[Watch the video interview on Youtube here]
Film Courage: Why do you say there’s no such thing as an antagonist?
Matthew Kalil, Screenwriter/Author/Instructor: I would say that it’s kind of limiting sometimes the way antagonists are spoken about in screenwriting theory.
One of those things is that someone will say Your antagonist should be personified in one person. They could be your theme but they’re personified in one person who stops your main character from getting their goals and puts obstacles in their way. That’s the antagonist. They fight at the end of the movie and then they beat the antagonist or not. The end of the movie.
I’ve heard a lot of emphasis towards finding a strong antagonist. Who’s your antagonist? Everyone will ask you. Who’s your antagonist? I’m like, Okay certain movies need a strong antagonist.
-Harry Potter is nothing without Voldemort
-Luke Skywalker is nothing without Darth Vader (even Emperor Palpatine, maybe the real antagonist behind Darth Vader but Darth Vader is probably the one that springs to mind)
-James Bond is nothing without Goldfinger or Dr. No
These movies are actually named after the protagonists.
Sometimes we need really strong antagonists with particular kind of movies. The problem that happens is if somebody says Who’s your antagonist? We create antagonists out of nothing whereas the story itself is its own unique thing. Maybe the antagonist is slightly different. I’ll explain what I mean by this is that some movies have multiple antagonists. Some movies have what I call a…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
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About:
Matthew Kalil is a writer, director, script editor, author and speaker. He has written and co-written over 40 produced episodes of TV and has received various grants, development funding and awards. Matthew’s productions have been screened and broadcast in Canada, Denmark, Morocco, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Kenya, South Africa, Thailand, the United States and the United Kingdom. Since receiving his MA in Screenwriting, he has been teaching, writing and mentoring students for over 20 years. Matthew has developed a unique system of screenwriting theory that helps beginners as well as established screenwriters get in touch with their creative core. His book, The Three Wells of Screenwriting, published by Michael Wiese productions with a foreword by Christopher Vogler, has been describes as a “breakthrough in the writing craft.” His workshops have touched and inspired thousands of participants and his gentle and insightful script editing guidance has helped many writers realize the stories they were always trying to tell. A charismatic speaker, Matthew has enjoyed presenting many times at the London Screenwriting Festival, the Cape Town International Animation Festival and the University Film and Video Association. Matthew is currently an Assistant Professor at the David Lynch MFA in screenwriting in the USA.
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