Climax vs Anticlimax - How Should You End a Story?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ค. 2024
- Climax vs Anticlimax - We break the differences and effects of these two ending types.
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Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to Climax vs Anticlimax
01:03 - Climax vs Anticlimax Definitions
02:22 - Chapter 1 - Types of Climaxes
07:02 - Chapter 2 - Types of Anticlimaxes
13:08 - Chapter 3 - Structure
16:55 - Takeaways
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CLIMAX VS ANTICLIMAX - DEFINITION, EXAMPLES, AND EFFECTS
When approaching the end of their story, writers have two options - climax or anticlimax. In most cases, a climax is the most natural and satisfying conclusion but an anticlimax can be just as effective. In this video, we will break down the differences between climax vs anticlimax, the pros/cons of each, and how writers can use either to great effect.
WHAT IS A CLIMAX
A climax is when the main conflict of a scene, act, or story is finally resolved. In more dramatic stories, this might be an emotional peak; in more action-driven stories, this might be a spectacular set piece. In all cases, it is the pinnacle of what that particular story was building toward.
WHAT IS AN ANTICLIMAX
Conversely, the anticlimax is a subversion or denial of that resolution. In a romance story, the two leads may not end up together. In a revenge tale, when the hero finally has their target in sight, they take no action. Most of the time, these anticlimactic endings aren't the product of shoddy writing, they are intentional decisions made by the writer for comedic purposes or to make some larger point.
Even though a vast majority of stories end in a climax, it is not the only option. As a writer, knowing your options can allow you to meet or subvert expectations as you craft the right ending for that particular story.
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Next please do one on what makes a death in a film meaningful.
There's a video already for that
This ain't WatchMojo
Heres another simple take on it. Link below. But you wanna think of what value/role a character brings to the story and its world and what does their abscence create?
th-cam.com/video/YcCSm0a2qLU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=WSU8KhFw9Yl36E6W
Brandon McNulty recently made a really great video on this topic as well
Intriguing concept! We'll look into it.
It's a good trick to save budget. You make a film with unfinished ending and people will think you are a GENIUS.
Scorsese's The Departed is a great example of both an anticlimax (when Leo's character gets killed, though we hoped that he'd kill Damon's character) but also a climax when Wahlberg's character kills Damon's character.
I was thinking of that scene throughout the entire video.
@@XanderShiller Right?
@@alioncaci do you have any film experience and are in nyc?
@@XanderShiller I have film and TV experience, but in Europe. I’m a Vienna-based screenwriter. Here in Austria the filming incentives goes up to 35%.
@@alioncaci why the higher incentive? Vienna is beautiful.. even though I spent 1 day there by accident.
How to end a film with both climax and anticlimax at the same time:
Just show how protagonist blasts his opponent with hand-cannon and immediately roll this text over screen:
"mark collins, age 45, gave himself up to the authorities after the incident. he is now serving a life sentence."
Credits
I love how Once Upon A Time In Hollywood subverts audiences expectations two times: first the Spahn ranch section, slowly building tension as Cliff approaches the house and inside. And of course the second time its climax, (or anti climax that's actually THE climax)where most of the audiences knowledge about real events are subverted in classic Tarantino way. Even if some audience dont know about the real event, they can enjoy what is in accord with the Spahn ranch style climax.
His best movie and it isn't close he subverts his own films there in Tarantino fashion you are expecting some violent encounter at Spahn ranch but it's an old blind dude who really isn't the helpless old man we thought he was ,he seems to be weirdly at peace.
Especially when Tarantino taunts us with "And now the moment you've all waiting for" told by the spokesman on the TV.
Great examples! Those were very effective subversions.
Fascinating analysis! I've often found myself wondering why certain stories just don't quite live up to their promise in the climax. This video really highlighted the difference between a satisfying climax and an anticlimax, and I appreciate the examples used to illustrate each point. As a writer, it's helpful to keep these principles in mind to ensure a more impactful conclusion to a story.
I love you studiobinder! These videos are just as excellent for song writing ❤
You're welcome!
I absolutely love this channel. I'm not a filmmaker but 99.99% of the information is also crucial for graphic novels, so I learn a lot from here (that 0.01% is because I don't have to direct human beings, my actors have no choice but to stay where I draw them haha). I think the only video I skipped once was the one with the steps to make a movie because it wasn't directly related to my format... yet I still watched it later. And I still learned from that one too.
Thank you so much for your time and effort.
Thanks for teaching me about this, now I know where my life's heading
We hope you mean climax and not anticlimax!
@@StudioBinder It's most likely No Country, Since I have zero clue.
wild comment😂
I think Abrupt Ending, works perfectly in sequel movies where a cliffhanger makes audiences to count days for subsequent movies to come. One of the good example would be how Bahubali: The Begining ended when Kattappa kills Bahubali. This made audiences so impatience that they were dying to watch the part two. God, when it finally came, the wait was all worth it.
Great point! It might feel like an unsatisfying ending but it serves a purpose for the next chapter.
2:33 - ABSOLUTELY GRAPHIC! :D
StudioBinder was being cheeky with that one.
@@ceracen Agreed. I love the bonus subtext of Studiobinder's edits.
well done
It's not our fault! Hitchcock did it first. 😉
@@StudioBinder Which leads to a rabbit-hole of wondering where Hitchcock took it from.
Kudos to your script writers for each episode ❤❤❤
Thank you 🙏
Dude you guys are on fire! Thank you always
Once again, thank you for such a valuable lesson in visually storytelling...THE END? (cue laughter, fade to BLACK)
Our pleasure!
Well done, Studiobinder.
Thanks!
Considering the mystery ending, The Thing, such a brilliantly simple movie, perfectly encapsulates the way mystery endings work in a brilliantly simple way. We don't know if either of the two surviving characters is infected. But that means each possibility carries its own meaning. If it's either of the two, then it's a story of self-sacrifice. If it's neither, then it's a very different story, a story of how paranoia destroys hope. And if they're both infected, then it proves how even the titular Thing can't escape the paranoia it creates, dooming itself. And because the film never makes clear which is the case, all three endings are present simultaneously. I think we like stories that make a statement, but we love stories that ask a question, and leave us to contemplate possible answers. That's how the craft of storytelling becomes a conversation, rather than a lecture.
Awesome! The wonderful voice of old narator is here again... ❤❤❤ Many thanks!
Our pleasure!
Ah yes, the old senior narrator voice. I'll watch this 5x more. Thank you studio binder
Mulholland Dr. Crushingly, terrifyingly anticlimactic wouldn't you say? Twin Peaks - Fire Walk With Me is even more tragic. Nightmares for the protagonists.
David Lynch certainly loves his ambiguity!
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it
I’m working on my first limited series and this helped solidify some ideas i had
That's great to hear!
Some people wrongfully take anticlimax as a "bad ending" because it lefts them without the big oomph and often requires from viewer their own interpretation
I am currently putting the story of my long-distance relationship with my girlfriend ❤ on paper, and thanks to this new video I have a clear vision for delivering the climax.
Awesome!
Love these videos!!! Can you do one on dramatic irony?
Thanks! We did a video on irony that includes dramatic irony: th-cam.com/video/Ptwxw6FFmKo/w-d-xo.htmlsi=RbkXQH3otxGgt0UN
If I'm remembering correctly, the actual reason why that scene from Indiana Jones was anti-climactic, was because Harrison Ford had stomach issues, or food poisoning,
and didn't feel well enough to do the entire fight scene. So, Spielberg gave Ford a break by letting him just stand there and shoot the guy.
That's true! If Ford had been well, we might not have gotten this classic moment.
I like how Kingsman did their climax. Not one but three. The first one of the countdown, the second one the loading of the satellite, and the last one, the fight between Eggsy and Gazelle
The act 2 anti-climax example from Fury Road is more commonly known as the Low Point/All Is Lost/Dark Night of the Soul
Very true! That's a great point that some of the most common story structures have something like an anticlimax built in.
My only complaint about studiobinder is these videos are only weekly. Would still love the indie vs major studio video, bechdel test video, and now the most recent thing I can think of in terms of a character is a video covering femme fatales would be interesting. Also would love more “writing process” style videos 👊🏽 ❤
Also…. Random, because he’s so universal and can fit into practically any genre, a video on how Batman, his characters and his world are ideal for on screen portrayals. WHEN DONE RIGHT of course
Great suggestions! Thanks, we'll look into those.
The faster a content creator pops out content, the worse the content becomes. Weekly it's already quite fast. I wouldn't like if they start rushing out content. A good video will always take many days, if not weeks (or even months in long form essays) of research, writing and editing.
Climax versus Anti-Climax.
This is the Clash of the Crescendo in Movies.
Thousand Thanks StudioBinder for this Inspiring video.💯💯
You're very welcome!
Great video.
Thanks!
Biggest anti-climax in television history was GAME OF THRONES !!
यथार्थ
Bruh, Boondock Saints, Will Defoe clip in the intro…. One of my favorite cinematic scenes, ever!!
💯 We should put Dafoe in EVERY video.
@@StudioBinder I wouldn’t hate it one bit! Dude rules!!
Believe it or not we had even more Dafoe in an earlier cut of this video!
@@brandonscullion yeah, y’all clipped something for Spider-Man also, right?
*Could ya make a video on "How Many Types of Documentaries Are", I mean genres??* ❤
Great idea! We might have something for you soon.
*Could you make a video on Concepts of Ideology in Filmmaking, it's very important part of filmmaking that dominates films throughout the world.❤❤*
That sounds interesting but can you give us an example? There are all kinds of ideologies out there.
@@StudioBinder *Whatsoever you feel you can make cuz you've got filmmaking knowledge more than I do!!*
god I love this channel
We love you back! ❤
oh my! Jaws has the ABSOLUTE climax.
My wife is the queen of anti climax. 😅
Hahahaha!
Or maybe the King is just unable to serve his kingdom.
🙈
@@huangjun_art You might be right, I'll let her boyfriend know.
I enjoyed the video but it was a pity that The Sopranos was not mentioned as a classic example of an anticlimax. In the second-to-last episode multiple main characters die and it seems as if a war will break out in the next episode. However, in the final episode this war doesn't happen and the antagonist just dies after no struggle at all before it is left very ambiguous as to what happens to Tony Soprano at the end.
4:40 The Northman is the floppest of flops... the bombest of bombs. I don't know why you guys take that as a reference.
But, other than that excellent video. 👍
The ending of Casablanca is, of course, a great example of an anticlimax.
💯
Telling my gf that her lack of climax was a creative decision on my part
I Will be a movie writer director thanks for sharing your experience
That's exciting! Be sure to thank us at the Oscars.
Can we have more Directing Styles episodes? Recently discovered and rediscovered some cool directors like Yorgos Lanthimos, Lars Von Trier and Nicolas Winding Refn...or maybe do one for some big names like Nolan, Wong Kar Wai or FF Coppola(since you've covered Sofia).
Edit: My last request during David Lynch's episode included Michael Mann, Tim Burton and Guillermo Del Toro(someone also suggested John Carpenter)
For sure! We have more coming soon. And thanks for those suggestions, those would all be great subjects!
The climax and anticlimax of the story is derived from the structure. And that decision depends on the story you are telling. --- Lesson taken. Thank you.
You're most welcome!
Can u do a video on dialogue writing techniques plz. Like how dialogue writers organise and checklist on writing a scene.dialouge is a important part in film . Types of dailogue like qouteable , analytic, gossiping, planning,film style,...etc
Interesting topic! We actually do have a video on dialogue on the list. In case you missed it, we did break down some Tarantino's dialogue in this video: th-cam.com/video/_RNpyhJK65c/w-d-xo.htmlsi=jroWgpaZLX_MHq3v
I'm the best writer! just to get that out of the way!
