Trey grabbed the marker with a white board right next to him and proceeds to write on an imaginary board. But, he still captivated the students attention. Therfore, he is an amazing teacher.
I did not notice your creative use of "but" and "therefore", and was going to pass by. But then I noticed it and found it amusing. Therefore, I am writing this comment now to give you recognition.
@@marginis "Gonna" is actually an accepted term by modern standards because it's a shorthand term to define certain dialects and forms of speech. Please stop pretending to be knowledgeable, it's making me cringe.
@@StudioMod ...says the one explaining to me the proper use of a dash ...after not capitalizing the first letter of a sentence ...and having what I said completely go over their head. Talk about cringe. Calm down. I was agreeing with your original comment, not making a personal attack against you.
I think the best example of this is the Casa Bonita episode (which is probably my favorite South Park Episode). First Act - 1. Kyle Has a Birthday party which is scheduled to take place at Casa Bonita. Which is Cartman's favorite restaurant. 2. But, because Cartman constantly rips in Kyle, Cartman isn't invited and Butters is invited instead. Second Act - 3. Therefore, Cartman devises a multilayered plan in order to go to Casa Bonita instead of Butters. First, he tricks Kyle into making him think that he's changed for the better. Then, he traps Butters in a bomb shelter until the day arrives. 4. But, the town becomes worried and everyone starts to look for Butters. 5. Therefore, Cartman decides to take Butters out of the bomb shelter, and stick him in a fridge, then break the handle off so that Butters can't escape. 6. But, Butters is transported into a garbage dump and breaks out of the fridge, mistakenly assuming civilization is over. Third Act - 7. Butters is eventually found by a garbage lady, who tells him that not only is civilization fine, but the entire town was searching for him (oof). Butters then makes a phone call to let his parents know what happened. 8. Therefore, just as Cartman is about to go into Casa Bonita, he is found out and the police are called to take him to Juvi. Cartman decides to make a break for it and enjoy Casa Bonita, as his plan crumbles around him. Resolution - When asked if everything he did was worth it, Cartman gives the simple response, "Totally". EDIT: Thanks for all the nice comments guys! Also to the people who still don't get it, either you're too young, or you come from a family that has made it so that you don't have to worry about not getting what you want (neither is a bad thing). The reason "and then this happens" is stupid, is because, for most people in the world, accidents, unforeseen circumstances, and hardships are commonplace. A good story doesn't just hand its protagonist new events, happy circumstances, and a free out to their problems (anime does this shit a lot nowadays which is why I'm starting to not watch it anymore). I don't wish hardships on anyone, but it's through hardship that you can really see what type of person you are. Literally, "but therefore" is - but then this hardship got in the way, therefore the protagonist adapted to the situation like a boss and did this. If you still don't understand, good luck in life buddy.
@Stéphane Mallette I know they poke fun of them on South Park but do they really not like Family Guy? I would have to hear them say it outside of their comedy show in order to buy that.
@@frightenedsoul th-cam.com/video/lwSaVK1PvEg/w-d-xo.html Listen to this, they specifically say "We don't respect it (Family Guy) in terms of writing" They do not like the show.
If you’re just a fan of comedy and love to laugh you can respect both groups FG and SP. They’re (Matt and Trey + Seth) more alike than any of them would admit even though they hate each other now..
Guess they have such a shitload of money that the masterclasses would be too much effort for the drop its adding to their net worth. That said they deserve every penny they make, south park is a masterpiece.
@@billyalarie929 is there anything close to a Master’s degree in storytelling? (Genuinely curious because I want to start a career in writing that isint novelist, or copy writer, or write brochures etc. But more for multi digital media, like video games, TV shows, and possibly movies.)
A lot of teachers and professors I've had have brought up southpark for a number of irreverent reasons. Mostly white male transplants from the upper midwest.
