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DRAFT ZERO

DZ-103: Game of the Scene 2 - Triangle of Sadness, The Favourite

How can games elevate dramatic scenes?

1 OCT 2023

Show Notes

In part two of this two parter, Stu and Chas go further into the game (of the scene) and look at how games force characters other than the protagonist to interact. We deep dive into the wonderful social satires of TRIANGLE OF SADNESS and THE FAVOURITE.

We discuss how games reveal character through competency and decisions, how resources and skills impact the tactics that characters employ, and the difference between referees, rule lawyers, rule makers and rule breakers.

Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode.

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

"Well there is a sense of play through all that stuff in part 3 because it’s about Abigail establishing a new order, her being the rulemaker her setting the rules and we kind of enjoy watching the ultra rich kind of end up being dependent on her."

Stu Willis  |  DZ-103: Game of the Scene 2 - Triangle of Sadness, The Favourite

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

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


Resources

Chapters

  • 00:00:00 – Cold Open
  • 00:00:19 – Sponsor: ScriptUp
  • 00:01:45 – Why Games Force Every Character to Play: Competence, Tactics, and Interrelatedness
  • 00:05:09 – › Listener examples: rule-switching in THE PRINCESS BRIDE
  • 00:07:18 – › Games as a character engagement tool: competence, autonomy, and relatedness
  • 00:10:50 – TRIANGLE OF SADNESS (Parts 1 and 2)
  • 00:14:21 – › The captain and Dimitri: ideology as a drinking game
  • 00:20:12 – › How the game escalates entitlement into catastrophe
  • 00:24:11 – › Carl and Yaya: win conditions emerging across shifting arenas
  • 00:31:13 – › How the game reveals mutual manipulation and honest compatibility
  • 00:35:37 – Sponsor: Arc Studio Pro
  • 00:38:25 – TRIANGLE OF SADNESS (Part 3)
  • 00:40:34 – › Abigail distributes the octopus: resources rewrite the power hierarchy
  • 00:44:54 – › Rule makers versus referees: who interprets the rules holds the power
  • 00:49:13 – › Asymmetric games and why players with different resources can't see each other's path to victory
  • 00:52:51 – THE FAVOURITE
  • 00:57:10 – › The arena as playground, battleground, and prison across three acts
  • 01:00:49 – › Abigail and Masham: literal chase reveals social and physical power inverted
  • 01:06:05 – › Three shooting scenes: competence, escalation, and the blood-spatter declaration
  • 01:13:26 – › The mud bath: Sarah's resources are shared history and the ability to make Anne laugh
  • 01:19:29 – › Poisoning as a rule break only one player conceived as possible
  • 01:25:28 – › Why Sarah loses: hubris and failing to recognise a different game was being played
  • 01:30:34 – Wrap Up & Key Learnings
  • 01:34:11 – › Games as a structural tool across a whole feature or series
  • 01:37:51 – › Applying the game lens to macro story structure
  • 01:40:30 – Thanks to our Patreons!

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