Hi,
Just a quick one. I wanted to share what I believe is the best answer I ever heard to the recurring question ‘What is Drama’
Drama = Character in Conflict
I’m serious – that’s all there is to it. Powerful words, and well worth putting over your desk.
Without either Character or Conflict, at best you will get one of those dull movies, full of spectacle, that leave you empty and hollowed out when the credits roll.
At worst you get Holiday On Ice.
With both Character AND Conflict, you have every chance to write a masterpiece.
How To Write A Screenplay
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Pure, and Simple, and True. Like all the best things…
I’d add an “active” character in conflict. Just like knowledge is only potential power if it’s not used.
Hi Kevin,
Imagine your favourite character drugged unconscious and tied to the railroad tracks as a train approaches. They’re about as passive as they can be in this situation, but there’s a whole load of drama here. Which reduces if you swap in a character you know nothing about.
But I do agree in general, going for active characters makes your job a heck of a lot easier most of the time.
I am a big fan of international films.
Drama is all about holding it in.
For eg. — the hero is dramatic and the heroine is silent and expresses her torment in very small amount or not all all.
Thus this drives the audience nuts and thus frustrates the hero.
Drama, sometimes is saying nothing but doing a lot on a human and painful level.
Regards
Benjamin
Re: Drama
Hi Folks, here is a logline to my script.
In this logline I tried to make it very dramatic, I don’t know if it works? Please advise.
From reading this logline, would you say it’s high drama or no drama little or no drama? My goal is write a logline that is dark, dramatic and thrilling.
On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate this logline. Thanks. Any edits would be greatly appreciated.
LOGLINE for my script “Marcus and Farah”
A shock comic wants to settle down. His dream is about to come true when he’s reunited with his high school crush, now a dancer, aspiring for Broadway. But one problem – she’s unknowingly embroiled in her father’s unspeakable and illegal high-society — PROSTITUTION, PORNOGRAPHY and MURDER. Welcome to the American Dream.
Thanks Aineias,
Post your loglines and I’ll be more that happy to comment on it.
I found producers are looking for loglines with high drama!!! Thanks Phil for posting.
I have close to 20 drafts of my logline. Sometimes when I look back to my first logline, I say to my self “if I invite Guy Ritchie for Dinner”, would he be impressed with my logline?
O.k. that’s a big dream. But I’m not giving up. I say give them drama, and they’ll stay for dessert.
Regards
Benjamin
I think Webster’s Dictionary should take you up on that definition, Philip.
Quick and to the point. I love it.
Oh, it’s not mine Tonja – heard it from a respected script editor called Craig Dixon at the BBC many years ago – and I don’t imagine he invented it either – but it really works for me.
Wow, I guess that’s really it. I’ve never thought about it that way. I always had to use longer descriptions to define drama.
I think that Character in Conflict is one of the best descriptions of it. Because sometimes drama is not about characterS in conflict, is just about one single character in conflict with itself. And I’m remembering a lot of good dramas right now that could really be an example of this definition.
Most of the people, when thinking about drama, think about characters arguing with each other, being mean and unhappy, but the thing I think that defines the whole Drama genre is that interior struggle that each and every character has to have in order to define itself as a drama character.
Philip – Oh, I see. It really is a definition that works well because it sums up all the longer definitions I’ve ever heard for “drama” in three words.
VBgirl, I actually think the phrase “Character in Conflict” can describe both situations – conflict with someone else as well as conflict with oneself. That’s why I like it because it leaves any and all possibilities open. If you just say “Character in Conflict”, then someone may ask, “Conflict with whom?” and that, of course, would be for the writer to decide. And there are a ton of possibilities to choose from. That’s why I like the definition. It captures every single situation one could possibly think of.
Character in Conflict.
I’ll set about trying to write that.
That’s true Tonja but I think most of the people, when it comes to define drama, always talk about characters in conflict with each other and never about someone in conflict with each other. Though, what you said is totally right.
Correction: “and never about”…I meant conflict with themselves.
VBgirl, that’s definitely true that people will most likely think of “Character A vs. Character B” when someone says the word, “conflict”. I’d probably think of that first myself. I like this definition because it’s actually kind of vague, but not in a bad way. It leads to endless possibilities.
Simple and to the point. No to expand on that idea…
Benjamin Ray says:
“A shock comic wants to settle down. His dream is about to come true when he’s reunited with his high school crush, now a dancer, aspiring for Broadway. But one problem – she’s unknowingly embroiled in her father’s unspeakable and illegal high-society — PROSTITUTION, PORNOGRAPHY and MURDER. Welcome to the American Dream.”
***
How is he reunited with his “dream girl”?
Is there a major event…or do they simply bump into one another after many years?
Hello Oasis (cool name, and the Band “Oasis’,– waiting for a British screenwriter(hint, (Phi…) to write a spec script on those two interesting brothers of Oasis….
Now, to answer Oasis question — as for my logline –
-Marcus and Farah meet by a chance encounter at the Subway
-please see the sample of my script from previous post to see how they meet
-I could re-post if you can’t find it..
Regards
Benjamin
Hey Benjamin,
How about re-posting MARCUS and FARAH here as well. Could help us to have the script right in our faces.
Some years ago, I wrote a stage play. One of the scenes was “amateur comedy hour.” Well guess what? I had to come up with some original jokes.
I discovered something about myself…I wasn’t as funny as I needed to be (to write that type of scene anyhow.)
Marcus is a stand-up comedian? Got jokes?
Oasis
Hello Oassi,
I was about to post some of the jokes by Marcus from my script “marcus and farah”, but I was told to watch Larry King — interview with Jerry Seinfeld (last night).
After watching it, I will never watch or buy anything by Jerry Seinfeld. I became depressed , because Jerry Seinfeld failed to realize that as a stand-up comedian you have to be responsible to your audience and respect the audience and the media.
Anybody can be upset, that is too easy. Just do it with classs and humor.
My character Marcus is rough/controversial/shocking on stage but in real life he is has a heart and he is respectful — he won’t kill an ant and he will not be disrectful to the media, “we cannot bite the the hand that feeds us”
Anyone want to comment on the interview on Larry King????, its on youtube.com
Regards
Benjamin
Hey Benjamin,
I would love to hear some of Marcus’ jokes. Please post them…today! I love to laugh! ha ha ha!
~
“After watching it, I will never watch or buy anything by Jerry Seinfeld. I became depressed , because Jerry Seinfeld failed to realize that as a stand-up comedian you have to be responsible to your audience and respect the audience and the media.” (end)
I didn’t take Jerry’s comments that way. I felt that he was just being and doing that thing that Jerry **bes and does** :~)
Oasis
I wonder if this is true, that the most successful joke-telling onscreen is when the jokes are really lame, (putting the comedian in a tight situation) or the jokes whose punchlines are interrupted by more important business.
?
What do you think?
d
Hello Deirdre and Oasis
I will post the jokes soon. They are R-rated, so I will more time and get clearance from Philip.
And I think jokes are only funny if they are unpredictable/shocking.
“if you can’t annoy somebody with what you write, I think there’s little point in writing”
Kingsley Amis