Hey very nice video.
Can you please make more videos on save the cat for other movies
Thanks for the suggestion! We might have to do that.
Yes
I be waiting 👍
One of the most gut-wrenching anti-climaxes I've ever seen is the ending to The Mist.
For sure! Insane ending.
I don't think The War of the Worlds ending should be here as a poorly used deux ex machina. The 2005 movie did do it poorly but only because it missed the point, which is that humans got lucky this time. It's supposed to be a humbling experience.
My first experience with that story was as a kid when I randomly found my parents CD of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version, which is very different (and much better in every way) but has the same ending with the aliens dying from bacteria, like in the original novel. But it also has the narrator talking about how we were saved by these microscopic organisms after all of mans devices had failed.
We stood no chance and that is made very clear. But the 2005 movie made out like we survived because humans are the best and will always win against any other species just because we're so awesome. I *really* hate that ending.
I seriously recommend the musical, it is amazing.
"Perhaps the Earth belongs, not to us, but to the Martians."
Studio Binder, do you have a location in NYC and how does one apply to work for you?
Many thanks in advance.
We don't and we're not hiring at the moment but you can send your resume to hello@studiobinder.com.
Lots of great movies there, I hope you look at the list at the beginning of the video before spoiling yourself.
That's true! This is by far our most spoiler-ific video.
4:59 oh the adam friedland show
I have a question at the end of my story there is a big reunion of a lot of characters and a massive fight but in the end of this fight everyone including allies enemies and citizens die except protagonist. Is this a climax or anti climax?
It's funny how, with Gene Wilder's passing, him riding off in a limousine feels poignant rather than parodic.
That's true 😥
sad thing you didn't speak about the french film CLIMAX by Gaspard Noe, zhich is after 15min setup a 50min movie of climax... very stressfull
We thought about it actually!
Talk about producer notes
Don't see how you have the claw ending in Toy Story as an improper use of ex machina.
That is the best example of how to use it.
Thanks for the feedback but I don't think we characterized that scene as an improper use. Just that a Deus ex machina could be a type of anticlimax.
Do you have a video on novel adaptations to film ?
No but that's a topic we've discussed. Keep your fingers crossed!
Can you please do a video on Color Theory and Cinematography of The Godfather & The Godfather II.
Furiosa 2nd ACT anti-climax example just made me realize anther nice Charlize Theron movie 2nd ACT anti-climax within The Italian Job. I'd say most conventional heroes journey movies will have a 2nd ACT anti-climax cause of the All Is Lost turning point that's customary in such movies.
That's a great point! Building anticlimaxes into a story creates those peaks and valleys that work so well.
It would be nice to have closed captioning available on these vids.
They've been added now. Thanks!
Sometimes, it’s hard to be an adult
That's the truth!
I feel like Attack on Titan embodies most of these things throughout the show.
Great example!
2:57 Why am I hearing "Nuh Ah!"
🤔
I found myself here again - no regrets.
Welcome back!
Toy Story is not a Deus Ex Machina since it is foreshadowed a lot of times.
That's a fair point, actually!
Once again the video is without subtitles.
Please can you add the caption that helps me a lot.
PS: I love your videos so much.
no. your attention span is already bad enough. stop being a baby lmao
You can turn the subtitles on...
They've been added now. Thanks!
👌👌
🙏
That’s what she said.
😏
@@StudioBinder 🤣 oh, thank you for that. I had to.
The best subversion and anti-climax of all times is the end of the The Third Man.
Ooh, nice choice!
Cool
Gotta say licensing rights?
True
Why?
This video is fair use, as it uses copyrighted works transformatively for the purposes of commentary and criticism, and the portion of each copyrighted work used is small.
That's exactly right!
What I meant was could you do a video about how to get the rights to something?
Is the ending of the original Night of the living dead anti-climiax?
