Using the Story Circle to Structure Your Screenplay
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 มิ.ย. 2024
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Today I'm taking a look at script structure and what I believe is the best way for you to think about story structure, whether you are figuring out your full script, an act, or even a scene.
Dan Harmon’s on his Story Circle: channel101.fandom.com/wiki/St...
Charlie Kaufman’s Talk Speech on Screenwriting: • Charlie Kaufman | BAFT...
Films and Television Shows Used:
Jurassic Park
Adaptation
Star Wars: A New Hope
The Avengers
Community (TV show)
Rick and Morty (TV show)
The Dark Knight
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Interstellar
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#StoryStructure #ScriptStructure #StoryCircle - ภาพยนตร์และแอนิเมชัน
Get Practical Tools to Write Your Great Screenplay: www.practicalscreenwriting.com
instablaster...
It does though really
1. I am standing like always.
2. I want to move.
3. I begin moving, entering a new situation of movement.
4. I adapt by planting my foot.
5. I have moved.
6. But I used up some energy.
7. I return to being still
8. But I am moved.
Exactly! 😂
Lmao
Sounds like a great story
Mmm, metaphorical
This story moved me
Almost every video about filmmaking has Heath Ledger's joker as the thumbnail lol
Because it works!
TPK Productions the dark knight is one of the best written movies
@@ScaredStraightProductions So true!
Yepp, trying to cash in on somethnig popular.
@Cameron Carter the thing is, if you remove Batman from the story it wouldn't be the same regardless... the whole story would be different as a result. That's like saying someone walks into a dark room holding a flashlight, so let's replace the flashlight with a banana.
I get what you mean, that a lot of the pull and attraction to The Dark Knight is the Batman and Joker elements, but the reason why this is a "good movie" is because it is well-structured, even if you don't believe it to be well written. It's a realistic exploration of fictional comic symbols which proved that there is substance to those very characters. So in that way, the story wouldn't work unless Batman were in the role as he is.
Writing is so lonely sometimes. I'm PUMPED to be a part of a community of writers like this.
True. It's hard and it can be devestating. But the best reward is when someone read and doesn't tell you it's good, but tells you actually why they think it's good. And the best answer to get is: Because I can relate to it.
I think writers such as Ernest Hemingway would relate
all work and no play makes jack a dull boy
Not really, you're with the characters of the story
If you have any stuff you’ve written that you want to share, I’d love to hear it! I’m a filmmaker and always looking for good story’s and scripts! Insta @chelseabutz
Story Circle is very similar to Store Circle.
o 1. Customer is in a zone of comfort.
o 2. Customer is in the need of a product.
o 3. Customer ventures out and enters a store.
o 4. Customer adapts to unfamiliar prices.
o 5. Customer thinks he gets what he wants.
o 6. Customer pays a heavy price for it.
o 7. Customer returns to his familiar situation.
o 8. Customer hopefully feels at least temporarily satisfied.
I wonder who came up with this circle before Dan? It's like salesmen are writing movies these days. Predictable, forgettable, snackable, marketable content. Where are the artists?
@@samuelfaict5755 I think it all depends on the real goal of the story; income vs. art.
That's not to say those two can be combined, but with the media nowadays movie makers can entertain an entire planet if they're up to it, so the movies produced can be streamlined a whole lot.
Leto85 hahahha
Samuel Faict Its originally called the Hero’s Journey. I dont remember the name of the man who discovered it but he did so by studying and comparing religious myths and stories and found that all of them had this core story structure which he called The Hero’s Journey. Dan Harmon’s story circles is a more simplified version of it
@@mikehawkertz9237 the man was Joseph Campbell who wrote a book called hero with a thousand faces .
I accidentally clicked this video (I’m not in the film world at all) but ended up watching the whole thing and really enjoyed the concept of the story circle. If nothing else, I’ll use it to tell interesting bedtime stories to my future children.
You like this, you ought to look into K. Campbell's Hero's Journey. This is a streamlined version.
