Thank you so much to all my Patreon supporters for making this video and this channel possible! I have some exciting things planned for this year, so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss those. And, as always: What screenplays should I do in the future?! Let me know!
I'd actually be really interested if you did an analysis of a bad or average script and broke down where and how it failed. Anyone else feel the same way?
fragr33f Doesn't even have to be where it failed, though that's a clear lesson also. Calling out missed opportunities to be better will elevate average writers by helping them recognize how to improve character development, pacing, calls backs, etc. When I was 13 or so, I saw Ridley Scott's Legend in the theater, and I came out so disappointed that I wanted to rewrite the screenplay for him. I saw so many missed opportunities to [edit: removed the word 'make'] allow us to care for the characters, I was frustrated that the movie failed to use them and it came out 'meh'. Cuz it's a gorgeous film, with a solid cast and creative ideas executed with style. Years later, when we finally got the director's cut on DVD, now I understand that it was a hack edit job by the studio to try to tailor for U.S. markets -- that was unnecessary anyways, since audiences are smarter than most studios think, and will watch longer films, if given a good story with juicy characters. TL;DR, What I'm saying is, there's a lot more to be learned from average screenplays than from complete failures.
(No need to agree with me if you don't, just there's only a few people who even notice soundtracks, so I try to reply to them) Few people talk about this soundtrack? That's because a lot of people (like me) think this soundtrack officially marked the beginning of an era of film music based on ambience rather than melody, on ambiguity rather than emotion. I can't tell you how influential this score was, and how badly it has hurt the art of film music.
Well, I think its led to a lot of drama scores that just provide ambient sound design and thumping electronic beats rather than actually helping the movie become more than it is. A lot of the scores being nominated for awards are just long ambient sounds and one note at a time piano music - that started with The Social Network. Anyway, that's just my taste in music - I was just here to answer your question :)
alright. i definitely see what you mean. and i guess i agree. i think the social networks soundtrack definitely displayed the feelings of the characters though. when mark is hacking the houses facebooks and that song "in motion" plays, it adds to the rigid perfectionism of marks character and how hes determined to pull of an extremely difficult while drunk at 2 in the moring. it also adds to the pacing. the whole score fits the movie but its hard to see it in other ones. so i definitely agree.
On the same note, I was thinking something similar while listening to it; thank you for editing in some café sounds behind your own voice so the jump between your explanation and their audio did not sound very extreme it was easy on the ears and the mind
I will never understand how this brilliant film could lose best picture to The King's Speech. The drama and writing from these pages still hold up today.
there's a youtube video where Andrew Garfield talks about how many takes he had to do of that scene and how painful yet fulfilling it is. Fincher's directing style is pretty spectacular
This film blew me away when I first saw it. I was about 13 when it came out and I saw it because I heard it was about Facebook (this was of course 2010 when Facebook was still cool with 13-year-olds). I expected a standard success story biopic. What I got was a masterpiece of filmmaking where everyone involved seemed to be at the top of their game. It was my first exposure to David Fincher and his perfectionist style of directing. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's score is one of my all-time favorite soundtracks and was a big part of getting me into electronic/ambient music. This movie made me take Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake seriously as actors. It was the first time pretty much everyone saw the amazing talents of Andrew Garfield and Rooney Mara. But above everything else Sorkin is the star of this movie. It's hard to give a truly bad performance with material this good. It was one of the first times I remember rewatching a movie just because I liked hearing the way the characters talked. Every single scene in The Social Network has more than one line that would be the best line in any other movie. People often criticize Sorkin by saying that people don't actually talk like that. True, but wouldn't it be great if they did? It's a movie. If directors can have a signature style then so can screenwriters. And it's not like the snappy dialogue is compensating for a lack of everything else. This movie's story and characters are incredibly compelling to the very end, it's paced perfectly, and it makes masterful use of nonlinear storytelling by cutting back to the courtroom scenes and using them to move the story forward. This movie is part of what made me want to be a screenwriter. Sorry for rambling. I just love this movie so fucking much. If this isn't a 10/10 I don't know what is.
I totally agree! And the argument that "people don't talk like that" doesn't make sense, because no one speaks like characters in any movie. My one asterisk on that, is that I think the filmmaking style has to support his kind of dialogue. The Newsroom didn't work as well for me because it was shot documentary-style and tried to feel very authentic...which did clash with Sorkin's dialogue. But yeah, this film is a masterpiece. And so fun to see Rooney Mara in the role that first brought attention to her...knowing that shortly after they finished this they started on The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo..!
Lessons from the Screenplay True. Fincher did a great job at helping to make the dialogue feel believable. It also helps that all the characters are clearly of above average intelligence and adults. The scene in Steve Jobs where his daughter is around 9 and saying things like "if I had another ruler, I'd measure this ruler" took me out of the movie a bit. I don't care how smart this kid is, she's still 9 years old.
Silk Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's other film scores are great. Some other favorite artists in the genre are Aphex Twin, Tim Hecker, Brian Eno, Boards of Canada, Stars of the Lid, Taylor Deupree, Oneohtrix Point Never, Rafael Anton Irisarri, and Jon Hopkins. Other similar soundtracks would be Blade Runner by Vangelis, Upstream Color by Shane Carruth and pretty much anything by Cliff Martinez.
The hard thing about analzing that script is that there's so much that's already been said and dissected from that movie. Hard to shine a new light on it. Hopefully we learn something new from this channel taking a closer look at it.
I am 100% sure that something new can be found. Every person that views a film views it through their own unique filter, and time is an important aspect. What I am keen to learn about is how Pulp Fiction maintained its cult status for twenty years, a phenomenon no critic in the mid 90s could have any real insight into. I hope that looking at why Pulp Fiction is considered a classic two decades on while something like True Romance isn't is part of Lessons from the Screenplay's analysis.
another excellent video from you! there was one year where the academy awards showed bits from the nominated screenplays and it was some of the most fascinating TV for me. this scratched my itch! haha
People always look at me funny when I say The Social Network is my favorite movie...but it is good to know I'm definitely not alone based on the comments I'm reading!
