This class is primarily geared towards cinematic storytelling, but the principles and techniques presented here can just as easily be applied to writing plays or literature.

I have divided the classes into three parts:

1) the aspects common to all characters, 2) the aspects specific to each character, and 3) the modus operandi of creating a compelling story from scratch. In this first part of the series, we take a helicopter view on the art of storytelling — we are looking at the playing field, and its contestants, from above.

Welcome to the first part — aspects common to all characters!

FREDRIK HILLER, Stockholm Film School

Teacher Scriptwriting

Scriptwriter and Director. Educated at Stockholms Filmskola (1992-1993) and The Theatre Academy of Fine Arts in Malmö (1995-1998) Besides writing and directing Psalm 21 (2009) och Operation Ragnarök (2018) Fredrik has an impressive background as theatre playwright and director.

Overview:

PURPOSE & THEME (The universal relevance of the story)
RESPONSE (Genre & audience’s intended response)
REFERENCE (The taxonomy of the story)
PROBLEM (CONCEPT) (The core of the story)
WORLD (The universe of the story)
CHARACTER (Carriers of worlds, values & archetypes)
RELATION (Character relations: attitude and status)
INFORMATION (Information discrepancy)
POSITION (Teams, loyalties and positions)
FUNCTION (Positions in the drama triangle)
MOTOR (The driving force/character)
STRUCTURE (The story's fable/skeleton/synopsis)

Chapter 1: Theme

In this chapter we learn about how the deeper meaning of the story is created. The theme is what the story really is about.

A story has two layers: what the story is about — and what it is really about.

The theme is what gives a story "depth". It is "the story behind the story".

Questions:

What do I consider to be true about the world and human behaviour?
What do I consider important to remind myself and those around me?
What advice would I give my children (if I had any) that could help them live as good a life as possible?
What would I like to teach myself? What can and do I want to get better at? What could I learn that could help me live a better life?

Tip:

Surf sites with quotes. Collect some that fit. Print them out and put them on the wall.

Let them be your compass course in scriptwriting (and production).

Take a photo of your quotes, give your refections about them and share them here!

Chapter 2: Response

In this chapter we learn about genres and how to navigate and decide where your story fits.

The story does not take place on the screen, stage or paper — but in the audience's heads, hearts and bodies.

A story that does not create any kind of intellectual, emotional or physical response in the audience — that’s a dead story.

Questions:

The story can mix genres — but is it mainly drama or comedy? Is our goal mainly for the audience to laugh, cry or bite their nails?
How do we hope the story will affect the audience intellectually, emotionally and physically? During and after?
Find your own Doris. Study her when she sees your movie.
How does she react? What kind of experiences does your film give her that she cannot have in her own life? What do you hope she gains from watching your movie? What do you think she's missing out on, if she does not see it?

Tip: Study Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling

Study the rules of pixar and pick three rules that applies to your story and share them here!

Also motivate why these rules applies to your story.

Chapter 3: Reference

In this chapter we learn about how to give a reference to your story that helps you frame and sell your story.

The taxonomy of the story

“Jaws in space.”

— Pitch for Alien

“Romeo and Juliet on board the Titanic.”

— James Cameron’s pitch

“A theme park for resurrected dinosaurs?”

— Steven Spielberg to Michael Crichton

To create is usually to synthesize two existing phenomena.

Questions:

What stories or existing phenomena are similar to this story?

Tip:

Create a playlist on Spotify, where you upload movie music — or other music — that has the same emotional tonality you want for your film.

Do what the advertising industry calls a “moodboard”: a physical or digital collage, with images from movies or something else, which is similar to the tonality — the “mood” — you want your film to have.

Share your moodboard and playlist here!

Chapter 4: Problem

In this chapter we learn the importance of having an initial challenge or a problem for your story.

The core of the story

The problem creates and drives the story.

No problem, no story. No dilemma, no drama.

Questions:

What are the character's overall desires?
In what way are these linked to each other?
In what way are these mutually exclusive — in what way are these in conflict with each other?

What is the main problem/challenge for your protagonist? Share it here!

Chapter 5: World

In this chapter we learn about being clear about where and when your story takes place.

The universe of the story

Metaphorically and symbolically, we understand — unconsciously and/or consciously — a character's milieu as a symbol of her world, and/or the world at large.

Questions:

Where are we? Inside Outside?
What time of day is it?
What is the weather? Which season?
What exactly happened — where do we come from?

Share images and/or text about the world that your story takes place in here!

Chapter 6: Character

In this chapter we learn how to build strong characters for your story.

Carriers of worlds, values & archetypes

The character is his backstory: his heritage, his environment, his experiences, his decisions.

Questions:

What are the characters’ logos, ethos and pathos?
What is it that the characters are/have, on an extraordinary level — at least over our own — that we ourselves want to be/have?
What mistake have the characters made, which seals their fate? If they succeed in turning their destiny into something positive — if the story has a happy ending in store for them — when and in what way do they acquire a more successful modus operandi?

What are the interesting features that your characters have? Share them here!

Chapter 7: Relation

In this chapter we learn how the relations create interesting dynamics in your story.

Character relations: attitude and status

Question:

How does the scene change the relationship — the hierarchy and/or the attitude — between at least two people?

Tip:

Make a relationship map, and chart how it transforms during the story.
Make a status list, and chart how it transforms during the story.

Share the list and map here!

Chapter 8: Information

In this chapter we learn about the importance of not giving away too much information and when to give for maximum suspence!

