 years, with hundreds of credits in movies, half-hour comedies, hour-long dramas, theater, and animation. He is currently a consultant at Disney TV Animation.
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