I'm very glad that you mentioned David Fincher's influence on the movie. His cinematic choices give much more substance to the script as, in my opinion, he is a master of creating tension and bringing it to a breaking point. Exactly how you demonstrated in the case of Social Network with "If you guys were the inventors of Facebook you'd have invented Facebook" and in Gone Girl, as you beautifully pointed out, the moment where Nick asks for the lawyer and dialogue leading up to that.
Am I the only one who thinks that there should be an award show, like the Oscars or Emmys, for TH-camrs? I mean, this video essay for example, is a truly masterpiece and should get much more recognition. You guys (I can hardly imagine it's just one person behind these videos) from 'Lessons from the Screenplay' are all geniuses and deserve a bigger audience than you already have.
I'm so glad he pointed this out at 11:59. Every actor knows the difficult part about acting is not the happy ending or dramatic crying scenes, but things like that. Little nuances that we do every day that we never notice. So hard to make that look natural and Jesse does it so well.
My uncle owned the bar the first scene of the movie was filmed with mark and his girl. He opened up another restaurant in my hometown. RIP Uncle, I miss you man, i looked up to u :)
I was in college and 19 when the movie came out, so roughly the same age as the characters in the film... I had been slightly obsessed with Fincher's past films and was eagerly waiting to see what his follow up to 'Benjamin Button' would be... when I found out it was a movie about 'Facebook', I was actually slightly disappointed at first, because I honestly had no idea how Fincher could make a dark gritty, Fincher-esque movie about Facebook of all things.... but when I saw it in theaters with my friend, we literally spent the rest of the night trying to come up with our own ideas for a successful website we could make (neither of us had an iota of the software, or creative skills required), but the movie had entranced us so much that we thought we were going to create the next best thing... my favorite movies are the ones that I can't stop thinking about for days, even weeks after seeing it... this was definitely one of those
@@utsgotnoguts I ended up graduating in mechanical engineering.. I started a family, but never started a business, though it's never too late... after seeing this movie in 2010, the thought that I had was "how can we make the next best website?", in other words, how can I compete with Facebook and TH-cam... Instead I wish my thought had been "How can I start a TH-cam channel?"... If I had started a TH-cam channel back in 2010, that could've certainly led to something, and I certainly had no skills to create a fantastic website, but any average joe can start a TH-cam channel and see where it leads.. Unfortunately, "being a TH-camr" wasn't thought of as a career choice at that time.. there just weren't as many big TH-camrs making good money, or if there were, I just didn't know about it
i would say, in a different sense of course, maybe ivory and guadagnino? i think that their styles complement each other in the same ways that fincher’s and sorkin’s do, except instead of being cerebral and witty, the product is a beautiful, hyper-new-wave natural romanticism
I am India based film maker/writer, and I a would like to congratulate Michael for the way he has managed decoding some of the most tough screenplay structures and present it for aspiring writers and filmakers. A great work indeed.
Noticed the brilliant use of ambient background noise from the film in the 4:40 sequence which you had to have manually manipulated and extended to continue while you interjected. Very nice touch!
I'm 4 years late but I think this is testament to how greatly you've analyzed this movie. I've been watching multiple video essays these past months to make sense of my timeless fascination with this movie. Yours just blows every other analysis out of the water. My favorite is how you dissected the classic beginning scene. Easily my all-time fave scenes ever.
Still one of my favorite videos on TH-cam. Your combination of high-level research, detailed preparation, thoughtful insight and impeccable editing make for exhilarating videos for movie (screenplay) lovers such as myself - by far #1 channel on TH-cam for this subject matter. Your subscribers count reflects this. Keep it going, and keep in mind that your hard work does not go unnoticed. Thanks!
Would you be down to do a Pixar movie? Perhaps, The Incredibles or Toy Story? They have such awesome scripts but are often under appreciated because they're "kids movies".
Thank you! I really appreciate it. It really means a lot to me that people are willing to support the channel, so I wanted to make this as good as possible. I may have gotten a little too nit picky, which is why it took so long. Hopefully will be making videos at a faster pace moving forward!
No worries man, I can totally understand the nit pickiness haha. Some of the larger videos I've made have taken 400-500 hours. Quality>Quantity, keep doing what your doing, at whatever pace it takes. As long as you keep making kick ass videos like this i'm happy :)
I really love the way you talk, not too slow or fast, clear but relaxing. I don't know much about screenplays so I appreciate the way you explain everything easy to understand but also nice and concise. Thank you so much!
In all the years TH-cam has existed and the thousands (tens of thousands?) of videos I must have watched--- this was the first time I've actually logged in and subbed to a channel. Time to watch everything you've done. Really fantastic stuff.
It's true...the first version of this video was almost 20 minutes long...but tried to touch on too many things and wasn't cohesive. Editing can be painful sometimes, especially when there is so much more to say!
You are amongst many people who have inspired me to write again and for that, I must thank you sir! Keep up the great work, you’re content is engaging while being both informative and entertaining all at once! I love how we are taken on a journey through the films from the perspective of the literature and the challenges screenwriters face when attempting to match their original intentions in the script with their ability to effectively communicate them on screen is very interesting!
The Dark Knight doesn't actually have that strong of a script; it's mostly the filming of it and the acting that makes it good ... that and it's a superhero movie that both has an *actual* amount of action in it and it isn't tacky; it's more about what the Dark Knight *ISN'T* than what it actually is.
+Samuel Wallace In what way did The Dark Knight lack a strong script? I thought Harvey Dent's arch was brilliant. The Joker's ideology was disturbing smart. Rachel's decision between Bruce and Harvey was also very introspective. The concise dialogue was also very admirable.
