Excellent video. I'm so glad to hear you articulate the need for the elixir and why it is relevant in every generation for storytelling. We have our own problems these days, but those who learn the story within history know people suffered starvation, plagues, WWI and WWII, people who had no penicillin or anesthesia or decent plumbing. Few lived to the age of 40, yet stories kept the spirit enduring even when the body was in pain. Stories connect to a higher part of ourselves; there is something inspiring, even sacred in the myth. Bringing it down to a mundane level, calling it "subverting expectations" or "made for modern audiences" is defaming the sacred. You can tell when there's no soul inside the story; it may look and sounds like one, but doesn't feel like one. Without the soul, there is only a withered husk. A storyteller is in some ways, a leader, who carries on the words of the past for the generations of the future. And like any leader, some humility is in order to keep the leader from becoming a tyrant (thank you, Jordan Peterson). Humility helps us to make wise decisions and gives us the courage to make personal sacrifices for the sake of others. Those who labor long and hard to give us the modern myth are still revered, because their stories are still remembered and cherished. They are the foundations stones upon which we build our civilizations.
Well said! My next video will deal in parts with the modern writer problem and how to overcome it. Video is centered around Attack on Titan, hopefully I'm done with editing by next week.
@8:30 thats why i dont respect credentials anymore. A lot of idiots can sit in a class and get good grades by blindly regurgitating info. Then they get hired for very big roles via political games and end up making a mess of everything
This will be an ongoing series, Elixir's Undoing and Elixir Manifest and I will get to Marvel and Pixar too. Next one is on Attack on Titan as part of Elixir Manifest. I was really impressed by that show.
Me too what I love about it is: 1. Starts with the original characters before introducing new ones. 2. Remains true to the Karate Kid series unlike Disney’s version of Star Wars. 3. It’s 1 of the great Anti-Woke shows ever. 4. William Zabka has inspired us to be Anti-PC and stand up to Cancel Culture. 5. I wear my Eagle Fang Karate Apparel with Pride. 6. The show has inspired me to practice both Goju Ryu(Miyagi-Do) and Tang Soo Do(Cobra Kai/Eagle Fang).
Loved love you analysis of everything to the audiences and the right people to get everything to a good story and etc. Good job and I'll save this for a reminder.
You're basically talking about a Pre-Modern/Modernist idea of art vs Post-Modernism. Rian Johnson has undoubtedly read all the same script-writing books you're referencing in this video- from Joseph Campbell to Syd Field to Save the Cat. I don't think he understands Star Wars at all, and I think he's quite a bad writer in general but I have no doubt whatsoever that he understands the ideas that you're summarizing as "the elixir". Passing on "the elixir" is not his goal. That is the goal of Pre-Modern and Modernist artists who believe that there are ideals to strive for and pass down the generations and that the world can be changed for good. Rian Johnson is a Post-Modernist. He thinks his job is to deconstruct the very things you're talking about. He thinks his job is to break down meta-narratives and question everything, hence why he has Kylo Ren say "Let the past die, kill it if you have to". He is a moral relativist, hence why he has Luke Skywalker say that "the Jedi must end". He gives us broom-boy at the end to show us that anyone can be Force sensitive and the Force is egalitarian, even though that has been a part of Star Wars since Empire at least). It's also why he regularly establishes setups that don't pay off and why his movies suck. He thinks he is being extremely clever by writing disappointing movies that make very little sense and are completely narratively unsatisfying- he calls this "subverting expectations". A major theme in The Last Jedi is that "we don't need oppressive gatekeeping traditions to show us the way forward, we already have everything we need". This is a Post-Modern point-of-view. He is not even _trying_ to pass the torch in The Last Jedi, hence why the torch is literally thrown over his (Luke's) shoulder in the opening scene. He is trying to tell a story in which the idea of passing the torch is an elitist concept which should be dismantled in order to usher in an egalitarian utopia. Rian Johnson isn't simply a bad writer (which he is). He has a worldview that is completely at odds with what Star Wars is about, and based on that worldview he actively did as much damage as he could to the Star Wars story and the process of passing the torch.
