He dropped some major Gems that tells you how the industry thinks about material. This is not to be ignored or forgotten, apply this, and you shall succeed.
This is one of the best explanations of setting I have ever come across. Most people describe setting as time and place, which is very misleading. This explanation is much more powerful.
sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. depends on the story. Now however, I feel like I want to build out my world before even thinking about everything else. This was super encouraging.
The best way I think, to develop a story world is to explore the culture of the world your characters operate in. Even in a drama story, explore the food, drinks, dialects, habits, and beliefs of that culture, and make them reflect subtly in character dialogue and actions
"The Wire" is a better example - than the city of Chicago - of a story world (Baltimore) that is explored from different points of view over the course of 5 Seasons.
My own story world has been expanding and getting explored by people (including myself...lolz) for nearly thirty years now! It is immense... AND there are lots of stories, places, mysteries, and adventures yet to be had there. I started creating it when I started running campaigns in D&D, and I've just never really stopped, so I get to think about it an awful lot of the time... The books helped, at least in the beginning, but being introduced to GURPS really did wonders for asking and answering the better series of questions about it... setting technology level, magic level, and regarding higher or lower levels of fantasy and myth or lore to be allowed/encouraged there. I have others, certainly, customized variations of world popular to RPG's that involve cinematic or literary referenced themes, but this original world, a weird concoction of references to Forgotten Realms and Dark Sun, with occasional regional splashes of other themes invested in misty mountain ranges and shady valleys or across the vastness of the sea to misplaced islands and even a legendary chain of clouds with their own kingdom... It's the longest standing, and it's been a hell of a time patchworking the whole screwy thing together. Ah... but the Players love it, too. :o)
Crazy how they have 189k subscribers and so many videos and there is still some kind guy hearting our comments on year old videos. If you are reading this please don't stop
This is the greatest video I have ever seen regarding storytelling, fantastic. I will start to do this myself, am currently writing my first screenplay.
Silence of the Lambs was a fantastic movie, but I can't describe the world for the life of me. I don't know why but that's the first movie I thought of.
I notice a lot of people that are focused on and are given a platform on this channel have very little to almost no industry experience. And though a lot of what this guy says is true, it isn’t new or news. Also the industry changed on a daily if not purely basis. I just really have an issue with the “how to make it in Hollywood” branders. No one other than those in Hollywood making the daily decisions on how media is cultivated should be propped up or given a blow-horn to influence those folks who are genuinely looking for solid and sound information. The way to make it in Hollywood is to be a creator that can not be ignored and that will never change, but thinking that the Hollywood studios are the only gate keepers to a successful career in moving pictures and sound style storytelling, is just wrong... and shouldn’t be the artists pursuit.
His overall "story world" philosophy is on point. But he kind of hurts his point trying to claim every movie that took place in Chicago is part of the same story world. I'm not criticizing his concept, just pointing out that he wandered into a faulty example trying to answer a question that challenged his premise. He should have said "if they are the same story world, then you can connect them", not just erroneously claim they are. I-Robot is a very different story world from the Divergent series, even though they are both futuristic Chicagos. It has nothing to do with location and everything to do with characteristics. He's trying very hard to make a point that actually muddies up what he 's really trying to get across. Never allow a question that challenges your premise make you desperately cling to it. All he had to do was point out that Hughes movies are a much smaller story world which is harder to monitize. There's nothing wrong with that. Just gotta be careful if you want people to find you credible.
Word Lifer you’ve made a good point.. but I think he was just trying to explain how this ‘story world’ idea would work in as you’ve put it ‘a smaller story world’ (something I was thinking before the interviewer asked the question) and that the principle would still hold up. You can see him working hard at making it fit to the question being asked.. but in the end his point is made clear. However, location IS relevant because the locations can take on a different meaning which can be determined through time, and how that location is being looked upon.
The 80’s tv sitcom “ Perfect Strangers” gave me an attractive story world of Chicago. So did all those John Hughes movies and many others.It seems like the best time to be in or around Chicago was the 80’s.
A Setting is something really important. Chicago maybe a story world . but chicago in the prohibition is a setting ( a level of conflict over a durtaion of time = setting) chicago could have millions of settings... which makes it rich in stories that you could potentially tell. and the real world is indeed a valuable and very accepted Story world i reckon.
Your example is kind of flawed. You see I'm positive he was referring to the general idea of "chicago" which I find is different from the geographical location that chicago occupies. Saying that a story happens there tells you nothing of it, but saying that a story is SET IN that location can give you an idea. The first Avengers happens to have a lot of the story take place in NYC, but the only thing we get out of that is that there's a large metropolis with a lot of people. At that point you could call it CITY A and the story would be no different. But if you take something like NYC out of Spiderman, then a lot of the supporting events and world building around him would be lost. So what is the difference? Simply culture. Saying your story is in chicago will imply the culture that chicago has affects the everyday life of the character. Take two shows like Family Matters and Everybody Hates Chris (set in chicago and NYC/Brooklyn respectively) and you see the surrounding characters embody completely different methodologies just based on how we expect people from those cities to act. The cultures of both cities rings through when we watch it and lesser characters are often derived as stereotypes of those that live there. Another good example is that Houston and Chicago are of comparable size, but having a cowboy show up in a chicago setting would elicit a much different response than in one in Houston. So coming to your example, once we head into the future of any one specific location, that location actually just serves as an example of how it has changed rather than the place as we know it today. Cities are popular for this because the contrast between how they were and how they are portrayed in your future version is almost immediately noticeable. Apocalypse futures may clear the busy streets while cyberpunk ones stack them higher. The cultures have changed and thus comparing two futures of the same city really doesn't mean much. They aren't the same city anymore, they're the byproduct of the new world they live in. With all this said, I draw to a point that when he said "chicago" he was referring to our perception of the city and not of one that has to be explained as to how it became the way it did.
@@davidgould6351 But a setting is a level of conflict over a duration of time, in one or several geographical locations... that has nothing to do with the avengers.
You say people are reading your mind a lot, but either 1) nooo, you’re thinking of things before them just not looking at it like that or 2) just to make them feel good
6:48 "you take Luke Skywalker out of StarWars arguably made it better. Ahh, a lot of people think he's the most annoying guy there" 😆😆😄😁🙂1st, thanks for the advices in this video, i appreciate it, brings me more clarity for story/world building dev & their observed rate of success.😌 😏Ok, about that StarWars statement: 😅by this time after all the recent ongoing happenings within Lucasfilm & Disney, 😏is quite known who those "a lot a people" are. 😎As well as is WELL KNOWN how MANY people LOVE Luke Skywalker. It takes watching The Mandalorian's S1 & S2, then watching the reaction vids of the MANY StarWars fans from ALL races & genders watching that finale. 🤓In the other hand, StarWars' world is GREAT enough to have GREAT stories along or/& apart from the GREAT "Skywalker Saga". 😌Dave Feloni proves it every time since Ahsoka & then with all the other GREAT new characters that came along. RogueOne is the GREAT StarWars movie of our times & it doesn't have Luke. All the while, all self supporting, as equally GREAT stories & worlds, balanced like the Force.
If you create and describe a really great "story world" when no script exists... how do you protect your IP? How do you prevent them from just taking what you told them, taking the videos of you describing your story world, and hand it to one of their captured writers or writer teams?
There's a way we use in France to protect our projects : you put everything you're gonna talk about or send or show to someone in envelopes and you send a copy to yourself by registred mail and you don't open the envelope, you keep it sealed. That way, if someday you have to prove anything, you have all the documents and the date you sent it. Maybe this can be helpful to someone reading these comments ;)
Transmedia ^_^" MIND BLOWING, I had Houston for my first Teacher @ LAFS BFA Film School program and loved is so much I wrote a whole Transmedia Story and World called: R U ^_^" / ARE YOU HAPPY?
I was wondering...in case there's a world within the character as a part of him, his mind...then, there's no point of separating world from the character... or in case there's a nice sequel budget? why not! 🤦😄
Film Courage I think when it comes to film production, you do need to have some knowledge of the industry, but you should have i think first and foremost have a story to tell and for that you need a world building factor to matter. Or at least know what you want the world for the story to be.
Mraq Bolen I'm with you man. Building a story world is about the rules you create based on which the world functions. Not just the damn physical location. This guy doesn't even come close to actually talking about story world.
How do I protect my idea? Copyright does not protect ideas, concepts, systems, or methods of doing something. You may express your ideas in writing or drawings and claim copyright in your description, but be aware that copyright will not protect the idea itself as revealed in your written or artistic work. - taken from copyright.gov So my understanding is that, if it's just an idea and not a completed work (script, poem, blueprint, etc,) then it isn't protected under copyright law though you are free to claim a copyright on it to deter anyone from stealing it.
![Write Your Life And Become A Better Storyteller - Mark W Travis [FULL INTERVIEW]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/xFK5Ih3CPFc/mqdefault.jpg)
He dropped some major Gems that tells you how the industry thinks about material. This is not to be ignored or forgotten, apply this, and you shall succeed.
