Setup and payoff... BRILLIANT! Nothing I've learned thus far (film school) makes as much logical and practical sense as this system. This simplifies the creative and structural process to a whole new level of accessibility, allowing for any writer to be able to create a compelling story. Damn I'm glad I clicked on that thumbnail lol
Surprisingly few people grasp what a breakthrough this is; I'm so pleased you have! You're right -- it enables you to go way beyond the classic 3-act structure. Be sure to watch the whole 4-part series, as I've actually applied the dynamic to the writing PROCESS as well, which enables writers to create better material faster and more intuitively. Don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions. Happy writing!
Great content! "...create entire new stories no audience has ever seen before." I'd love to see new innovating stories hit the screen. Internet high five for anyone doing that!
I'm so glad I found your channel. It's clear you put a lot of thought into this and are dedicated to providing high quality content. You make this confusing journey approachable and easier to understand. Thank you for making this accessible to writers with limited resources like myself. This makes a big difference. Please keep it up.
+Katherine Fana, thanks for your comment. I've put over 18 months into this series alone (and over 7 years into my system), and I'm often doing it without any feedback. We all need encouragement and enthusiasm, so your words mean a lot, as well. Thanks for watching...!
Wow! This concept of 'Setup and Payoff' basically builds a bypass around the roadblocks that I have in my story that inhibit themselves as plotholes. I still need a few minutes for this to sink in because having found this theory breeds one hell of a revelation in me. An invaluable lesson, this one. Thank you very much.
Thanks for sharing your epiphany, Donald! I had the very same "wow" moment when it all clicked for me several years ago -- and I built everything I teach around the concept (which makes for even more radical epiphanies). This is the first of a 4-part series... be sure to check out the rest of them. Mind will be blown even more. :) Please share if you can! Thanks...!
Well, @@pikiwiki, that would be the cynical way of looking at it. The reality is, I can't guide you through a year-long process on RUclips. (I've tried.) And you can't learn a craft by watching videos about it (you need to take action to see how the concepts work in practice). I built a system that guides writers through the entire process, from idea to screenplay to the sale to production - and I made some videos for RUclips that give you some of the "explainable" insights from that process. In your comment you wrote that you got value out of the videos... so I mentioned how you could get a whole lot more value (the "source" of where the great ideas and explanation in these videos come from). However great anyone thinks the videos on this channel are, they don't even scratch the surface of what I've built. That's not a sales pitch; that's just a fact. I'm not here on RUclips to sell anybody on what I built. Join or don't join - I sell my system at cost, so it doesn't matter to me. (We'll get our profits from the films we make WITH the writers.) But if I don't mention the system from time to time, writers won't even look into it, to see if it's right for them. (And, yes, it's right for every writer.) The only person who loses in that situation is the writer who could benefit from it. :)
@@pikiwiki, I'm building an independent film studio with the aim of producing dozens of films each year. I'm a producer, but have had to focus for so long on helping writers understand what producers need of them, that I have not produced much in awhile (which will change this year as I finally get back into production). So, I suppose it's a matter of opinion at the moment. But everything I teach in the realm of screenwriting is from the producer's perspective, for what it's worth. :)
Thank you so much Jeff! You saved my life, and any potential writing careers in the future I'm in year 11, and they give you so many godamn essays! I thought my writer's block was because I was just plain stupid, and I got really depressed because I used to love writing. With your method I was able to churn out around 50 words of garbage every 3 minutes. That's like 1000 words in an hour!!!
This is a good start. I make up my own 4 act structure. It is where the middle is separated to two acts. I like the idea of set up an payoff. I like fantasy, so a good example is magic abilities. This can apply to any skill a character has. The skill should be set up first. The character, especially the protagonist, should spend time learning and practicing the skill. This is the set up. Then during a really exciting suspenseful time, the character uses the skill to succeed. This is the payoff. One famous movie is my favorite Star Wars movie, A New Hope. It is science fiction instead of fantasy, but it still works. Luke spends plenty of time showing and practicing skills. He drives his speeder. He uses a lightsaber with a helmet obstructing his vision. He blasts enemy ships while on the Millennium Falcon. That is all set up. The payoff is at the climax where Luke blows up the Death Star. Part of the reason why this is a phenomenal and famous event is that it feels earned. A good example of this kind of thing not working is a deus ex machina. Something comes in out of the blue and rescues the hero. It is cheap and lazy. It is basically payoff without any setup
This is all correct. The insight of this video, though, is that the Setup/Payoff dynamic is everywhere and underpins everything. I think you’ll find that this same dynamic you’re referring to in Star Wars is present (and in various and subtle ways) in all effective stories, and lacking in all ineffective stories. The point is that the dynamic can be used to find what’s not working and improve it - and that it applies to the process of writing, itself, too. Hope this helps.
@@fastscreenplay It does help. I guess it is just that as deus ex machina really stands out as a failure of the set up and payoff. So that is a good place to start. It is not like the Force or Obi Wan's ghost is going to swoop in and instantly wipe out the entire Empire. That would make Star Wars worse. Luke will have to pull his weight and work hard to save the galaxy. Obi Wan actually works well as a mentor, because he balanced. He helps Luke by teaching them, but he doesn't save Luke from danger all the time. Yoda works the same way. Maybe mentors in general work best in the set up phase, as opposed to the pay off phase. They do have a tendency to get killed off in the middle of the story. That is probably a convenient way to get them out of the story, so they can't rescue the hero during the pay off. Both Obi Wan and Yoda get killed off.
8 months into FAST my understanding of all this grows by the day, is becoming instinctive, as Jeff said it would. I can imagine writing and incorporating all of this without conscious thought, from the gut, as opposed to from the head, in fact that has already started to happen.
That's really the formula for a lot of movies now. Erin Brockovich ? Michael Clayton ? Spiderman Homecoming ? How to Train Your Dragon ? And often now, the story is no longer presented lineary ( ok, that's not a word ). So, often the hook is presented in the beginning of the movie ( or early on ), then we flash back. American Sniper? Michael Clayton ? Oceans' 12? Great video btw. Just subbed.