From the bottom of my heart i would like to you thank you for making this masterpiece.... You deserve all the love and appreciation in the world my Friend.
Absolutely love this channel, I'm never disappointed. Have you taken a look at Sorkin's MasterClass on screenwriting? Also - I'd like to see a lesson on a fantasy screenplay, maybe Pan's Labyrinth?
A fantasy screenplay would be cool. And I have not done his MasterClass...I am curious, but didn't want to influence this video and end up just repeating what he says or something.
SO happy to see that you uploaded a new video, especially one a lot of us have been anticipating like crazy! Thanks so much for actually taking into consideration what your audience wants but also taking time to make it worth doing. As for suggestions, a look into how you see 12 Angry Men would be something I would really be excited for.
You may not have written a super successful screenplay Michael, but you have the most successful channel on TH-cam about analyzing how to tell stories. You sir, are unparalleled in capturing the key insights of telling the most engaging and rewarding story. I'm lucky to have found your channel.
Brilliant Insightful Analysis. And very helpful how you broke down the different elements and explained them so well with the scenes themselves. I've been on a Sorkin interviews binge and it was brilliant to see a lot of the stuff he said being translated, elaborated on and explained in the context of this film. Big fan of your work :) This movie was the first movie where I truly noticed the Screenplay. I was actually just blown away by how brilliant it was and, for the first time, made an effort to find out who wrote it, what other things they've written etc. I then read the screenplay on it's own to truly appreciate how great it was.
I could've watched a whole hour of this, I envy your ability to precisely analyze the strong points in screenplays. As a writer these videos are very helpful! Keep up the great work!
absolutely amazing! you are able to capture each thing that makes a certain movie great even down to the slightest details. fincher is one of my favorite directors, and i truly fell deeper in love with his work due to your video. watching your videos inspired me to pursue a career in film production! you are my favorite channel! :D
Actually incredible analysis. I've watched a few of these videos relentlessly for the past hour or so. I feel they've really impacted my writing, and I'm talking about fiction. So I just want you to know that I appreciate how many lessons are layered within each of yours videos. Keep it up.
This is the first time I've watched one of your videos and watched the film you discussed immediately afterward. I can't tell you how much it changed my viewing experience for the better! Already loved this movie and I just felt like I got so much more from it with your commentary fresh in my mind. Keep up the great work. You allow films to give me so much more and I am so grateful for that!
I would LOVE it if you did "Moonlight", one of my favorites movies from last year, and I think it has a pretty tight script. Love your channel thank you!!
I loved this! I think this is my favorite of the videos you've done so far. It's so insightful and I love feeling like I've actually left TH-cam smarter!
Thank you for this. Just re-watched this the other night by chance, and seeing this pop up on my recommended videos was like a godsend. Truly insightful content.
I watched this movie for a class multiple times a few years ago, this scene was so fun to watch. I figured it out on the second watching lol. Amazing movie, very inspiring in some ways.
Sorkin and Fincher together could be one of the greatest combinations in film history. I remember hearing about this movie thinking “how are they gonna make the creation of Facebook any kind of interesting?” I’ve never been happier to be proven wrong
I just want to say thank you for this Channel, honestly. You have aided me in every step of the way in the short films I post on this platform, especially my most recent one. You've helped me have an idea of how to formulate a script and characters. Especially with action that describe the characters thoughts and feelings. Your channel is so original and great. Thank you so much , you've helped a generation of filmmakers make their art.
Excellent video, man. You're a master at analyzing screenplays. The Social Network is one of the best screenplays of the decade. It's not only the dialogue, it's the way a very complex story is told and how smoothly it blends together. That is so hard to do. Anyway, I'm hoping to see Her sometime soon. Thanks for the videos! Keep it up!
Really enjoyed your deconstruction of Sorkin's writing on this one. Admittedly, I'm already in awe of Aaron Sorkin's hyper-paced and relentless writing style, and the rich dialogues. More so now, after Steve Jobs. This brings me to a humble request: Please deconstruct any of the many beautiful scenes from Steve Jobs. Perhaps, one of the numerous heated exchanges between Jobs and his mentor Scully, or between Jobs and his work-wife Joanna.
I’m watching this video days after watching Molly’s Game.The non-linear structure in storytelling was also used there and I loved it. The essays are so well written on this channel. I Love Aaron Sorkin and I love this channel
It took me a long time to watch this movie. The premise seemed boring and I couldn't imagine how a movie about that subject matter could be interesting. Its one of the best movies ive ever seen, ever.
Thank you so much for this, man. This is such a great film, and dialogue is also my specialty and passion. So this speaks to me on a very personal level and has given me some fantastic new techniques to work on and incorporate into future works.
I would love to get your analysis of the screenplay of Good Will Hunting. It's one of my favorite movies and I think Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote beautiful dialogue.
Not going to lie, I always get a bit giddy when I see a new one of these go up, the quality is always fantastic. I like how you touched on the collaboration between creative minds to better the end product. As Dalton Trumbo once said, being a screenwriter is like building a ship, and directing is like being the captain, and holy shit can you ever tell that ship was made for Fincher to sail. Also: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH PULP FICTION!
It really is amazing when you think about it, how two distinctive styles, Fincher's and Sorkin's, managed to meld together so perfectly. Truly shows how talented the two of them really are.
When I saw the first scene of the Social Network, I was so confused. Like they were talking so fast, now that I can read it it makes so much sense. Thank you for showing me this👍
Fantastic video, as always! Question -- How do you animate the audio levels in your video (11:52) when you're matching it to someone's narration/VO? I can never figure that out!
I really don't understand why Fincher always is marked as a "visual director", because: his shots are actually very down-to-earth and classic in the most time. Also his color grading is very calm. What's actually really unique is the timing and rhythm. in this respect he is a genius and perfectionist !
