Lady Bird (2017)

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DZ-107: Establishing Tone through Character

How can we use dramatisation to create tone?

AI✦Examines how Lady Bird’s opening pages establish comedic tone by teaching the audience a distinct sense of humour–what’s funny to viewers–separate from what amuses the characters themselves.✦

⏱ 1h 54m

Tone · Structure · Process | 29 FEB 2024

Listen if you want to understand how character actions and reactions shape a film's tone

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In this episode, Chas and Stu continue their deep dive into how to write tone by examining films with “light” (we use the phrase loosely) tones: LADY BIRD, EMILY THE CRIMINAL, THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS, and SPONTANEOUS. We also talk a surprising amount about DUNE and CRAZY STUPID LOVE… →

Films: Lady Bird (2017) , Emily the Criminal (2022) , The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) , Spontaneous (2020) , Dune (2021) , Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)

Tone: Establishing Tone

Structure: Given Circumstances

Process: Craft Tools

"can the first five pages of your script teach the audience what they’re supposed to find funny, which is different to what the characters will find funny."

— chas | DZ-107: Establishing Tone through Character