This is the idea by Dwight Swain. The concept is Motivation-Reaction Units. Or MRUs. Motivation is where you "setup" elements of senses of the character to the reader. Reaction is the "payoff" of how the character feels. So you're right. Stories are made of those two elements of what we writers call (or screenwriters call) beats. Every act, scene, or beat (or in VanDemeer's case, progression) has those two elements: Motivation-Reaction, scene-sequel, action-reaction, stimuli-response, setup-payoff. The question (which you already established the answer) is how to use it. Check out Dwight Swain's book Techniques of the Selling Writer. I think you will agree with him swimmingly.
Have just signed up to the course. I am only on DAY TWO and already being hit by wave after wave of inspiration and understanding of what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. EXTRAORDINARY. Cannot recommend highly enough.
Thanks Katie! I love to see people start with the right attitude (an open mind)... Just remember: It's more than a course... FAST is a step-by-step system that guides you through the complete process. The distinction will help as we get further into it, and the initial excitement morphs into a steady ongoing (hopefully continually thrilling) adventure. As long as you do two things, we will get you where you want to go: 1) Have FUN with it. (Seriously; you'll get better results if you do.) And 2) Keep moving forward. (Trust me on that one.) Welcome aboard, and if you need anything, don't hesitate to reach out!
If I may say so, letting people know about the percentage of people who drop out REALLY worked for me. One of my motivations is not to be one of those. It's proving an extraordinary journey already and one I've been waiting for. I'm a runner and I know about the long game and the blips but the way have made the course is very skillfully designed to help up us deal with the up slope and the down slope. Very, very, very clever. Again thank you.@@fastscreenplay
@@katievandyck2270, that's such an interesting insight; thanks for letting me know that. I think I've always taken it as possibly a personal failing that I've not been able to get to 50% (or even 30%) of people. I know in my heart (and I know by observation of thousands of writers at this point) that it's not my own failing, but rather just human nature to dream and NOT follow through with the actual work of it... but for many years, I have wondered if there isn't more (and more... and more...) I can do to increase that percentage. The latest (and last) thing I'm doing is building the Writer's Room and production module at the end. I say "last" because if getting films produced, owning a piece of them, and getting credits as a reward for simply following through is not enough, well, then truly nothing ever will be. :) In any event, I do think you're right. I shouldn't be shy about the percentages. It's a challenge. One that, I believe and have tested, *anyone* can do. But only the serious will. I'm gonna start leaning into that a bit more. Thanks so much for the comment!
@@fastscreenplay What a fantastic reply, thank you. I DO not know how you find the time. I think you have to be a bit stubborn to get anything difficult done, stubborn and cussed (cuss-ed). If someone says to me, "Ah you'll never be able to do that. I really wouldn't bother trying" that's the moment I know I'm going to get the thing done. Hence my liking the percentage odds against my finishing the course. I won't be the only one you feels like this. As to getting the message across, I anticipate a tidal wave one day as the word gets about. Hope you'll be ready. Am certainly spreading the word over here.
@@katievandyck2270, thank you! I do agree that the tidal wave is coming. I think the plans we have for the year ahead will have something to do with it. :) Here's to being the rare ones who make it happen!
I have done many courses (also the one of McKee), read several books, searched for "agile" ways.of writing, listened to podcasts etc My life is divided in 2: the creative one where I write and the I.T. one where I build web products. I have to say that I see a lot from the Lean methodology and Agile in this course and is the first time I see the agile mindset applied so fluently to storytelling. All my compliments for this pioneering work In my opinion this is a "successful attempt" to join the state of the art of the startup world methodologies with the development of the narrative practice. Now it becomes more clear to me how the incredible quality of some recent tv series has been possible.
Thank you. You're one of the first people I've ever seen who recognized one of the deeper layers of what I've built (and its pioneering nature). It doesn't surprise me that you write AND do IT. Incidentally, if enough people join FAST that we can take it to the next level, you'll see that it's even more impressive than that. Now, if only I could get writers to join me on this adventure! :)
Spreading the word to any writer's groups or organizations (or sharing this and the other videos on this channel via social media) is always the simplest way to help. If you wanted to get involved on the ground in Dublin (or if others are reading, this is also true anywhere you are), send me a note through the Contact form on the FAST Screenplay website (fastscreenplay.com/questions.php#contact) and we can get into more specifics. Cheers. And thanks again for the interest.
I must share this with you! It's your fault! Lol.I am an entertainer in memory care facilities. I got a spark from you. Triggered some memories that generated a story. Pre-appocoliptic character driven SOFT sci-fi around energy. Today, a confused resident walks up to me and told me about his work with wave sine values...unsolicited. his name is Charles Coleman. I just found his book on Amazon. Bought it. Research! FREEKY
Be sure to check out my "Writer's Block Instant Cure" video (on this channel). Combine that exercise with this video and there's no need to ever be blocked again. Happy writing, and thanks for the comment!
I am glad to be on your channel. I am a newbie to this screenplay process. I am a college graduate with a degree in broadcast journalism. I have always had a love for movies growing up. I did some research on writing a screenplay, and got valuable info on how to put it together. Ia m almost finished with it. I have no contacts or resources in the industry. I have no film school degree to shoot my movie, so I want to know how could i get my script circulated to the point of getting any directors or producers to look at my script and see if they have an interest to possibly direct and produce my movie?
+Patrick Franks, I'm happy to have you here! Regarding your question, I'm going to copy and past a reply I wrote yesterday on another of our videos: My advice is to not worry about selling scripts before they're ready, and instead focus on mastering the craft. Almost everyone submits work before it's ready for serious consideration, and that's what clogs up the inboxes of production companies (with material they can't use) -- which leads them to stop accepting submissions in the first place. Just knowing how to put a script together does not mean that script is viable, and a script that's not genuinely viable is very frustrating for the production companies. Before you submit your work anywhere, you must create a legitimately viable production-ready page-turner screenplay that gets near-unanimous excellent feedback from professional sources. I'm going to be running my first-ever live webinar on this very topic in late August. If you're on our newsletter (fastscreenplay.com/news.html), you'll get the alert when registration opens. You'll definitely want to be there, as I'll be sharing a couple of very exciting things that will help you succeed. I hope this helps, and until then, keep on writing!
Are you interested in becoming a Screenwriter, or just interested in this one you wrote? Have to rewritten it? Asked friends and family their input on it? Then taken it to a group of seasoned screenwriters? If you only want this one script to be sold and don't really have a passion for being a script writer, I guess try and sell it. But realize there's a huge chance you'll never do that. Scripts are usually used as business cards to get you more work, and the estimate is about one in ten of already recognized Screenwriter getting a script made. Your chance is much less. If you're interested in maybe doing film, check into some film classes and decide if it's worth it to the. Film is very rewarding... IF it's your passion. Otherwise it's truly difficult and grueling work with long unforgiving hours and quite expensive to do. Sure some have made films cheaply, but it's still difficult, and you should only throw yourself into it if you really desire it that much. Also, in regards to writing and just playing around with the idea of film and stuff, I subscribe to Karl Iglesias warning that once you learn enough about story to write it well, story will lose the magic. It's like listening to a beautiful Japanese poem that's spoken in the language, let's say a song. The tune and voice sounds beautiful until you learn what the words say. Then all of a sudden it sounds completely different and you'll never be able to hear it in that magical way again. So unless you really want this, and if so put in ALL the difficult work, or else I say out it aside and enjoy something else.
hi there! it's me again. i've been bothered with the problem about being in other country. Im looking for a way to cater the project to its target. how may I able to interact with those who crave for a project?
Well, the truth is that you don't get to interact with the people seeking projects until you can demonstrate that you have the ability to deliver what they need. Imagine someone who had never painted before (or had just started learning how to paint) asking "how do I connect with a gallery that's looking for artwork?" It doesn't make sense. There are a LOT of people creating paintings, but very few that are worthy of the major galleries. The same is true in screenwriting/filmmaking. Where you are in the world is not important. What's important is writing material producers can actually use. Learning how to "cater a project to its target" comes AFTER learning how to actually do the work in a powerful and effective way. If you are writing material that people are consistently impressed by, and you begin to get glowing feedback from reputable analysts, THEN it's time to start thinking about how to align with its target. Reaching out before then would be like sending one's first painting lesson to a gallery. They're looking for material, yes, but they're looking for top-caliber professional material. (Incidentally, this is precisely WHY my system is designed as it is: so that you learn the skills and master the process BEFORE you reach out into the professional world.) I hope this makes sense, and I hope it helps.
If my book gets turned into a movie, I'll be thanking you. Creative license will not be granted. Lol (Anyone who's read Eragon, The Percy Jackson books, or Beautiful Creatures knows where I'm coming from.)
Synopses and treatments are simply your story written out in prose form. A synopsis is usually a couple paragraphs, or a single page, or about two pages -- and it includes the main points of your story. A treatment is an extended document, usually around ten pages, or up to forty pages or so, which goes through all the details of your story (depending on how detailed a treatment it is). You simply write them as you'd write a novel or other prose story; there are no unique formatting requirements. But HOW to write them is a whole lot more complex, as it involves developing a compelling story that hooks the reader and pulls them in, making promises at the story itself will exceed. And that is an enormous (and enormously complex) craft that takes a great deal of time to learn and master. It's not really possible to cover it all in one video (or even a series of videos). Have a look at the Free Start of my system, as we cover a whole bunch of skills (even in the free content) that will help you down this road: fastscreenplay.com/start Hope this helps!
@@fastscreenplay by the way I have a question, I am having trouble with both getting a logline done and my script, cause I have this amazing story I came up with and it doesn't fit these standarts, cause the story is one thing from it's first half and it turns to be a whole another thing on the last half, so i am crushing my head thinking if this might not be a good story only because of that?
@@naomisdiary9835, it's impossible for me to say if it's a good story or not, I'm afraid. You need to write it and then test your work out by getting feedback from a wide variety of people in your target audience. Don't worry too much about what all these gurus say your logline and script need to be. You might need to improve those things, sure, but there are no "standards" to fit (by which I understand you to mean that there is a "right" or "wrong" way to do this - there is no such thing as "right" or "wrong"). The only way to objectively judge yourself or your work is to ask if your logline or screenplay are *effective* at their jobs, and if you've been effective at what you set out to achieve or say. As for the logline, there are two types of loglines - one that you use to develop your story and one that you use to sell it. If you're trying to sell your story before you've written it, your logline will not work because you don't yet know what it's trying to hook the reader (or listener) into. So write a logline that encapsulates the spine of your project first, and then write your script however you imagine it. Then see what you have, and then write the logline that's intended to hook your listener, and then go out and test the combination. Use the feedback you get to continue refining it until you have the result you're imagining. That's the way to do it. Now, keep in mind, it takes me a full year to guide writers through the whole process of doing this, so I just made it sound a lot easier than it is, because in a RUclips comment I can only give you the overview. But that's how to do it. Don't worry about other people's rules. Tell your story, and then refine it based on how it lands with your audience. I hope this helps!
Apologizing for poking your attention again for asking, let me borrow ur attention for this question, is it possible for any producers to buy only an idea if it best suit in their taste? wat if d situation goes that a producer received the whole screen play from other but he only extract the idea of a screen play. my point is similar to your point dat many have astonishing ideas but lacks of interesting story. this is owing to the fact that many are not quite talented at conveying stories..
Ideas are not copyrightable. We can only copyright the expression OF an idea. So if your story has great ideas but is poorly written, is not viable, or is otherwise unusable -- but it's filled with some great ideas -- there is nothing stopping someone from using those ideas. Similarly, if you watch a movie in the cinema today and see a great story idea, there's nothing stopping you from using that idea in your own story. You can't use the specific characters, scenes, dialogue, etc. This is one of the reasons it's almost impossible to sell an idea. Producers have hundreds of ideas. Screenwriters have hundreds of ideas. Everyone on the planet has hundreds of ideas -- it's how our brains work. You will never NOT have ideas, if you let your brain do its job. So producers don't need IDEAS. They need ideas that have been ACTUALIZED. They need ideas that have been turned INTO a viable story and screenplay. They need great STORIES. Ideas are everywhere. Great stories are nearly impossible to find. This is why I repeatedly say that it's not enough to have a great idea. You need to develop the skill of turning that idea into a viable production-ready screenplay. That way, the producer will WANT to buy it, because they want to MAKE the movie. If they only find great IDEAS from you... they still face the very difficult task of turning that idea into a viable screenplay. And so they are exactly where they started. I hope this helps!
+chike nwaozuzu, it really depends on all the other elements in the story. Remember that everything is interconnected, so there's no single way to do it; each setup/payoff must be integrated with everything else -- including the various levels of the story (character, dialogue, subplots, etc). This is why it takes 8-12 months to go through the whole system -- it's not just about the concept; it's about weaving that concept in a work of mastery. Hope this helps!
2 hours and 30 minutes is incredibly long for an episode. They're half an hour to an hour. If you want a network to take you seriously, curb down your time. That's even too long for a feature, for a newbie.
Awesome work! I have just one question.. does every good written story must have some meaning/message at the end ( at last payoff) ? For example i don't know the meaning and purpose of the Transformers or Lord of the rings.. i mean, i wish to write some good fantasy adventure story that will shock the audience and that can be deliver to its ideal producer but since that i write fantasy adventure screenplay i can't see clearly the point of my story except the journey, emotional parts and other staff.I have some great ideas for my story but its hard for me to start with the payoffs because i cant see the true meaning of my story. I would appreciate if you can help me to get some technique or advice that i can use in this situation.
The real answer is this: Yes. It may not mean much, and often it is NOT saying what the writer intended. But our brains are designed to look for patterns, and to assemble meaning out of the input we receive. Stories are like vehicles of meaning. If you don't PUT meaning/message into your story, that doesn't mean one won't be there. Even something banal like Transformers is saying something about the world, about how to act in it, how to stand up to threats or danger, etc. When you build a story FROM that intention (what you're trying to say), you can create a more coherent cohesive and integrated story that gives the reader/viewer a more powerful experience. Hope this helps!
SD Not if they’re excellent and original. But the bigger question is why focus on the studios? They only make a handful of films each year. There’s far more opportunity outside the studio system.
It would be great if Screen Australia would accept UK post codes. Three Acts have been replaced by eight mini Acts; yes really. Formula writing is fine for the non lateral thinkers. Let's join 2017.
There are actually a much wider array of possibilities for structuring film; even the eight mini-acts (depending on the content, that may also just be referring to sequences with the acts) become constricting. What I've found is that the reason people TEACH those formulas is because it's really hard to teach something that has no definitive "right" or "wrong" way of doing it. Storytelling is creative, not simple science. That's why I built a *process*-based approach to the craft; that way we can drop any formula that we like into it (or none at all). Thanks for the comment! Happy writing!
Michael Faunce-Brown, I like how Robert McKee phrased it, that you can break your story into however many parts you like and try and believe there are however many Acts, it none, but a story will always have three: beginning, middle, and end.
It can, but I would argue Setup/Payoff is more helpful and effective for a writer because setup/payoff does not necessarily require cause/effect. If you look at it from a wider perspective, you'll see that they're not synonymous, as the relationship between the two (setup/payoff) is not necessarily causal. Hope this helps!
I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Context and content don't necessarily have a causal relationship or an interconnected fabric. From a MEANING perspective they might, but setup/payoff is applicable well beyond just the meaning that a context provides content. Context is often the RESULT of a setup/payoff dynamic at work, and content is the detail of each. Hope this helps.
you just can't fool everyone, you came with all the shitty same story which is presented one million times? your opening sequence is like a promising film which ends terribly bad. come with new way of looking at stories and their development.
Thanks for the comment. I have no idea idea what it means (if you have questions or problems, get specific and i can actually reply with help), but good luck with your projects!
This series took over 18 months to complete, and all 4 parts work together. This episode is the core, and the rest build on it. Enjoy!
Thank you very much!!!
Great video. Can I have your email address for a very important script related discussion?
Very cool stuff.
Oh, I just found a gold mine. Thanks a lot for this!!!
Thanks for the comment. Don't forget to share! Enjoy, and happy writing.
Setup and payoff... BRILLIANT! Nothing I've learned thus far (film school) makes as much logical and practical sense as this system. This simplifies the creative and structural process to a whole new level of accessibility, allowing for any writer to be able to create a compelling story. Damn I'm glad I clicked on that thumbnail lol
Surprisingly few people grasp what a breakthrough this is; I'm so pleased you have! You're right -- it enables you to go way beyond the classic 3-act structure. Be sure to watch the whole 4-part series, as I've actually applied the dynamic to the writing PROCESS as well, which enables writers to create better material faster and more intuitively. Don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions. Happy writing!
Great content! "...create entire new stories no audience has ever seen before." I'd love to see new innovating stories hit the screen. Internet high five for anyone doing that!
I'm so glad I found your channel. It's clear you put a lot of thought into this and are dedicated to providing high quality content. You make this confusing journey approachable and easier to understand. Thank you for making this accessible to writers with limited resources like myself. This makes a big difference. Please keep it up.
+Katherine Fana, thanks for your comment. I've put over 18 months into this series alone (and over 7 years into my system), and I'm often doing it without any feedback. We all need encouragement and enthusiasm, so your words mean a lot, as well. Thanks for watching...!
kiero ve qorno ravica
Wow! This concept of 'Setup and Payoff' basically builds a bypass around the roadblocks that I have in my story that inhibit themselves as plotholes. I still need a few minutes for this to sink in because having found this theory breeds one hell of a revelation in me. An invaluable lesson, this one. Thank you very much.
Thanks for sharing your epiphany, Donald! I had the very same "wow" moment when it all clicked for me several years ago -- and I built everything I teach around the concept (which makes for even more radical epiphanies). This is the first of a 4-part series... be sure to check out the rest of them. Mind will be blown even more. :)
Please share if you can! Thanks...!
:)
Brilliant! Thanks Jeff! It's helped me tons! Your dedication and passion shines through!
This series is the best I've seen on youtube for effective, direct insight in to the literal mechanics story
...and it doesn't even scratch the surface of the system I built. :)
@@fastscreenplay so, join to learn more?
Well, @@pikiwiki, that would be the cynical way of looking at it. The reality is, I can't guide you through a year-long process on RUclips. (I've tried.) And you can't learn a craft by watching videos about it (you need to take action to see how the concepts work in practice). I built a system that guides writers through the entire process, from idea to screenplay to the sale to production - and I made some videos for RUclips that give you some of the "explainable" insights from that process. In your comment you wrote that you got value out of the videos... so I mentioned how you could get a whole lot more value (the "source" of where the great ideas and explanation in these videos come from). However great anyone thinks the videos on this channel are, they don't even scratch the surface of what I've built. That's not a sales pitch; that's just a fact.
I'm not here on RUclips to sell anybody on what I built. Join or don't join - I sell my system at cost, so it doesn't matter to me. (We'll get our profits from the films we make WITH the writers.) But if I don't mention the system from time to time, writers won't even look into it, to see if it's right for them. (And, yes, it's right for every writer.) The only person who loses in that situation is the writer who could benefit from it. :)
@@fastscreenplay ooh. That was zingy. Liked it. Are you like a big producer type person?
@@pikiwiki, I'm building an independent film studio with the aim of producing dozens of films each year. I'm a producer, but have had to focus for so long on helping writers understand what producers need of them, that I have not produced much in awhile (which will change this year as I finally get back into production). So, I suppose it's a matter of opinion at the moment. But everything I teach in the realm of screenwriting is from the producer's perspective, for what it's worth. :)
Thank you so much Jeff! You saved my life, and any potential writing careers in the future
I'm in year 11, and they give you so many godamn essays! I thought my writer's block was because I was just plain stupid, and I got really depressed because I used to love writing. With your method I was able to churn out around 50 words of garbage every 3 minutes. That's like 1000 words in an hour!!!
That's a good start!
This is a good start. I make up my own 4 act structure. It is where the middle is separated to two acts. I like the idea of set up an payoff. I like fantasy, so a good example is magic abilities. This can apply to any skill a character has. The skill should be set up first. The character, especially the protagonist, should spend time learning and practicing the skill. This is the set up. Then during a really exciting suspenseful time, the character uses the skill to succeed. This is the payoff. One famous movie is my favorite Star Wars movie, A New Hope. It is science fiction instead of fantasy, but it still works. Luke spends plenty of time showing and practicing skills. He drives his speeder. He uses a lightsaber with a helmet obstructing his vision. He blasts enemy ships while on the Millennium Falcon. That is all set up. The payoff is at the climax where Luke blows up the Death Star. Part of the reason why this is a phenomenal and famous event is that it feels earned. A good example of this kind of thing not working is a deus ex machina. Something comes in out of the blue and rescues the hero. It is cheap and lazy. It is basically payoff without any setup
This is all correct. The insight of this video, though, is that the Setup/Payoff dynamic is everywhere and underpins everything. I think you’ll find that this same dynamic you’re referring to in Star Wars is present (and in various and subtle ways) in all effective stories, and lacking in all ineffective stories. The point is that the dynamic can be used to find what’s not working and improve it - and that it applies to the process of writing, itself, too. Hope this helps.
@@fastscreenplay It does help. I guess it is just that as deus ex machina really stands out as a failure of the set up and payoff. So that is a good place to start. It is not like the Force or Obi Wan's ghost is going to swoop in and instantly wipe out the entire Empire. That would make Star Wars worse. Luke will have to pull his weight and work hard to save the galaxy. Obi Wan actually works well as a mentor, because he balanced. He helps Luke by teaching them, but he doesn't save Luke from danger all the time. Yoda works the same way. Maybe mentors in general work best in the set up phase, as opposed to the pay off phase. They do have a tendency to get killed off in the middle of the story. That is probably a convenient way to get them out of the story, so they can't rescue the hero during the pay off. Both Obi Wan and Yoda get killed off.
Indeed!
Wow! Great videos, thank you!!!
This is one of the most helpful writing videos I've ever watched thanx.
Thanks for the comment. This is the first of 4 videos -- if you watch all four, they snap together. Enjoy! And happy writing...!
Thank you so much for your precious help!
You are a blessing not everyone wanna shares this kind of knowledge for free. You sir are my hero.
Thank You Mentor!
8 months into FAST my understanding of all this grows by the day, is becoming instinctive, as Jeff said it would. I can imagine writing and incorporating all of this without conscious thought, from the gut, as opposed to from the head, in fact that has already started to happen.
You are literally the best screenwriting mentor I've ever come across. I can't sometimes believe your level of articulation. Cheers. A huge thanks.🙏
vishal puri Thanks for the kind words. Always happy to help.
Amazing insight!
That's really the formula for a lot of movies now. Erin Brockovich ? Michael Clayton ? Spiderman Homecoming ? How to Train Your Dragon ? And often now, the story is no longer presented lineary ( ok, that's not a word ). So, often the hook is presented in the beginning of the movie ( or early on ), then we flash back. American Sniper? Michael Clayton ? Oceans' 12? Great video btw. Just subbed.
Thanks for the comment... and welcome aboard. There are lots of (hopefully) great videos here. Enjoy!