“So you want future children but...” [sips hot cocoa, brings down mug to reveal marshmallow mustache] “...at what cost...? Hm?”
Wow, you'll be a cool dad.
Instead of bed time stories, write your life story. It’s a story nobody else can tell but you. Then Sell it, cause there always somebody wanting to read it and enjoy it.
JackAlope !, Joseph Campbell wrote about the Hero’s Journey.
It kinda reminds me of the "Yes/But" and "No/And" writing tactic
- Characters don't achieve goal (NO), (BUT) there's some glimmer of hope.
- Characters do achieve goal (YES) (AND) something goes wrong.
Why the second is ”yes, and” and not ”yes, but”? I mean, how do ”and” and ”but” differ in the context of this technique? Unfortunately, I can't find it on Google.
@@joech1065 same thing, you can put yes/but instead of yes/and , i probably wrote it wrong.
yes/but - there's a win, BUT something goes wrong
no/and - there's a loss, AND something gets worse
no/but - there's a loss BUT theres a glimmer of hope
The change Batman goes through is not that he now kills, (and is a debate whether he does kill him or not depending on your point of view) you can see he goes back to not killing in the third movie. His change is in his struggle to reconcile his inner view of the world and how he wants the world to see him (as a symbol), he changes in that he no longer cares what gotham thinks of the symbol of Batman as long as Gotham itself is secure and becoming a better place.
correct
Interesting thoughts. He absolutely kills Harvey. I'd be interested to hear how that is up for debate.
@@TylerMowery I agree he kills him, but I've had conversations with people who are convinced he didn't because he didn't intend to and that he fell the same fall and didn't die so they argued Harvey's death was an accident because a fall from that hight wouldn't kill you, etc. Yet to me, he killed him wether he wanted or not. I said it is debatable in my comment because I've had debates about it with people hahaha! Although I do stand on the fact that his moment of change is not marked by killing Harvey but by starting to act in ways he wouldn't have before... And a good example is the fact that he saves Reesse in the middle of the day (he never did Batman stuff in day-time, let alone do it to save someone who could and was going to out him as Batman)showing his change of mind before the climax.
fabroc8
I believe that his change was to realize that only someone who's willing to do the dirty work can be the protector of Gotham and not a squeaky clean person. He wanted Harvey to be the white knight but was corrupted. The dark knight wasn't corrupted so by the end he learns that someone who does the dirty work themselves can be the protector of Gotham.
At the midpoint of the story, where the hero gets what they want, Harvey declares “I am the Batman” and is taken in. Batman wants Harvey to be the new protector for Gotham. Harvey can’t handle the problems the protector of Gotham would face since he turns to two face.
The joker wanted to prove that everyone is corruptible. Throughout the whole film the joker was blackmailing people and corrupting them into betraying the good guys. At the end he even tries to make the two boats blow each other up. And you always end all the smaller story narrative problems first before the main one. The last problem Bruce solved was stopping Harvey from going to kill Gordon’s family.
The whole story is about corruption and how the incorruptible are the only ones who can be the protectors of Gotham.
That’s always been my position too.
4:13 LMAO RIGHT AFTER THIS EXPLOSION I GOT A MASTERCLASS AD AND IT WENT “damn it! How could this have happened?”
"Let me give you a piece of advice. No one in life ever starts a sentence with dammit."
That’s epic!
Lmao, I got the same ad at that same moment
THAT HAPPENED TO ME TOO LMAOOO
How perfectly timed
THIS IS THE EXACT VIDEO IVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR FOR YEARS.
After hearing Charlie Kauffman's speech at BAFTA, I was convinced story structure was a "cog in the machine".
And ever since, have been trying to find a middle ground between the extremes of no structure and a structure.
This video perfectly described it, establishing the structure to be a guideline rather than a rule, describing how some may fail, and including an exclusive purpose from one of my favorite screenwriters to have ever lived on the earth, Charlie Kaufman
Kaufman is fantastic!
