DZ-117: Tonal shifts

How can we teach our audience new storytelling rules in the middle of our story?

Following on from our episodes on establishing tone through action lines and through character, this is what we have been building up to: how to pull off a tonal switch… that does not throw the audience out of the film. And, in particular, how to pull that off on the page when writers don’t have framing, lighting, music, editing, etc. at our disposal?

With that goal in mind, Mel and Chas dissect specific moments on the pages of SHAUN OF THE DEAD, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU and SWISS ARMY MAN. While there are definite craft tools identified – rhythm of action lines, varying use of unfilmmables and metaphors, establishing language patterns – the two big takeaways are: (1) pulling off a tonal shift takes a lot of setup; and (2) when the time comes, contrast on the page is key.

Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode.

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

CHAPTERS

  • 00:00:00 – Cold Open
  • 00:00:25 – What do we mean by tonal shift?
  • 00:08:35 – Distinguishing between genre shift and tonal shift
  • 00:13:08 – Shaun of the Dead
  • 00:45:41 – Sorry to Bother You
  • 01:28:07 – Swiss Army Man
  • 02:02:10 – Key learnings and wrap up
  • 02:06:35 – Patreon thanks

RELATED EPISODES:

LINKS:

More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

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

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DZ-116: Writing physical comedy

How do you make extended technical scenes funny on the page?

Mel joins Chas to tackle physical comedy. We limited our homework selection to extended scenes (as opposed to moments and sight gags) in live action projects and – with the help of our Patreons – selected early sequences from BRINGING UP BABY, the pilot for HAPPY ENDINGS and that wonderful food poisoning scene in BRIDESMAIDS.

We discover how these incredible writers take their time (on the page) to set up geography, framing and running gags. We also get tips on judicious use ALL CAPS, ellipses and M-dashes to recreate visual gags… and when to just let a paragraph go long and draw attention to itself.

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

CHAPTERS

  • 00:00:00 – Cold Open
  • 00:19:03 – What physical comedy scenes are we looking at?
  • 00:10:27 – BRINGING UP BABY
  • 00:31:44 – Thank you Arc Studio Pro!
  • 00:34:34 – HAPPY ENDINGS pilot
  • 00:58:15 – BRIDESMAIDS
  • 01:27:31 – Key learnings and wrap up
  • 01:33:56 – Patreon thanks

RELATED EPISODES:

LINKS:

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

And how can we forget our awesome Patreons? Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

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

BUY DRAFT ZERO MERCH via TeePublic
SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack

DZ-115: A Christmas Special – Rewatching & Rituals

What magic do Christmas movies use to make them so rewatchable?

In this “backmatter” episode of Draft Zero, Stu, Chas, and Mel Killingsworth embark on a festive exploration of what makes holiday films so engaging and so re-watchable that they can become part of our rituals. To that end, we breakdown the charm of of Christmas films like KISS KISS BANG BANG, RIDERS OF JUSTICE, and IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE. 

We discuss what defines a holiday movie, the power of nostalgia, the importance of ensembles to a sense of family, and how voiceover, snappy dialogue and intricate plots can make something rewatchable. For each of us, we see these films as gateways to introspection and shared experiences during the holidays.

And we are briefly joined by filmmaker (and friend of the podcast) Damien Cassar who talks us through the meaning of nostalgia and it’s relationship with the “pain of homecoming”, and how Christmas/Holiday films provide comfort and a sense of belonging amid ever-changing societal dynamics. 

Merry Christmas!

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

Thanks to Chris Walker for his excellent editing this episode.

CHAPTERS

  • 00:00:00 – Cold Open
  • 00:01:00 – What do we mean by Holiday Movies?
  • 00:18:52 – Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
  • 00:41:16 – Riders of Justice
  • 01:03:45 – Sponsorship: Arc Studio Pro
  • 01:06:30 – It’s A Wonderful Life
  • 01:48:37 – Key Learnings & Wrap Up
  • 01:51:03 – On Nostalgia
  • 01:54:28 – Many thanks to our Patreons

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

And how can we forget our awesome Patreons? Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

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

BUY DRAFT ZERO MERCH via TeePublic
SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack