The Story Toolkit

STAR WARS is back with an amazing prequel with ROGUE ONE and we examine how a prequel uses dramatic irony to enrich the original. Royalty Free Music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

2-35 – ‘Premise’ – Recapping the major story beats of Rogue One.

5-00 – ‘Mercy Scene’ – Breaking down why the mercy scene was the only weak point of Action in the movie.

10-45 – ‘Plot Hole’ – Detailing how ROGUE ONE uses a plot hole from A NEW HOPE to generate a great plot.

20-00 – ‘Stakes’ – Discussing the raised stakes of A NEW HOPE.

30-30 – ‘Pay Offs’ – Analysing ROGUE ONE’s clever use of set ups to retroactively pay off elements in A NEW HOPE.

43-30 – ‘Insight’ – Cross referencing the insight ROGUE ONE offers into the STAR WARS world versus how little is given by FORCE AWAKENS.

1-01-35 – ‘Characters’ – Breaking down the finely crafted cast and the fresh life the film breathes into archetypes.

1-12-30 – ‘Summary’ – Recapping the writing tools discussed.

Director David Finch's adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel possesses a unique structural form; GONE GIRL manages to satisfy without a core event. We examine how it manages this. Royalty Free Music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

3-00 – ‘Premise’- Breaks down GONE GIRL’s major story beats.

14-20 – ‘Crime Story’ – Details the genre conventions; value, roles, dramatic question.

16-10 – ‘Core Event’ – Discussing the Core Event in a Crime Story and how GONE GIRL deals with the scene.

23-50 ‘Controlling Idea’ – Analysing the link between the missing Core Event and the Controlling Idea.

34-00 – ‘Choices’ – Discussing the pros and cons of choosing to remove the key scene.

40-35 – ‘Action Core Event’ – Cross referencing GONE GIRL with examples from Action that are missing a Core Event.

48-00 – ‘Summary’ – Recapping the techniques discussed.

Director David Finch's adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel possesses a unique structural form; GONE GIRL manages to satisfy without a core event. We examine how it manages this. Royalty Free Music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

3-00 – ‘Premise’- Breaks down GONE GIRL’s major story beats.

14-20 – ‘Crime Story’ – Details the genre conventions; value, roles, dramatic question.

16-10 – ‘Core Event’ – Discussing the Core Event in a Crime Story and how GONE GIRL deals with the scene.

23-50 ‘Controlling Idea’ – Analysing the link between the missing Core Event and the Controlling Idea.

34-00 – ‘Choices’ – Discussing the pros and cons of choosing to remove the key scene.

40-35 – ‘Action Core Event’ – Cross referencing GONE GIRL with examples from Action that are missing a Core Event.

48-00 – ‘Summary’ – Recapping the techniques discussed.

This time, we show the richness and joy to be had from serious long-form plotting as shown in the five-year run of J Michael Straczynski's BABYLON 5. Royalty Free Music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

8:12 – ‘Premise’ – Breaks down Babylon 5’s major story beats.

14:45 – ‘Trap Doors’ – Explains the contingencies Straczynski plotted into his show.

28:30 – ‘Foreshadowing’ – Details the 3 different methods of paying off your set ups.

40:10 – ‘Retcons’ – Warns of the dangers in changing the rules of your world.

44:20 – ‘Historical Revelations’ – Explains setting up the future and paying off your past.

54:25 – ‘Improvisation’ – Details the benefit of being able to improvise after plotting your show.

1: 07: 00 – ‘Summary’ – Recapping the techniques discussed.

This time, we show the richness and joy to be had from serious long-form plotting as shown in the five-year run of J Michael Straczynski's BABYLON 5. Royalty Free Music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

8:12 – ‘Premise’ – Breaks down Babylon 5’s major story beats.

14:45 – ‘Trap Doors’ – Explains the contingencies Straczynski plotted into his show.

28:30 – ‘Foreshadowing’ – Details the 3 different methods of paying off your set ups.

40:10 – ‘Retcons’ – Warns of the dangers in changing the rules of your world.

44:20 – ‘Historical Revelations’ – Explains setting up the future and paying off your past.

54:25 – ‘Improvisation’ – Details the benefit of being able to improvise after plotting your show.

1: 07: 00 – ‘Summary’ – Recapping the techniques discussed.

Exposing the failures of promising to plot out a long-form story and not delivering as seen in the 2003 SyFy channel's reboot of the series, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. Royalty Free Music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

Exposing the failures of promising to plot out a long-form story and not delivering as seen in the 2003 SyFy channel's reboot of the series, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. Royalty Free Music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

On the Story Toolkit this week we have a special guest interview with none other Robert McKee! He talks about the excellent HBO mini-series, THE NIGHT OF. Royalty Free Music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

2:25 – ‘Intro’ – Outlining the THE NIGHT OF.

3:55 – ‘Authenticity’ – Breaking down how well researched the show is.

12:15 – ‘Choices’ – Analysing authenticity at a character level.

21:20 – ‘Psychology’ – Detailing the depth to which THE NIGHT OF explores; character, institutions, family, law, police and their effect on the individual.

31:30 – ‘Dehumanisation’ – Discussing institutions and the quality acting in THE NIGHT OF.

40:30 – ‘Cinema’ – Discussing the rise of TV as the new Cinema in terms of Social Drama.

48:00 – ‘Morality’ – Continuing the discussion on Cinema and the decline of morality.

49:55 – ‘Summary’ – McKee discusses what lessons the writer can take away from the THE NIGHT OF.

On the Story Toolkit this week we have a special guest interview with none other Robert McKee! He talks about the excellent HBO mini-series, THE NIGHT OF. Royalty Free Music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

2:25 – ‘Intro’ – Outlining the THE NIGHT OF.

3:55 – ‘Authenticity’ – Breaking down how well researched the show is.

12:15 – ‘Choices’ – Analysing authenticity at a character level.

21:20 – ‘Psychology’ – Detailing the depth to which THE NIGHT OF explores; character, institutions, family, law, police and their effect on the individual.

31:30 – ‘Dehumanisation’ – Discussing institutions and the quality acting in THE NIGHT OF.

40:30 – ‘Cinema’ – Discussing the rise of TV as the new Cinema in terms of Social Drama.

48:00 – ‘Morality’ – Continuing the discussion on Cinema and the decline of morality.

49:55 – ‘Summary’ – McKee discusses what lessons the writer can take away from the THE NIGHT OF.

JOHN CARTER may have been perceived as a failure, but we demonstrate how excellent a work it truly is. Royalty Free Music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

Check out Bassim’s article at the time of the film’s release on its failure at the box office: bassimelwakil.tumblr.com/post/19937074091/i-dream-of-mars