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Lecture 13:Lecture 13:How do I Embed ThemesHow do I Embed Themes

Into My Story?Into My Story?

Professor Michael Green

Better Luck Tomorrow (2002) Written by Ernesto Foronda & Justin Lin & Fabian Marquez

Previous LessonPrevious Lesson• The Function of

Dialogue

• The Characteristics of Good Dialogue

• Techniques and Tips

• Writing Exercise # 11

The Sound of Music (1965) Written by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse (book)

and Ernest Lehman (screenplay)

This LessonThis Lesson

• The Role of Subtext

• The Emotion Beneath the Lines

• Revealing the Subtext

• Writing Exercise #12

Little Miss Sunshine (2006) Written by Michael Arndt

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The Role of SubtextThe Role of Subtext

Lesson 13: Part I

A History of Violence (2005) Written by John Wagner and Vince Locke (graphic novel) and Josh Olsen (screenplay)

What is Subtext?What is Subtext?• Scene subtext is one of the most difficult

aspects of screenwriting to grasp.• Subtext is what is going on beneath the

surface, the undercurrent of emotions and thoughts that truly motivates the characters to behave as they do.

• Most of the time subtext connects to the character’s needs. It can sometimes relate to what character’s consciously know and want but can’t reveal.

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What is Subtext (Continued)?What is Subtext (Continued)?• A story’s subtext answers the question why

characters act and say what they do, before and after plot requirements are considered.

• Certain actions and dialogue must unfold for the plot to work, but the layer of meaning beneath the plot mechanics goes to the heart of who your characters really are, and why they find themselves in a particular story.

Writing for the FilmmakersWriting for the Filmmakers• Directors and actors bring a scene to life by

determining the feelings, thoughts and motives that lie beneath the actual words and actions of the characters.

• Screenplays missing subtext will be missing purpose and power. Action will be on the surface, frustrating the director and actors’ task of realizing the scenes from the subtextual clues in the script.

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ExampleExample• Subtext isn’t what you write; it’s what you

write around. It’s the deeper level of story that can’t be told so much in words but must be shown in actions.

• Pause the lecture now and go back and watch the Lesson 12 clip from Casablanca.

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ExampleExample

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Subtext and LifeSubtext and Life• In real life, people rarely say exactly what

they are feeling, especially if those feelings are difficult to deal with.

• More often, people try to hide what bothers them, their personal weaknesses and minor transgressions. They may also lie to protect loved ones or try to gain power or status.

• When this happens and problems arise, it often leads to conflict, as people try to get each other to meet their needs without being up front about them. 10

Drama vs. LifeDrama vs. Life• In drama, where art imitates life, we aim to

show a version of this; the ultimate goal, however, is not to be obscure, but to be understood and to create meaning.

• To this end, the screenwriter must know his characters better than they know themselves.

• The writer demonstrates this knowledge of characters through the subtext by letting the audience see what the characters really need beyond what they say they want.

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Subtext and NeedSubtext and Need• Subtext is used to reveal what can’t be easily

told in words; therefore, it has everything to do with need, or unconscious motivation.

• If a character’s unconscious need contradicts his stated goal, the scene will play differently than if conscious and unconscious minds are in total agreement.

• Need comes from a deep part of the character’s psyche of which he or she may well be ignorant.

Subtext and Need (Continued)Subtext and Need (Continued)• The character’s need may be the real

motivation behind everything else he does in the story. But to grasp this fact the audience must be shown it in a credible fashion.

• A way to understand this elusive concept of subtext is to see it as how the characters, moving according to their desires in a story, end up with what they needed all along.– Casablanca– Midnight Run– Juno

Subtext and ExpositionSubtext and Exposition• To understand a story, certain exposition

must be overtly presented to the audience, and other pieces can be implied.

• Subtext compliments exposition, conveying feelings, thoughts and motivations which are too complex to tell in words, but which are crucial to understanding a story.

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Revealing the Right AmountRevealing the Right Amount• The screenwriter walks a thin line between

telling too much and telling too little. • Tell too much and you lost the audience’s

interest. Tell too little and the audience won’t understand the story.

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The Emotion Beneath the LinesThe Emotion Beneath the Lines

Lesson 13: Part II

The Matador (2006) Written by Richard Shepard

Feelings, Thoughts and MotivesFeelings, Thoughts and Motives• At times, the true motives and emotions of a

character are the whole point of a film. • If this information is clumsily handled or just

dumped in the audience’s lap, viewer’s will doubt it’s veracity the same way you might be skeptical of a person who too easily tells you his life story.

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Feelings, Thoughts and Motives Feelings, Thoughts and Motives (Continued)(Continued)

• A character’s motivation carries more weight if it’s closely guarded. Through subtext, the screenwriter allows the audience glimpses or hints of the protagonist’s and other character’s true natures.

• In this way, the audience is more involved in the story and has a richer experience.

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Subtext and ThemeSubtext and Theme• Subtext should carry a direct relationship to

the film’s theme. It becomes the vessel for getting the main ideas across when it wouldn’t be realistic to do so in dialogue.

• When a story is successful, audiences feel satisfied. When we feel satisfied, usually something is working on a deeper level. Even if we can’t completely articulate what the story is about, it has touched us in some accountable way, and it feels true.

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Emotion and DialogueEmotion and Dialogue• Dialogue is the most obvious way to express

emotion, yet it is rarely the best way, unless it is forced out into open conversation.

• In a scene the emotion carrying the lines may:1. Support the dialogue

2. Contradict the dialogue

3. Have little relationship to the dialogue

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Emotion Supporting DialogueEmotion Supporting Dialogue• When emotion supports the dialogue, the

lines reflect what the characters feel. When someone is happy, it is hard to suppress. Happiness affects attitude, actions and easily filters into conversation.