I hate when people do that. It's all "yeah South Park is just fart jokes and toilet humour". And i can't even start to describe their genius without the doofus going "grow up, man." And ofc when i ask "have you watched it?" the answer is always "no, it's childish". And then i go home and watch South Park to calm down.@@johnindigo5477
i like how he has a marker in his hand. and there's a whiteboard right next to him. he UNCAPS THE MARKER. and then instead decides to write on an imaginary board.
i hate shows books movies anything that has an then and then and then plots and it just keeps going that by the end you learn nothing and its just exciting things happening that people remember and will summarize but not get anything from ..basically smashing action figures together lets say as an example.....nothing is gained its just me using a story and characters to have stuff happen and pretend like i made art ...smdh..i am not invested in stuff happening for the plot to occur....i could care less about stuff just happening like thats not story thats just events or plot..as a writer i can writer anything happening if i really wanted to..even if it makes no sense..thats not interesting or hard and it eventually becomes cliche and lame.....thats not what makes people care...writing themes characters story is hard..anyone can write plot and have events occur
It's so simple yet true... and highly effective. Any time I'm writing (just for fun), I get really bored if I don't have some sort of conflict in almost every paragraph or throughout the entire chapter. Thanks to their advice, I'm no longer bored with my work.
They don't hate Family Guy. They hate having their show be constantly described as though it was just like Family Guy when they put a huge effort into making a show they believe to be unique and only superficially like Family Guy at best. Family Guy is pure comedy. That's all it is. It might occasionally have a deep message or something important to say about our culture, national/world politics, etc., but that's incidental to making you laugh. South Park consistently makes such messages a good chunk of each show (couched in comedy of course) and that means going the extra mile in terms of preparing the show. It's kind of like when you're an artist and you put your painting on display and it's something you put your heart and soul into and it's your best work and someone says, "I really like your painting. You're obviously a good artist." And you say, "Thanks, I really appreciate that!" And then they say very seriously, not joking at all, "You know who else is a good artist? My dog! We dip his feet in paint and let him walk on stuff. He's really gifted . . . just like you. You both have the same level of talent. You two should be friends, maybe give each other art tips." And that's what it feels like when someone says your show is just like Family Guy.
I love this alongside Gary Kurtz's writing advice too: "I took a master class with Billy Wilder once and he said that in the first act of a story you put your character up in a tree and the second act you set the tree on fire and then in the third you get him down."
Whether you like South Park or not, there's no denying that these two are masters of their craft. I can't count the number of great movies, tv shows, etc. that I've watched and looked for the points laid out in this lesson. Spoiler alert: All of them do exactly this.
Because it puts the thought in your head of why he is writing on air instead of on the board. Therefore, he captures your attention! (Aka you’re listening more deeply to him)
Trey looks more enthused and happy to be here than he does in any other "behind the scenes" thing they've done. It would have been so cool to hear these guys speak in school.
That’s a very intelligent way of approaching writing structure and especially with Matt added about the “this happened and this happened and this happened...wtf am I watching this for?”
This was incredibly helpful. I was in a class where the teacher emphasized that each scene in a script needed "stand on it's own, like a sketch" and it confused me because then how is it a cohesive story? But this makes perfect sense! Thank you!!!
Yeah I think that's bad advice. A lot of great movies have scenes of setup, scenes that connect to other scenes. They may be good in themselves but holding attention for 90minutes plus is a much harder task than making a small good scene.
i just tested this on a Curb episode and hell yes, wow. gotta say though this makes writing that much more difficult. It’s not a hack. It’s more of a bar.
“And then” could still work. However, the reason why the “but-therefore” method works so well is because it shifts the perspective of story structure. “And then” could be random events where as “but-therefore” gives purpose to the event beforehand, which makes sense in storytelling
This. I didn't get it until he said each scene has to work as a sketch otherwise why is it in there. Family guy did the opposite. The cutaways were always random
I mentioned this in my own comment sort of.. but the Novel *I am Legend* for the first half of the story follows story beats that are along the lines of “and then” which isn’t a bad thing - but you need to make those moments profoundly interesting (which the novel does) because like they said - if you’re just leading the reader on with the promise of nothing.. what’s the point?
I see the "but-therefore" as like a fool proof way of building a story. "And then" can work very well, it just requires more thought and focus. I would say that the majority of tv and movies nowadays are all "and then" with little to no thought.
@@TheDaxynn1 I think the trap with "And then" is that you might think you would have captivated the consumer enough for him to reach the "But" if there is one, this can be dangerous because what if it doesn't make any senses and what if the payoff was not worth the whole "And then" train. "Therefore" and "But" already ties the story logically plus has a lot of back and forth leading to a more dynamic experience instead of sitting through and mindlessly observing.
It'd be *soooo satisfying* passing on your knowledge and wisdom like this! This is what life is about when you get older (I'm 61 now) - trying to pass on to younger people what you've learned about various things.