You're 100% right! I wasn't taught the post-modern way. Most of my teachers had a classic view of storytelling and my own stories have always been infused with a classic spirit. I tend to avoid the dichotomy though because of the baggage people associate with both. I tried to express it in neutral terms (I know, it ain't really possible. You always have a value judgment). For me there are stories conducive to human flourishing and those that are not. I prefer the former. Rian Johnson is an atomized individual, so of course the very concept of passing the torch is anathema to him. But I also believe no one gets away with anything and his decisions will come to haunt him. Like some spinster that realizes a cat is no substitute for a child (albeit too late). That's when the real horror of existential dread begins. I just want to reach people that can be reached. Saw a few commentators on my other videos that find my approach to storytelling very helpful in navigating their own stories. That's the best I can hope for while focusing on my own stuff. Star Wars is dead, I couldn't even be bothered to do a follow up video on this to capitalize some more on the outrage. Apathy is the killer of franchises.
@@NarrativeArcade Well said. I was very much taught by post-modernists and it has taken me roughly a decade to undo the confusion it caused. I understand not wanting to get into it in a video like this as it can seem too convoluted, academic, political, divisive and alienating for a general audience. However, I think it can be useful for writers to have an understanding of these big cultural movements so we can better understand what is happening around us and how to make art that actually does serve the audience and the culture at large. Part of what is going on in response to post-modernism is the emergence of 'meta-modernism' or 're-modernism' which is a synthesis of Modernism & Post-Modernism. To put it briefly, meta-modernism is the recognition that yes- we should be skeptical of grand narratives and herd-like groupthink, because history shows us very clearly the danger of that path BUT we should also recognize that the traditions of the past existed to serve deep human needs and keep us collectively sane. We need both healthy skepticism and healthy traditions to cultivate a better world. I think this is what many Star Wars fans (and audiences in general) crave, and have always responded to. In the original Star Wars, Luke Skywalker's skills in the Force are honed by his Jedi training, but he also breaks away from his teachers and uses his own judgement when it is necessary. By balancing both the tradition & discipline of the Jedi with his own individual impulses he defeats the Emperor and helps to create more freedom for others in the world. Good stories throughout history show us the rewards and dangers of different ways of living, and give us the space to learn from those lessons without telling us what to think. Anyway, I didn't mean to discourage you with my response, I liked your video and please keep posting- I have just subscribed to your channel. I am very much interested in what you commented on another video somewhere- that you are getting many more opportunities to pitch recently as someone outside the Hollywood bubble. As a film-maker myself who is mostly outside of the Hollywood bubble as well I would love to hear more about your experiences!
@@Pneumanon No worries, I share a lot of your sentiment. Regarding the opportunities, I simply got fed up with the screenwriting competitions that I used to submit to. After 2020 the quality of readers took a nose dive. I used to receive mostly actionable feedback that improved my writing. After 2020 I would get moral lectures... on jokes lol So I switched tactics by going to film markets. That's what I would recommend: go to film markets and find a producer who likes your screenwriting. To make things easier, I printed small posters for my scripts with one sheets on the back. Had almost three dozen meetings and things are still developing from that. Screenwriting is very oversaturated. So, you have to do the leg work if you can to stick out. There's plenty of studios out there and a good chunk gathers at film markets.
@@NarrativeArcade Great suggestion! I've actually worked in IP development, creating & contributing to pitch bibles as an artist & writer. I always had producers that would take those pitch docs and go to the markets and do exactly what you're talking about. Weirdly enough though, when it has come to developing my own projects I somehow had a complete blind spot and didn't even consider going to markets myself. I had a mental block about how to move forward, and I think you've helped me figure out the answer! Very happy I stumbled on your channel, thanks!
@@NarrativeArcade Most spinsters don't choose to be spinsters, though. They have a cat because a cat is the only companion they can manage to keep. You may think, "What's this gotta do with narrative" but I think many younger folks and the loud complainers that constitute the so-called "modern audience" are spinsters, either literally or figuratively. And the intangible world is making their mental conditions worse. It's easy to escape into oatmeal, have oatmeal friendships online, oatmeal crushes online, consume safe, faux-empowering-self-absorbed-there-is-nothing-wrong-with-me-there-is-everything-wrong-with-me oatmeal entertainment. This is the slop they want. And the more strident ones are actually and secretly unhappy with their lives and preach representation because they can't see the elixir and narrative tools as symbols for larger human conditions. They literally just see a straight white man being heroic and think it's problematic on its face. They see love between a man and woman and call it pushing a heteronormative agenda, even if it's a universally understood symbol of romantic love. When you care more about the demographics, you turn into an anime villain who wants to tear the whole thing down because it doesn't suit THEM, even if they'd grow up and seek care and try to find their own worth, they wouldn't need oatmeal to sorta prop them up and justify their meandering stakeless existences. So perhaps I should amend my original thought. Most spinsters don't initially choose to be spinsters, but they also take insufficient steps to mitigate their flaws and strengthen their positive qualities. It's easier to just shovel the oatmeal in.
