The Inciting Incident, Story design in 5 parts

STORY

Rideshare (Donovan Cook, 2011)

Robert McKee’s Principles from the reading

1. About “The Setting”.

2. About Authorship – Empathy and Authenticity

3. Inciting Incident – comes into story ASAP

•A fully developed event, not vague. What is the worst possible thing that could happen? How could that turn out to be the best possible thing that could happen?

•Radically upsets balance of forces for protagonist

•Needs a setup and a payoff and protagonist needs to react

•Needs to restore balance

4. The “Spine” is the energy of the protagonist’s desire.

“NARRATIVE” or Persuasive Story

Aristotelian Poetics distinguished between two types of fictional narratives - mimesis (showing) and diegesis (telling). Cinema combines both.

Both mimesis and diegesis describe ways of presenting a story. In mimesis, the story is acted out. In diegesis, the story is narrated. Mimesis is show. Diegesis is tell.

Narratology is the study of of how stories work — the study of different narrative structures, storytelling strategies, types of stories (genres) and their symbolic implications.

FIGURATIVE TECHNIQUES

Explores the use of artistic devices that suggest abstract ideas through comparison. (All are “symbolic”)

Motifs can be a technique, an object, or anything that is repeated but does not call attention to itself.

Symbols can be things that imply additional meaning to the sensitive observer.

Metaphor is comparison that is not literally true. Cinematic

metaphors can be created through montage and editing.

Other figurative techniques are allegory, allusions (analogy) and homage.

POINT OF VIEW -- NARRATION

First-person narrative is where the cinematic equivalent to the “voice” of a literary narrative is the “eye” or lens of the camera.

Omniscient point of view is where the lens is the all-knowing observer that supplies evaluations of the scene.

Voice-over narration is common and when there is a narrator that literally talks over the action.

Camera as buddy is uncommon but is when the camera is treated like an active listener in the story.

Another WAY TO express ORIGINAL INSIGHTS.

“Follow Your Bliss – Take a Hero’s Journey”

Joseph Campbell

Joseph Campbell was an American mythologist, writer and lecturer, best known for his work in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of the human experience. His philosophy is often summarized by his phrase: “Follow your bliss.”From Joseph Campbell Foundation

Based on the teachings on Joseph Campbell

Story Structure

Based on Robert McKee’s Story: Substance, Structure, Style

Protagonists’ Quest?(Hero’s Journey)

What’s at Stake? Are subplots involved too?

The Metaphoric Goal

X Inciting Incident Primary Cause of what Happens

X Crisis Decision

X Event, A Cause for an Effect

X Event, A Cause for an Effect

X Event, A Cause for an Effect

A hurdle that affects the challenge of desire

X Event, A Cause for an Effect

X Event, A Cause for an Effect

X ClimaxGive audience what it wants but not the way it expects.

X Escalating Actions

X ResolutionThe climactic effects of plot and subplot(s).

The Apparent Goal

The Inciting Incident, Story design in 5 parts

Story

Rideshare (Donovan Cook, 2011) Watch the Trailer

Shot entirely on iPhone (4) on a budget of $34K, Rideshare is a comedy about three strangers who answer an ad to drive a car from LA to DC.

Rideshare Story Structure

Escalating Action Plotline Schematic

Protagonists’ Quest

What’s at Stake?

Find Life and Freedom

X Inciting Incident Answering the Ad

X Crisis Decision

X Slushie – Consequence?

X Hoover Dam – Border Jumping

X Four Corners and Petie

Do they break up in Dollywood?

X Lemonade’s Disclosure about USC

X Car breakdown – Darlene meets the dude

(X Climax Subplot Faux Climax)

X Climax

Abe and Darlene’s fate

Lemonade’s Big Surprise

X Escalating Actions

X ResolutionLife and Freedom

Meet the Schedule

Fill This OutYOUR Story Title:

Your Name (Director):

X Inciting Incident

X Crisis Decision

X Event

X Event

X Event

X Climax

X Escalating Actions

X Resolution