When Writing Meets Directing; How Listening to Your Characters Can Bring Your Scene Alive

A few weeks ago, I had my scene performed in front of an audience, which was an absolute blast, but the real joy came from seeing a director at work. She understood my characters better than me, and saw under the surface of every line, emphasizing juicy subtext to create a bouncy, witty opening. In this post I hope to give some thoughts on how writers can develop their characters to create more dramatic scenes.

We'd each been asked to write a new scene of a play as part of the Out of Joint Writer's Academy at Salisbury Playhouse. I normally spend months writing treatments and was totally unprepared to be writing scenes, but the deadline was fast approaching.

I was a little nervous when two weeks later I entered a room of actors and a director working on a fellows piece. I'd never worked with a  director before. I wasn't really sure what they did beside organising the actors and perhaps telling them how to say their lines. I dreaded it. My work was unready, but thankfully, the director could see its potential, and did so much more than I thought.

She summed up her thoughts and started to go through line by line with the actors, refering to me when a question came up. What was interesting to see, was the level of detail with which she worked. With every line, she asked, why are they saying that? What does that mean? What are the relationships to the other characters? Do they like each other, and how much? An interesting thing Max Stafford-Clark likes to do is show a card with a number, and that number is how much a character likes another character. It's not just like or dislike, there are levels.

With this in mind, a few interesting discoveries were made in my scene.

Firstly, I had a group of pals role-playing, two boys, Danny and Robb, and a tom-boy called Fran. The joke of the scene is that Fran wants to be the knight so forces Robb to wear the dress, and Robb, hiding in a make-believe tower, moans as he itches and scratches at the uncomfortable dress.

At which point, the director asked about a particular line, where one of the boys asks the other, "You all right mate?" In my mind, this was a genuine, are you okay? They're friends, of course they care about each other. The director looked past that. She looked deeper. These 'friends' are forcing this guy into a dress and have a go at him when he doesn't want to. Would Danny be concerned about Robb? Really? We changed a few actions, and had Danny pull Robb out the bush when his moaning puts them off their game, and say the line. Now it had subtext. It was the Beta animal telling the Omega, don't you mess up our game. You'll wear that dress and like it.

Now I hadn't picked up on that, so a lesson there. Ask yourself why is my character saying that line? Ask deeper. Why are my characters doing the things they are doing, and what does that say about them, and how can I use that  to show how they interact with others? Consider unseen hierarchies within groups of people, even friends. How can we play on those to make a scene more dramatic?

Second, when the group need money to buy a costume to enter a role-play event and discuss how they will afford them, Robb tells the group when asked, "I'll probably buy one." Again, the line I delivered was matter of fact. He told us what he was going to do. The director asked why he said the line, and we looked. Robb finally had a one up on Fran, the top dog. He was sticking it to her in a play for more power. Knowing this, Frans later snap comment to Robb was her putting Robb back in his place.

I was amazed at how much I'd missed, and it made me see every single line of dialogue should have a deeper function. How can we make this? How is this possible? I'm still not one hundred percent sure, but seeing as hierarchies helped this scene, I'm willing to say they could help most other scenes too.

The top-dog has power and wants to keep it. The runt has no power and wants to get some. With this running in the background of your scene (as long as it's relevant), you can create more conflict than previously possible, for now when characters debate how to fix a problem or how to overcome whatever conflict you invent, they can do so with an air of subtext. They can battle out for power.

Of course, you could create a number of things running in the background, it doesn't just have to be a power play. You could have scene where some characters know more than others, playing up to their friends lack of knowledge. A scene where one dislikes the other yet the other is far nicer, and play up a series of fake pleasantries. That's why I think it only works if it's relevant. I think Fran has a lesson to learn about being bossy, and needs to understand she can be an imaginative girl and have a job at the same time, and I think the power-play hierarchy will help show her character growth at the end.

That's about all I have to say how you can write a more dramatic scene. I will add that it was a lovely experience to have my scene performed. I was able to see which lines didn't work, and was able to see which scene directions got in the way of both director and actor, and thought about cutting some back. Even if you can't find a workshop like this, a group of friends around a table can help bring your scene alive too.

