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DZ-120: Subtext is Overrated!

How do character goals, tactics, and fears create subtext automatically?

1 AUG 2025

Show Notes

Or, how focusing on good drama will result in good subtext. We often hear how subtext is important for good screenwriting. We’re here to tell you it isn’t. Good subtext is a result of good drama, and your focus should be on creating that good drama. But how?

In this episode, Chas Fisher and Stu Willis are joined by screenwriter and teacher Tom Vaughn (Winchester) to delve into the world of subtext.

We kick off the discussion by talking through Tom’s article “Why Subtext is Overrated” and break down his core idea that subtext is a byproduct of character goals, tactics and fears.

We explore this further through close examination of “the other way” scene from MICHAEL CLAYTON, “the strudel” scene from INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (both known for their subtext) and the “new years” sequence from THE SUBSTANCE.

Inevitably discussion also turns to the relationship of subtext to emotional truth, theme, symbolism, dramatic irony and filmmaker’s subtext.

"It’s just tactics and fear. It is how are you trying to get what you want and what are you willing to reveal to the people in the room."

— Tom Vaughn  |  DZ-120: Subtext is Overrated!

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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.

Resources

Transcript

Read the transcript for this episode.

Chapters

  • 00:00:20 – Intro: What is Subtext?
  • 00:00:21 – Cold Open
  • 00:18:59 – MICHAEL CLAYTON
  • 00:23:18 – › How character tactics generate subtext organically
  • 00:27:26 – › Scene structure breaks down three beats of deniability
  • 00:35:25 – › Subtext requires narrative groundwork to land
  • 00:42:59 – INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
  • 00:46:34 – › French scene structure and dramatic setup
  • 00:53:38 – › Filmmaker subtext versus character-driven tension
  • 01:08:35 – › Writing the score: action lines as emotional music
  • 01:13:48 – THE SUBSTANCE
  • 01:17:41 – › Originality vs. universality in thematic storytelling
  • 01:23:42 – › Reading the script's literal big print as filmmaker subtext
  • 01:35:46 – › Irony and denial as competing interpretations of the ending
  • 01:42:23 – › Subtext through fear: the date scene as contrast
  • 01:46:13 – Wrap up & Key Learnings
  • 01:48:00 – › Two layers of subtext: character awareness vs. filmmaker control
  • 01:49:18 – › Subtext as spectrum between explicit and implicit meaning

Films

Scripts

KEY IDEAS

Subtext Is Tactics and Fear

"It's just tactics and fear. It is how are you trying to get what you want and what are you afraid of revealing?"

— Tom Vaughn (00:05:27) · Subtext · Character Motivation

The Balance Between Obviousness and Subtlety

"Make it more obvious is not a bad note. Make it so obvious that you lose emotional truth is a bad note."

— Tom Vaughn (01:51:06) · Emotional Truth · Subtext

Character Intent and Expression Align

"There is no subtext from a character perspective. They are doing exactly and saying exactly what they mean and want. There's zero subtext from a character perspective."

— Chas Fisher (00:13:34) · Character Motivation · Subtext

Tactics and Revelation: The Core of Character

"It's just tactics and fear. It is how are you trying to get what you want and what are you willing to reveal to the people in the room."

— Tom Vaughn (00:05:27) · Tactics · Subtext

Action Lines as Musical Score

"Your action lines have to play the role of the musical score and that's exactly what he does here when he says the monster that killed her family that's the text version of the music, that the score turns up in that moment in the movie."

— Tom Vaughn (00:48:51) · Visual Language · Narrative Aesthetics · Big Print

Action Lines Reinforcing Dramatic Irony

"the action lines in the script of Inglourious Basterds are reinforcing the narrative irony all the time. It's like hitting us over the head. This is what you, the audience, know that Landa may or may not know, but that Shoshana very much knows."

— Chas Fisher (00:15:05) · Dramatic Irony · Visual Language

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