Sorry, can't give out spoilers 😉
one i remember from childhood is all censored kisses he combined from all the movies in the great Cinema Paradiso
Classic!
3rd
Bronze medal! 🏅
@@StudioBinder Yay! My parents are so proud!
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Some movies would be great if have 2-kinds of ends. Plots.
SOME MOVIES SUCK SO BAD. THAT THEY NEED TO TAKE THE SET and REMAKE A GREATOR MOVIE THAT ROCKS. WHAT BLOWS MY MIND IF THE MOVIE SUCKS,1/5 of the way, STOP MAKING IT.
An ending must both be inevitable and unexpected. Sounds like my divorce!
Haha. Sorry to hear that!
As always: List a few films to be spoiled and spoil many more. The reason why I stopped watching the videos, gave it a try again.
Game of Thorne or House is the Dragon story structure Breakdown Plz... 🙏
We'll add it to the list!
HI. I am a subscriber to your channel and your contributions are as extraordinary as they are beautifully didactic and intelligent. But with this video, I'm sorry, and I don't say this arrogantly, but - as they say in Italy - you've made a mess of the Madonna. It's all botched, there is an amateurish confusion where you have hybridized the concept of non-aligned catharsis, with the hopes of the public, and with the concept of anti-climax; there is also a terrible confusion between the concept of anti-climax with the concept of "ending without a happy ending". In reality the problem would also be simple, since the climax is a process - a narrative "crescendo", which in reality does not have its opposite version, in essence it is a false problem. What can exist is only the climax and, at most, a climax that does not resolve the expectations relegated to the spectator's identification process. In reality, if there ever existed a real anti-climax, this could only be such if the narrative somehow regressed and annihilated the process of "crescendo" itself; and this is not what you call in the video "Anti-climax", since in reality you are talking about an unexpected ending. Which then, said in parentheses: ending and epilogue, these are also two different concepts, but now, for convenience, we call it "ending", since the concept would be good for both. The problem, we were saying, is that the distance that divides catharsis from climax - which are certainly two different discussions - is a very short and very thin distance and, while catharsis has an objective counterpart (well described by your other video in question), here the Climax doesn't actually have a real counterpart, it doesn't have any "anti-something". The climax, to put it another metaphor: has no downside. The Climax can only be lost and disregarded, but not have its "anti". It's simply a contradiction in terms. You were too hasty to try to identify a category that can actually be approached by approximation and, the icing on the cake, when you approach it, it merges with the concept of "unexpected ending and missed catharsis". The question of an "anti-climax" is a false problem and a conceptual sophistry. PS, sorry for my English, but I use an automatic translator. Good work
Thank you so much for that feedback! We do our best to condense these rather complex topics but a proper lesson would be more thorough.
Just to be clear, we didn't create the term "anticlimax," this is a generally accepted concept and definition. Whether it was properly named can be debated - you make a good point that if we were to take the "anti" part literally, it would be a different concept altogether.
Climax: Michelle Pfeiffer, _Ladyhawke;_ AntiClimax: _The Acoshyte_ Les[bican]...lye Headland Butter coming out liking men... after all... worse 4 hr Zack Snyder movie since Rebel Mooner Part: Pls stop!
Thanks for watching!
Yeah, No Country For Old Men was a perfect example of how anti-climax ruins a story. That was a long film of "sit and wait to see what happens" with zero pay off. Barely better than that was the equally terrible There Will Be Blood which gave us blood but after sitting and waiting through more nothing.
Why in this video there are no subtitles available like every other video of studio binder.please don't do that again on the next videos
Just turn them on
They've been added now. Sorry about that!
Video starts at 13:15 and ends at 17:00
Actually, it starts at 0:00 and ends at 18:01 😉
Your definitions are wrong. An anti-climax follows after a climax; it’s the downhill slope after the peak, the diminuendo after the double forte, the cigarette after the…
Good video but please ditch the AI narrator and get some human on board. The robotic voice is so distracting.