This has to be one of the greatest golden nuggets of advice. I’ve tried writing scripts myself, but always struggled with plots. This advice would seem to make complete sense.
What’s funny to me is how they explained in a minute and a half what makes them stick out amount their competition. I could tell you fairly straight how some of my favorite episodes of South Park pan out because of the coherent story telling; where as, Family Guy loses me about 4 minutes in because of the “cut-away” and plot that’s all over the place. Sorry I’ve been getting into storyboarding and writing for game development. It’s just so amazing to me.
This is great advice for writers. Like Matt said, there are so many boring movies and TV shows that use the this happened and then this happened and then this happened outline. It makes you wonder how those movies and show got greenlit.
omfg that tip is so good!! “if you can put, and then, it’s probably boring” woah!!! although come to think of it, it also makes it that much more difficult or probably time consuming to write anything hahaha.
@@evoxghiretti those morons chose to end it in 6 episodes though(13 if we count S7 which was also a pile of shit). they had every opportunity to make more episodes or even more season. by not doing that, they basiacally scammed all their loyal fans
*NGL I interpreted this as a little different* than some people in the comments… I saw it as, the story beats should have “therefore” “however” and “but” between each of them.. to help carry the character’s progression and conflict.. like for example, *Robert Neville, in I Am Legend* builds a relationship with a stray dog on the street.. he’s given a reason to live again *BUT* the dog gets sick and he has to throw away the weeks of trust he’s built with the dog - by picking it up and dragging it into his house to “cure” it.. he tried his best *BUT* the dog dies a week later. He’s lost the only thing he’s loved for three years. *HOWEVER* months later - a woman appears across his street.. he wonders if he can love again - - and realises his own loneliness terrifies people as he forces them to keep him company. *GREAT WRITING ADVICE* .
Holy shit this was enlightening. I've been trying to explain to some students that they have been writing shopping lists of events, not a story, but could never really explain why or what to do. Matt and Trey just explained it.
@@TimothyPingus exactly. There is more than one way to be “successful” but I can’t consider Family Guy a success because of how bad it is. Popularity alone isn’t my idea of success, the quality has to be good at least generally.
Gentle reminder that no writing tip is 100% always correct. Another famous one is "dont start your script with a character waking up", but sometimes that's genuinely how the film should start.
Jesus fucking christ they just actually revolutionized the way I think about writing in 2 minutes and 14 seconds. True, living legends. I wish them 20 more seasons.
This advice is so applicable to so many areas. Im a physio and i can see it would help with educating my clients. e.g because when you do this exercise you will get stronger and THEREFORE your pain and function will improve, BUT if you dont you will be in pain, weak and fragile.
I watched Showgirls for the first time yesterday, and that is a perfect example of an unsuccessful film that follows a "...and then this happens" format instead of the "but/therefore, this happens" format.
They would make great teachers, maybe one day they will train some young writers. I don't think anybody will step up to do what they do for a while after they're gone.
I'm watching this, therefore I have the motivation to learn and grow! But I'm only watching this because I lack the motivation to do the thing that I'm procrastinating by watching this video. But that's ok I'm thinking.
This is the kind of thing you rarely get in a writing class: a succinct utilitarian methodology. It's formulaic without being a formula. They don't tell you what to write; they just tell you how to make sure you've written an actual story, and not a grocery list.
As someone who’s trying to write a sitcom pilot and was struggling with coming up with an interesting story arc, this video is a great detailed explanation.
These two are true masterclasses in writing comedy. I don't know anyone that could ever consistently write good comedy sketches for so long. Getting lessons from them must be such a dream for education in writing and story-telling. I hope they do more of this, considering how difficult it is for young writers to get professional direction in an industry that is so closed-off to the public.
I don't know if I could even sit through this lecture; I just keep hearing Randy and other characters and it's too awkward to focus on the genuinely great advice they're giving. Really simple formula and works so well, it's kinda like Music Theory. Great for comedy because of the element of surprise but also for writing in general.
If I could be taught by Matt and Trey I would be soooo happy.
Nice Craig reference
Yet some of these ppl look miserable😕
Sick👌
That's why the video is here 😌
I agree
How do i reach these keeeds??
If they didn't make that joke during this speech then I don't even know anymore.
LMAO
Im dying rn ... hahahaa dude thanks for making me LMAO in the morning
You made my grandma
Hahaha! I nearly choked on my lard bread.