Information discrepancy — between characters and audience

We may regard a story as an information system.

Questions:

What’s the mystery?
What’s the suspense? Who do we know more than?
What’s the surprise? What do we suddenly get to know of value that we did not know before — and could not guess or deduce?
What is the tension of the scene? In what ways do we keep the audience on their toes in regards to what they know is coming?

Tip:

List all the new information that the audience will learn during the course of the story. Portion it out, so that it does not arrive in lumps, but as evenly distributed bread crumbs on a pathway.

Make the list including events and when in the story the audience gets to know it. Share it here.

Chapter 9: Position

In this chapter we learn about how we can create interesting scenes by using positions.

The character’s teams, loyalties and positions

Each scene must have at least one change of position.

Question:

Who changes mental and/or physical position in the scene?

Tip:

Make a list of the characters' mental and physical positions — and how they change.

Share the list here!

Chapter 10: Function

In this chapter we learn about the drama triangle and how it creates dynamics for your story.

The character’s positions in the drama triangle.

Questions:

Which functions do the characters mainly belong to?
Whose functions change in the scene/story, as a consequence of conflict and new information?

Tip:

Sketch the drama triangle — and draw with lines (perhaps with different colors) how the characters’ positions change during the course of the story.

Share your triangle here!

Chapter 11: Motor

In this chapter we learn aobut the importance of a driving force in the scenes and how it can chance in order to make more interesting.

The driving force/character

In any given moment, it is a character who drives the scene the most.

Questions:

Who drives the scene?
Does it change? If so, when?

Share how your characters are motoring your scenes. Give a couple of examples here!

Chapter 12: Structure

In this chapter we learn about different structures that helps you to relate your story into context.

The story's fable/skeleton/synopsis

Which structure fits your story the best? Share and motivate here!

Links and information

RECOMMENDED READING

A very brief selection

Literature

Poetics Aristotle

The hero with a thousand faces Joseph Campbell

Morphology of the folktale Vladimir Propp

The Art of Dramatic Writing Lajos Egri

Screenwriting Down to the Atoms Michael Welles Schock

Screenwriting and The Unified Theory of Narrative: Part I

Michael Welles Schock

Screenwriting and The Unified Theory of Narrative: Part II

Michael Welles Schock

Into the Woods John Yorke

Elements of Surprise Vera Tobin

Web

helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com K.M. Weiland

Writing wednesdays Steven Pressfield

FILMS TO WATCH

A brief selection

ANDREI TARKOVSKY

The Sacrifice (Offret)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ac1JXafsew

Nostalghia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gH1cprEg0w&list=PLrrKbHPKjyO7W-hdStPc2WcHIvF0EJu

Solaris — part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-4KydP92ss

Solaris — part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXa6XpaxBS0

INGMAR BERGMAN

Winter Light (Nattvardsgästerna)

https://www.sfanytime.com/sv/movie/nattvardsgasterna

The Seventh Seal (Sjunde inseglet)

https://www.sfanytime.com/sv/movie/det-sjunde-inseglet

The Silence (Tystnaden)

https://www.sfanytime.com/sv/movie/tystnaden

Wild Strawberries (Smultronstället)

https://www.sfanytime.com/sv/movie/smultronstallet

ITALIAN NEOREALISM

Roberto Rosselini — Rome, Open City

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvkkDvKGR_4

Luchino Visconti — La Terra Trema

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2Q8S-QI3Ag

FEDERICO FELLINI

La Strada

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZTY0_GZitI

La Dolce Vita

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R79EVkq23HQ

8 1/2

https://www.sfanytime.com/sv/movie/8-12

Satyricon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkaKV7v2oEU

E La Nave Va — And the Ship Sails On

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rWIXl-K-4g

MICHELANGELO ANTONIONI

La Notte

https://www.sfanytime.com/sv/movie/la-notte

Blowup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-xTqpkhZxA

THE FRENCH NEW WAVE

François Truffaut — The 400 Blows

https://www.sfanytime.com/sv/movie/400-blows

Jean-Luc Godard — À bout de souffle (Breathless)

https://www.sfanytime.com/sv/movie/a-bout-de-souffle

WERNER HERZOG

Aguirre, the Wrath of God

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIOCyVeRmjo

Fitzcarraldo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgtkL9taNMQ

Nosferatu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF3ZwXEG45M

KRZYSZTOF KIEśLOWSKI

Three Colours: Blue

https://www.sfanytime.com/sv/movie/three-colours-blue

Three Colours: Red

https://www.sfanytime.com/sv/movie/three-colours-red

Three Colours: White

https://www.sfanytime.com/sv/movie/three-colours-white

La Double Vie de Veronique

https://www.sfanytime.com/sv/movie/double-life-of-veronique

WIM WENDERS

Wings of Desire (Himmel över Berlin)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc2zl0fSj1U

AKIRA KUROSAWA

Dreams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcXk_PLrHp8

Yojimbo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tELUrtahunQ

The Seven Samurai

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7yeMX4Jaos

Ran

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7yeMX4Jaos

TERRENCE MALICK

Tree of Life

https://www.sfanytime.com/sv/movie/the-tree-of-life

To the Wonder

https://www.sfanytime.com/sv/trailer/to-the-wonder

The Thin Red Line

https://www.sfanytime.com/sv/movie/the-thin-red-line

ROY ANDERSSON

Giliap

https://www.sfanytime.com/sv/movie/giliap

You, the Living

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5aVWSeinus

A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJNfWdyCdWI

Andreea Mirică

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