Is it selfish to be ourselves? The Artist's Way, Check In - Week 5

I turned my world upside down this week and took a leap towards being honest and true to myself. I realised an on-going battle between my desires and a want to keep the status-quo. I thought about activities I enjoy and vowed to do them no matter the harm to my bank balance, or the guilt I might feel. This fifth week of the Artist’s Way is about discovering a sense of possibility by putting others on the back-burner and putting ourselves first.

Have you ever wanted a drink with friends when your partner has a stressful day and needs you home to give them a massage, and you've called it off? Or perhaps you're tight for money and need to save for that holiday and a subscription to your favourite magazine seems unfair?

That’s what Julia Cameron calls the Virtue Trap. At first it seems wrong, “surely it’s good to put others first, something we should aspire to do?” Well, not if you want a happy and fulfilling life. At the end of the day, we’re our own number one, and that's what this week was about.

I often find myself with resentment and anger when I can’t get what I’d like, and feel like a stroppy kid who can’t get his own way, leading myself to put others first again. And it’s okay to put others first once in a while. The odd chick-flick you have to sit through for a teary friend or a few chores around the house you’d rather not do but do because you’re helping someone. I think this is different. You want to do these things as you care about the people you’re doing them for, and know this will genuinely help them out. It’s charitable and kind.

But when it becomes about simply going along with others to keep them happy with their choice of activities, or sacrificing a deep seated desire of your own to please them, that’s when the virtue trap kicks into gear, and you have to step back and think about yourself. My anger wasn’t because I wasn’t getting my own way, but because I wasn’t doing the things that make me feel whole.

I started an image file, a little plastic wallet pinned to my desk with images of activities, places and things I’d like to do, visit, and try. It's there to remind me what I enjoy, and will hopefully get me out there doing more of it. It mostly has pictures of hikers, but also Angkor Wat, snowy mountains and skiers. I've got images of a base guitar, X-box, and a home recording studio. It's about recognising the things I enjoy to remember what makes me me.

Cameron suggests we’re afraid to show the world our true colours by following our desires as we have no mask to hide behind if we fail. We can’t blame not having the time to write for that sucky article. I can certainly say I’m feeling more exposed now that I’m being more me.

That could be why I'm in a job that gives me extra stress and limited time to write. It’s also because I feel selfish towards my parents and girlfriend. If I quit my job I won’t be able to take her places, and I’ll be living in my parent’s house without an income, leaching off them whilst I pursue my selfish needs to become a writer. It’s a combination of fear of showing who we really are and the guilt that comes with putting ourselves first.

That’s why I've taken a six week unpaid holiday to get my thesis written and have set new boundaries for getting my work done. I’m starting to do what I enjoy without feeling selfish. I'm still a cheapskate. I tell myself I can't afford something, and therefore can't do it. Thankfully, week six looks at our views and opinions around money, which will be useful in shedding my financial insecurities, and hopefully will help me to do more things I enjoy.

Could you spend a week without reading? The Artist's Way, Check-in - Week 4

I’m following the artist’s way by Julia Cameron, a step by step guide for getting in touch with your creative-self. This week was about regaining a sense of integrity, and included one of the most difficult tasks for a writer; reading deprivation. 

That’s a whole week without reading, which sounds silly, if not crazy, seeing as seasoned pros often say beginning writers don’t read enough scripts, books etc. It was a helpful exercise and got me to focus on being creative, listening to my own voice, and not being afraid or too distracted to let it out and take form.

The aim is to get artists to do things they'd otherwise put off, such as pruning the garden, washing the car, or going out for a walk or a run. It was difficult as I was on holiday and didn’t have much time to myself, though I fleshed out an idea for a ten minute film on the flight, and had time for introspection when stopped at coffee shops. I decided I wanted a plant for my room, and wrote an old friend. I managed to get in touch with myself, and realised my deep seated desires.

I’ve known for a while that I read a lot. It’s scary how many times I float in my room thinking, “what should I do now?” but I’m actually battling between the feeling I must read and the desire to do something else. I've even been anxious about reading before; “there are so many articles, I’ve got a stack of books to read, and then there are scripts, short stories.” It soon adds up. This exercise pushed all of that away and let me use my imagination for once. I’ve now got a few shorts in mind, a new idea for my screenplay, a plan for my play, and a host of blog articles I want to write. Whilst I think it’s important to read widely, I found it even more beneficial to break it up with quiet moments, and do soul nourishing activities I wouldn't normally allow myself to do.

