Q&A Episode | April 2020

That would be great, it really is amazing. Maybe something on stories with no definitive protagonist? Perhaps it skews a bit close to the Independence Day one, but they’re obviously such different films so maybe not an issue. The other night I was most struck by how developed and lived-in the characters felt with what must actually be so little screen time when you add it up.

I really appreciated your conversation about LA. I just moved away from there after a 6 month internship, and it's really nice to hear both your frustrations with it and the things you found that were great about it. I'm definitely going to listen to this again whenever I move back out west.

I re-watched it recently too, and it's just awesome. Would love to find a way to do something on it!

Tricia Aurand

Yeah, that's a really interesting approach! I love the story circle too, mostly because I find the language of it to be freeing in the way you're describing here. The thing about act structure though is that it has evolved to be what it is for a reason -- certain kinds of plot points are by necessity bigger and carry more weight because they indicate more pronounced shifts for the characters, and those larger shifts tend to fall in certain places because they're logically the culmination of a series of smaller shifts. But I definite agree that the best writing treats that logical thread which connects each plot point as importantly as the points themselves. :-)

Tricia Aurand

Another great example (after watching today's Sunset Blvd/Parasite video), I knew SB was about Holden's rise and fall (and how he got into that pool) but I completely forgot WHO shot him! Should I unrate/uncheck the movie given that huge forgotten bit of plot? :-(

Keith Moser

To be fair, this is just based on 96 films having an IMDb rating (which I only do after I watch a film). I posted here after seeing the Patreon message & before listening. But it's like you said, some of these viewings are easily 10+ years old so should they count? For instance, I barely remember any of Citizen Kane's plot—only a few scenes/images, but I've "seen" it... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Keith Moser

Damn, dude!

Brian Bitner

The one thing I really like about the story circle as opposed to a numbered act breakdown is that it can allow you to use it as a guide but then also play with which steps you give more importance than others. Sometimes you can really feel when a writer believes in the 3, 4 or 5 act structure and then the beats can become a lot less organic, or their stories feel very samie from on to the other. In Community and Rick and Morty it feels to me like Dan Harmon tries to mix up which steps get the most importance or thinks of them all having theoretical inherent equal importance, so from story to story they all exist but if you were to break them up into acts the act breaks would happen on different steps in the circle.

Coincidence you mentioned LA Confidential, just re-watched it last night for the first time in ages. Any chance of a pod/video on that...?

Lol. That garden state reference is so true. I use to love garden state and 500 days of summer and as I’ve gotten older it’s just harder to relate to it. But that doesn’t mean I’m not thankful for how it affected me when I first watched it.

adhlx

96 out of 100—only missing Shane, Intolerance, Sophie's Choice, & Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Keith Moser

45. Better than I expected. Most of those are from film history class freshman year of college.

Proud 24

Chey Siearra

Thanks for answering my question! I got 25 lol.

Jazz Jackrabbit

Yikes. 29 for me. I’ve been working my way through the IMDB 250.

Stephen Shutters

I only got 40 😬