Trey grabbed the marker with a white board right next to him and proceeds to write on an imaginary board. But, he still captivated the students attention. Therfore, he is an amazing teacher.
Lmfao
I did not notice your creative use of "but" and "therefore", and was going to pass by. But then I noticed it and found it amusing. Therefore, I am writing this comment now to give you recognition.
perfect ABT structure!
You make no sense
@@vinny2555332 it makes clear sense in the context of the video.. you just don't get it. Which says a lot about you.
This video was short therefore I am dissapointed, but I enjoyed it.
and then a clip of Peter staring at the camera...
That was a riveting sentence.
this video was short and then i shat myself and then i shat myself again
and that led to your comment
Fucking genius!!
"but, because, therefore"
as a guy who writes every single day, that is so utterly fking brilliant.
Not gonna lie I thought this was pretty obvious - but if more writers are able to figure this out by watching this video, the better for everyone.
@@marginis The use of a dash is pretty obvious to me, but clearly not that obvious to you. Just another one of those things, I guess!
@@StudioMod Did you also spot that "gonna" isn't a word? There's more to language than prescriptivism.
@@marginis "Gonna" is actually an accepted term by modern standards because it's a shorthand term to define certain dialects and forms of speech. Please stop pretending to be knowledgeable, it's making me cringe.
@@StudioMod ...says the one explaining to me the proper use of a dash
...after not capitalizing the first letter of a sentence
...and having what I said completely go over their head.
Talk about cringe. Calm down. I was agreeing with your original comment, not making a personal attack against you.
I think the best example of this is the Casa Bonita episode (which is probably my favorite South Park Episode).
First Act - 1. Kyle Has a Birthday party which is scheduled to take place at Casa Bonita. Which is Cartman's favorite restaurant.
2. But, because Cartman constantly rips in Kyle, Cartman isn't invited and Butters is invited instead.
Second Act - 3. Therefore, Cartman devises a multilayered plan in order to go to Casa Bonita instead of Butters. First, he tricks Kyle into making him think that he's changed for the better. Then, he traps Butters in a bomb shelter until the day arrives.
4. But, the town becomes worried and everyone starts to look for Butters.
5. Therefore, Cartman decides to take Butters out of the bomb shelter, and stick him in a fridge, then break the handle off so that Butters can't escape.
6. But, Butters is transported into a garbage dump and breaks out of the fridge, mistakenly assuming civilization is over.
Third Act - 7. Butters is eventually found by a garbage lady, who tells him that not only is civilization fine, but the entire town was searching for him (oof). Butters then makes a phone call to let his parents know what happened.
8. Therefore, just as Cartman is about to go into Casa Bonita, he is found out and the police are called to take him to Juvi. Cartman decides to make a break for it and enjoy Casa Bonita, as his plan crumbles around him.
Resolution - When asked if everything he did was worth it, Cartman gives the simple response, "Totally".
EDIT: Thanks for all the nice comments guys! Also to the people who still don't get it, either you're too young, or you come from a family that has made it so that you don't have to worry about not getting what you want (neither is a bad thing). The reason "and then this happens" is stupid, is because, for most people in the world, accidents, unforeseen circumstances, and hardships are commonplace. A good story doesn't just hand its protagonist new events, happy circumstances, and a free out to their problems (anime does this shit a lot nowadays which is why I'm starting to not watch it anymore). I don't wish hardships on anyone, but it's through hardship that you can really see what type of person you are. Literally, "but therefore" is - but then this hardship got in the way, therefore the protagonist adapted to the situation like a boss and did this. If you still don't understand, good luck in life buddy.
Great
Amazing analysis man
Therefore: you have no life
Great example!
You have a few "and thens" in this.
Matt and Trey: "If you're using 'and then' in-between acts, you're fucked."
Seth MacFarlane: **confused screaming**
@Stéphane Mallette I know they poke fun of them on South Park but do they really not like Family Guy? I would have to hear them say it outside of their comedy show in order to buy that.
@@frightenedsoul th-cam.com/video/lwSaVK1PvEg/w-d-xo.html
Listen to this, they specifically say "We don't respect it (Family Guy) in terms of writing"
They do not like the show.
@Stéphane Mallette They don't have any beef today, they are pretty civil to each other Matt and Trey just don't like the way they make Family guy.
If you’re just a fan of comedy and love to laugh you can respect both groups FG and SP. They’re (Matt and Trey + Seth) more alike than any of them would admit even though they hate each other now..