7:59 i could never quite put it into words, but yeah thats it right there. Its why anime like Monster, Evangelion, AoT etc have always appealed to me more than simply Naruto (I still enjoy but not as emotionally impacted as many seinen).
No worries. I've added the full reference list in order of appearance back into the description. Going forward I'll add on screen titles when referencing movies and shows in the future. I've seen other channels do that too, seems useful.
Working on it! I'm having pitch meetings fairly regularly, but the mainstream pipeline is filled with gatekeepers. I also got a few things cooking on the indie front too and working on my own stuff. Just takes time, I was still working a corporate job in the games industry quite recently. This channel is just 5 months old, I'm trying to ramp up production for it too.
Star Wars becoming a product is so much worse than it just dying 💀
But star wars has always been a product?
@@ODS3100 Star Wars has had products, excellent ones, yes. But it's existence was for it's own sake, not the sake of money and toys.
Excellent video. I'm so glad to hear you articulate the need for the elixir and why it is relevant in every generation for storytelling. We have our own problems these days, but those who learn the story within history know people suffered starvation, plagues, WWI and WWII, people who had no penicillin or anesthesia or decent plumbing. Few lived to the age of 40, yet stories kept the spirit enduring even when the body was in pain. Stories connect to a higher part of ourselves; there is something inspiring, even sacred in the myth. Bringing it down to a mundane level, calling it "subverting expectations" or "made for modern audiences" is defaming the sacred. You can tell when there's no soul inside the story; it may look and sounds like one, but doesn't feel like one. Without the soul, there is only a withered husk.
A storyteller is in some ways, a leader, who carries on the words of the past for the generations of the future. And like any leader, some humility is in order to keep the leader from becoming a tyrant (thank you, Jordan Peterson). Humility helps us to make wise decisions and gives us the courage to make personal sacrifices for the sake of others. Those who labor long and hard to give us the modern myth are still revered, because their stories are still remembered and cherished. They are the foundations stones upon which we build our civilizations.
Well said! My next video will deal in parts with the modern writer problem and how to overcome it. Video is centered around Attack on Titan, hopefully I'm done with editing by next week.
@8:30 thats why i dont respect credentials anymore. A lot of idiots can sit in a class and get good grades by blindly regurgitating info. Then they get hired for very big roles via political games and end up making a mess of everything
Yep Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and all the franchises need the Cobra Kai treatment🥋🐍🌳🦅
This will be an ongoing series, Elixir's Undoing and Elixir Manifest and I will get to Marvel and Pixar too. Next one is on Attack on Titan as part of Elixir Manifest. I was really impressed by that show.
Me too what I love about it is:
1. Starts with the original characters before introducing new ones.
2. Remains true to the Karate Kid series unlike Disney’s version of Star Wars.
3. It’s 1 of the great Anti-Woke shows ever.
4. William Zabka has inspired us to be Anti-PC and stand up to Cancel Culture.
5. I wear my Eagle Fang Karate Apparel with Pride.
6. The show has inspired me to practice both Goju Ryu(Miyagi-Do) and Tang Soo Do(Cobra Kai/Eagle Fang).
@@tymotekaitis3872 Oh, I meant Attack on Titan but love Cobra Kai too :) It's definitely in my pipeline for an Elixir Manifest video.
Loved love you analysis of everything to the audiences and the right people to get everything to a good story and etc. Good job and I'll save this for a reminder.
You're basically talking about a Pre-Modern/Modernist idea of art vs Post-Modernism.
Rian Johnson has undoubtedly read all the same script-writing books you're referencing in this video- from Joseph Campbell to Syd Field to Save the Cat. I don't think he understands Star Wars at all, and I think he's quite a bad writer in general but I have no doubt whatsoever that he understands the ideas that you're summarizing as "the elixir".