Awesome - your passion in explaining the process - is extra ordinary- thanks for putting together this great content
Alwayspositive 999 Thanks for appreciate it! :)
This is the idea by Dwight Swain. The concept is Motivation-Reaction Units. Or MRUs. Motivation is where you "setup" elements of senses of the character to the reader. Reaction is the "payoff" of how the character feels. So you're right. Stories are made of those two elements of what we writers call (or screenwriters call) beats. Every act, scene, or beat (or in VanDemeer's case, progression) has those two elements: Motivation-Reaction, scene-sequel, action-reaction, stimuli-response, setup-payoff. The question (which you already established the answer) is how to use it. Check out Dwight Swain's book Techniques of the Selling Writer. I think you will agree with him swimmingly.
Looks interesting! I’ll check it out… Thanks for the recommendation!
Superb content!! Perfectly effective..Thank you so much.
This channel deserves more subscribers.
Lynn Lim Thank you. We’ll get there! :)
Have just signed up to the course. I am only on DAY TWO and already being hit by wave after wave of inspiration and understanding of what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. EXTRAORDINARY. Cannot recommend highly enough.
Thanks Katie! I love to see people start with the right attitude (an open mind)... Just remember: It's more than a course... FAST is a step-by-step system that guides you through the complete process. The distinction will help as we get further into it, and the initial excitement morphs into a steady ongoing (hopefully continually thrilling) adventure. As long as you do two things, we will get you where you want to go: 1) Have FUN with it. (Seriously; you'll get better results if you do.) And 2) Keep moving forward. (Trust me on that one.)
Welcome aboard, and if you need anything, don't hesitate to reach out!
If I may say so, letting people know about the percentage of people who drop out REALLY worked for me. One of my motivations is not to be one of those. It's proving an extraordinary journey already and one I've been waiting for. I'm a runner and I know about the long game and the blips but the way have made the course is very skillfully designed to help up us deal with the up slope and the down slope. Very, very, very clever. Again thank you.@@fastscreenplay
@@katievandyck2270, that's such an interesting insight; thanks for letting me know that. I think I've always taken it as possibly a personal failing that I've not been able to get to 50% (or even 30%) of people. I know in my heart (and I know by observation of thousands of writers at this point) that it's not my own failing, but rather just human nature to dream and NOT follow through with the actual work of it... but for many years, I have wondered if there isn't more (and more... and more...) I can do to increase that percentage. The latest (and last) thing I'm doing is building the Writer's Room and production module at the end. I say "last" because if getting films produced, owning a piece of them, and getting credits as a reward for simply following through is not enough, well, then truly nothing ever will be. :)
In any event, I do think you're right. I shouldn't be shy about the percentages. It's a challenge. One that, I believe and have tested, *anyone* can do. But only the serious will. I'm gonna start leaning into that a bit more. Thanks so much for the comment!
@@fastscreenplay What a fantastic reply, thank you. I DO not know how you find the time. I think you have to be a bit stubborn to get anything difficult done, stubborn and cussed (cuss-ed). If someone says to me, "Ah you'll never be able to do that. I really wouldn't bother trying" that's the moment I know I'm going to get the thing done. Hence my liking the percentage odds against my finishing the course. I won't be the only one you feels like this. As to getting the message across, I anticipate a tidal wave one day as the word gets about. Hope you'll be ready. Am certainly spreading the word over here.
@@katievandyck2270, thank you! I do agree that the tidal wave is coming. I think the plans we have for the year ahead will have something to do with it. :) Here's to being the rare ones who make it happen!
I have done many courses (also the one of McKee), read several books, searched for "agile" ways.of writing, listened to podcasts etc
My life is divided in 2: the creative one where I write and the I.T. one where I build web products. I have to say that I see a lot from the Lean methodology and Agile in this course and is the first time I see the agile mindset applied so fluently to storytelling. All my compliments for this pioneering work In my opinion this is a "successful attempt" to join the state of the art of the startup world methodologies with the development of the narrative practice. Now it becomes more clear to me how the incredible quality of some recent tv series has been possible.
Thank you. You're one of the first people I've ever seen who recognized one of the deeper layers of what I've built (and its pioneering nature). It doesn't surprise me that you write AND do IT. Incidentally, if enough people join FAST that we can take it to the next level, you'll see that it's even more impressive than that. Now, if only I could get writers to join me on this adventure! :)
I would be superhappy to contribute to spread the word about this method here in Dublin. Let me know if I can be of any help.
Spreading the word to any writer's groups or organizations (or sharing this and the other videos on this channel via social media) is always the simplest way to help. If you wanted to get involved on the ground in Dublin (or if others are reading, this is also true anywhere you are), send me a note through the Contact form on the FAST Screenplay website (fastscreenplay.com/questions.php#contact) and we can get into more specifics. Cheers. And thanks again for the interest.
You are a gem. Thank you for this!
Lynn Lim Always happy to help. Don’t forget to subscribe, we’ve got a new series coming soon!
Great insight. Gems. Utter gems. This is an idea I have been thinking about a lot and you just crystallized it.
Nice, I like where this is going..
It's simply a treasure that I discovered 💗💗💗💗
why did this help me so much
Because it reveals the hidden. ;)
Just amazing, amazing content. Thank you so much!
Outstanding, tangible tools. Thank you.
Happy to help!
I was looking for this video. Thank you Jeff God bless you 👈🏼💫🎬🎬🎬🎯
Happy to help!
I must share this with you! It's your fault! Lol.I am an entertainer in memory care facilities. I got a spark from you. Triggered some memories that generated a story. Pre-appocoliptic character driven SOFT sci-fi around energy. Today, a confused resident walks up to me and told me about his work with wave sine values...unsolicited. his name is Charles Coleman. I just found his book on Amazon. Bought it. Research! FREEKY
Thank you!
GREAT!
Thank you verry much.
So helpful thank you!
Thank you! I've been in a writer's block for almost a year!
Be sure to check out my "Writer's Block Instant Cure" video (on this channel). Combine that exercise with this video and there's no need to ever be blocked again. Happy writing, and thanks for the comment!
Will do and thanks again!