To be fair, MacFarlane is hilarious…just Family Guy is his lowest common denominator comedy. Much better in the likes of American Dad and the Orville.
I would soooo purchase a Masterclass on Writing by these guys.
i keep saying to people they could sanction a course for a master's degree in storytelling.
i dont even write and I would pay to see it
Guess they have such a shitload of money that the masterclasses would be too much effort for the drop its adding to their net worth. That said they deserve every penny they make, south park is a masterpiece.
I'd purchase a Masterclass from the Family Guy manatees too.
@@billyalarie929 is there anything close to a Master’s degree in storytelling? (Genuinely curious because I want to start a career in writing that isint novelist, or copy writer, or write brochures etc. But more for multi digital media, like video games, TV shows, and possibly movies.)
I love how engaged they are. In an alternate reality they are great teachers at some uni.
They aren't engaged. The are divorced!
It's not even real ...
A lot of teachers and professors I've had have brought up southpark for a number of irreverent reasons. Mostly white male transplants from the upper midwest.
I hate when people do that. It's all "yeah South Park is just fart jokes and toilet humour". And i can't even start to describe their genius without the doofus going "grow up, man." And ofc when i ask "have you watched it?" the answer is always "no, it's childish". And then i go home and watch South Park to calm down.@@johnindigo5477
and all of their students have crushes on them
It's as simple as "Don't just write a bunch of general statements of what happened, tie them together and show cause and effect."
The results came back, i definitely have breast cancer
Sorenmine Man that escalated quickly !!!
@@sorenmine7765 Anyway, how's your sex life?
Good takeaway.
i like how he has a marker in his hand. and there's a whiteboard right next to him. he UNCAPS THE MARKER. and then instead decides to write on an imaginary board.
Because his imagination is one of his higgest strengths and people dont get engaged seeing notes written on a board!
He uncaps it because he likes how it smells and it makes his ideas better
@@patstaysuckafreeboss8006 Yes, if he wrote something, people would focus on whatever couple words he wrote and not on the fifty words he was saying.
Now THAT'S some outside the box thinking!
You think that’s bad? Remember the time I had lunch in a Mexican restaurant with Gary Coleman??
Now THAT was a sticky situation.
Family Guy sucks therefore I make fun of it, but it still exists...
This is actually really insightful, and is the difference between boring narrative and compelling narrative.
Ahh I love them so much. Trey's so exited to teech these keeds. :'D
Charlotte vdVeen I see what you did there 😉
It looks like he reached these keeeeeeeeds!
They’re great teachers too. I mean they are the most humble people I’ve ever come across.
Until they watch Family Guy
This is the most brilliant writing advice ever
I want to see Pixar teach me something
@shassitojn 49 I guess but they still got something so I'm not gonna give up yet
i hate shows books movies anything that has an then and then and then plots and it just keeps going that by the end you learn nothing and its just exciting things happening that people remember and will summarize but not get anything from ..basically smashing action figures together lets say as an example.....nothing is gained its just me using a story and characters to have stuff happen and pretend like i made art ...smdh..i am not invested in stuff happening for the plot to occur....i could care less about stuff just happening like thats not story thats just events or plot..as a writer i can writer anything happening if i really wanted to..even if it makes no sense..thats not interesting or hard and it eventually becomes cliche and lame.....thats not what makes people care...writing themes characters story is hard..anyone can write plot and have events occur
It's so simple yet true... and highly effective. Any time I'm writing (just for fun), I get really bored if I don't have some sort of conflict in almost every paragraph or throughout the entire chapter. Thanks to their advice, I'm no longer bored with my work.
hard yikes
He's actually an awesome teacher.
He was going to go into teaching had he not succeeded with South Park
oh ! this is why they hate family guy
Damn Manatees don't understand cause and effect!
They don't hate Family Guy. They hate having their show be constantly described as though it was just like Family Guy when they put a huge effort into making a show they believe to be unique and only superficially like Family Guy at best.
Family Guy is pure comedy. That's all it is. It might occasionally have a deep message or something important to say about our culture, national/world politics, etc., but that's incidental to making you laugh. South Park consistently makes such messages a good chunk of each show (couched in comedy of course) and that means going the extra mile in terms of preparing the show.
