One of the best lines of exposition in my humble opinion was a line spoken to Sylvester Stallone in Rambo II. The Colonel is speaking to Rambo, who is in a federal prison, and asks him, "You can't possibly want to stay here for another five years." That one, simple sentence told the audience an incredible amount of information and gave us Rambo's backstory. Stallone complemented that incredible line by displaying that haunting look in his eyes.
There's a movie called the Tree of Life. It felt repetitious, but if had variation. What Robert was saying was that dialogue without slight variation is very harmful to your screenplay. You don't want to bore your audience - not even in an art film setting. Unless if you're bringing up a common motif (i.e. "remember that pact that we made?" from "Enter the Void"), it's best to just bring variation into screenwriting. Nobody speaks the same thing way too many times in life.
@flemishguy Actually, subtext allows you to rewrite any line of dialogue in any number of ways and keep its original meaning. That way, you can tinker with making dialogue pleasing to the ear without worrying whether or not it will destroy the scene. (But if you're going with the McKee approach, it's better to just write the scene first before adding dialogue, as strange as this may sound to some of you.)
Classic example of blunder 4 (ostentatious): That alleged Great Line in Star Wars III, "So this is how liberty dies..." It's so painfully obvious Lucas thought that it was a Great Line that he just HAD to put in. In reality, it calls attention to itself with "Oh, How GREAT I Am!"
@metyuewb: Kudos to you Man. I couldn't have said it better myself. If you don't have the cojones to bring something original to the table, something that is going to bend and flout the rules, stay out of the arena.
Have you ever seen Adaptation? If you had, you know know that I am quoting the RObert McKee spoof from that movie, not giving an actual opinion on the subject. But good for you for jumping to The Wonder Year's defense.
Well, in Adaptation, Charlie Kaufman was making fun of how he's a tool for formulaic screenwriting, so there's that. Robert does have some neat pointers about dialogue, especially way-too-direct/on-the-nose dialogue.
I actually like voice over, in most movies its just funner and more enjoyable, but those are mostly comedys, if you rely on voice over or use it as a way to cheat to say messages you can't express with regular dialogue, then I can see why you have a problem with it
I'd rather see an example as opposed to hearing one. Though alot of this makes perfect sense, as fickle as hollywood is, you could use all these points and still get your script trashed. Can any of this apply if (in the context of the scene) one of these points does fit; in a comedy for example? Doesn't that change the dynamic of these examples?
Have you ever seen Adaptation? Watch that and then think REAL HARD about whether I was actually giving advice, or quoting the hilarious scene spoofing Robert McKee. If thats too much work, search Adaptation Robert Mckee scene and watch teh one thats 2 and a half minutes.
I guess i missed the sarcasm, sorry Mrs. Ellis. If you scroll up, our not as well versed contemporaries have shot me a lot of criticism for a quote they don't understand or get.
Narration as a no-no is one of the biggest myths/lies in the industry. Some of the most successful, and even many of the most respected classic films start out with narration...
McKee's "STORY" helped me a lot with avoiding monolouging in dialog and his explaining how plot exposes true Character, characterizations, and how supporting players serve the star's character really helped me develop my script. But he doesn't cover structure that is essential, how to find your genre or logline or anything Blake Snyder does. Read "Save The Cat" books. Together Blake and McKee will get you underway. They both cover something the other doesn't. Blake even prepares U4producers.
You don't need to get all "pissy" because you've been amended. You said he is nicer in real life than he is in Adaptation - I don't even know if you know the guy in person - and I said that his freaking son, who actually happens to know him, said he is not nicer than he is portrayed in Adaptation.
Of course these lessons are followed by the great writers and filmmakers - the annoying truth is that piece of shit films still get made with all these flaws in them. Quite a backwards industry in some way.
Robert McKee sounds like a zombie, if this was a movie he would suck big time. Forget all those screenwriting tutorials, write from the heart! Try to read books about Tarkovski, Godard, Bresson, Renoir, Lynch, Resnais, Marker,... instead. You'll learn a lot more about the independent artform and poetic structure, the true essence of cinema.
One of the best lines of exposition in my humble opinion was a line spoken to Sylvester Stallone in Rambo II. The Colonel is speaking to Rambo, who is in a federal prison, and asks him, "You can't possibly want to stay here for another five years."
That one, simple sentence told the audience an incredible amount of information and gave us Rambo's backstory.
Stallone complemented that incredible line by displaying that haunting look in his eyes.
I can't stop laughing! this guy's brutal honesty is so comedic that I have been watching his videos to cheer myself up!
There's a movie called the Tree of Life. It felt repetitious, but if had variation. What Robert was saying was that dialogue without slight variation is very harmful to your screenplay. You don't want to bore your audience - not even in an art film setting. Unless if you're bringing up a common motif (i.e. "remember that pact that we made?" from "Enter the Void"), it's best to just bring variation into screenwriting.
Nobody speaks the same thing way too many times in life.
Great guidelines.👍
@flemishguy Actually, subtext allows you to rewrite any line of dialogue in any number of ways and keep its original meaning. That way, you can tinker with making dialogue pleasing to the ear without worrying whether or not it will destroy the scene. (But if you're going with the McKee approach, it's better to just write the scene first before adding dialogue, as strange as this may sound to some of you.)
Great advice!
very good, and thank you.
@itzaramaja Yes it's fine to use beautiful dialogue as long as it has a place and necessary purpose within the script.
This is so brilliant.
Definately good tips.
Did you know he was story consultant for all the CG Barbie movies? Yep, you have McKee to thank!
I completely agree with you, I was quoting the RObert McKee parody from Adaptation, which is a hilarious film with VO
Man that music in the background is ANNOYING
thanks a lot.
Good stuff
Classic example of blunder 4 (ostentatious): That alleged Great Line in Star Wars III, "So this is how liberty dies..." It's so painfully obvious Lucas thought that it was a Great Line that he just HAD to put in. In reality, it calls attention to itself with "Oh, How GREAT I Am!"
@metyuewb: Kudos to you Man. I couldn't have said it better myself. If you don't have the cojones to bring something original to the table, something that is going to bend and flout the rules, stay out of the arena.
@bobbygnosis THE ROOM!!!!
YOUR TEARING ME APART LISA!!!
casablanca man, the greatest screenplay ever written
Have you ever seen Adaptation? If you had, you know know that I am quoting the RObert McKee spoof from that movie, not giving an actual opinion on the subject. But good for you for jumping to The Wonder Year's defense.
Well, in Adaptation, Charlie Kaufman was making fun of how he's a tool for formulaic screenwriting, so there's that.
Robert does have some neat pointers about dialogue, especially way-too-direct/on-the-nose dialogue.
Bob is excellent
I actually like voice over, in most movies its just funner and more enjoyable, but those are mostly comedys, if you rely on voice over or use it as a way to cheat to say messages you can't express with regular dialogue, then I can see why you have a problem with it
My bad... I was criticising the choice of word (I'm not even sure there IS a word called repetitiousness) not the concept.
"God help you if you use narration in your work my friends! God Help You"
--Robert Mckee in Adaptation
I'd rather see an example as opposed to hearing one. Though alot of this makes perfect sense, as fickle as hollywood is, you could use all these points and still get your script trashed. Can any of this apply if (in the context of the scene) one of these points does fit; in a comedy for example? Doesn't that change the dynamic of these examples?
Lol, that's so true!
I agree, the elevator background music is annoying, unnecessary and detracts from an excellent lesson.
he does
No, I am quoting the Robert McKee dialogue from Adaptation.
Can somebody please write what does he exactly say for the "5. Arid Speech"? He says "dry, lath..." and I can't get the rest.
Latinate.
I think he said, "Dry, latinate, polysyllabic, affected language."
Excellent advice especially the "on the nose" dialogue. Film characters must be liars or at the least deceptive.
@WolfosDotOrg Yeah, I agree. One of the worst culprits of this is Chris Nolan, though few people seem to pick up on that
@almightyhans All of them? I don't think so
@Luke1268
You cracked me up!
Have you ever seen Adaptation? Watch that and then think REAL HARD about whether I was actually giving advice, or quoting the hilarious scene spoofing Robert McKee.
If thats too much work, search Adaptation Robert Mckee scene and watch teh one thats 2 and a half minutes.
Is this guy talking about the Star Wars movies Lucas directed?
miljenko1 You do realize Lucas has been nominated TWICE for Best Original Screenplay 😆. Bad writers never get nominated
I guess i missed the sarcasm, sorry Mrs. Ellis. If you scroll up, our not as well versed contemporaries have shot me a lot of criticism for a quote they don't understand or get.
He almost stab me once during a class!!!
That means you weren't quite on his tempo
Was it about Psycho?
You took a McKee class and yet you can't even tell us the Story of what really happened? No wonder he tried to stab you.
1 Problem To Avoid With Uploading Discussion Videos: Annoying Background Music
But I like it, lol
@ttbotko15 It's not you, it's the camera man.
I was waiting for him to say, "Why the f**k are you wasting my time with your goddamn movie?"
Fear and Loathing? Good Fellas? You have problems with those movies?
Everyone in this is in Twilight.
His son, who said they "nailed" him in the film, would disagree.
Narration as a no-no is one of the biggest myths/lies in the industry. Some of the most successful, and even many of the most respected classic films start out with narration...
McKee's "STORY" helped me a lot with avoiding monolouging in dialog and his explaining how plot exposes true Character, characterizations, and how supporting players serve the star's character really helped me develop my script.
But he doesn't cover structure that is essential, how to find your genre or logline or anything Blake Snyder does. Read "Save The Cat" books. Together Blake and McKee will get you underway. They both cover something the other doesn't.
Blake even prepares U4producers.
M. Night Shymalan writes entirely "on the nose." It seems to work for him.
George Lucas is often guilty of #2, sad to say--often mixed with #4.
1:50 "Ohai, Mark."
^That movie was made.
If you take anything from take this:
A shitty movie that's made is better than an unmade epic.
You don't need to get all "pissy" because you've been amended. You said he is nicer in real life than he is in Adaptation - I don't even know if you know the guy in person - and I said that his freaking son, who actually happens to know him, said he is not nicer than he is portrayed in Adaptation.
repetitiousness? What's wrong with repetition?
He's specifically referring to when the same dialogue beat is repeated back-to-back.
Of course these lessons are followed by the great writers and filmmakers - the annoying truth is that piece of shit films still get made with all these flaws in them.
Quite a backwards industry in some way.
did anyone notice the forced exposition in Avatar when the dude is explaining what unobtanium is? God that movie was crap.
Daddy
He's smart and I learn a lot from him, but he looks at me like he wants to stab me :0
God, I felt like killing myself after this video hopefully I don't write this badly
lmfao
sounds too controlled in a reality TV era.
Robert McKee sounds like a zombie, if this was a movie he would suck big time. Forget all those screenwriting tutorials, write from the heart! Try to read books about Tarkovski, Godard, Bresson, Renoir, Lynch, Resnais, Marker,... instead. You'll learn a lot more about the independent artform and poetic structure, the true essence of cinema.
He is one angry dude. Looks like a character that would beat his kids.
This advice was extremely generic and completely unhelpful.