Once again, easy accomplishes it.

As much as listening to what we want, this week focused on cutting out what we don’t want. I found key parts of life I’d simply been putting up with, pretending I’m okay whilst my soul dies a little more each day. I’ve been in situations like this before, and it often seems to take a final blow to push me out the door. Cameron calls these Kriyas, a final crisis, the icing on the cake. I once had a job I didn’t like, but hung in there whilst looking for something else, and then, when the job relocated without warning, taking me on a bus journey out of town, I know exactly what I had to do.  

Reading deprivation helped me discover my values, and I soon knew things that weren’t on my wavelength. I'm tempted to take drastic action to replace these soul destroying parts of life with positive people and work I love. It’s a little scary, and I’m nervous about taking the leap, but I know cutting out the bad will make way for the new.

I feel connected to a bigger creative channel I can draw on whenever I need. I’m having lots of synchronicity too. I got the bus to the airport precisely when I’d planned, it arrived at the terminal precisely when I’d planned, and then I realised I’d read the times wrong and was early. Instead of waiting around, we were bumped onto an earlier flight with a free upgrade and no extra charge. I’d been dreading a short change to catch the second to last train home, but now had plenty of time. The pressure was off because I followed my gut.

I’ve also found things manifesting in my life rather quickly. By this I mean thoughts and feelings appearing soon after I’ve thought them. This week’s tasks had me write my own artists prayer, which included a phrase about bringing more like-minded people into my life. The day after I’d written my prayer, I went to my regular theatre workshop, and instead of being the youngest by a fair margin, found lots of similar aged actors who I immediately connected with, and had a fantastic day. 

It sounds like coincidence, but I know it’s a combination of morning pages, my prayers to the great creator, and positive, honest thoughts. It’s scary to think I’ve opened myself up to this roller coaster ride of creativity, but also exciting. I can’t wait to see what happens next. So next time you feel an urge to read, ask yourself, is there something else you'd rather be doing? You might be surprised by what you do instead.

The Artist's Way, Check In - Week 3

I'm following The Artist's Way, a step-by-step recovery programme for blocked artists. I knew week three would be difficult when put on mostly 6.30 starts at work. I've worked a few in a week before but had to pick up the slack to cover a colleague on holiday. I had a day off before they started and used the time for my artist date. 

I took a fantastic two hour walk through the country and took lots of pictures. I really let myself play with the camera and was really proud of my snaps. I felt the creative child within laughing with joy, and that's when I experienced more synchronicity. I was thinking about volunteering with the Ramblers, an organisation who help access pathways across the country, when two seconds later, I looked to a post and saw a sign demonstrating the Ramblers work. 

Once the mornings started, and I came home drained and frustrated that I couldn't work on the many projects in mind, I felt disconnected, and worried I was having a major creative relapse. I continued to write my morning pages (at 5.30am!) and worked on the exercises, which actually helped me understand what was going on.

The exercises were about listening to what we need to nurture ourselves and be nurtured, instead of what we think we should have and do. It had you list bad habits, think about nurturing people in your life and people you admire, and if you admire them for what you think you should be doing, or if they truly are a role model to learn from.

In the light of all this, I can say my slump was down to a host of bad habits, foes and opinions. I worked lots of hours and felt really tired, and could've just run with this, and said, okay, I'm tired, I'll rest. Cameron even says its normal to have some unproductive days. I guess a subtle foe this week was not having the time to write, and hanging out with people not on a creative wavelength, giving to others rather than giving to myself. 

Last week we thought about protecting ourselves, and I certainly need to protect myself from these unsociable hours and ensure I don't continue to have my energy sapped. Failing that, I could've accepted this as a down week and run with it. I could've baked each day and taken my down week to the self-nurturing max, but I didn't. 

Why? 

I knew I was on holiday the following week and wouldn't get much done, so wanted to pick up the slack and write my ass off. I felt I had to be productive, like some of my friends whom I thought I admired, who are so very productive all the time, and whose careers have taken off at alarming speed. In reality, I only think I should admire these people and be as productive as them, despite what my body might be telling me. I felt I should be working despite my tiredness. Opinions about what is worthy and right clouded my inner compass. This inner compass is what Cameron calls our intuitive sense of what we truly need in regards to health, and when something is truly right or wrong for us. I betrayed my inner compass and didn't give it the rest it was begging for.