It's kind of like when you're an artist and you put your painting on display and it's something you put your heart and soul into and it's your best work and someone says, "I really like your painting. You're obviously a good artist." And you say, "Thanks, I really appreciate that!" And then they say very seriously, not joking at all, "You know who else is a good artist? My dog! We dip his feet in paint and let him walk on stuff. He's really gifted . . . just like you. You both have the same level of talent. You two should be friends, maybe give each other art tips." And that's what it feels like when someone says your show is just like Family Guy.
Nope. They've stated many times that they hate famly guy,
Gewgulkan reminds me of a guy that likes to hear his own voice
haha yeah, right! Family guy is a main story arch with a whole bunch of "and then this happened" in between.
I love this alongside Gary Kurtz's writing advice too:
"I took a master class with Billy Wilder once and he said that in the first act of a story you put your character up in a tree and the second act you set the tree on fire and then in the third you get him down."
I love telling stories when I'm with my friends but find it hard to make them engaging therefore this advice is pure gold...
Imagine being a student in that class but you were sick or skipped that day. These are some seriously lucky students.
Whether you like South Park or not, there's no denying that these two are masters of their craft. I can't count the number of great movies, tv shows, etc. that I've watched and looked for the points laid out in this lesson.
Spoiler alert: All of them do exactly this.
This is a old video but I actually learned something therefore I’m gonna watch it again
... BUT you're lazy, so you won't do any writing.
There is literally a dry eraser board next to him and he is writing in the air 💀
Now that's a genius!
Imaginayyyyyyeeayyyeeyyyiiiitionnn!
Why would he stand off to the side to demonstrate something?
@@NoTH-camName1 LMAO
Because it puts the thought in your head of why he is writing on air instead of on the board. Therefore, he captures your attention! (Aka you’re listening more deeply to him)
Been writing for years and this is so perfect and simple.
Trey looks more enthused and happy to be here than he does in any other "behind the scenes" thing they've done. It would have been so cool to hear these guys speak in school.
That’s a very intelligent way of approaching writing structure and especially with Matt added about the “this happened and this happened and this happened...wtf am I watching this for?”
This was incredibly helpful. I was in a class where the teacher emphasized that each scene in a script needed "stand on it's own, like a sketch" and it confused me because then how is it a cohesive story? But this makes perfect sense! Thank you!!!
Yeah I think that's bad advice. A lot of great movies have scenes of setup, scenes that connect to other scenes. They may be good in themselves but holding attention for 90minutes plus is a much harder task than making a small good scene.
I like how Trey is so excited to teach lol
The writers for The Simpsons used to understand this rule 20 years ago. I wish they still did.
Not really, classic Simpsons doesn't follow this at all.
Conan left, along with the other greats.
@@karlnord1429 I love Conan, but as far as i know he only helped write 4 episodes...
@@antipro8 He basically dominated the writing room for seasons 4 & 5. Everyone who was in the room at that time says it was "The Conan Show".
i just tested this on a Curb episode and hell yes, wow. gotta say though this makes writing that much more difficult. It’s not a hack. It’s more of a bar.
^This comment^ 👌
Students writing down notes quickly, but trey Parker is speaking to fast, therefore students get carpel tunnel.
Right. Scenes must be linked by causality. Smart guys.
lmao
Honestly, there are so many writers out there who are completely oblivious to this.
@@Gyrbae why follow this piece of advice when doing a slice-of-life film, or imitating realism? real life events aren't always linked together
“And then” could still work. However, the reason why the “but-therefore” method works so well is because it shifts the perspective of story structure.
“And then” could be random events where as “but-therefore” gives purpose to the event beforehand, which makes sense in storytelling
This. I didn't get it until he said each scene has to work as a sketch otherwise why is it in there. Family guy did the opposite. The cutaways were always random
I mentioned this in my own comment sort of.. but the Novel *I am Legend* for the first half of the story follows story beats that are along the lines of “and then” which isn’t a bad thing - but you need to make those moments profoundly interesting (which the novel does) because like they said - if you’re just leading the reader on with the promise of nothing.. what’s the point?
I see the "but-therefore" as like a fool proof way of building a story. "And then" can work very well, it just requires more thought and focus. I would say that the majority of tv and movies nowadays are all "and then" with little to no thought.
@@TheDaxynn1 I think the trap with "And then" is that you might think you would have captivated the consumer enough for him to reach the "But" if there is one, this can be dangerous because what if it doesn't make any senses and what if the payoff was not worth the whole "And then" train.
