Watched Michael Arndt, screenwriter for Little Miss Sunshine, give a presentation, here are some notes:
- Love your characters
- Don’t condescend to your character – As smart as you are – If not smarter
- Don’t give fake problem – give real problem
- Give them a real problem the audience can’t figure out ahead of time
- Push them into the most horrible corner you can, then give the audience a solution they couldn’t see
- Ending. Looks like going to be a huge disaster, then do something to flip it and make it be the best thing ever
- Preston Sturges. Billy Wilder. Everyone is funny. Not just one guy. Use ensemble. Bouncing off each other.
- If you’re stuck in script, don’t look for best thing. Make list of everything possible. Then choose the best thing.
- The solution is already in the script. You already thought of it, you’re just not aware. You don’t have to invent something new.
- Screenwriting is an endurance race. Assume 90% failure rate.
- You have to be doing it just for the pleasure of doing it.
- Story is about the ending. Reverse engineer story.
- What decisive action leads to climax? You have to know what’s at stake in that decisive action. External, internal and philosophical
- Little Miss Sunshine Structure:
- Exciting incident: Aunt Cindy Calls
- 1st Act Break. Richard slams fist on table, we’re going to California!
- Mid-point. Grandpa dies
- 2nd act break. Arrive California
- 3rd act. Achieve goal. Reveal much bigger problem. Reverse 2nd act.
- Climax. Super Freak
- Need an agenda to a comedy. Most comedies are not about anything.
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