Eddie G So true. One should go big in this
Create a story world where many stories can take place
This goes along with the story engine creation for television, too!
love that i've been doing this without realizing
Currently reading Houston's YOU'RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER STORY. The book is filled with ideas for creative world creators!
Its trash
This is one of the best explanations of setting I have ever come across. Most people describe setting as time and place, which is very misleading. This explanation is much more powerful.
sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. depends on the story. Now however, I feel like I want to build out my world before even thinking about everything else. This was super encouraging.
Dang, that was a lot of good writing and storytelling advice!!! This channel is a gold mine!
Unbreakable, Split and Glass are perfect examples of a great story world. I love how he tied them all together
The best way I think, to develop a story world is to explore the culture of the world your characters operate in. Even in a drama story, explore the food, drinks, dialects, habits, and beliefs of that culture, and make them reflect subtly in character dialogue and actions
"The Wire" is a better example - than the city of Chicago - of a story world (Baltimore) that is explored from different points of view over the course of 5 Seasons.
Great example! Thank you-
My own story world has been expanding and getting explored by people (including myself...lolz) for nearly thirty years now!
It is immense... AND there are lots of stories, places, mysteries, and adventures yet to be had there. I started creating it when I started running campaigns in D&D, and I've just never really stopped, so I get to think about it an awful lot of the time... The books helped, at least in the beginning, but being introduced to GURPS really did wonders for asking and answering the better series of questions about it... setting technology level, magic level, and regarding higher or lower levels of fantasy and myth or lore to be allowed/encouraged there.
I have others, certainly, customized variations of world popular to RPG's that involve cinematic or literary referenced themes, but this original world, a weird concoction of references to Forgotten Realms and Dark Sun, with occasional regional splashes of other themes invested in misty mountain ranges and shady valleys or across the vastness of the sea to misplaced islands and even a legendary chain of clouds with their own kingdom... It's the longest standing, and it's been a hell of a time patchworking the whole screwy thing together. Ah... but the Players love it, too. :o)
gnarth d'arkanen that's like the wildcard book series
Crazy how they have 189k subscribers and so many videos and there is still some kind guy hearting our comments on year old videos. If you are reading this please don't stop
We appreciate your support Devon! It is harder for us to keep up with everything. Doing our best when we can.
In journalism they put it this way: "This story has LEGS."
This helps me re-think my world and my initial story and characters. Very helpful!
This is the greatest video I have ever seen regarding storytelling, fantastic. I will start to do this myself, am currently writing my first screenplay.
Great! This video was extremely helpful to me as a writer.
Thank you Deborah! We love this one with Houston.
Wow this was incredibly helpful. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Film Courage. The interviewer is my idol with all smart question, thanks her too :)
This was so great, and informative, I've watched it twice.
Story worlds work for certain genres, and not for others
Yes and certain genres sell way more than others too.
Houston you a genius this just what I needed thank you
This was interesting. He delivers with enthusiasm.
This makes sense. This is why Harry Potter was able to spin off Fantastic beast.
_7u
I think the idea massive fictional worlds is getting over saturated fast and furiously.
It was Fishtown right? That was shown in the movie Rocky.
I grew up in Germantown, another historic place in Philadelphia 😁
Silence of the Lambs was a fantastic movie, but I can't describe the world for the life of me. I don't know why but that's the first movie I thought of.
That was very interesting, thanks for sharing!
This is really helpful. You are a great teacher. Thank you!
I notice a lot of people that are focused on and are given a platform on this channel have very little to almost no industry experience. And though a lot of what this guy says is true, it isn’t new or news. Also the industry changed on a daily if not purely basis. I just really have an issue with the “how to make it in Hollywood” branders. No one other than those in Hollywood making the daily decisions on how media is cultivated should be propped up or given a blow-horn to influence those folks who are genuinely looking for solid and sound information.
The way to make it in Hollywood is to be a creator that can not be ignored and that will never change, but thinking that the Hollywood studios are the only gate keepers to a successful career in moving pictures and sound style storytelling, is just wrong... and shouldn’t be the artists pursuit.
