A couple suggestions - - How about analyzing movies that are considered great by most but ones that perhaps deviate slightly from the structure (or seemingly so)? Where the inciting incident might be either the first scene ie 0th minute or at the end of Act 1 ie. 20th minute - Diving into genres like Horror, Thriller? Or Animation considering Pixar has stories with simple yet big thematic ideas and doing a breakdown of sub-principles that might apply to a successful film genre wise. - Taking movies that had promise but were generally considered to be disappointing and analyzing structure of those movies. Would be more interesting if they have followed structure principles but another pattern of reasons emerge across movies as to why they didn't invoke the emotional response as hoped. Thanks!
Awesome suggestions, thanks mate! I will absolutely try to slip in some movies that seem to deviate from the structure. This Thursday I'll be releasing a video on Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, which seems to violate three-act structure. Stay tuned for that! I'm definitely open to a wide range of genres, depending on what proves popular here in terms of views. Both Pixar and Disney form rich veins for mining story knowledge, great ideas. Excellent idea - I was thinking of talking about how Jurassic World (2015) could have been majorly improved with greater attention to structure. Stay tuned for that too, and if videos like that do well I'd love to explore that as a possibility. Thanks again for sharing your ideas, they're great.
@@equipmentforliving7253 Thanks! I feel most books and references don't highlight enough of the underwhelming movies to analyze patterns. There's probably more to learn from misses than hits. Not the best example but What Women Want and its spiritual sequel What Men Want are similar in beats yet one is more enjoyable than the other by a marked degree. The latter follows structure too from what I observed but it made me want to understand whether it faltered in principles of structure application or/and whether there are some other fundamental story issues to learn about.
@@punitthakkar4193 You're right, there's a heavy emphasis on "classic" cinema, especially in McKee's Story. Snyder's Save the Cat! is far more populist in the movies it breaks down, and the second book (Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies) breaks down 50 popular movies. What Women Want is actually broken down in that book, chapter 3. I haven't seen What Men Want but I agree they would make a very interesting comparison point. Thanks!
@@equipmentforliving7253 It's interesting if that movie is broken down in the book. The spin off version was out on Netflix but definitely paled in comparison even though it followed the classic structure format. It's most likely to do with the art than craft since but a comparison would be wonderful to watch nevertheless. Thanks!
Great video, I love how much data went into this. Would love to see data on the most recurrent themes. Would also love to see more examples of other mediums besides Macbeth. Keep up the great work.
Thanks mate! Tracking common themes is a really good idea. I'm thinking about looking at film adaptations of e.g. novels and breaking down both source and adaptation in the same video, to get a feel for how it works in other formats. Thanks for the encouragement!
This was well done! I'd be curious to hear more about how to handle characters; this story structure seems to focus mostly on the protagonist, but what about ensemble films? Or, what makes a good side character like Jack Sparrow? What motivations should they have in relation to the overall story, and how much time should be devoted to them? I dunno if you'd wanna make a video on that topic, but I'd be interested in seeing it!
Great idea mate, thanks! Ensemble movies often confuse me as I'm watching, trying to find the structure. So it's an excellent place to look for more ideas, great thought.
I loved this video so much! I did a research paper on film running length in college that shares some of these themes, but approaches them in a different way. I'd be happy to share it with you if you'd like, and you're welcome to use the research in your follow up videos if it's helpful.
Thanks mate, much appreciated :) I'm afraid the channel is currently on hiatus, but there are ~20 past videos here for you to browse through, each breaking down a different movie. I hope you enjoy!
I think it's generally important that, before act two, the protagonist's escape route back to their old life closes. In Star Wars, Luke's family is killed, collapsing the route back to his childhood. This happened right after he had his "resist the call" moment. With The Matrix, it's a little different. Neo doesn't quite believe that there's no going back, until he sees what the Matrix is. And of course, Groundhog Day is the opposite of that. The character doesn't really understand what's happening till after the escape is closed. But I think it's rare that the character chooses to close the door to their status quo by choice, or at least, not knowingly. The whole point of the closed door is that they don't really understand the repercussions of moving forward till they can no longer go back.