• Fury is hard to control and ultimately inflects what is said as well.

• Some emotional states find expression in dialogue, but there still must be a progression of emotions within the scene.

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Emotion Contradicting DialogueEmotion Contradicting Dialogue• When emotion

contradicts dialogue, it forces the character to take action contrary to what she says. A character might feel fear and want to hide it or might be angry and be unable to show it.

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Office Space (1999) Written by Mike Judge

Emotion with Little Emotion with Little Relationship to DialogueRelationship to Dialogue

• Sometimes the whole point of a scene is the emotion it contains. It’s purpose is to move the audience one way or another, to get them to identify with or oppose a character.

• Often the dialogue in such a scene may have nothing to do with the emotion, which may be revealed through action, expression, or the visual approach to the scene.

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ExampleExample

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CRAWFORD I need a six-way linkup! Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, St. Louis, Atlanta, and Dallas... What?... Can you hear me...?

He looks around, frustrated by the noisy circus atmosphere.

CLARICE is pulling on a pair of surgical gloves. She raises her voice, turning up her natural accent by several notches.

CLARICE Gentlemen. You officers and gentlemen! Listen here a minute, please. There's things I need to do for her...

WIDER ANGLE -

as we see that the small room is very crowded with deputies and troopers. They gradually fall silent, looking at her.

CLARICE (contd., O.S.) Y'all brought her this far, and I know her folks would thank you if they could. Now please - go on out and let me take care of her... Go on, now.

The men look at one another, a little bashfully, then begin to file out, whispering among themselves.

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Revealing the SubtextRevealing the Subtext

Lesson 13: Part III

Akeelah and the Bee (2006) Written by Doug Atchison

ExternalizationExternalization• In scenes, emotions motivate characters to

act as they do. In most scenes, someone is in the grip of powerful emotion, positive or negative, and this emotion influences the scene, how he behaves, and how others react to him.

• Because the audience needs to become aware of the emotions and thoughts affecting the story, the screenwriter must find ways to reveal or externalize them.

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DialogueDialogue• Asking a few questions about the

characters and the emotion in a scene can help insure the dialogue strengthens the subtext.

1. What must be said in the scene?

2. What can be implied?

3. What doesn’t need to be said at all?

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More QuestionsMore Questions4. What is the key emotion motivating the

characters in this scene?

5. How would their respective emotions specifically affect the characters?

6. Would the character have a conscious or unconscious strategy for dealing with emotion? (For example, would he use understatement or directly contradict his emotions with words?)

7. What is the source of the conflict or tension?

More Questions (Continued)More Questions (Continued)• Any or all of these questions should help

clarify what is going on beneath the surface of the characters.

• Once the questions have been answered, you should have a better idea of the subtext and how a character might react to it.

• Dialogue might be the perfect way to bring the subtext out into the open. You might also use physical attitude, business and atmosphere.

Physical AttitudePhysical Attitude• Physical attitude refers to a character’s

outward disposition or mood representing his inner emotional state.

• Body language, facial expressions, clothes and gestures fall under this heading and all provide hints to a character’s state of mind.

• Unlike a novel, screenwriter’s can’t rely on narrative to explain complex personalities, emotions and attitudes. They must clue audiences in through external action that can be seen and heard. 30

Writing Physical AttitudeWriting Physical Attitude• The screenwriter must describe the

characteristics of what the audience sees and hears in the action and the parenthetical directions.

• Most of the description is of an external state.

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ExampleExample

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CRAWFORD You see, the one we want most refuses to cooperate. I want you to go after him again today, in the asylum. CLARICE Who's the subject?

CRAWFORD The psychiatrist - Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

Clarice stops walking, goes very still. A beat. CLARICE

(Worried) The cannibal...

Crawford doesn't respond, except to study her face.

CLARICE (contd.) Yes, well... Okay, right. I'm glad for the chance, sir, but - why me?

CRAWFORD You're qualified and available. And frankly, I can't spare a real agent right now.

He walks on again, at a faster clip. She hurries to keep up.

BusinessBusiness• Business helps establish a sense of reality

and makes a scene more visually interesting. Characters are also further defined by what they do in the scene.

• The business of doing relates strongly to subtext. If every action a character takes represents a true portrait of who she is, her actions speaks more truth about her than her dialogue or the dialogue of other characters.

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AtmosphereAtmosphere• Atmosphere also helps to reveal the

character’s inner state by reinforcing them. Weather, time of day, nature, etc. can all contribute to creating a mood that reflects the interior world of the characters.

• Using the external world to mirror the inner emotions felt by the characters helps the audience share the character’s experience.

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AssignmentsAssignments

Lesson 13: Part IV

Se7en (1995) Written by Andrew Kevin Walker

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E-Board Post #1E-Board Post #1• Watch the short film Black Rider and

analyze the subtext. What is made clear even as it is not being spoken in dialogue? What theme is the subtext communicating?

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E-Board Post #2E-Board Post #2

• Watch the clip from Pulp Fiction in lesson 12. The dialogue is fairly overt as the two men express their feelings and opinions. Despite this, is there subtext in the scene? What’s going on beneath the words?

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Writing Exercise #12Writing Exercise #12• Pick out a scene from your script that is

dialogue heavy and rewrite it using a minimum of dialogue to demonstrate the character’s inner states. Use such tools as visual and sound effects, atmosphere, business and physical attitude in rewriting the scene. Turn in both the new scene and the old scene for comparison.

End of Lecture 13End of Lecture 13

Next Lecture: How do I Make my Script Better?