Screenwriting : Why Great Stories Often Make Bad Screenplays by Shawn Whitney

Shawn Whitney

Why Great Stories Often Make Bad Screenplays

Based on my experience as as writer and story editor some of the best, richest events in history can turn into pretty meh screenplays. Might be controversial, what do you think? http://fmwbh.tumblr.com/post/120191491178/notes-on-theme-2-the-dangers-o...

Colin Holmes

Movies aren't about events. They are about the characters impacted by those events.

Debbie Croysdale

Probably an event seen through the eyes if a character, alongside their own life, would dissolve the "reporter account" aspect. This would then bring another question, would the characters own life be the Macro or Micro story, in relation to event.

Shawn Whitney

There are dramatically told histories of great events - told through the eyes of multiple people. The novel Fontamara comes to mind or some histories that are focused on how a population or social group are affected by and respond to events. And certainly there are ensemble films, like those of Altman (whom I love). But the key is that the view of events and the experience of the people in the story are united by a common approach to the story, ie. a theme. I think theme is often underrated or has become unfashionable - it's all about style, execution, technique - but theme is the heart of any good story.

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