Alien (1979)

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DZ-96: Ensembles 1 - What do we mean by an ensemble?

How can the same story feel different when you have more characters?

In the first part of our series on ensembles, Chas, Stu and Mel start by laying the groundwork for our future episodes. And we begin by asking the seemingly innocuous question: What do we mean by calling a story an ensemble?… →

⏱ 1h 16m

Character · Structure · Theme | 31 JAN 2023

Listen if you're working on a story with multiple protagonists and want to understand what makes an ensemble different from a single-protagonist narrative

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In the first part of our series on ensembles, Chas, Stu and Mel start by laying the groundwork for our future episodes. And we begin by asking the seemingly innocuous question: What do we mean by calling a story an ensemble?… →

Films: Jurassic Park (1993) , Alien (1979) , Heat (1995) , Top Gun: Maverick (2022) , Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Character: Ensembles , Character Function

Structure: Dual Protoganist , Plotting

Theme: Narrative Aesthetics

DZ-10: Midpoint Reversals and The Ride

How can the middle of your film pivot so much that it pulls the rug out of your audience?

Stu and Chas embark on the first of a series of explorations into the dreaded Second Act. Their first stop is midpoint reversals or shifts, a plot point bang in the middle of ACT II that changes the protagonist’s goal, raises the stakes and potentially leaves your audience leaning forward and asking “How the hell is this going to end?&rdquo… →

⏱ 1h 19m

Structure · Character · Scenes | 8 JUL 2014

Listen when your second act sags and you need a structural jolt to accelerate audience engagement.

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Stu and Chas embark on the first of a series of explorations into the dreaded Second Act. Their first stop is midpoint reversals or shifts, a plot point bang in the middle of ACT II that changes the protagonist’s goal, raises the stakes and potentially leaves your audience leaning forward and asking “How the hell is this going to end?&rdquo… →