Movies like 'The light of my life' and 'My dinner with Andre' are more about the characters and so the dialogue drives the story. On the other hand, films like 'Cast away' and 'The Revenant' rely primarily on the action to drive the story forward......I'm trying to write a story that does both......A lot of the of the story is inside a house with people talking about life outside and such.....but the other half of the story involves being outside and heavy use of action....
So....can this be done or should I stick to one or the other? Thanks guys and gals!
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I wouldn't worry about it. I think most scripts are a mix of dialog and action (the exceptions that come to mind being within the action genre and talk-heavy, play-like dramas, including adapted plays).
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Yes, it can be done. You just have to knuckle down and do it. A good example of a writer / director who does this is David Ayer: End of Watch, Suicide Squad ... there's action and he gets into the characters. In the movie Suicide Squad each of the characters has an issue that is present and addressed in the movie. Not easy to do, but Ayer does it.
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A lot of films do that, and even heavy action films. There always has to be breaks in the action. Look at how John Wick 3, or Atomic Blonde, or The Equalizer 2 do that. Usually the stakes rise; the protag gets thwarted; .new developments/unintended consequences are revealed; new information is revealed; .protags/antags regroup; .characters reflect....etc. etc.
And I would think of it more like "the consequences of the actions" and "the intents and motivations of the characters" that drive the film forward, and not "the action."
Best fortunes in your creative endeavors, Dillon!
Good movies do this.
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Character is story. Character is about the decisions people make. Whether that is to take the kids and file for divorce, or pull a gun and shoot the mistress, or when two executives talk about buying a company so they can sell off the parts. All are decisions. All are expressions of character. Action doesn't drive anything, it's just an expression of the decisions the characters are making.
"I'm trying to write a story that does both". That's 99% of most film and television.
I was just trying to get a discussion going really....writing can become stagnant.....obviously every story has action and dialogue....I'm interested in the techniques and motivations of how writers pull dialogue from action and vice versa. A character may have motivation but what does he/she do with it?
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Tarantino, Hal Hartley, Whit Stillman, Ed Burns and even Kevin Smith would often write actors entire scenes of dialogue where the subjects they discuss have nothing to do with the plot. If you're doing that kind of thing, it better be really fun dialogue. I've seen plenty of copycats fail at this because the lines aren't interesting, funny or that original. Stick to the story unless you got a really great exchange going that serves the characters well.
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My schools motto was FACTA NON VERBA (deeds not words). You judge a person by what they do not what they say.
Now depending on how you write will also depend on what you lean on. I am have script where two guys are trying to figure if they should open a barrel that could contain a bomb or cash. This is super dialogue heavy. But I need a little action to set up the characters.
In my other script “The Valley” a man is hunting a teenage girl because she stole from him. Mostly action not much dialogue.
There is no right or wrong answer just tools.
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Dillon,
It is a common misconception that a film is either one or the other. And it's often a mistake to assign your work a category before you write. People tend to jump into a camp and stay there.
Write YOUR story, Dillon. If you have a correct grasp of structure, your story with it's plot, characters and action will come out just right (with the required amount of drafts, of course).
A film that is considered a "character" piece always has a compelling story -- though often a somewhat contracted timeline and use of limited locations. Vicky Cristina Barcelona and American Beauty are two great examples. These characters sit on top of great -- although not necessarily prominent -- story lines.
And the best action films have terrific characters. Cast away and The Revenant both have tremendous character portrayals -- hence, Leonardo's Oscar.
If you really know who your main protagonists and antagonists are, and you drop them into a compelling story with a dynamic plot their characters will bounce, flow and compel all the way the the finish.
Don't fall into the trap of analysing films with a one-dimensional viewpoint. There is often more components to a successful film than is immediately obvious. Character is the most obvious, thus people wax lyrical on it; without understanding the foundations that hold the character up.
Get stuck into your screenplay -- and watch your characters reveal themselves as they negotiate the obstacles you place before them.
Best of luck brother!
Steve.
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"A character may have motivation but what does he/she do with it?"
i think that depends on the character and the situation. for instance: you might have a character who is normally cool and collected, but an event, or series of events, gets them hurling profanity or murderous threats. they might not say anything, during action, because they are too busy trying to stay alive; or their talking a mile a minute to try to hide their fear/anxiety.
the manifestation of their motivation will be shaped by their characterization, goals and the various situations that character will go through (including interaction with other characters).
thanks guys.....i just like hearing other peoples viewpoints and talking about it since writing is such a personal endeavor....you can get lost.....I'm pretty confident in my latest drafts but its taken me years of learning and honing to get there....Just pulling peoples opinions so thanks again.