"Helping you get unblock" is the best reason to use this method. This is a very clear breakdown of a story circle. Every writer should try writing structurally just to see how it feels. There isn't one method that works for every writer, but sometimes it's good to change it up.
Argh, I love your channel but you missed the critical parts of Dan Harmon's story circle. Its a tool. Let me explain - You come up with an idea in your head. Maybe four scenes or a beginning and a climax. Doesn't matter. The idea of the story circle is to place your ideas down in their corresponding place on the circle, then use the tool to help flesh out the legs of your story's missing points. That's why its an 'unblocker'. If you have writers block, go back to the story circle and find out what you're missing.
Also you forgot to mention that the lateral line between 3 and 9 o'clock is the descent into the dark room, the top half of the circle is order, the bottom half chaos. If the top half of the circle is your nice, clean house, the bottom is your basement where the lights don't work and nobody ever goes down there. The difference between 1 and 6 should be in 100% opposition from each other. The farthest point from normality and 'the zone of comfort'.
I love your videos and hard work, keep up this fantastic channel.
Without all of this ^ the story circle is basically 3-Act structure put in a circle.
can you link something which speaks about these points?
please and thanks :)
@@rixbase check out studio bindors video on this topic
Thankss for this
@@vlc-cosplayer I waited tables for almost 20 years. I've served enough tools in my lifetime. So thank you for that sentiment. Also thanks to the original commenter. I watched all the way through this video trying to figure out what was so genius or revolutionary about this model. Wasn't until I read this comment that the originality of this perspective clicked. Side note: I kind of feel like the video creator forced some square pegs into round holes to make Dark Knight fulfill the story circle model through four acts. It does not put the protagonist in a familiar or comfortable situation to simply "still be Batman". He's Batman during all the other situations as well.
I came across this video six months ago and it single-handedly changed my entire scriptwriting process from having a single idea to developing the storyline to actually writing the script. Thank you so much.
*building blows up*
The ad: "Damn it, how could that have happened?"
Lmao
That circle is an interesting approach, especially since it's usuable in the entire story and every scene.
That's one of the things I love about stories; every scene is a small story in its own, with needs, goals, and opstacles.
I like it how you also approached the fact that full focusing on story structure isn't a guaranteed either to write a good one. It's a creative process after all.
When I first read about this I started to think about serialised TV series. And you can see this structure over the entire show, over each season, each season 'act' over each episode then act then scene. Obviously this only works for shows that run their entire course and some shows fall out of this structure (usually when they jump the shark) but it's interesting
Mr. Mowery, I truly feel you do an amazing job of explaining screenwriting as an art. You are an inspiration as well as a great teacher to help even someone as dull as me understand the power of storytelling. You are a true testament to the craft. Godspeed and continue to do the amazing work you are doing. God bless.
These beautiful explanations, interpretations, and analogies of yours make your videos so much more lovable. Hands down the best video that I have watched on screenwriting so far.
Loved this video. I wrote down the story circle with the words “Help others feel less lonely” in the center. Already I can tell this is going to help tons. Thanks for the video!
I've watched at least a dozen videos about Harmon's Story Circle and yours is by far the best. Well done.
I’m glad you mentioned what Charlie Kaufman said at the end there. Story structure is only a tool to tell a story, but what’s the most important is that you have something to say in the first place.
This is the most thorough and clear explanation of Dan Harmon’s story circle I have found. Other videos check the boxes by mentioning the steps but fail to explain what they actually mean. Thank you for putting this together. Well done.
Really well done. One of the best explanations of Harmon's Story Circle I've come across. Thank you for this.
This is probably the best and most easily understood explanation of the story circle I've ever seen. Great video!
This helps me a lot, I've been looking through the lens of the whole story just relying on the structure, but I never thought too much about how the acts are structured themselves, than you
I was so stuck and I know what I’m writing needs to be told but I was lacking structure. This helped me so much. If I get to successfully pitch my script I’m definitely thanking you for it.
But I’m gonna thank you now for helping me to move on with it. This is so well narrated and edited. Well done!