"Therefore" and "But" already ties the story logically plus has a lot of back and forth leading to a more dynamic experience instead of sitting through and mindlessly observing.
@@MrArtVein This is the reason why they called out family guy so many times.
It'd be *soooo satisfying* passing on your knowledge and wisdom like this!
This is what life is about when you get older (I'm 61 now) - trying to pass on to younger people what you've learned about various things.
This has to be one of the greatest golden nuggets of advice. I’ve tried writing scripts myself, but always struggled with plots. This advice would seem to make complete sense.
Trey - *goes in detail how they write stories*
Matt - "I AM THE TABLE"
Two of the most brilliant guys giving students gold advice of how to write a show.
The profound brilliance of simplicity. This video is short, BUT amazingly powerful!
it's an algorithm. therefore-but
they're for butt?
Who isn't?
What’s funny to me is how they explained in a minute and a half what makes them stick out amount their competition. I could tell you fairly straight how some of my favorite episodes of South Park pan out because of the coherent story telling; where as, Family Guy loses me about 4 minutes in because of the “cut-away” and plot that’s all over the place.
Sorry I’ve been getting into storyboarding and writing for game development. It’s just so amazing to me.
I love how they don’t care about being celebrity pawns, but jump into engaged teaching.
Causality is a big part of flowing a story smoothly, that's how a 3 hour movie can feel like 2 hours.
These guys are more pumped to teach than most professors today
This is great advice for writers. Like Matt said, there are so many boring movies and TV shows that use the this happened and then this happened and then this happened outline. It makes you wonder how those movies and show got greenlit.
After watching this I learned a lot and then I wrote down 'therefore' and then 'but'. Fantastic advice.
Clever and underrated comment.
I’m not in the creative world but this makes so much sense. I hope those people get to see this
Seeing this lecture way back when made me gain a lot of respect for them
He gave that same advice in 6 days to air
its nice to see them sharing their knowledge.
These two are legends.
omfg that tip is so good!! “if you can put, and then, it’s probably boring” woah!!! although come to think of it, it also makes it that much more difficult or probably time consuming to write anything hahaha.
*sigh* the Game of Thrones writers could use a bit of this.
@Kyel ! hes probbably also underestimating ending a show as difficult like that in 6 hours (8 for those that are crazy about this).
@@evoxghiretti those morons chose to end it in 6 episodes though(13 if we count S7 which was also a pile of shit). they had every opportunity to make more episodes or even more season. by not doing that, they basiacally scammed all their loyal fans
yep "Gay of Moans" 😒😴
@@petmak4998 wait. you're using that as an insult? Sounds like a party to me.
Yup. I do like the plot ideas of Game of Thrones, just not the story
*NGL I interpreted this as a little different* than some people in the comments… I saw it as, the story beats should have “therefore” “however” and “but” between each of them.. to help carry the character’s progression and conflict.. like for example,
*Robert Neville, in I Am Legend* builds a relationship with a stray dog on the street.. he’s given a reason to live again *BUT* the dog gets sick and he has to throw away the weeks of trust he’s built with the dog - by picking it up and dragging it into his house to “cure” it.. he tried his best *BUT* the dog dies a week later. He’s lost the only thing he’s loved for three years.
*HOWEVER* months later - a woman appears across his street.. he wonders if he can love again - - and realises his own loneliness terrifies people as he forces them to keep him company.
*GREAT WRITING ADVICE* .
Two geniuses trying to teach lightening in a bottle. Their creativity is on a different level.
Holy shit this was enlightening. I've been trying to explain to some students that they have been writing shopping lists of events, not a story, but could never really explain why or what to do. Matt and Trey just explained it.
And this is why South Park is so successful. They understand the mechanics of good writing and story structure.
Explain how Family Guy got successful?
@@NoTH-camName1 I don't think anyone can explain that.
@@NoTH-camName1 family guy is made for idiots and idiots are everywhere
@@TimothyPingus exactly. There is more than one way to be “successful” but I can’t consider Family Guy a success because of how bad it is.
Popularity alone isn’t my idea of success, the quality has to be good at least generally.
@@NoTH-camName1 cut-aways
Gentle reminder that no writing tip is 100% always correct. Another famous one is "dont start your script with a character waking up", but sometimes that's genuinely how the film should start.