I think there's a lot of misunderstanding about theme. Themes aren't moral lessons, they're more like measures. Spider-Man's simply stated theme seems like a moral lesson, until you begin to question if, instead of a rule to live by, it's a prison. Peter spends three movies bouncing back and forth from power/responsibility to powerlessness/freedom. The story reinforces the notion, and then questions it, before swinging back again. It never fully takes one side or the other. It doesn't even offer a balance. It's the swinging back and forth, embracing power and taking on the burdens, and then letting go of power and its weight, that makes up Peter Parker's life. Over the course of the films, he ends up powerless, yet with all the same burdens, and powerful without consequences. That's how to thoroughly explore the theme. It's not just proving some bit of moralizing true.
Some films have five acts, two acts, and in the case of Raiders of the Lost Ark, eight. But what's interesting is that all these movies still fit into the three-act structure as well. It's not a one-or-the-other situation. I think the three-act thing that Aristotle came up with is really just a way of understanding stories. It's not a set of instructions for how to make a story, it's a template for understanding how stories work. If something is missing from a story, chances are, the three act structure template can indicate what it is. I feel like people dismiss it because it doesn't do the job of writing a story for you. Treat it as instructions, and all it will give you is a collection of cliches. That's true of all these models, from Joseph Campbell's hero's journey to Dan Harmon's story circle. A bad writer can follow every step to the letter and still get garbage.
Very good! Just before I reached the end, I got to thinking that you should make this a series-and then you said as much. Some movies from the top of my head that I'd like to see you analyze: Rear Window, Jaws, Die Hard, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Enemy of the State, Good Will Hunting, The American President, and The Bourne Identity.
Subscribed. I love story structure as well, and appreciate your straightforward instructional style. Rather than breaking down another movie next, how about making another movie-related primer: ingredients to a successful scene, the keys to a great character, how to create memorable dialogue, etc.?
All terrific ideas, thank you! Dialogue is something I'd like to learn more about myself, so I'll definitely keep it in mind for a future video. Thanks for watching!
Really enjoyed this analysis! I've never seen that Spiderman movie, the reveal that you didn't even mention the villain is kind of mind blowing. Does that mean the movie is bad because a key character isn't integral in the story? Or does he exist purely to push things in motion?
Heya! I love your work and I'm doing a short research paper and would love to reference this video and your work. Do you have a link to the statistics that I could reference? thank you
Excellent suggestion, thank you! Denis Villeneuve is definitely on my to-do list, and I'd be starting with Prisoners. Probably a couple of months out from now, but stay tuned!
@@equipmentforliving7253 That's great, would love to see how story structure applies to such a serious drama, will saty tuned, I have already subscribed.
I too love plot, but I kinda prefer Aristotle's analysis better than this one, as it seems to explain great stories that lack conflict, calls to adventure, etc, while this one does not. It also doesn't require (but does allow for) character arcs. Since I yawn at character arcs, this better matches my preferences.
Cake is flour, eggs, milk, and a pinch of salt. You can absolutely tell a story just by watching and listening to them. This book bologna is only to make money at the expense of making movies similar and similar.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
A couple suggestions -
- How about analyzing movies that are considered great by most but ones that perhaps deviate slightly from the structure (or seemingly so)? Where the inciting incident might be either the first scene ie 0th minute or at the end of Act 1 ie. 20th minute
- Diving into genres like Horror, Thriller? Or Animation considering Pixar has stories with simple yet big thematic ideas and doing a breakdown of sub-principles that might apply to a successful film genre wise.
- Taking movies that had promise but were generally considered to be disappointing and analyzing structure of those movies. Would be more interesting if they have followed structure principles but another pattern of reasons emerge across movies as to why they didn't invoke the emotional response as hoped.
Thanks!
Awesome suggestions, thanks mate!
I will absolutely try to slip in some movies that seem to deviate from the structure. This Thursday I'll be releasing a video on Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, which seems to violate three-act structure. Stay tuned for that!
I'm definitely open to a wide range of genres, depending on what proves popular here in terms of views. Both Pixar and Disney form rich veins for mining story knowledge, great ideas.
Excellent idea - I was thinking of talking about how Jurassic World (2015) could have been majorly improved with greater attention to structure. Stay tuned for that too, and if videos like that do well I'd love to explore that as a possibility.
Thanks again for sharing your ideas, they're great.