I just want to say thank you for putting so much effort into these videos because they are very helpful and so interesting to watch.
I'm loading up on information and ideas of different storytelling techniques to finish a long-overdue project. These tips are worth a fortune.
Glad to hear it!
You're giving Dan Harmon credit for what is really just a boiled down hero's journey. In fact I think he's said as much in past interviews.
It is still Harmmon's method. The hero's journey as a method doesn't work. It was never intended as that. That's why Harmmon had to create this method.
I won't dispute that it is instructive as a method and that it his own approach, but it's still derived from the hero's journey, whether or not that was the original intention.
The point of the video is not to discuss what Harmon based his story circle on, but to give an example of how to use a structure in storytelling. Anyone who's making a video about the story circle will obviously know where it came from, wouldn't they?
I find your episodes very informative as if I'm taking a real course in Screenplay Writing. I'm learning a lot. I believe you deserve to know that you really have a natural teaching skill. Things are simplified for audience like me who doesn't have any background in Writing Narratives. Thank you so much.
I've been watching your Complete Screenwriting Masterclass series to help with my screenwriting class as I write my own story for the class. This video was amazing in helping me look at the story circle in a new way that I haven't before. Thank you so much for this video and the whole series, it is helping me so much with the story I'm creating and is making me think about how I want to develop as a writer in the future.
I’m so happy I found this TH-cam channel. Great job man!
Best analysis of Harmon's Story Circle, hands down. Extremely helpful, thank you!
This video has been super helpful, thank you so much for making it! Now, whether I'm stuck on an entire act of my story, a segment of it, or even a single scene, I can come back to this and untie a lot of knots of confusion!
Hi, Tyler Mowery. I'm from Indonesia and really really thankful to you for this tremendous video. This knowledge can't be paid with anything. Truly thank you and owe you for this video.
Thank you. This was exactly what I needed right now, having doubts about the structure in the book I am writing.
I dont like the generic three act structure, due to it mainly just creating the same story over and over, as can be seen in Hollywood films. This is far more useful, opening up the freedom of creativity.
I'm proud of you. Best professor I never paid for. Masterful. I hope every movie studio has you on their radar. Your lessons leave me crying and basking in thought. That's pretty good. In fact, it's a damn good start to a story. I'm thinking Fight-Club meets Dead Poet's Society.
I don't know why this made me so emotional, but it really touched on something. I have been struggling to complete one of many novels and as I watched this video, so many thoughts popped into my mind that I had to force myself to finish the video first. I am so glad I opted to view this because it has helped me to see a few things more clearly.
Loved this video! Especially the Charlie Kaufman quote. Touches on something so inspiring. Showing yourself in your story and in turn inspiring others.
I'm a novice screenwriter and I've been refreshing my basics on the story structure and this is the best explanation and example of the usage of the story circle that I've seen so far. Already requested to be a part of your Facebook group. Looking forward to learning more things from you
Glad the video was helpful!
Incredibly helpful! I needed to see this. I've studied other structures and this has by far made the most sense to me. Thank you!
I just realized that I was already following your group on facebook. Once again, thank you for your fantastic learning videos on writing techniques. You're amazing.
This was amazingly insightful, I've recently started out on my journey to write. I'm currently trying to research as much as i can & get a good grasp of how this world works. This video helped tremendously! Broken down so well and easy to digest, I've subscribed and look forward to future and past video's!
This is probably the best story structure/elements that I've learned. Thank you!
thank you for making such an in depth video about this story structure model. i've only ever heard of syd fields formula, and it felt too structured and intimidating for a beginner. your videos are so helpful!
That Kaufmann quote explains exactly why Harmon's Community reached a fandom so devoted. It's certainly why it reached me.
Tyler, I just want you to know that I took three university level screenwriting courses and I have learned more from your videos than I learned in any of those classes. Many thanks for your hours of work 🙏
I've been binge-watching videos to help me with my writers block. It's helping a lot and giving me motivation to open my laptop and start writing again. Thank you.