Passing on "the elixir" is not his goal. That is the goal of Pre-Modern and Modernist artists who believe that there are ideals to strive for and pass down the generations and that the world can be changed for good.
Rian Johnson is a Post-Modernist. He thinks his job is to deconstruct the very things you're talking about. He thinks his job is to break down meta-narratives and question everything, hence why he has Kylo Ren say "Let the past die, kill it if you have to". He is a moral relativist, hence why he has Luke Skywalker say that "the Jedi must end". He gives us broom-boy at the end to show us that anyone can be Force sensitive and the Force is egalitarian, even though that has been a part of Star Wars since Empire at least).
It's also why he regularly establishes setups that don't pay off and why his movies suck. He thinks he is being extremely clever by writing disappointing movies that make very little sense and are completely narratively unsatisfying- he calls this "subverting expectations".
A major theme in The Last Jedi is that "we don't need oppressive gatekeeping traditions to show us the way forward, we already have everything we need". This is a Post-Modern point-of-view.
He is not even _trying_ to pass the torch in The Last Jedi, hence why the torch is literally thrown over his (Luke's) shoulder in the opening scene. He is trying to tell a story in which the idea of passing the torch is an elitist concept which should be dismantled in order to usher in an egalitarian utopia.
Rian Johnson isn't simply a bad writer (which he is). He has a worldview that is completely at odds with what Star Wars is about, and based on that worldview he actively did as much damage as he could to the Star Wars story and the process of passing the torch.
You're 100% right! I wasn't taught the post-modern way. Most of my teachers had a classic view of storytelling and my own stories have always been infused with a classic spirit. I tend to avoid the dichotomy though because of the baggage people associate with both. I tried to express it in neutral terms (I know, it ain't really possible. You always have a value judgment). For me there are stories conducive to human flourishing and those that are not. I prefer the former. Rian Johnson is an atomized individual, so of course the very concept of passing the torch is anathema to him. But I also believe no one gets away with anything and his decisions will come to haunt him. Like some spinster that realizes a cat is no substitute for a child (albeit too late). That's when the real horror of existential dread begins. I just want to reach people that can be reached. Saw a few commentators on my other videos that find my approach to storytelling very helpful in navigating their own stories. That's the best I can hope for while focusing on my own stuff. Star Wars is dead, I couldn't even be bothered to do a follow up video on this to capitalize some more on the outrage. Apathy is the killer of franchises.
@@NarrativeArcade Well said. I was very much taught by post-modernists and it has taken me roughly a decade to undo the confusion it caused. I understand not wanting to get into it in a video like this as it can seem too convoluted, academic, political, divisive and alienating for a general audience. However, I think it can be useful for writers to have an understanding of these big cultural movements so we can better understand what is happening around us and how to make art that actually does serve the audience and the culture at large.
Part of what is going on in response to post-modernism is the emergence of 'meta-modernism' or 're-modernism' which is a synthesis of Modernism & Post-Modernism. To put it briefly, meta-modernism is the recognition that yes- we should be skeptical of grand narratives and herd-like groupthink, because history shows us very clearly the danger of that path BUT we should also recognize that the traditions of the past existed to serve deep human needs and keep us collectively sane. We need both healthy skepticism and healthy traditions to cultivate a better world.
I think this is what many Star Wars fans (and audiences in general) crave, and have always responded to. In the original Star Wars, Luke Skywalker's skills in the Force are honed by his Jedi training, but he also breaks away from his teachers and uses his own judgement when it is necessary. By balancing both the tradition & discipline of the Jedi with his own individual impulses he defeats the Emperor and helps to create more freedom for others in the world.
Good stories throughout history show us the rewards and dangers of different ways of living, and give us the space to learn from those lessons without telling us what to think.
Anyway, I didn't mean to discourage you with my response, I liked your video and please keep posting- I have just subscribed to your channel. I am very much interested in what you commented on another video somewhere- that you are getting many more opportunities to pitch recently as someone outside the Hollywood bubble. As a film-maker myself who is mostly outside of the Hollywood bubble as well I would love to hear more about your experiences!