@@equipmentforliving7253 Thanks! I feel most books and references don't highlight enough of the underwhelming movies to analyze patterns. There's probably more to learn from misses than hits. Not the best example but What Women Want and its spiritual sequel What Men Want are similar in beats yet one is more enjoyable than the other by a marked degree. The latter follows structure too from what I observed but it made me want to understand whether it faltered in principles of structure application or/and whether there are some other fundamental story issues to learn about.
@@punitthakkar4193 You're right, there's a heavy emphasis on "classic" cinema, especially in McKee's Story. Snyder's Save the Cat! is far more populist in the movies it breaks down, and the second book (Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies) breaks down 50 popular movies. What Women Want is actually broken down in that book, chapter 3. I haven't seen What Men Want but I agree they would make a very interesting comparison point. Thanks!
@@equipmentforliving7253 It's interesting if that movie is broken down in the book. The spin off version was out on Netflix but definitely paled in comparison even though it followed the classic structure format. It's most likely to do with the art than craft since but a comparison would be wonderful to watch nevertheless. Thanks!
This was great!
Great analysis man
Great video, I love how much data went into this. Would love to see data on the most recurrent themes. Would also love to see more examples of other mediums besides Macbeth. Keep up the great work.
Thanks mate! Tracking common themes is a really good idea. I'm thinking about looking at film adaptations of e.g. novels and breaking down both source and adaptation in the same video, to get a feel for how it works in other formats. Thanks for the encouragement!
Dude, this is crazy helpful. You deserve way more love!
Thank you man, it means a lot :)
One of the best videos about structure that I seen. Thank you for providing so many examples. I appreciate it.
Thanks for the feedback - you're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
This was well done!
I'd be curious to hear more about how to handle characters; this story structure seems to focus mostly on the protagonist, but what about ensemble films? Or, what makes a good side character like Jack Sparrow? What motivations should they have in relation to the overall story, and how much time should be devoted to them?
I dunno if you'd wanna make a video on that topic, but I'd be interested in seeing it!
Great idea mate, thanks! Ensemble movies often confuse me as I'm watching, trying to find the structure. So it's an excellent place to look for more ideas, great thought.
Thank you for this. I'm going to watch it again and take notes.
Thanks mate! I'm glad it helped :)
Great job man!
Quality work! Thanks
Much appreciated!
Interesting video! Subscribed.
Thanks mate!
I loved this video so much! I did a research paper on film running length in college that shares some of these themes, but approaches them in a different way. I'd be happy to share it with you if you'd like, and you're welcome to use the research in your follow up videos if it's helpful.
Thanks for the support! Sounds great, ping it to me - cyberthrash77@gmail.com
May I also read your paper? I'm interested to see the different approach.
this is amazing, such a great video. you actually made the amazing spider-man 2 sound like a good movie
Haha well it's not awful...
This is a really good video. Hidden gold.
Amazing video, continue, I'll be there to watch them all!
Thanks mate, stoked to have you on board!
Great video, also a nice touch that the midpoint discussion aligns with the midpoint of the video itself.
Haha thanks mate, good catch! I wish I could say it was intentional. Sometimes things just work out...
@@equipmentforliving7253 Perhaps your video is an instance of good story structure. How meta.
omg im' so happy!! i found your channel you are awesome and deserve to be seen by the world. Can't wait for the next content
Thanks mate, much appreciated :) I'm afraid the channel is currently on hiatus, but there are ~20 past videos here for you to browse through, each breaking down a different movie. I hope you enjoy!
I think it's generally important that, before act two, the protagonist's escape route back to their old life closes. In Star Wars, Luke's family is killed, collapsing the route back to his childhood. This happened right after he had his "resist the call" moment. With The Matrix, it's a little different. Neo doesn't quite believe that there's no going back, until he sees what the Matrix is. And of course, Groundhog Day is the opposite of that. The character doesn't really understand what's happening till after the escape is closed.
But I think it's rare that the character chooses to close the door to their status quo by choice, or at least, not knowingly. The whole point of the closed door is that they don't really understand the repercussions of moving forward till they can no longer go back.
I think there's a lot of misunderstanding about theme. Themes aren't moral lessons, they're more like measures. Spider-Man's simply stated theme seems like a moral lesson, until you begin to question if, instead of a rule to live by, it's a prison. Peter spends three movies bouncing back and forth from power/responsibility to powerlessness/freedom. The story reinforces the notion, and then questions it, before swinging back again. It never fully takes one side or the other. It doesn't even offer a balance. It's the swinging back and forth, embracing power and taking on the burdens, and then letting go of power and its weight, that makes up Peter Parker's life. Over the course of the films, he ends up powerless, yet with all the same burdens, and powerful without consequences.