His overall "story world" philosophy is on point. But he kind of hurts his point trying to claim every movie that took place in Chicago is part of the same story world. I'm not criticizing his concept, just pointing out that he wandered into a faulty example trying to answer a question that challenged his premise. He should have said "if they are the same story world, then you can connect them", not just erroneously claim they are. I-Robot is a very different story world from the Divergent series, even though they are both futuristic Chicagos. It has nothing to do with location and everything to do with characteristics. He's trying very hard to make a point that actually muddies up what he 's really trying to get across. Never allow a question that challenges your premise make you desperately cling to it. All he had to do was point out that Hughes movies are a much smaller story world which is harder to monitize. There's nothing wrong with that. Just gotta be careful if you want people to find you credible.
Word Lifer you’ve made a good point.. but I think he was just trying to explain how this ‘story world’ idea would work in as you’ve put it ‘a smaller story world’ (something I was thinking before the interviewer asked the question) and that the principle would still hold up. You can see him working hard at making it fit to the question being asked.. but in the end his point is made clear. However, location IS relevant because the locations can take on a different meaning which can be determined through time, and how that location is being looked upon.
The 80’s tv sitcom “ Perfect Strangers” gave me an attractive story world of Chicago. So did all those John Hughes movies and many others.It seems like the best time to be in or around Chicago was the 80’s.
A Setting is something really important.
Chicago maybe a story world .
but chicago in the prohibition is a setting ( a level of conflict over a durtaion of time = setting) chicago could have millions of settings... which makes it rich in stories that you could potentially tell.
and the real world is indeed a valuable and very accepted Story world i reckon.
Your example is kind of flawed. You see I'm positive he was referring to the general idea of "chicago" which I find is different from the geographical location that chicago occupies. Saying that a story happens there tells you nothing of it, but saying that a story is SET IN that location can give you an idea. The first Avengers happens to have a lot of the story take place in NYC, but the only thing we get out of that is that there's a large metropolis with a lot of people. At that point you could call it CITY A and the story would be no different. But if you take something like NYC out of Spiderman, then a lot of the supporting events and world building around him would be lost. So what is the difference? Simply culture. Saying your story is in chicago will imply the culture that chicago has affects the everyday life of the character. Take two shows like Family Matters and Everybody Hates Chris (set in chicago and NYC/Brooklyn respectively) and you see the surrounding characters embody completely different methodologies just based on how we expect people from those cities to act. The cultures of both cities rings through when we watch it and lesser characters are often derived as stereotypes of those that live there. Another good example is that Houston and Chicago are of comparable size, but having a cowboy show up in a chicago setting would elicit a much different response than in one in Houston.
So coming to your example, once we head into the future of any one specific location, that location actually just serves as an example of how it has changed rather than the place as we know it today. Cities are popular for this because the contrast between how they were and how they are portrayed in your future version is almost immediately noticeable. Apocalypse futures may clear the busy streets while cyberpunk ones stack them higher. The cultures have changed and thus comparing two futures of the same city really doesn't mean much. They aren't the same city anymore, they're the byproduct of the new world they live in. With all this said, I draw to a point that when he said "chicago" he was referring to our perception of the city and not of one that has to be explained as to how it became the way it did.
@@davidgould6351 But a setting is a level of conflict over a duration of time, in one or several geographical locations...
that has nothing to do with the avengers.
You say people are reading your mind a lot, but either 1) nooo, you’re thinking of things before them just not looking at it like that or 2) just to make them feel good
"Storyworld" aka "setting".
Not quite. Story setting is more a subset of the Story, whereas Storyworld is its own sandbox where the Story (and its setting) resides.
This is very good. I really like this series.
Houston is great.
One word. Bright. Good story world, bad story.
How crazy is it that I thought of Jupiter Ascending and then he said! That could have been a really great movie.
"Like going to Costco, buying in bulk." Tells you all you need to know about this guy.
Well said
Great insights on how to turn your movie as a better product in today's highly competitive market.
6:48 "you take Luke Skywalker out of StarWars arguably made it better. Ahh, a lot of people think he's the most annoying guy there"
😆😆😄😁🙂1st, thanks for the advices in this video, i appreciate it, brings me more clarity for story/world building dev & their observed rate of success.😌
😏Ok, about that StarWars statement: 😅by this time after all the recent ongoing happenings within Lucasfilm & Disney, 😏is quite known who those "a lot a people" are.
😎As well as is WELL KNOWN how MANY people LOVE Luke Skywalker. It takes watching The Mandalorian's S1 & S2, then watching the reaction vids of the MANY StarWars fans from ALL races & genders watching that finale.
🤓In the other hand, StarWars' world is GREAT enough to have GREAT stories along or/& apart from the GREAT "Skywalker Saga". 😌Dave Feloni proves it every time since Ahsoka & then with all the other GREAT new characters that came along. RogueOne is the GREAT StarWars movie of our times & it doesn't have Luke.