@@Pneumanon No worries, I share a lot of your sentiment. Regarding the opportunities, I simply got fed up with the screenwriting competitions that I used to submit to. After 2020 the quality of readers took a nose dive. I used to receive mostly actionable feedback that improved my writing. After 2020 I would get moral lectures... on jokes lol So I switched tactics by going to film markets. That's what I would recommend: go to film markets and find a producer who likes your screenwriting. To make things easier, I printed small posters for my scripts with one sheets on the back. Had almost three dozen meetings and things are still developing from that. Screenwriting is very oversaturated. So, you have to do the leg work if you can to stick out. There's plenty of studios out there and a good chunk gathers at film markets.
@@NarrativeArcade Great suggestion! I've actually worked in IP development, creating & contributing to pitch bibles as an artist & writer. I always had producers that would take those pitch docs and go to the markets and do exactly what you're talking about.
Weirdly enough though, when it has come to developing my own projects I somehow had a complete blind spot and didn't even consider going to markets myself. I had a mental block about how to move forward, and I think you've helped me figure out the answer!
Very happy I stumbled on your channel, thanks!
@@NarrativeArcade Most spinsters don't choose to be spinsters, though. They have a cat because a cat is the only companion they can manage to keep.
You may think, "What's this gotta do with narrative" but I think many younger folks and the loud complainers that constitute the so-called "modern audience" are spinsters, either literally or figuratively.
And the intangible world is making their mental conditions worse. It's easy to escape into oatmeal, have oatmeal friendships online, oatmeal crushes online, consume safe, faux-empowering-self-absorbed-there-is-nothing-wrong-with-me-there-is-everything-wrong-with-me oatmeal entertainment.
This is the slop they want. And the more strident ones are actually and secretly unhappy with their lives and preach representation because they can't see the elixir and narrative tools as symbols for larger human conditions.
They literally just see a straight white man being heroic and think it's problematic on its face. They see love between a man and woman and call it pushing a heteronormative agenda, even if it's a universally understood symbol of romantic love.
When you care more about the demographics, you turn into an anime villain who wants to tear the whole thing down because it doesn't suit THEM, even if they'd grow up and seek care and try to find their own worth, they wouldn't need oatmeal to sorta prop them up and justify their meandering stakeless existences.
So perhaps I should amend my original thought. Most spinsters don't initially choose to be spinsters, but they also take insufficient steps to mitigate their flaws and strengthen their positive qualities.
It's easier to just shovel the oatmeal in.
Plays "hello darkness my old friend..."
just wanna say that I saw your channel from critical drinker comment
Welcome! Channel is fairly new but a lot more content is on the way!
7:59 i could never quite put it into words, but yeah thats it right there. Its why anime like Monster, Evangelion, AoT etc have always appealed to me more than simply Naruto (I still enjoy but not as emotionally impacted as many seinen).
It hurts. Talking what could have been with Star Wars hurts.
@9:51 yes so correct!
Touche. TLJ just wants to leave a hole and not fill it with anything truly new.
Good shit like usual man, damn enjoyable vid. Keep up the great work!
Came in from lotus eaters podcast.
Welcome! Channel is fairly new but I got big things planned for it!
can you list the movies you reference when talking about the flaw? i know i should probably know but em ... 🤷😅
No worries. I've added the full reference list in order of appearance back into the description. Going forward I'll add on screen titles when referencing movies and shows in the future. I've seen other channels do that too, seems useful.
@8:25 Mark Hamill is a true artist
If he did it, he did the world a service. Star Wars has been creatively bankrupt since 1983.
Brutal assessment hahaha, but hell could freeze over (twice) before they let this franchise end in 1983.
More like 2005, the prequels are nowhere near as bad as people claim.
I get it, man. Could we just get some creatives like you to just do something new?
Star Wars is dead, but we aren't. Let's get it done!
Working on it! I'm having pitch meetings fairly regularly, but the mainstream pipeline is filled with gatekeepers. I also got a few things cooking on the indie front too and working on my own stuff. Just takes time, I was still working a corporate job in the games industry quite recently. This channel is just 5 months old, I'm trying to ramp up production for it too.
That's awesome! And I get it with trying to put yourself out there; it is not for the faint of heart. God speed.
it's dead jim
Please, give me your accent!
😂 I can't. It took some doing to aquire it in the first place. Thanks for watching!