J R R Tolkien
Writer
Films Discussed 4
Draft Zero Episodes 2
DZ-25: Coincidences, Contrivances & Giant Eagles
How do screenwriters get away with using coincidences in their stories?
Remember that time in THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS when Bruce suddenly - magically - returned to Gotham, and you were like “WTF?!” Well, it turns out that many of the best films have moments that are just as coincidental or contrived (or a flock of Giant Eagles) and yet get away with it. Does Pixar’s “rule” that it is ‘cheating to use coincidences to get your characters out of trouble’, always apply… →
Listen when you need to know which coincidences earn trust and which ones feel like cheating.
▶ More Info
Films:
Finding Nemo (2003)
, Michael Clayton (2007)
, Pulp Fiction (1994)
, Thor: The Dark World (2013)
, Out of Sight (1998)
, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
, The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
, Independence Day (1996)
, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
DZ-15: World Building Rules, Okay?
How does setting up rules help you build a world?
In our most epic/longest episode yet, Chas and Stu tackle world building in films. Specifically, how the rules make something a world and not just a setting. Starting with world-centric genres like sci-fi and fantasy, we also cover horror, crime drama and - er - “other”. We discuss a variety of techniques for setting up the rules of the world, including cold opens, voiceover, title cards and outsider characters! We’ve limited ourselves to the opening 3-5 pages… mostly… because (so the theory goes) they’re the pages that teach the audience how to read/watch your story/film… →
Listen when your opening pages feel like exposition dumps (which is bad, okay?)
Shot Zero Deep Dives
How is this shot from so freaking EPIC?!