I wrote this once:
In business presentations (and sometimes in certain forms of advertising), there is a concept called "The Rule of Threes":Business professionals understand that people often have other things on their mind when they’re watching or reviewing a presentation, so they take steps to ensure that the key messages are heard and retained.
At the start of the presentation:
---Tell them what you’re going to tell them.
Then:
---Tell them.
At the end of the presentation:
---Tell them what you just told them.
This will greatly increase the chances that your audience “gets it.”
So, let's adapt that to screenwriting. To me, at least at first glance, it works for your theme.
The screenwriter would first present the need for the theme in some primary way, not "preach" it as a statement or solely in a piece of dialogue, but "present its need in action, perhaps along with dialogue," so that it's communicated, but not stated. This should likely fall in act 1, probably in the first 10 - 20 or so pages (“Do you know me?” “Well no.” “That’s what I thought. You see, I’m Mrs. Evelyn Mulwray – you know, Mr. Mulwray’s wife?... And since you agree with me we’ve never met, you must also agree that I haven’t hired you to do anything – certainly not spy on my husband.” – CHINATOWN, Shooting Draft, p. 22).
Then it would be presented again, not necessarily directly, as through statement, but rather through metaphor or allegory or implication. This would fall in act 2, probably in the 50 - 80 page range (“You may think you know what you’re dealing with, but believe me, you don’t.” “It’s what the D.A. used to tell me about CHINATOWN.” – CHINATOWN, Shooting Draft, p. 80).
Then it would be re-stated in a concluding epiphany tied to the climax at the end of act 3 (“Forget it Jake, It’s CHINATOWN.” – CHINATOWN, Shooting Draft, the last page, p. 145).
This has the effect of driving home that elusive quality in stories that make them relevant to audiences, worthwhile as stories to which they want to go back, again and again. But if the theme is merely stated, as in "the moral of this story is..." it becomes overstatement. Only as indirect implication, something to be inferred or never really even seen at all, does it gain its power.
And that recalls Robert Mckee's concept from his book, STORY, regarding "image systems" in films. Once you see it, it has failed. But if it is there yet its value and function are unseen, it has the effect of boosting the story itself, giving it a quality of unity, making it an organic whole. And that, in turn, moves it toward greatness.
And screenwriter, Robert Towne's theme? The loss of Jake Gittes's professional self-respect, and his need to get it back.
When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt.
---Henry J. Kaiser
3 people like this
Very interesting.
3 people like this
That's a great way to use The Rule of Threes, Lee Matthias! And great quote ("When your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt")! Your post reminded me of something I saw in a video. The screenwriter said he mentions the title of his script three times when he sends an email query letter to someone. At the start, in the middle, and at the end. That way, the producer, director, etc. will remember the title. I use his advice when I send an email query letter sometimes.