It might be worth me thinking about how I spend my time and if the job I'm in is truly beneficial towards my inner artist. I can also tattoo Cameron's lovely phrase to every inch of my body. 

"Easy accomplishes it"

I cannot free the artist within through pressure and demanding. I must be self-nurturing, even if I feel it doesn't take me anywhere fast. I must be willing to listen to the artist within.

If you've ever felt life was like a movie..

...watch Finding Joe, a documentary about mythologist, Joesph Campbell, who discovered a universal pattern within heroic tales from cultures all over the world, and wrote his findings in a book called The Hero With A Thousand Faces. Finding Joe refers to it as a  miracle formula found in every story ever told, including every film ever made, which I find a little hard to swallow and sort of misses the point. It does, however, stress the similarities of these tales in life, and how we can learn from myth to improve our own lives.

It was Christopher Vogler who dubbed the term the Hero's Journey based upon Campbell's work, a story structure suited to screenplays, and Finding Joe seems to draw more heavily on this, though it does talk about Campbell's ideas.

Finding Joe looks at how the Hero's Journey can be applied to our lives, and how we can learn from the journeys of our favourite heroes; we leave home, go on a journey filled with conflict, and come home with new perspectives on life.

All of this sounds rather useless. So our lives are journeys like our favourite hero's, how does that help me? If we think about it, there are often times in life when we're called to do something outside our comfort zone. "Fancy singing Karaoke?" "Want to climb Kilimanjaro," "Here's a promotion, in India." For me it was a friend asking if I'd ever wanted to travel and stuffing a few brochures under my nose. Most often we deny this call. We say no. I won't sing, everyone will think I'm awful. I can't climb a mountain, leave it to professionals, and how can I move away from my friends/lover/husband/family? If we deny the call, we stay at home. We don't take the journey, but, if we face our fears, say yes, we'd better grab our coat. In this way, it is useful in recognising that opportunities can change us for the better.

Finding Joe talks about fears, and courage, how we can't get rid of fear, but it's courageous to act in the face of it, and can lead to great things. The words, stretch yourself are used a few times. It means doing something outside your comfort zone. I've taken a few hero's journeys, and each has involved doing something crazy.

I was in a job I hated and desperatley wanted out. I found a volunteering post in New Mexico for three months and was afraid to book it. I'd have to pay for it on credit card. I'd have to quit my job, and most of all, I'd have to travel on my own for the first time all the way to the states. I was afraid, but the calls kept coming. Friends talked none stop of travel. The job got worse. And then, one day whilst debating it with my parents on the bus home from work, I spied out the window a flashing, neon call to adventure; a bumper sticker that read, "Visit New Mexico!" It was that bumper sticker that made me say yes. I paid for the trip on credit card and quit my job and set out for the adventure of a life time. And to my amusement, my friends stopped talking of travel, and didn't book a thing. They were in my life for the sole purpose of pushing me over the precipice, and into action.

It changed me. It taught me about independance. I grew spiritually, and came back ready to embrace a life of freedom and courage. This was one of several adventures I've had in life so far, and each has been a similar process. I've left home, done something insane, learned from it, and come back home. That's where I am at the moment, back home with my eyes pealed for my next adventure. I feel the same worries and anxieties about achieving my goals as before, and perhaps my next adventure will help me push forward in spite of my fears.

"If we follow our bliss, doors will open where once there were only walls."

Campbell's phrase above is the best part of the documentary. It's about doing what we desire and not what we think we should do. I often think I should take a management role and earn money to support my dreams, but it's not my bliss. My bliss is outdoors, in walking, and in writing. Before I went to New Mexico I'd been trying for a career in television production, and only had several cancelled interviews to my name, but when I followed my bliss, and booked a trip to volunteer with wolves in the wilderness, I was rewarded by being asked to shoot video and edit films. I'd followed my bliss, and the universe had offered in kind the opportunity I'd been seeking.

If you're reading this thinking it's all very well talking about following your dreams, but it's not practical for some of us, you're probably denying a dream of your own. Prick up your ears and see if there are any calls to adventure you're not picking up. I'm far from perfect at following my bliss. I'm terrified about trying for a career as a freelance writer, but as the documentary says, if we have the courage to face our fears, great things can happen. We can be the hero of our own life movie.