I can't tell which is better, the movie or the video you make about them. Thank you for showing me that no matter how much I love a movie there is always more to love. Loved this movie, loved this video, loving you channel; please never stop making videos!
Studio 60 is SO underrated, I don't like all of the cast and the comedy performed on the Studio 60 stage falls flat at times, but I love this series so much!
I would just like to say that this is one of my favorite channels on youtube. It honestly makes me look at films in a completely different perspective and for that I thank you.
I wish this channel, Every Frame a Painting and Now you See Me could all collaborate on one massive project. Like have a topic and all give their opinion thru their unique perspectives.
Dude, you have your style down better than anyone else on TH-cam. And it works so perfectly for what you’re talking about. That kinda sensibility is what rakes in the views, I bet.
Oh, if we take suggestions, that i recommend with all my heart the first ten minutes of Serenity. It is the PERFECT opening of a film, without flaw or blemish. And among the best 10 minutes of cinema ever. Heck, i'll write the episode for you if you want.
Thank you so much to all my Patreon supporters for making this video and this channel possible! I have some exciting things planned for this year, so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss those. And, as always: What screenplays should I do in the future?! Let me know!
I still need to see Nocturnal Animals! La La Land definitely on the list.
Lessons from the Screenplay La La Land just because I love that film so much.
Lessons from the Screenplay La La land was seriously great! You NEED to watch it!
Lessons from the Screenplay capo Michael please make vídeo of the Truman show!! saludos desde Argentina tus vídeos son geniales. abrazo
La La Land, Nocturnal Animals, Manchester by the Sea!
I'd actually be really interested if you did an analysis of a bad or average script and broke down where and how it failed.
Anyone else feel the same way?
fragr33f Doesn't even have to be where it failed, though that's a clear lesson also. Calling out missed opportunities to be better will elevate average writers by helping them recognize how to improve character development, pacing, calls backs, etc.
When I was 13 or so, I saw Ridley Scott's Legend in the theater, and I came out so disappointed that I wanted to rewrite the screenplay for him. I saw so many missed opportunities to [edit: removed the word 'make'] allow us to care for the characters, I was frustrated that the movie failed to use them and it came out 'meh'. Cuz it's a gorgeous film, with a solid cast and creative ideas executed with style. Years later, when we finally got the director's cut on DVD, now I understand that it was a hack edit job by the studio to try to tailor for U.S. markets -- that was unnecessary anyways, since audiences are smarter than most studios think, and will watch longer films, if given a good story with juicy characters.
TL;DR, What I'm saying is, there's a lot more to be learned from average screenplays than from complete failures.
that'd be great
A popular request...I plan on doing this, just have to find the right film.
TheJenSolo really great point
I got the perfect bad script video idea for you, homie...three words:
M A N
O F
S T E E L
nobody talks about the soundtrack of this film. Amazing.
(No need to agree with me if you don't, just there's only a few people who even notice soundtracks, so I try to reply to them)
Few people talk about this soundtrack? That's because a lot of people (like me) think this soundtrack officially marked the beginning of an era of film music based on ambience rather than melody, on ambiguity rather than emotion. I can't tell you how influential this score was, and how badly it has hurt the art of film music.
How has it hurt film music?
Well, I think its led to a lot of drama scores that just provide ambient sound design and thumping electronic beats rather than actually helping the movie become more than it is. A lot of the scores being nominated for awards are just long ambient sounds and one note at a time piano music - that started with The Social Network. Anyway, that's just my taste in music - I was just here to answer your question :)
alright. i definitely see what you mean. and i guess i agree. i think the social networks soundtrack definitely displayed the feelings of the characters though. when mark is hacking the houses facebooks and that song "in motion" plays, it adds to the rigid perfectionism of marks character and how hes determined to pull of an extremely difficult while drunk at 2 in the moring. it also adds to the pacing. the whole score fits the movie but its hard to see it in other ones. so i definitely agree.
Sure, it might've worked here, but everyone started copying it.
Your editing during the Erica/Mark is impeccable, really engaging and easy to follow
Thanks Devin! That's great to hear because I was worried it would be a bit difficult to follow.
@@LessonsfromtheScreenplay You made it easier to follow from the film and really pick up the nuances so thank you!
@@LessonsfromtheScreenplay Well, for the purpose it served, you indeed made it digestible
On the same note, I was thinking something similar while listening to it; thank you for editing in some café sounds behind your own voice so the jump between your explanation and their audio did not sound very extreme it was easy on the ears and the mind
I will never understand how this brilliant film could lose best picture to The King's Speech. The drama and writing from these pages still hold up today.
I think there's no use in trying to make sense of the Oscars.
The Kings Speech catered to a societal problem The Social Network catered to a reptile problem
I don't understand either. The social network actually in my opinion is the best movie of the decade.
This movie and inception both lost to the kings speech what a disappointment
King‘s Speech is an amazing movies
I love the scene where Eduardo barges in from the doors, the amount of MOMENTUM, Christ, it builds up so beautifully. Great video! Learned a lot :D
there's a youtube video where Andrew Garfield talks about how many takes he had to do of that scene and how painful yet fulfilling it is. Fincher's directing style is pretty spectacular
The way he smashes Zuckerbergs laptop 😢 so good
Yes!!! Finally a new video! And about one of the best screenplays in recent memory!!! Aaron Sorkin is definitely one of the stars of this film.
That's a good way to put it! And yes, sorry this one took me awhile :)
King of Wakanda maaan you are everywhere! i bet there are multiples kings of wakanda, that isn't possible lol 😂 the
Marcelo Drummond nope, check the subscribers and the subscriptions every time you see me! It's me all the time!
King of Wakanda
Why do I fucking see you on every TH-cam channel?
Isiskos similar interests
This film blew me away when I first saw it. I was about 13 when it came out and I saw it because I heard it was about Facebook (this was of course 2010 when Facebook was still cool with 13-year-olds). I expected a standard success story biopic. What I got was a masterpiece of filmmaking where everyone involved seemed to be at the top of their game. It was my first exposure to David Fincher and his perfectionist style of directing. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's score is one of my all-time favorite soundtracks and was a big part of getting me into electronic/ambient music. This movie made me take Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake seriously as actors. It was the first time pretty much everyone saw the amazing talents of Andrew Garfield and Rooney Mara. But above everything else Sorkin is the star of this movie. It's hard to give a truly bad performance with material this good. It was one of the first times I remember rewatching a movie just because I liked hearing the way the characters talked. Every single scene in The Social Network has more than one line that would be the best line in any other movie. People often criticize Sorkin by saying that people don't actually talk like that. True, but wouldn't it be great if they did? It's a movie. If directors can have a signature style then so can screenwriters. And it's not like the snappy dialogue is compensating for a lack of everything else. This movie's story and characters are incredibly compelling to the very end, it's paced perfectly, and it makes masterful use of nonlinear storytelling by cutting back to the courtroom scenes and using them to move the story forward. This movie is part of what made me want to be a screenwriter.
Sorry for rambling. I just love this movie so fucking much. If this isn't a 10/10 I don't know what is.
I totally agree! And the argument that "people don't talk like that" doesn't make sense, because no one speaks like characters in any movie. My one asterisk on that, is that I think the filmmaking style has to support his kind of dialogue. The Newsroom didn't work as well for me because it was shot documentary-style and tried to feel very authentic...which did clash with Sorkin's dialogue.
But yeah, this film is a masterpiece. And so fun to see Rooney Mara in the role that first brought attention to her...knowing that shortly after they finished this they started on The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo..!
Lessons from the Screenplay True. Fincher did a great job at helping to make the dialogue feel believable. It also helps that all the characters are clearly of above average intelligence and adults. The scene in Steve Jobs where his daughter is around 9 and saying things like "if I had another ruler, I'd measure this ruler" took me out of the movie a bit. I don't care how smart this kid is, she's still 9 years old.
ambient/electronic music sounds awesome. I love the theme for the social network, could you point me to some similar music?
Silk Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's other film scores are great. Some other favorite artists in the genre are Aphex Twin, Tim Hecker, Brian Eno, Boards of Canada, Stars of the Lid, Taylor Deupree, Oneohtrix Point Never, Rafael Anton Irisarri, and Jon Hopkins. Other similar soundtracks would be Blade Runner by Vangelis, Upstream Color by Shane Carruth and pretty much anything by Cliff Martinez.
Silk also this isn't the same genre but if you like The Social Network soundtrack you'll probably like the album Mezzanine by Massive Attack
Holy fuck, I can't wait for you to do a video on Pulp Fiction.
I can only imagine doing that one will be nuts. So much to talk about!
Lessons from the Screenplay In my opinion it's Tarantino's best film.
I have to say I think structurally Inglorious is better. But I'd like to see LFTS weigh in!
The hard thing about analzing that script is that there's so much that's already been said and dissected from that movie. Hard to shine a new light on it. Hopefully we learn something new from this channel taking a closer look at it.
I am 100% sure that something new can be found. Every person that views a film views it through their own unique filter, and time is an important aspect. What I am keen to learn about is how Pulp Fiction maintained its cult status for twenty years, a phenomenon no critic in the mid 90s could have any real insight into. I hope that looking at why Pulp Fiction is considered a classic two decades on while something like True Romance isn't is part of Lessons from the Screenplay's analysis.
the social network soundtrack is pure gold
another excellent video from you! there was one year where the academy awards showed bits from the nominated screenplays and it was some of the most fascinating TV for me. this scratched my itch! haha
Awesome! I think I remember that. It was pretty cool.
Oh well hey there Jon! Didn’t expect you here 😂
@Param Shah yeah same
People always look at me funny when I say The Social Network is my favorite movie...but it is good to know I'm definitely not alone based on the comments I'm reading!
Oh yeah, definitely not alone :)
Tarantino said it's the best film of the decade. "It crushes all competition."
Mine too, along with Matrix
@@hamidhimself even better than his own films?
I'm very glad that you mentioned David Fincher's influence on the movie. His cinematic choices give much more substance to the script as, in my opinion, he is a master of creating tension and bringing it to a breaking point. Exactly how you demonstrated in the case of Social Network with "If you guys were the inventors of Facebook you'd have invented Facebook" and in Gone Girl, as you beautifully pointed out, the moment where Nick asks for the lawyer and dialogue leading up to that.
I agree! He really is a master at what he does.
Am I the only one who thinks that there should be an award show, like the Oscars or Emmys, for TH-camrs? I mean, this video essay for example, is a truly masterpiece and should get much more recognition.
You guys (I can hardly imagine it's just one person behind these videos) from 'Lessons from the Screenplay' are all geniuses and deserve a bigger audience than you already have.
Exactly.
From what I can tell its just Michael! Which is the insane part
The streamys?
photosynthesisprototype the streamys are rigged
I'm so glad he pointed this out at 11:59. Every actor knows the difficult part about acting is not the happy ending or dramatic crying scenes, but things like that. Little nuances that we do every day that we never notice. So hard to make that look natural and Jesse does it so well.
My uncle owned the bar the first scene of the movie was filmed with mark and his girl. He opened up another restaurant in my hometown. RIP Uncle, I miss you man, i looked up to u :)
F to pay respects
Rip
@@TomEyeTheSFMguy thanks yall, i appreciate the condolensces
I was in college and 19 when the movie came out, so roughly the same age as the characters in the film... I had been slightly obsessed with Fincher's past films and was eagerly waiting to see what his follow up to 'Benjamin Button' would be... when I found out it was a movie about 'Facebook', I was actually slightly disappointed at first, because I honestly had no idea how Fincher could make a dark gritty, Fincher-esque movie about Facebook of all things.... but when I saw it in theaters with my friend, we literally spent the rest of the night trying to come up with our own ideas for a successful website we could make (neither of us had an iota of the software, or creative skills required), but the movie had entranced us so much that we thought we were going to create the next best thing... my favorite movies are the ones that I can't stop thinking about for days, even weeks after seeing it... this was definitely one of those
Glad to hear that! Just wanted to leave this comment here in case you want to share what you've been upto lately (any startup..ish)
@@utsgotnoguts I ended up graduating in mechanical engineering.. I started a family, but never started a business, though it's never too late... after seeing this movie in 2010, the thought that I had was "how can we make the next best website?", in other words, how can I compete with Facebook and TH-cam... Instead I wish my thought had been "How can I start a TH-cam channel?"... If I had started a TH-cam channel back in 2010, that could've certainly led to something, and I certainly had no skills to create a fantastic website, but any average joe can start a TH-cam channel and see where it leads.. Unfortunately, "being a TH-camr" wasn't thought of as a career choice at that time.. there just weren't as many big TH-camrs making good money, or if there were, I just didn't know about it
@@bennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn no worries. Family first!
Sorkin ad before a Sorkin video. Illuminati confirmed.
I got a fucking condom ad.
Dammit!
Let me guess, Sorkin's masterclass
@@mayurdhanwani6664 i literally got the same thing wth
Has there ever been such a combination of writing and direction as Sorkin and Fincher?
I'm sure there have...I just can't think of any at the moment.
i would say, in a different sense of course, maybe ivory and guadagnino? i think that their styles complement each other in the same ways that fincher’s and sorkin’s do, except instead of being cerebral and witty, the product is a beautiful, hyper-new-wave natural romanticism
The Godfather?
Schrader and Scorsese on Taxi Driver/Raging Bull, Robert Towne and Polanski on Chinatown
Quentin Tarantino and Quentin Tarantino
I am India based film maker/writer, and I a would like to congratulate Michael for the way he has managed decoding some of the most tough screenplay structures and present it for aspiring writers and filmakers. A great work indeed.
One of my favourite movies. Probably top 5, easily top 10!
Agreed!
Yes Honestly
Noticed the brilliant use of ambient background noise from the film in the 4:40 sequence which you had to have manually manipulated and extended to continue while you interjected. Very nice touch!
Fincher and Sorkin should collaborate more often because based on the social network, they can make the greatest movies of all time.
I'm 4 years late but I think this is testament to how greatly you've analyzed this movie. I've been watching multiple video essays these past months to make sense of my timeless fascination with this movie. Yours just blows every other analysis out of the water. My favorite is how you dissected the classic beginning scene. Easily my all-time fave scenes ever.
Still one of my favorite videos on TH-cam. Your combination of high-level research, detailed preparation, thoughtful insight and impeccable editing make for exhilarating videos for movie (screenplay) lovers such as myself - by far #1 channel on TH-cam for this subject matter. Your subscribers count reflects this. Keep it going, and keep in mind that your hard work does not go unnoticed. Thanks!
Would you be down to do a Pixar movie? Perhaps, The Incredibles or Toy Story? They have such awesome scripts but are often under appreciated because they're "kids movies".
For sure! There's a lot to say about Pixar's storytelling.
Lessons from the Screenplay please do up first
pleeeeeaaaaase!!!!!!
please eeeeeeee do Monsters Inc :")
HOLY SHIT YES! Aaron Sorkin inspires me so much!
He's the reason I first started paying attention to screenwriting.
Lessons from the Screenplay same. He's great
pls do 'Manchester by the Sea'
congrats on breaking another patreon goal man, it's been a pleasure supporting your channel. Always looking forward to your next video!
Thank you! I really appreciate it. It really means a lot to me that people are willing to support the channel, so I wanted to make this as good as possible. I may have gotten a little too nit picky, which is why it took so long. Hopefully will be making videos at a faster pace moving forward!
No worries man, I can totally understand the nit pickiness haha. Some of the larger videos I've made have taken 400-500 hours. Quality>Quantity, keep doing what your doing, at whatever pace it takes. As long as you keep making kick ass videos like this i'm happy :)
The superb background score made the dialogues more impactful for the viewer
How can a video be so cool? Well executed, loved this tut...
The most wonderful thing for a writer is to find a director with same equation and understanding of life.
Very true!
I need to find a good collaboration this year.
As a filmmaker, I'd like to thank you for sharing such dense and well-structured information with us.
I really love the way you talk, not too slow or fast, clear but relaxing. I don't know much about screenplays so I appreciate the way you explain everything easy to understand but also nice and concise. Thank you so much!
Awesome, that's great to hear. Thanks!
In all the years TH-cam has existed and the thousands (tens of thousands?) of videos I must have watched--- this was the first time I've actually logged in and subbed to a channel. Time to watch everything you've done. Really fantastic stuff.
Wow. I am honored!
This is an exceptional video you could go on for hours I'm sure with this dense film. Great job!
This was incredible. As was this film. Several more videos could probably be made about it, taking apart the script. Thanks for this one :)
It's true...the first version of this video was almost 20 minutes long...but tried to touch on too many things and wasn't cohesive. Editing can be painful sometimes, especially when there is so much more to say!
I can imagine! I often had the same issues with Film essays. That being said, I don't think we'd complain about a Part 2 ;)
Perhaps one day ;)
Lessons from the Screenplay Or part 2 with Steve Jobs, I think Sorkin and Boyles collaboration was energetic too.
Put the editors cut on patreon! No doubt people will storm your patreon.
Brilliant essay as usual, Michael. Would love to see you tackle a Kaufman script?
Thank you! And yes. This will definitely happen.
Lessons from the Screenplay Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, duh!
I've watched this movie three times already and I keep wanting to watch it again and again. It's so beautifully well made.
i’m LOVING your videos
You are amongst many people who have inspired me to write again and for that, I must thank you sir! Keep up the great work, you’re content is engaging while being both informative and entertaining all at once! I love how we are taken on a journey through the films from the perspective of the literature and the challenges screenwriters face when attempting to match their original intentions in the script with their ability to effectively communicate them on screen is very interesting!
The Incredibles please?
Best-written superhero movie ever IMO
TJ Hastie Incredibles or Dark Knight. Tough call. Visual storytelling or characters?
The Dark Knight doesn't actually have that strong of a script; it's mostly the filming of it and the acting that makes it good ... that and it's a superhero movie that both has an *actual* amount of action in it and it isn't tacky; it's more about what the Dark Knight *ISN'T* than what it actually is.
Samuel Wallace Ah, I'm still learning how to tell good writing from good directing from good acting.
+Samuel Wallace In what way did The Dark Knight lack a strong script? I thought Harvey Dent's arch was brilliant. The Joker's ideology was disturbing smart. Rachel's decision between Bruce and Harvey was also very introspective. The concise dialogue was also very admirable.
These analyses really let me appreciate how amazing films can be!
Great video once again! Can I suggest maybe at least once, you pick a really bad film and discuss why it failed in terms of writing?
for example, Nine (starring Daniel day-Lewis and Marion Cotillard); the screenplay for it is terrible af but everything else in that film is perfect
i agree with you 100% !
Hezekiah Pabico interesting idea
That was actually a very brilliant breakdown. Good work!
Thank you! :)
From the bottom of my heart i would like to you thank you for making this masterpiece.... You deserve all the love and appreciation in the world my Friend.
Absolutely love this channel, I'm never disappointed. Have you taken a look at Sorkin's MasterClass on screenwriting? Also - I'd like to see a lesson on a fantasy screenplay, maybe Pan's Labyrinth?
A fantasy screenplay would be cool. And I have not done his MasterClass...I am curious, but didn't want to influence this video and end up just repeating what he says or something.
Mickey really curios about this as well. I'm thinking about taking that class but I'm not sure if it's worth it
SO happy to see that you uploaded a new video, especially one a lot of us have been anticipating like crazy! Thanks so much for actually taking into consideration what your audience wants but also taking time to make it worth doing. As for suggestions, a look into how you see 12 Angry Men would be something I would really be excited for.
A great suggestion! And I'm glad you enjoyed it! I definitely wanted to make it as good as possible since it was such a frequently-requested one.
500 Days of Summer! PLEASE! Or even maybe TV like The Office?
Oooh, good suggestions!
You may not have written a super successful screenplay Michael, but you have the most successful channel on TH-cam about analyzing how to tell stories. You sir, are unparalleled in capturing the key insights of telling the most engaging and rewarding story. I'm lucky to have found your channel.
Brilliant Insightful Analysis. And very helpful how you broke down the different elements and explained them so well with the scenes themselves. I've been on a Sorkin interviews binge and it was brilliant to see a lot of the stuff he said being translated, elaborated on and explained in the context of this film. Big fan of your work :)
This movie was the first movie where I truly noticed the Screenplay. I was actually just blown away by how brilliant it was and, for the first time, made an effort to find out who wrote it, what other things they've written etc. I then read the screenplay on it's own to truly appreciate how great it was.
Best film score I ever heard too, seriously this film might be the most clean-cut, hard-hitting masterpiece of all time
I could've watched a whole hour of this, I envy your ability to precisely analyze the strong points in screenplays. As a writer these videos are very helpful! Keep up the great work!
Awesome! Thanks so much :)
absolutely amazing! you are able to capture each thing that makes a certain movie great even down to the slightest details. fincher is one of my favorite directors, and i truly fell deeper in love with his work due to your video. watching your videos inspired me to pursue a career in film production! you are my favorite channel! :D
Actually incredible analysis. I've watched a few of these videos relentlessly for the past hour or so. I feel they've really impacted my writing, and I'm talking about fiction. So I just want you to know that I appreciate how many lessons are layered within each of yours videos. Keep it up.
This is the first time I've watched one of your videos and watched the film you discussed immediately afterward. I can't tell you how much it changed my viewing experience for the better! Already loved this movie and I just felt like I got so much more from it with your commentary fresh in my mind. Keep up the great work. You allow films to give me so much more and I am so grateful for that!
Great video Lessons, We did on on the Social Network as well, curious what you think about it.
Thanks! I'll have to check it out!
I would LOVE it if you did "Moonlight", one of my favorites movies from last year, and I think it has a pretty tight script. Love your channel thank you!!
I loved this! I think this is my favorite of the videos you've done so far. It's so insightful and I love feeling like I've actually left TH-cam smarter!
Awesome! Can't get better feedback than that!
Thank you for this. Just re-watched this the other night by chance, and seeing this pop up on my recommended videos was like a godsend. Truly insightful content.
Awesome! Thank you :)
I just love your editing. It's very clear that you put a lot of effort into these videos and they're so engaging.
I'm not saying it's easy but looking at it like this it's actually beautifully simple.
I watched this movie for a class multiple times a few years ago, this scene was so fun to watch. I figured it out on the second watching lol. Amazing movie, very inspiring in some ways.
Sorkin and Fincher together could be one of the greatest combinations in film history. I remember hearing about this movie thinking “how are they gonna make the creation of Facebook any kind of interesting?” I’ve never been happier to be proven wrong
I just want to say thank you for this Channel, honestly. You have aided me in every step of the way in the short films I post on this platform, especially my most recent one. You've helped me have an idea of how to formulate a script and characters. Especially with action that describe the characters thoughts and feelings. Your channel is so original and great. Thank you so much , you've helped a generation of filmmakers make their art.