I am glad to be on your channel. I am a newbie to this screenplay process. I am a college graduate with a degree in broadcast journalism. I have always had a love for movies growing up. I did some research on writing a screenplay, and got valuable info on how to put it together. Ia m almost finished with it. I have no contacts or resources in the industry. I have no film school degree to shoot my movie, so I want to know how could i get my script circulated to the point of getting any directors or producers to look at my script and see if they have an interest to possibly direct and produce my movie?
+Patrick Franks, I'm happy to have you here! Regarding your question, I'm going to copy and past a reply I wrote yesterday on another of our videos: My advice is to not worry about selling scripts before they're ready, and instead focus on mastering the craft. Almost everyone submits work before it's ready for serious consideration, and that's what clogs up the inboxes of production companies (with material they can't use) -- which leads them to stop accepting submissions in the first place. Just knowing how to put a script together does not mean that script is viable, and a script that's not genuinely viable is very frustrating for the production companies. Before you submit your work anywhere, you must create a legitimately viable production-ready page-turner screenplay that gets near-unanimous excellent feedback from professional sources.
I'm going to be running my first-ever live webinar on this very topic in late August. If you're on our newsletter (fastscreenplay.com/news.html), you'll get the alert when registration opens. You'll definitely want to be there, as I'll be sharing a couple of very exciting things that will help you succeed. I hope this helps, and until then, keep on writing!
Are you interested in becoming a Screenwriter, or just interested in this one you wrote? Have to rewritten it? Asked friends and family their input on it? Then taken it to a group of seasoned screenwriters?
If you only want this one script to be sold and don't really have a passion for being a script writer, I guess try and sell it. But realize there's a huge chance you'll never do that. Scripts are usually used as business cards to get you more work, and the estimate is about one in ten of already recognized Screenwriter getting a script made. Your chance is much less.
If you're interested in maybe doing film, check into some film classes and decide if it's worth it to the.
Film is very rewarding... IF it's your passion. Otherwise it's truly difficult and grueling work with long unforgiving hours and quite expensive to do. Sure some have made films cheaply, but it's still difficult, and you should only throw yourself into it if you really desire it that much.
Also, in regards to writing and just playing around with the idea of film and stuff, I subscribe to Karl Iglesias warning that once you learn enough about story to write it well, story will lose the magic.
It's like listening to a beautiful Japanese poem that's spoken in the language, let's say a song. The tune and voice sounds beautiful until you learn what the words say. Then all of a sudden it sounds completely different and you'll never be able to hear it in that magical way again.
So unless you really want this, and if so put in ALL the difficult work, or else I say out it aside and enjoy something else.
hi there! it's me again. i've been bothered with the problem about being in other country. Im looking for a way to cater the project to its target. how may I able to interact with those who crave for a project?
Well, the truth is that you don't get to interact with the people seeking projects until you can demonstrate that you have the ability to deliver what they need. Imagine someone who had never painted before (or had just started learning how to paint) asking "how do I connect with a gallery that's looking for artwork?" It doesn't make sense. There are a LOT of people creating paintings, but very few that are worthy of the major galleries. The same is true in screenwriting/filmmaking.
Where you are in the world is not important. What's important is writing material producers can actually use. Learning how to "cater a project to its target" comes AFTER learning how to actually do the work in a powerful and effective way. If you are writing material that people are consistently impressed by, and you begin to get glowing feedback from reputable analysts, THEN it's time to start thinking about how to align with its target. Reaching out before then would be like sending one's first painting lesson to a gallery. They're looking for material, yes, but they're looking for top-caliber professional material.
(Incidentally, this is precisely WHY my system is designed as it is: so that you learn the skills and master the process BEFORE you reach out into the professional world.)
I hope this makes sense, and I hope it helps.
really gud thanks for it
If my book gets turned into a movie, I'll be thanking you.
Creative license will not be granted.
Lol
(Anyone who's read Eragon, The Percy Jackson books, or Beautiful Creatures knows where I'm coming from.)
I accept. ;)
Sir, could you please include how to write synopsis and treatment in this series. Thank you.
Synopses and treatments are simply your story written out in prose form. A synopsis is usually a couple paragraphs, or a single page, or about two pages -- and it includes the main points of your story. A treatment is an extended document, usually around ten pages, or up to forty pages or so, which goes through all the details of your story (depending on how detailed a treatment it is). You simply write them as you'd write a novel or other prose story; there are no unique formatting requirements.
But HOW to write them is a whole lot more complex, as it involves developing a compelling story that hooks the reader and pulls them in, making promises at the story itself will exceed. And that is an enormous (and enormously complex) craft that takes a great deal of time to learn and master. It's not really possible to cover it all in one video (or even a series of videos). Have a look at the Free Start of my system, as we cover a whole bunch of skills (even in the free content) that will help you down this road: fastscreenplay.com/start
Hope this helps!
i love how he says I'm gonnoo explain
Thanks. :)
@@fastscreenplay by the way I have a question, I am having trouble with both getting a logline done and my script, cause I have this amazing story I came up with and it doesn't fit these standarts, cause the story is one thing from it's first half and it turns to be a whole another thing on the last half, so i am crushing my head thinking if this might not be a good story only because of that?
@@naomisdiary9835, it's impossible for me to say if it's a good story or not, I'm afraid. You need to write it and then test your work out by getting feedback from a wide variety of people in your target audience. Don't worry too much about what all these gurus say your logline and script need to be. You might need to improve those things, sure, but there are no "standards" to fit (by which I understand you to mean that there is a "right" or "wrong" way to do this - there is no such thing as "right" or "wrong"). The only way to objectively judge yourself or your work is to ask if your logline or screenplay are *effective* at their jobs, and if you've been effective at what you set out to achieve or say.
As for the logline, there are two types of loglines - one that you use to develop your story and one that you use to sell it. If you're trying to sell your story before you've written it, your logline will not work because you don't yet know what it's trying to hook the reader (or listener) into. So write a logline that encapsulates the spine of your project first, and then write your script however you imagine it. Then see what you have, and then write the logline that's intended to hook your listener, and then go out and test the combination. Use the feedback you get to continue refining it until you have the result you're imagining.