The Artist's Way, Check In - Week 2

I'm following The Artist's Way, a step-by-step recovery programme for blocked artists. The second week encouraged I do things I enjoy to regain a sense of identity. It was a roller-coaster week, where everything either fell into place, or left me in fear that my recovery would be short lived.

I never thought I was blocked until I read this book, and realised all the hits to my self-esteem had built up a wall of fear between me and my creativity. The Artist's Way encourages followers to write three pages of long-hand stream of consciousness thoughts and feelings every morning. I felt they were taking up my precious time and started as a real chore, but I couldn't wait to get my thoughts on the page by the end of the second week. They brought clarity to my day, and enabled me to plan ahead, capture new ideas for stories, or rant about annoying encounters.

This week I wrote affirmations with my morning pages and read the basic principles day and night, a set of guidelines setting the purpose of the book, my favourite being;  "When we open ourselves to exploring our creativity, we open ourselves to God: good orderly direction." Cameron says her use of the word God isn't religious, but refers instead to a divine source of creative energy. I felt more connected to this energy as the week went by, and found myself in the right place at the right time, what Cameron calls synchronicity.

I went to a Hawk Conservancy to get in touch with Eagle energy after reading a book on power animals. The flying display was cut short due to the wind, so the handler brought a bird for us to hold, one which they don't normally allow in the hands of the public, a Bald Eagle, the animal I came in search of connecting with.

This confirmed I was on the right path. I felt full of energy as I allowed myself to spend a few hours baking and playing Zelda on the Wii. One exercise required I write a list of ten tiny changes, and as a result I wrote an old friend. I felt more creative, and wrote blog posts, articles, and finished a scene for a new play. The exercises nurtured my creative self, opening me to my creativity, which bore the fruits of synchronicity and joy.

My magical day was followed by a slump. I went for a walk as my artist date, but cut it short as the car-park closed early. I had more shifts at a hotel, and felt myself slipping from the creative power I'd felt. Thankfully, week three mentioned this as a normal part of recovery, and I should see such days as a chance to rest. Morning pages were really useful on these difficult days, as they gave me a chance to reacquaint myself with my desires, set my intention with the great creator, and bring positive thoughts through affirmation.

Next week is all about recovering a sense of power, something I feel I could use as I continue my journey.

The Artist's Way, Check-In - Week 1

I read the Artist's Way by Julia Cameron and am now following the weekly tasks. At the end of each week, she requires you check-in and review any noticeable creative or spiritual changes. I discovered I'm too hard on myself, I don't believe I deserve to have fun, and rediscovered past enemies who once knocked my creative self-worth, and have started to review and over-come them.

The first week had a strong focus on what she calls creative affirmations, and the 'voices' we hear when we say them, known as blurts. It sounds a bit weird at first, but hear me out. I wrote the affirmation, "I, Gareth, am entitled to a fun, creative life." As I wrote it, I heard myself saying, "But how will I afford it? I don't deserve it. Only if I do enough work." It's the critical side of your brain, and the build up of past experiences and beliefs that stop us being true to ourselves. I took this blurt and re-wrote it to say, "I, Gareth, deserve a fun filled creative life and have all available resources to do so," a much more positive statement that permits me to work at something I enjoy.

One of Cameron's other exercises required I travel back in time and picture past doubters who made me doubt myself. A few people instantly came to mind; past bosses, parents and friends, and I soon realised these people were the source of my blurts. The idea that I can only have fun after hard work, work being anything non-creative (as how can work be fun?) stems from hard-working friends at uni who made me feel lazy (through no fault of their own) for focusing my energies on creative tasks. It's also a lack of self-worth, me believing that I must work to achieve and prove myself, as opposed to writing just because I enjoy it.

Later, I wrote, "I, Gareth, am a successful screenwriter," and suddenly a blurt shouted, "You've never made a good film in your life." I instantly recalled an old demon from uni when I made a film and got a really bad grade. I hated the film too, and when I saw my friends had done much better than me, which in fairness, they had, that was it. I decided I wasn't a filmmaker and might as well give up, and in those first few years after uni, I couldn't finish a script for deciding it was rubbish and worthless.