Glad they have been helpful!
Dude, wonderful job. Clear, precise, logic, you've just helpt 3 frenchies for their first documentary cheers.
Glad you were helped by it!
Literally JUST stumbled across your channel and subscribed... 30 seconds later you post this haha. 10/10
damn 5 years later bro...
I just got done reading The Writer's Journey by Vogler, and one interesting aspect of all this that he mentions is "mirroring". After doing some research into this, it really makes sense to me that the second half of the story should mirror the first half. For example, if the story begins with a person being born, it could end with his/her death. If in the first half the person is running from the law, the second half could be about them willingly facing justice. For me, this creates a certain harmony and resonance.
I have a interest in creating my own comic book and you have captured the essential elements I was looking for in less than 20 minutes. Great video my brother I really appreciate it.
This video was fantastic. Much needed to ascertain focus in my writing. Also, that Charlie Kaufman quote about others relating to what we create it truly resonated with me. I joined you FB community as well. Great job. Keep going man!
Thanks for the video. I am a new writer and I am grateful I came across this video because it gives a great example of how the story lines fit with the movie. I see myself also using the format for my podcast and my next book.
I'm glad you thru in the bit from C Kaufman. When I tried to write, I had great structure but there was something missing. Now I know. Perhaps it's time to make up a new screenplay.
This is amazing! Been learning about story structure for a while and stumbled upon Harmon's circle. And as I cross reference your video with other writing paradigms, there are so many similarities. I also seemed to notice some things about the use of the circle that opened my eyes more. For example, #6 on the circle tends to be some kind of dramatic twist/unexpected turn of event that affects the "hero" so I shouldn't always be shoehorned into thinking literal "pay a heavy price".
And with #4, this is where obstacles arise and the "hero" adapts to (overcomes) them. It can go back and forth between #3 and #4 (unfamiliar situation arises, "hero" adapts, rinse and repeat) until they reach #5, "Get what they want". I'm still working on a way to add #2 into the mix with #3 and 4. Maybe I'll add #3.5 in that, after entering an unfamiliar situation, there may be a new want while still having an over arching want (#2) for the circle (probably best used on a micro level instead of the macro level).
Im done rambling lol
Yea the Story Circle is a great tool!
I’m taking a screenwriting class this next semester, and your videos are super helpful to me! I’m an actor, so writing isn’t necessarily what I’ll be doing the rest of my life, but I think it’s really important for me to learn about storytelling from all aspects of production in order to change my perspective of my own work. Anyway, thanks for making these concepts super digestible for my simpleton brain lol
Glad you’re enjoying the videos!
This is really great! Learned stuff and looks nice. Great video man!
Loved this one, very helpful.
Thank you.
This page is worth billions. Subscribed
Great video and a great concept that I think will aid in freeing writers from what can sometimes be formulaic writing, I know it is for me, every time I try to make sure to hit all three acts, the inciting incident, the mid point and plot points it almost takes the creativity out of writing. So I think this could bring that creativity back.
You put so much work into these videos and I appreciate it
This guy is giving us gold!!!
Thank you Tyler! These videos are very helpful for beginning screenwrites like me.
I'm happy I came across your videos. I love the story circle.
I'll be watching this more than once. Good vid. Thumbs up.
Amazing. I guess what made me enjoy this video was that my currently-in-the-works script shockingly fits this circle, and I actually never heard of it. Encouraged, and am checking out the group.
What Charlie Kauffman said is so Beautiful.
I really enjoyed this. I like seeing things broken down and explained into something that I can follow and us that makes sense. Thanks for this video. :D
omg !.. I've been rewatching the dark knight for over 11 years and Im still learning new thing about it
Thank you so much for this video and other valuable information. I'm so happy I discovered Tyler's channel!
This is a GREAT VIDEO. Thank you very much for your work on this channel. 🙏
Keep up the good work man. Love your content. Keep it coming.
