The Dramatica way of looking at a story can not only be applied to the stories themselves, but also how they are marketed. Take for instance, the one-sheet - or what normal civilians would call a movie poster. As with stories, a successful one-sheet is one that includes all the different persepctives one can take when looking at a problem.

Here are four films with varying degrees of success in communicating their central idea.

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OK. I was wrong…but I have an excuse. Previously I had stated that Notting Hill was all relationship story with no objective story in sight. After the analysis class last night, it’s clear to me that while I was seeing the right things, I was not looking at them from the right perspective. Consequently, I now have a new found respect for the film.

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Well, in sharp contrast to my elaborate analysis of Hotel Rwanda, I have little to say about Notting Hill (1999). I found the story incredibly boring - and this coming from a fan of romantic-comedies. But it’s not enough to simply say you were bored watching a film. In order to be constructive you should at least know why.

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The first act of Pixar’s next film, WALL-E has been revealed online. At first glance, it looks both daring and brilliant. What is most fascinating from a Dramatica standpoint is how all four throughlines are setup and easy to pinpoint in this brief synopsis.

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The New World is a beautiful and lyrical film that enchants you from beginning to end. With stunning visuals and gentle sound, the film takes you back to the first steps of a nation’s founding. You might even call it a masterpiece…unless you’re a fan of story.

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(Unlike most reviews, there are no spoilers ahead - continue without risk)
This afternoon I had an interesting quote arrive to me courtesy of Creative Screenwriting:
“Better, absolutely. The audience’s increased appreciation for complex and multi-episode narratives has opened up new possibilities for storytelling. It’s never been as exciting to be a television writer.”
- Vanished’s Josh Berman, when asked whether [...]

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Flipping through Linda Aronson’s “Screenwriting Updated” this morning, I came across two terms - the action line and the relationship line. If you’re having trouble understanding Dramatica’s use of the terms Objective Story and Subjective Story, these two terms might be an easier way of thinking of them.

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Can a 3-minute trailer lay the foundation for a Grand Argument Story?
I think if a movie wants to draw an audience into the theater it has to. And the Sam Mendes film, Jarhead, does just that.
Within 10 seconds we set up our Main and Impact Characters. Jamie Foxx’s Drill Sgt. Siek draws us in immediately, [...]

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How active a role do the Main Character and Impact Character have to have in the Overall Story?
I’m working on a story now where I was considering a Main Character that was almost in a different world from the majority of the Objective characters. The Impact Character was even further away. So I wondered [...]

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