It's been fascinating to discover the moments in life when I've adopted a negative view to my creativity, and I'm glad for these exercises teasing out my monsters, giving me a chance to face them and send them back into the abyss. I feel more confident with my writing, and more comfortable with myself. I feel able to turn up at the page each day and write because I want to, and will not let failure get in the way, or my strange guilt that makes me feel I should be doing something more productive.

I'm remembering those who have praised me in the past, and am ready to let myself have a little more fun, which will lead me in good stead as I head into week 2, rediscovering a sense of identity.

Top Five Things to do when snowed in, from a writer’s perspective

They say us Brits are never ready for the snow, and when it comes have no clue what to do except drive into ditches and call snow days at our schools and most places of work (even if just for the excuse). I must agree the snow (that doesn’t want to leave) is becoming a bit of a chore, but perhaps being snowed in again wouldn’t be so bad if armed with armed with this top-five list. It’s a perfect opportunity to break out the creative child within and get down to some serious writing fun.

 

1. Story Games

I’ve only just read about Rory’s Story Cubes, a story game involving six dice with images to generate ideas to be used in a story. You cast the die, and whorl away with a story to fit. It’s much like online story generators, but these cubes in a variety of themes, including Actions and Voyages, turn a writing tool into a well packaged afternoon game. I’ve even seen a picture of the cubes used to represent Ned Stark's storyline from A Game of Thrones. Simple, honest, geeky fun. 

2. Poetry

Yes, I can feel your eyebrows turning from here, but poetry can be fun. I read Stephen Fry’s book, The Ode Less Travelled last year, and he reminded me how before distractions of the internet and television that poetry and writing exercises were key entertainment. There are a variety of closed-form poems, acrostics, rictameters, or perhaps you could play with a serious sonnet or laugh with a limerick. Think of it like doing a cross-word with a chance to create something unique. Here’s an example of my own patterned poem.

The

Man of

Snow

A

Carrot for a nose,

Two lumps

Of coal

A

Silly hat

To keep him warm

Whilst we all eat within our

Homes, until upon a sunny spell,

That melts away the fluffy white,

We venture out, and gasp upon

The melt; a carrot that was once

a nose, two lumps of coal that

once were eyes.

3. Seek

This sounds both odd and obvious at the same time, but venture out (as far as your snow boots can carry you) and seek inspiration. Notice how different everything looks, and feels. Does it remind you of any far gone place? A ski resort? A Disney film? Take pictures. Build a snowman, or do what I did and help push a car up the hill, doing you community service for the day, then write about it. Embrace this different sort of day, and see if it gets the synapses firing!

4. Read/Watch

Dig out your DVD collection, put on that new series you got for Christmas, break out a book, or even read a script. I know that time old phrase, along the lines of you must read, read, read if you want to write, write, write gets rather annoying (and therefore probably true), but today you have time. Enjoy.

5. Write

You heard me. Write that project you’ve been putting off.  I used my snow day to write a ton of pages for my thesis screenplay, and now would use any extra time to write a scene for my new play, unless of course I were to be distracted by any of the above.

A simple list, but hopefully will inspire any creative stuck in the snow to get their story juices flowing.

Can We Be Creative Workaholics?

I've been reading the Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, a truly wonderful resource for 'blocked artists', and stumbled upon an interesting addiction apparently used to block creative energy; workaholism. As I read and ticked most of the boxes for a typical workaholic, I tried to make sense of how it applied to me, as I'm mostly a workaholic with creative projects. Not that I write more than anyone else, but seem to focus on writing and don't do much else, finding myself clogged and over-tired. Is it possible to be a creative workaholic?

"If I had more time I'd have more fun." Her phrase pretty much sums me up. I put off things that make me happy to achieve a perceived higher goal. I feel I must working on creative projects if I'm to make it as a writer, but often stop going to the cinema or reading scripts, stuff that would probably help my writing.

I sometimes don't want to cut back on any projects as I feel this will make me less worthy, lazy even. After reading this book, however, I think I take on so many projects to avoid finishing any of them, giving me the chance to slate myself and devoid myself of worth. It's fear that drives me, fear I won't become a successful writer unless I push myself. This is a problem also outlined in the book. In striving to be a great writer, I stop myself from becoming a writer at all.