That's how to thoroughly explore the theme. It's not just proving some bit of moralizing true.
Some films have five acts, two acts, and in the case of Raiders of the Lost Ark, eight. But what's interesting is that all these movies still fit into the three-act structure as well. It's not a one-or-the-other situation. I think the three-act thing that Aristotle came up with is really just a way of understanding stories. It's not a set of instructions for how to make a story, it's a template for understanding how stories work. If something is missing from a story, chances are, the three act structure template can indicate what it is.
I feel like people dismiss it because it doesn't do the job of writing a story for you. Treat it as instructions, and all it will give you is a collection of cliches. That's true of all these models, from Joseph Campbell's hero's journey to Dan Harmon's story circle. A bad writer can follow every step to the letter and still get garbage.
Very good! Just before I reached the end, I got to thinking that you should make this a series-and then you said as much. Some movies from the top of my head that I'd like to see you analyze: Rear Window, Jaws, Die Hard, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Enemy of the State, Good Will Hunting, The American President, and The Bourne Identity.
Wow, awesome suggestions, thank you! I like the idea of all of these.
excellent. Thank you.
Brilliant analysis!
Thank you kindly!
Wow thank you so much for this video! Great Work!! Anyone learning about film should watch this as I did.
Thanks mate!
Excellent viedo, have liked & subbed
Thanks, I appreciate it!
I love your channel! Can't wait to see it grow. I think this one is going to be big
Thanks for the support Rachel, I appreciate ya!
I really enjoyed this! Thanks for making it!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks a lot for the tips
Your videos really disserve more views
Thank you, it's much appreciated :)
This is incredibly helpful!
Awesome, glad you think so!
Subscribed. I love story structure as well, and appreciate your straightforward instructional style. Rather than breaking down another movie next, how about making another movie-related primer: ingredients to a successful scene, the keys to a great character, how to create memorable dialogue, etc.?
All terrific ideas, thank you! Dialogue is something I'd like to learn more about myself, so I'll definitely keep it in mind for a future video. Thanks for watching!
I really enjoyed this. Excited to see what comes next.
Thanks man - this is all possible thanks to you!
Really enjoyed this analysis! I've never seen that Spiderman movie, the reveal that you didn't even mention the villain is kind of mind blowing. Does that mean the movie is bad because a key character isn't integral in the story? Or does he exist purely to push things in motion?
lovely!
Heya! I love your work and I'm doing a short research paper and would love to reference this video and your work. Do you have a link to the statistics that I could reference? thank you
Very insightful, can you breakdown Prisoners by Denis Villeneuve and how it fits into this structure
Excellent suggestion, thank you! Denis Villeneuve is definitely on my to-do list, and I'd be starting with Prisoners. Probably a couple of months out from now, but stay tuned!
@@equipmentforliving7253 That's great, would love to see how story structure applies to such a serious drama, will saty tuned, I have already subscribed.
looking forward to the five act analysis. Hope you make Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Thanks Juan! If I do Fincher's work it'll probably be in chronological order, but I am interested in seeing how that movie works in particular.
Love this breakdown! Especially the Gattaca one! Would love to see a story structure breakdown of Bridesmaids or Hereditary :)
Great ideas, thanks mate!
What if I put all the ingredients on a table and come back 200 millions years later, would I find cake?
Haha good question... I can't rule it out!!
I too love plot, but I kinda prefer Aristotle's analysis better than this one, as it seems to explain great stories that lack conflict, calls to adventure, etc, while this one does not. It also doesn't require (but does allow for) character arcs. Since I yawn at character arcs, this better matches my preferences.
I like Aristotle's point about how you have to be careful not to make your story too long and not to jam in too many turning points.
great video. Can you do LOTR.
I hope to do so soon!
I love you! 🙂
Welcome aboard!
❤
Cake is flour, eggs, milk, and a pinch of salt. You can absolutely tell a story just by watching and listening to them. This book bologna is only to make money at the expense of making movies similar and similar.
Thanks for your opinion! Have a great day!
@@equipmentforliving7253 You're a phoney, sir!