Mr. Tyler Mowery, you are just simply beautiful. I am new to your videos, and I love all of what I have seen so far. This one here . . . is so teachable that it directs you on how and what to do when revising your scripts or plot narrative(s). This video might introduce concepts, but it serves also as that end of the process check you need to conduct just before you submit for competition, pitch, or produce. Thank you!
This is so so so brilliant. I loved your video so much. So helpful
You made me subscribe as soon as I learned something. Awesome video!
Subscribed after 2 videos, you are wicked smart and making me look at things way different than previous video essays
Thank you! Glad you’re enjoying the videos!
Just came across this channel. Great work. Can't wait to explore more. Thanks for your insights!
This whole method is based on Hero's Journey
Yeah it's really wild that this video is blowing peoples mind.This is very literally english literature 101.
@@danielhammond2212 Exactly
“Dan Harmon observed” I think he means Dan Harmon read “the hero with a thousand faces”
Not gonna lie, I learned about the Hero’s Journey in 10th grade and never again so I completely forgot about it until you made this comment and now I’m running over to it for help because I remember now that I thought it was helpful all those years ago. Smh my memory is crap and this confirms it
The Bible says, “Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Pro. 27:5, 6
Man, WTH, youre a genious! I wish someday to be this level of clever. Love your videos!
A good foundation to start and to review for those who have attempted to write and wonder were to begin in the jungle of information.
This is so much like being in a master class. Thanks again!
Really helpful! Able to start screenplay based on the videos and books! Never thought i can learn screenplay writing without entering the filmschool!!!
Its the best video on youtube for writing...thnk u so much♥️
Hey just learned about your channel. Lots of great writing channels out there, but for what it's worth, this is the one that managed to get me out of my creative rut. So subscribed and ringing the bell. :) Keep it up.
Glad to hear it! Thanks for subscribing!
This video was wild! Absolutely amazing to a newbie like me, I learned so much!
This has become a game changer, thanks for this!
I am not a screenwriter but I definitely appreciate this, I hope it'll help my videos. I know it will. Well done Thank you~
I like your essay. It's easy to understand. a bit long but good. I like that your message in the end is that a good story is actually more like a feeling. Like Kaufman says. Being you and stating the even if not writing with the story circle in the end you still got it accidentally. I never think about the story circle, never heard of it. But I alwyas got most of the important points for the story circle to work.
GREAT VIDEO!! You should be genuinely proud!
Good Work on Exemplifying the Story Circle
It broaden my mind. I used to know the traditional one. thank you.
But Dark Knight inbetween its points has a lot of details that make the point, some run longer and more complex than the other.
Dan Harmon's structure is easy to assign AFTER the story is already set.
Great channel you have, my man! Thanks for your work!
Using this concept, I outlined my first feature length screenplay. I used the story circle for the overall storyline/plot. I then divided my story into three acts and applied the story circle to each act. I can't believe how neatly everything fit together. The only two beats from Dan Snyder's 15 beats that I was able to fit into my outline were the very first and the very last to further illustrate my main character's growth. Other than that, the story circle works much better than the 15 beats and provides a bit more clarity than the three act structure diagram.
Great vid. I didn't know Harmon, and it's a different way to look at the story than the proposals of Field, McKee and Snyder. Thank you.
Dude, check out his tv shows Community, and Rick & Morty. Masterfully written and hilarious. You've missed out big time on his awesome work. Also Harmon Quest, but it's not as good.
@@TokisanGames I love Rick & Morty.
Bravo Tyler. This is amazing work that truly inspires.
Thank you!
I speak for all when I say your work is a writer's blessing. First time here, viewing more in the following days.
Thank you for this I keep coming back to it in my own writing!
Thank you for explaining it so well!
ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS VIDEO. Very helpful and extra points by using one of my all-time favourite movies, The Dark Knight. All hail the legendary Heath Ledger! And Chris Nolan!
Great vid! I once read about Harmon's story circle but didn't quite grasp it so I dismissed it, but with your example of the Dark Knight I understand it now, so big thanks for that! ;)