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DRAFT ZERO

DZ-113: Tools For Filmmakers To Talk To The Audience

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

⏱ 2h 3m
Theme · Words · Structure | 22 SEP 2024

Show Notes

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 where “in the story world” the communication from the filmmakers is.

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

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

Thanks to Chris Walker for his excellent editing this episode.

"Because I would say this film is actually more talking directly to the audience than Adaptation. Adaptation is more meta in the sense that it’s about the writing process. But I think this is more directly talking to the audience from the filmmaker’s perspective."

Stu Willis  |  DZ-113: Tools For Filmmakers To Talk To The Audience

Thanks to our Patrons, especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis and Khrob.

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


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

More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons.

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