I wanna meet them so bad my idols 😭
they and taika waititi and sacha baron cohen and louis ck and ricky gervais...
id prob shed a tear if this happened to me. just because of how much i adore them. like the fact i would be taught by them? just amazing.
Game of Thrones feels like the whole "And then" thing now
Really excellent advice. I'll do my best to keep this in mind while writing my game's story.
You don't want one scene where it's like 'well what was the point of that scene' family guy? Haha
I first learned this rule as a freshman in film school and it’s stuck with me ever since.
Thanks for the input, Matt.
The Acolyte and Rings of Power writers REALLY needed to hear this advice.
Jesus fucking christ they just actually revolutionized the way I think about writing in 2 minutes and 14 seconds.
True, living legends. I wish them 20 more seasons.
This advice is so applicable to so many areas. Im a physio and i can see it would help with educating my clients. e.g because when you do this exercise you will get stronger and THEREFORE your pain and function will improve, BUT if you dont you will be in pain, weak and fragile.
This is probably the BEST advice these kids ever got in their lives! Does anyone know if there is a full thing out there?
professionals of any craft always have learned mechanisms from insight and experience. These guys are master word-smiths
I watched Showgirls for the first time yesterday, and that is a perfect example of an unsuccessful film that follows a "...and then this happens" format instead of the "but/therefore, this happens" format.
They would make great teachers, maybe one day they will train some young writers. I don't think anybody will step up to do what they do for a while after they're gone.
You could feel the passion coming from Trey when explaining writing to those students
I love how enthusiastic Trey is
Disney "writers" aka pre-schoolers should watch this clip every day.
Fucking sick writers man. love these fuckers
"Hey ileta, what are you doing?"
"Fucking sick writers man. love these fuckers"
holy shit. “therefore and but”. i’m never gonna forget that!!!
i would shit my pants if they just showed up in one of my classes
I never thought a 2 minute video would be so helpful to story writingz
0:44 dig at FAMILY GUY
Concise, brilliant advice.
The results are back, i definitely have breast cancer.
Its called titty cancer
Is this a reference to The Room? I was just thinking about this phrase (and what went next) as an epitome of poor writing!
I'm watching this, therefore I have the motivation to learn and grow! But I'm only watching this because I lack the motivation to do the thing that I'm procrastinating by watching this video. But that's ok I'm thinking.
I would be honored to physically catch fbombs in my eardrums from trey Parker.
This is the kind of thing you rarely get in a writing class: a succinct utilitarian methodology. It's formulaic without being a formula. They don't tell you what to write; they just tell you how to make sure you've written an actual story, and not a grocery list.
The zoom ins on the students writing in their notebooks was exhilirating, really kept me on my toes
Yeah, it definitely made my orgasm come faster.
If you ever feel bad just think how I did when I took this one day off and missed this
I would be pissed.
That's seriously genius what they're talking about and i totally never noticed it before.
where can i watch this whole thing?
That's literally the best advice coming from literally the best in the fucking business.
As someone who’s trying to write a sitcom pilot and was struggling with coming up with an interesting story arc, this video is a great detailed explanation.
'But' and 'Therefore' is the best writing technique I have ever seen. So influential.
1:30 MUST WRITE NOTES
"This happens and then this happens, and then this happens.", pretty much sums up all of J.J. Abrams' films.
I love how smart and talented they are. Smart comedy disguised as "dumb" comedy is not easy to pull off.
Kinda like taking acid & wearing a dress to an award show. That may explain the smart/dumb.
These two are true masterclasses in writing comedy. I don't know anyone that could ever consistently write good comedy sketches for so long. Getting lessons from them must be such a dream for education in writing and story-telling. I hope they do more of this, considering how difficult it is for young writers to get professional direction in an industry that is so closed-off to the public.
Amazing writing advice every aspiring writer should hear.
I don't know if I could even sit through this lecture; I just keep hearing Randy and other characters and it's too awkward to focus on the genuinely great advice they're giving.
Really simple formula and works so well, it's kinda like Music Theory. Great for comedy because of the element of surprise but also for writing in general.
This was make my decade, being in the class by surprise
I wanna watch the full episode :(
It's only about 3 minutes longer, they just say that you shouldn't spend years tweaking one project, you should make a number of things.
It's only about 3 minutes longer, they just say that you shouldn't spend years tweaking one project, you should make a number of things.
@@angryscotsman339 if you say it a third time Matt and Trey will appear.
@@angryscotsman339 Do you have the full version?