OMG....

Suspense vs. Surprise

There is a distinct difference between "suspense" and "surprise," and yet many pictures continually confuse the two. I'll explain what I mean.

We are now having a very innocent little chat. Let's suppose that there is a bomb underneath this table between us. Nothing happens, and then all of a sudden, "Boom!" There is an explosion. The public is surprised, but prior to this surprise, it has seen an absolutely ordinary scene, of no special consequence. Now, let us take a suspense situation. The bomb is underneath the table and the public knows it, probably because they have seen the anarchist place it there. The public is aware the bomb is going to explode at one o'clock and there is a clock in the decor. The public can see that it is a quarter to one. In these conditions, the same innocuous conversation becomes fascinating because the public is participating in the scene. The audience is longing to warn the characters on the screen: "You shouldn't be talking about such trivial matters. There is a bomb beneath you and it is about to explode!"

In the first case we have given the public fifteen seconds of surprise at the moment of the explosion. In the second we have provided them with fifteen minutes of suspense. The conclusion is that whenever possible the public must be informed. Except when the surprise is a twist, that is, when the unexpected ending is, in itself, the highlight of the story.

from Hitchcock by Truffaut

The "F*@% Yeah" Moment

Not all of your stories will call for this. That said, I challenge you to think of a dramatic, engaging tale that doesn't have a moment where - at the very least - you say to yourself, "YES!" That's the F*@% Yeah Moment.

From the intro at io9:

What makes you invest in a character? Is it when you understand their motivations, or glimpse their all-too-human foibles? When they have rich, multi-layered relationships? Sure, those things all help. But what really helps is the all-important "f*@% yeah" moment.

The All-Important "F*@% Yeah" Moment

Adventures in Plotting

Stumbled upon this while looking for tips for class. While it's directed at children's publishing, the basic gists of plotting, structuring, and even outlining are presented in a helpful format. If you're having trouble in any of these areas, give this a try.

Plotting Made Easy - The Complications Worksheet

Trailer for Every Oscar-Winning Movie Ever

Teena reminded me of this video. While it's quite hilarious, it also serves as a great example of traditional key story elements. Get from it what you will.

And Here... We... Go!

Stuff for you all. Resources. References. Ideas. Stuff that ties in as a supplement to the course. Stuff that doesn't, but still pertains to the spirit.

Think of this all as the Bonus Features on the DVD that is the class.