That's the way to do it. Now, keep in mind, it takes me a full year to guide writers through the whole process of doing this, so I just made it sound a lot easier than it is, because in a RUclips comment I can only give you the overview. But that's how to do it. Don't worry about other people's rules. Tell your story, and then refine it based on how it lands with your audience. I hope this helps!
@@fastscreenplay it helped a lot!!! thank you so very much
Vídeo insano, thanks man :3
Thanks for saying so ! :)
Apologizing for poking your attention again for asking, let me borrow ur attention for this question, is it possible for any producers to buy only an idea if it best suit in their taste? wat if d situation goes that a producer received the whole screen play from other but he only extract the idea of a screen play. my point is similar to your point dat many have astonishing ideas but lacks of interesting story. this is owing to the fact that many are not quite talented at conveying stories..
Ideas are not copyrightable. We can only copyright the expression OF an idea. So if your story has great ideas but is poorly written, is not viable, or is otherwise unusable -- but it's filled with some great ideas -- there is nothing stopping someone from using those ideas. Similarly, if you watch a movie in the cinema today and see a great story idea, there's nothing stopping you from using that idea in your own story. You can't use the specific characters, scenes, dialogue, etc.
This is one of the reasons it's almost impossible to sell an idea. Producers have hundreds of ideas. Screenwriters have hundreds of ideas. Everyone on the planet has hundreds of ideas -- it's how our brains work. You will never NOT have ideas, if you let your brain do its job. So producers don't need IDEAS. They need ideas that have been ACTUALIZED. They need ideas that have been turned INTO a viable story and screenplay. They need great STORIES. Ideas are everywhere. Great stories are nearly impossible to find.
This is why I repeatedly say that it's not enough to have a great idea. You need to develop the skill of turning that idea into a viable production-ready screenplay. That way, the producer will WANT to buy it, because they want to MAKE the movie. If they only find great IDEAS from you... they still face the very difficult task of turning that idea into a viable screenplay. And so they are exactly where they started.
I hope this helps!
How do u spin multiple set ups and pay offs in 2 hours 30 minutes? I think this approach is ideal for series
+chike nwaozuzu, it really depends on all the other elements in the story. Remember that everything is interconnected, so there's no single way to do it; each setup/payoff must be integrated with everything else -- including the various levels of the story (character, dialogue, subplots, etc). This is why it takes 8-12 months to go through the whole system -- it's not just about the concept; it's about weaving that concept in a work of mastery. Hope this helps!
2 hours and 30 minutes is incredibly long for an episode. They're half an hour to an hour. If you want a network to take you seriously, curb down your time.
That's even too long for a feature, for a newbie.
Awesome work!
I have just one question.. does every good written story must have some meaning/message at the end ( at last payoff) ?
For example i don't know the meaning and purpose of the Transformers or Lord of the rings.. i mean, i wish to write some good fantasy adventure story that will shock the audience and that can be deliver to its ideal producer but since that i write fantasy adventure screenplay i can't see clearly the point of my story except the journey, emotional parts and other staff.I have some great ideas for my story but its hard for me to start with the payoffs because i cant see the true meaning of my story.
I would appreciate if you can help me to get some technique or advice that i can use in this situation.
The real answer is this: Yes. It may not mean much, and often it is NOT saying what the writer intended. But our brains are designed to look for patterns, and to assemble meaning out of the input we receive. Stories are like vehicles of meaning. If you don't PUT meaning/message into your story, that doesn't mean one won't be there. Even something banal like Transformers is saying something about the world, about how to act in it, how to stand up to threats or danger, etc. When you build a story FROM that intention (what you're trying to say), you can create a more coherent cohesive and integrated story that gives the reader/viewer a more powerful experience. Hope this helps!
It helps :)
Thank you very much sir
Be sure to watch the whole series. :) There's a ton of help here. Enjoy!
But won't studios ignore scripts that do not have the classic three-act structure?
SD Not if they’re excellent and original. But the bigger question is why focus on the studios? They only make a handful of films each year. There’s far more opportunity outside the studio system.
It would be great if Screen Australia would accept UK post codes.
Three Acts have been replaced by eight mini Acts; yes really. Formula writing is fine for the non lateral thinkers. Let's join 2017.
There are actually a much wider array of possibilities for structuring film; even the eight mini-acts (depending on the content, that may also just be referring to sequences with the acts) become constricting. What I've found is that the reason people TEACH those formulas is because it's really hard to teach something that has no definitive "right" or "wrong" way of doing it. Storytelling is creative, not simple science. That's why I built a *process*-based approach to the craft; that way we can drop any formula that we like into it (or none at all). Thanks for the comment! Happy writing!
Michael Faunce-Brown,
I like how Robert McKee phrased it, that you can break your story into however many parts you like and try and believe there are however many Acts, it none, but a story will always have three: beginning, middle, and end.
Can't the setup payoff dynamic be seen as cause and effect too?
It can, but I would argue Setup/Payoff is more helpful and effective for a writer because setup/payoff does not necessarily require cause/effect. If you look at it from a wider perspective, you'll see that they're not synonymous, as the relationship between the two (setup/payoff) is not necessarily causal. Hope this helps!
Thanks it does.
So can you look at it as context and content??
I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Context and content don't necessarily have a causal relationship or an interconnected fabric. From a MEANING perspective they might, but setup/payoff is applicable well beyond just the meaning that a context provides content. Context is often the RESULT of a setup/payoff dynamic at work, and content is the detail of each. Hope this helps.
I have an amazing story and i have also worked a lot. I want to turn it into a movie. Pls contact me on my email so i could share the story with u
you just can't fool everyone, you came with all the shitty same story which is presented one million times? your opening sequence is like a promising film which ends terribly bad. come with new way of looking at stories and their development.
Boring, unsatisfying *cough cough avengers cough*
Thanks for the comment. I have no idea idea what it means (if you have questions or problems, get specific and i can actually reply with help), but good luck with your projects!