All the while, all self supporting, as equally GREAT stories & worlds, balanced like the Force.
Really great interview I really like the this guy
If you create and describe a really great "story world" when no script exists... how do you protect your IP? How do you prevent them from just taking what you told them, taking the videos of you describing your story world, and hand it to one of their captured writers or writer teams?
max bootstrap Have to have a treatment or summary somewhere
There's a way we use in France to protect our projects : you put everything you're gonna talk about or send or show to someone in envelopes and you send a copy to yourself by registred mail and you don't open the envelope, you keep it sealed. That way, if someday you have to prove anything, you have all the documents and the date you sent it.
Maybe this can be helpful to someone reading these comments ;)
I'm writting a big immersive world story that has alot of moving parts but it's hard to really build the world and it's small individual things.
Transmedia ^_^" MIND BLOWING, I had Houston for my first Teacher @ LAFS BFA Film School program and loved is so much I wrote a whole Transmedia Story and World called: R U ^_^" / ARE YOU HAPPY?
My brain's about to explode. But this is good.
Very insightful
Thanks. I think it's a very important interview.
Is this news? This is what comic books fans call a universe not a world.
hmm, I was thinking the same thing tbh. This isn't anything new is it?
i think the story world of john wick films one of the reasons of success this series ( a detailed world of pro killers ) .
Genius, Thank you!!!
Great Advice
I was wondering...in case there's a world within the character as a part of him, his mind...then, there's no point of separating world from the character... or in case there's a nice sequel budget? why not! 🤦😄
What is it about the story world that creates these great characters..
The loneliest cowboy zombie created action poetry which is a world setting formula to place a character and build a storyline
What?
Hwow! GHreat Hadvice! This man's advice is like the Hwhip crHeam on apple pie
Good stuff
Wow a spec script goes for $250k now, I remember when it was 50k in the 90s
Only 323 views for such great advice...
Mitchell Barber I was thinking the same thing lol it goes to show who is working towards their dreams instead of just dreaming for them to happen.
E.T was awsome.. but the world was rutine.. except the alien.. interesting.. almost an exception..
hes getting these ideas from me.
SKYLER GIGABYTES. #Facts
LOL
Lord of the rings...please mention lotr. YES he finally did.
So, Rocky fits in the same world as I Robot. Hmm..interesting
this is the only man i understand
When commerce and art mix and commerce wins.
Can a house be a world? Or is it just the setting???
I have that problem about not having a script, its really stupid of them, that they get out their microscope and ignore the big picture.
Amazing thnq sir boost pack for me
I think this is one of the first things this channel should explain.
What do you mean? Can you elaborate?
Film Courage I think when it comes to film production, you do need to have some knowledge of the industry, but you should have i think first and foremost have a story to tell and for that you need a world building factor to matter. Or at least know what you want the world for the story to be.
0:00 - 20:01 what?
Nothing if u r not film guy......
That profile photo perfectly describes your comment!
He says condescendingly.
Mraq Bolen I'm with you man. Building a story world is about the rules you create based on which the world functions. Not just the damn physical location. This guy doesn't even come close to actually talking about story world.
Can someone please Interview George Lucas on World Building
How awesome would that be!
Film Courage hope you get to him 1st 🤞
His worldbuilding is weaker than you think. Wide as an ocean, but deep as a puddle.
Can you copyright a "storyworld?"
Hmmm...interesting. Not sure. Any thoughts out there? Thank you for watching.
How do I protect my idea?
Copyright does not protect ideas, concepts, systems, or methods of doing something. You may express your ideas in writing or drawings and claim copyright in your description, but be aware that copyright will not protect the idea itself as revealed in your written or artistic work. - taken from copyright.gov
So my understanding is that, if it's just an idea and not a completed work (script, poem, blueprint, etc,) then it isn't protected under copyright law though you are free to claim a copyright on it to deter anyone from stealing it.
i was thinking about creating the world first, like harry potter, Zelda Game, and middle earth shit- Peanskean Riddler
🔥🔥🔥
I disagree, if you get the awards and you get $$$ to get a sequel made then you then can do your world building
MILIEU
Name names in china. This guy is selling his book
🙏🙏🙏🙏
commercials, commercials, commercials....so anoying! I don´t watch this...
This thinking is why I don't watch anything he's describing.
People don't actually find Luke Skywalker annoying. Luke is a champ!
21st century is past already..