I'll give an example. Earlier this year I had a conversation with my cousin, and after which revived an old blog and finally got round to setting this one up, something I've put off for a while. This was a positive step, but soon I became anxious. "How will I keep the deadlines?" I wondered, fearing that if I didn't, I'd seem a hack, not a real blogger at all. Before long, the blog posts were suffering, partly because I was doing too much, but also because I told myself I had to blog, or die.

I realised my mistake after reading the workaholic section. It's far better for me to firstly focus on a few projects to ensure I don't put myself under too much pressure. Secondly, I need to make sure I'm writing not because I fear I have to succeed in my goal, but because I want to, and have something to say. Right now I'm logged in not out of fear, but because I'm quite excited to share this revelation.

It seems a case of balance. We can and should put in time to reach our creative goals, but should be aware of piling our plates too high, and make sure we're writing for the right reasons: is it a need to succeed in our careers, or simply because today we want to write?

Breakdown of The Polar Bears

I never thought I'd actually get excited over a short film created by Coca-Cola. That's right. Coca-Cola, the movie. It's based on the polar bears used in their advertising, but thankfully there's not a Coke bottle in sight. In fact, it's not half bad, and I found myself strangely moved by the end. I've always found animation to have really well-crafted stories, and this one's no different.




I wanted to find out how this little sucker got me so involved, and broke it down into my interpretation. You might recognize some of the headings from Blake Snyders, Save the Cat. I'm not Cat obsessed or anything, but do like using the headings to describe plot points. I'd love any comments, things I've missed, gotten wrong, or you could just call me a sap for being a little obsessed with this film. It's just advertising after all, or is it something new?

·        Hero and Central Character: Jack

o   Weakness: Aloof, unreliable

o   Want: To climb the ice tower

o   Need: For Daddy Bear and family to accept and understand him

·         Protagonist: Daddy Bear

o   Weakness; Rule-follower, strict, rigid

o   Want: To give an acceptance speech to become pack leader

o   Need: To be closer to his son, Jack

·         Sub-plot Character: Kia

o   Need: Independence, live a little, have some fun

·         Antagonist: Zuk

·         Ally: Mummy Bear

Ordinary World/Weakness

The Polar Bears opens by establishing Daddy Bear’s goal to give an acceptance speech to become pack leader. He emphasises how responsible and organised polar bears are, so that when Jack stumbles out of no-where and admits to having followed the wrong pack for hours, we understand he doesn’t fit in. This establishes Jack's need, to be understood by his dad, and shows us his weakness; he is an aloof and irresponsible bear who knows how to enjoy himself. Mummy bear states the theme when she advises Jack to be himself to gain his father’s respect.

Inciting Incident/Point of Attack

I’d say it already happened, that it’s the Dad’s speech (or at least when he was asked to give it), as this seems to be the central event the story hangs from. This is quite a big step for the family and I imagine has shaken things up, and now Jack is going to have to deal with being an aloof bear in a family of leader bears. This is why I think Daddy is the protagonist. Being made leader of the pack seems to be his goal, and he can achieve this by delivering a great speech to the other bears.

Break-into-two

The speech sets up the stakes for the story. Mummy suggests Jack look after Kia, and Daddy says he doesn’t want any surprises on this day, simple code for, let’s mess it up any which way we can. We also have a double-cross, as mummy tells Zuk to watch Jack and make sure he doesn’t mess up. This sets up a central task for Jack, but it is not a goal; this is attributed to Daddy bear. I think Jack is the hero, as he later helps Daddy bear change, and is perhaps why he doesn’t have a concrete goal. Two female bears also set-up the dislike of puffins, are apprehensive to Jack, but seem to love Zuk.

Fun and Games

So it sort of feels that now we’re in the second act, as Daddy is off giving his speech whilst Jack is expected to look after his little sister. We do, however, get a second sort of break-into-two beat when Jack listens to his father’s speech and is inspired by the phrase, “scale new heights,” to literally want to scale an ice-tower that just happens to loom over the speech, sending our expectations wild.

