The Story Toolkit

This week we look at the late John Mahoney's terrific and iconic performance as Martin Crane on FRASIER and how that character worked into the show's cast dynamic. Royalty free music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

This week we finally get to THOR: RAGNAROK, the wonderful Action Comedy by Taika Waititi! We talk about how the film wonderful polarises its cast, simply and efficiently, driving dynamic scenes all the way to its climax. Royalty free music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

This week we finally get to THOR: RAGNAROK, the wonderful Action Comedy by Taika Waititi! We talk about how the film wonderful polarises its cast, simply and efficiently, driving dynamic scenes all the way to its climax. Royalty free music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

This week we talk about Rian Johnson's wonderful independent film noir, BRICK, and how its originality stems from the choices he made. Royalty free music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

This week we talk about Rian Johnson's wonderful independent film noir, BRICK, and how its originality stems from the choices he made. Royalty free music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

This week we take a look at a single episode of the anthology comedy series, INSIDE NO.9; it second episode from its first season, "A QUIET NIGHT IN". The episode is a short, 30-minute farce about a burglarly in which there is no dialogue. A joy from start to finish, we breakdown each of the turning points in the episode. Royalty free music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

1. First Criminal breaks in (+)

2. Second Criminal breaks in (+)

3. They discover they’re not alone (the maid) (-)

4. The little dog starts barking (-)

5. They kill the little dog (+/-)

6. The wife puts on Eastenders so they can’t get the painting (-/+) but they’re not noticed

7. The wife and husband fight (-) sub-plot

8. The wife and husband go out to the pool to argue (+)

9. They cut out the painting but don’t have a replacement (+/-)

10. They makeshift a replacement but the painting is trapped beneath the wive’s heels (+/-) (cross cut with 11)

11. The wife and husband’s marriage seems over (-)

12. The maid takes the painting thinking it’s linen (-)

13. Second criminal is discovered by the maid who maces him (-)

14. First criminal chloroforms the maid and hides her in a closet (+)

15. They find the painting (+)

16. It’s immediately taken upstairs by the dumb waiter (-)

17. The wife locks the painting in her suitcase (-) on both plots

18. Second criminal puts chillies on his eyes instead of a cucumber (-)

19. The husband gets out his gun (-) on both

20. The husband doesn’t commit suicide (+) on sub-plot

21. The painting the second criminal broke as he stumbled around arouses feelings in the husband who plays their song (+) cross-cut with 22

22. The wife comes out of the bathroom, forcing the first criminal under the bed, she leaves when their song plays taking the keys (-)

23. The wife spurns the husband’s advances and reconciliation (-) sub-plot

24. The husband shoots her dead (-) both

25. They’re dragging the suitcase down when there’s a knock on the door (-) cross-cut with 24, on both subplots

26. The person knocking on the door sells door-to-door cleaning supplies and is both deaf & dumb (+)

27. The husband hides the wife in the other closet and makes the blood look like spilled tomato soup so the cleaner gets to work (+)

28. The first criminal meets the cleaner and buys products needed to get the suitcase out (+)

29. The cleaner discovers the bullet hole and sees the suitcase being lowered out the window (-) for both

30. The husband goes to investigate what’s going on outside and looks up and sees the suitcase (-)

31. The criminals drop the suitcase, killing the husband (+/-)

32. The painting falls into the pool (-)

33. The cleaner kills both the criminals and takes their counterfeit (-/+)

This week we take a look at a single episode of the anthology comedy series, INSIDE NO.9; it second episode from its first season, "A QUIET NIGHT IN". The episode is a short, 30-minute farce about a burglarly in which there is no dialogue. A joy from start to finish, we breakdown each of the turning points in the episode. Royalty free music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

1. First Criminal breaks in (+)

2. Second Criminal breaks in (+)

3. They discover they’re not alone (the maid) (-)

4. The little dog starts barking (-)

5. They kill the little dog (+/-)

6. The wife puts on Eastenders so they can’t get the painting (-/+) but they’re not noticed

7. The wife and husband fight (-) sub-plot

8. The wife and husband go out to the pool to argue (+)

9. They cut out the painting but don’t have a replacement (+/-)

10. They makeshift a replacement but the painting is trapped beneath the wive’s heels (+/-) (cross cut with 11)

11. The wife and husband’s marriage seems over (-)

12. The maid takes the painting thinking it’s linen (-)

13. Second criminal is discovered by the maid who maces him (-)

14. First criminal chloroforms the maid and hides her in a closet (+)

15. They find the painting (+)

16. It’s immediately taken upstairs by the dumb waiter (-)

17. The wife locks the painting in her suitcase (-) on both plots

18. Second criminal puts chillies on his eyes instead of a cucumber (-)

19. The husband gets out his gun (-) on both

20. The husband doesn’t commit suicide (+) on sub-plot

21. The painting the second criminal broke as he stumbled around arouses feelings in the husband who plays their song (+) cross-cut with 22

22. The wife comes out of the bathroom, forcing the first criminal under the bed, she leaves when their song plays taking the keys (-)

23. The wife spurns the husband’s advances and reconciliation (-) sub-plot

24. The husband shoots her dead (-) both

25. They’re dragging the suitcase down when there’s a knock on the door (-) cross-cut with 24, on both subplots

26. The person knocking on the door sells door-to-door cleaning supplies and is both deaf & dumb (+)

27. The husband hides the wife in the other closet and makes the blood look like spilled tomato soup so the cleaner gets to work (+)

28. The first criminal meets the cleaner and buys products needed to get the suitcase out (+)

29. The cleaner discovers the bullet hole and sees the suitcase being lowered out the window (-) for both

30. The husband goes to investigate what’s going on outside and looks up and sees the suitcase (-)

31. The criminals drop the suitcase, killing the husband (+/-)

32. The painting falls into the pool (-)

33. The cleaner kills both the criminals and takes their counterfeit (-/+)

This week we go back to STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI to talk about how the dense storytelling makes demands on your attention that means you might miss how it all works together. Royalty free music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

This week we go back to STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI to talk about how the dense storytelling makes demands on your attention that means you might miss how it all works together. Royalty free music from Bensound. Logo design by the Proxy Guy.

This week we take a look at the hilarious webseries by the Onion: PORKIN' ACROSS AMERICA. The entire series is up on YouTube and takes less than an hour to watch. It's ridiculous and funny and worth your time. We discuss the nature of just how far this show goes in so short a time, as a useful example to remember for your own work. Enjoy!