Excellent video, man. You're a master at analyzing screenplays. The Social Network is one of the best screenplays of the decade. It's not only the dialogue, it's the way a very complex story is told and how smoothly it blends together. That is so hard to do.
Anyway, I'm hoping to see Her sometime soon.
Thanks for the videos! Keep it up!
Really enjoyed your deconstruction of Sorkin's writing on this one. Admittedly, I'm already in awe of Aaron Sorkin's hyper-paced and relentless writing style, and the rich dialogues. More so now, after Steve Jobs. This brings me to a humble request: Please deconstruct any of the many beautiful scenes from Steve Jobs. Perhaps, one of the numerous heated exchanges between Jobs and his mentor Scully, or between Jobs and his work-wife Joanna.
This was so great, I enjoyed the way you analyzed every single detail from beginning to the end.
Thank you!
DO Memento
andrim that would be good.
The prestige would be fucking awesome too
as well as arrival
This has to be your best work yet! (and that's saying a lot)
I've never felt so astounded at screenplay, really really good job and keep it up
Thanks Azril!
This is your first video I’ve seen and must say it’s awesome. Love how you distilled each auteur’s idiosyncrasies into a clear and concise video.
Please do a Pulp Fiction analysis
I "thumbs up" your videos before I watch them. I just love you so much!
:)
Can you do something from Lars Von Trier? Dogville for instance.
Excellent... Thank you - - - and...congratulations!
I’m watching this video days after watching Molly’s Game.The non-linear structure in storytelling was also used there and I loved it. The essays are so well written on this channel. I Love Aaron Sorkin and I love this channel
7:10 The stage version of A Few Good Men has flashbacks though; even the movie has some. Lots of plays are non-linear.
It took me a long time to watch this movie. The premise seemed boring and I couldn't imagine how a movie about that subject matter could be interesting. Its one of the best movies ive ever seen, ever.
Incredible editing and extraordinary content! I love this channel, keep up the good work, Michael!
Thank you! :)
This video is a piece of art. Everytime I come back to it I wanna watch the movie again.
Thank you so much for this, man. This is such a great film, and dialogue is also my specialty and passion. So this speaks to me on a very personal level and has given me some fantastic new techniques to work on and incorporate into future works.
Awesome! Glad to hear it's helpful :)
I would love to get your analysis of the screenplay of Good Will Hunting. It's one of my favorite movies and I think Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote beautiful dialogue.
Agreed. That movie is pretty great. :)
Not going to lie, I always get a bit giddy when I see a new one of these go up, the quality is always fantastic. I like how you touched on the collaboration between creative minds to better the end product. As Dalton Trumbo once said, being a screenwriter is like building a ship, and directing is like being the captain, and holy shit can you ever tell that ship was made for Fincher to sail.
Also: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH PULP FICTION!
Beautifully said! :D
The Social Network is as close to perfect as a movie can get. You just want to live inside of its world forever.
It really is amazing when you think about it, how two distinctive styles, Fincher's and Sorkin's, managed to meld together so perfectly. Truly shows how talented the two of them really are.
When I saw the first scene of the Social Network, I was so confused. Like they were talking so fast, now that I can read it it makes so much sense. Thank you for showing me this👍
👍
Fantastic video, as always! Question -- How do you animate the audio levels in your video (11:52) when you're matching it to someone's narration/VO? I can never figure that out!
Thanks! There's a built-in effect called "Audio Spectrum." Here's a tutorial on one way to do it: th-cam.com/video/8J3JJoA7NYU/w-d-xo.html
I really don't understand why Fincher always is marked as a "visual director", because: his shots are actually very down-to-earth and classic in the most time. Also his color grading is very calm. What's actually really unique is the timing and rhythm. in this respect he is a genius and perfectionist !
Hey, can you do something on City of God or any Kurosawa movie?
Ooh, good suggestions!
Yes please, +1 on City of god
High and Low, Rashomon of course Seven Samurai would all make great videos.
I feel the temptation of standing up and clap every time I watch any of your videos man. Amazing, amazing job.
I can't tell which is better, the movie or the video you make about them. Thank you for showing me that no matter how much I love a movie there is always more to love. Loved this movie, loved this video, loving you channel; please never stop making videos!
Studio 60 is SO underrated, I don't like all of the cast and the comedy performed on the Studio 60 stage falls flat at times, but I love this series so much!
i think you should do Locke (2013). It's amazing how you can do a 85 min film with only an actor and a car. Plus it's a overlooked film.
Interesting. I'll have to check that one out.
I would just like to say that this is one of my favorite channels on youtube. It honestly makes me look at films in a completely different perspective and for that I thank you.
Sorkin + Fincher = masterpiece.
Great breakdown of Sorkin's technique!
Just finished Trials of Chicago 7. Would love to see you do another one on Sorkin!
I wish this channel, Every Frame a Painting and Now you See Me could all collaborate on one massive project. Like have a topic and all give their opinion thru their unique perspectives.
Could be fun!
Brilliant editing. Your videos are beyond excellent. You should do a video on the silly brilliance of The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
Dude, you have your style down better than anyone else on TH-cam. And it works so perfectly for what you’re talking about. That kinda sensibility is what rakes in the views, I bet.
Yes!!!! The Social Network is one of my fav screenplays of all time so I buy this video so much! Awesome.
Awesome :)
Oh, if we take suggestions, that i recommend with all my heart the first ten minutes of Serenity. It is the PERFECT opening of a film, without flaw or blemish. And among the best 10 minutes of cinema ever. Heck, i'll write the episode for you if you want.
I guess I should see Serenity then..!