I think this could be called plot point one, if you will, as this is the point when Jack begins his quest that winds up getting him in trouble. We set-up the story, and now it’s about to kick-start. This could be seen as a way to give a goal to our hero and central character. He wants to climb the tower in order to gain his father’s respect, taking action to achieve his need, not a material want. Again, Daddy Bear fits the traditional protagonist shape of wanting a material goal, the speech to become leader, and must later sacrifice this for a spiritual need, to be closer to his son.

B-Story

This is also the point when a second story, the B-story, is created. Jack leaves Kia on her own to scale the tower, which is understandable, as he’s an aloof, irresponsible bear. Zuk follows his mother’s instructions and sets off to stop Jack, leaving Kia to the temptation of the puffins. It’s quite nice that Kia has her own problems. We understand that she’s looking for a bit of independence and fun, and is fed up of being baby-sat all the time. Off she goes with the puffins, leaving us to wonder what dangers this little adventure might get her into, especially as they are not socially acceptable. It’s a nice mirror to Jack’s story, as he also isn’t accepted by society, and this later helps resolve the story.

Mid-point

Jack reaches the top of the ice-tower and literally is on-top of the world. This is certainly a quest to achieve his need, as he asks Zuk, who comes to stop him, if he thinks Dad would name the tower after him if he were the first one to slide down it. Jack pushes Zuk and follows after, immediately raising the stakes as we cut between the incoming bears and the father’s acceptance speech.

All is lost

Jack and Zuk gate-crash the acceptance speech and do just what Daddy Bear feared Jack would do. It gets worse when they discover that as a result of their little quest, that Kia has been lured into a silly dance with the puffins. The crowd start to gossip and it looks like Jack is in a whirlwind of trouble.

Break-into-three

But, perhaps listening to his mother’s advice from earlier (you could almost imagine a tacky flashback scene or voice-over) Jack dives into the pool and joins in with the dance. Daddy Bear is now faced with the dilemma of how to fix this little struggle. Does he disband his son and side with the pack, or does he damn the rules and join his son?

Climax

Daddy stands on his hind legs and brings a stop to the chaos. We’re not sure for a moment what he’s going to do, but then he dives on in, and after another beat of indecision, joins in with the dance. This is the point where Daddy chooses to abandon his want. We’re still not sure by the end of the film if Daddy will still be leader after his little stunt, but we do know he’ll be closer to his son. It sort of feels like a world change film, as the central character doesn’t change, but the world does to accommodate him. It is, however, quite standard, as Daddy Bear, our protagonist, has definitely changed.

New Equilibrium

The whole family join in the dance in the pool, with Mummy literally turning against the pack after a snide comment about her family. We then see the two females from earlier, who now seem to be in love with Jack for being himself. This is a little over the top, a bit like spoon feeding us the theme. “We get it already!” I want to scream, as we’ve already seen this in action, and don’t need it again.

So what can we get from this short film? The key thing for me is seeing a story work with several characters in conflict. In his book, On Film-Making, Alexander Mackendrick talks about characters in a web of conflict as opposed to a single main character with lots of side characters. Jack is the central character and hero, I’d say, as it’s him who saves the day and helps his father change, but without the conflicts from the characters around him, I’m not sure the story would work as smoothly. It’s nice to have a hierarchy. Zuk is above Jack when he attempts to stop him, working on higher orders from Mummy, but is still below Daddy, and it’s fun when he gets in equal trouble later.

I also like seeing the function of the B-story so clearly. At the end of the second act, the B-story and the A-story converge, and both are connected. Kia is dancing with puffins as a result of Jack climbing the ice tower. It’s also a mirror to Jack, as now Kia is being viewed as a misunderstood outcast breaking the taboos of society. The B-story is also what helps resolve the A-story. Jack is able to side with Kia, saving her from humiliation, and giving Daddy a choice to either side with society or his family. Instead of viewing this as a main story and a subplot, we can view it as two very important strands of the same story, which come together at the end to resolve each other. Without the B-story, Jack would simply be in a lot of trouble. It would probably make a good opening to a feature film. It seems that the B-story makes the difference between a fun scene and a complete story.

You could view the two stories like this;

A.      An aloof bear climbs an ice tower to gain his dad’s respect during the middle of his important acceptance speech.

B.      A bored younger-sibling is left alone when her brother goes to bring his aloof sibling in line, and is lured into a silly dance with outcast puffins.

Notice how the A story sounds a bit like a premise.

·