How To Write Great Dialogue
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- čas přidán 12. 02. 2019
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What makes great dialogue? In this video essay I talk about subtext, purpose, and realism. The three pillars of what makes great dialogue.
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"Here you go, keep the change. Oh hello doggie"
10/10 dialogue right here
I've heard about it tons but never actually braved sitting through it Tbh seen plenty of memes based on it though its awfulness is legend :)
You forgot the lauht
that doggie was cute tho
You’re my favorite customer
"Hello doggie" award winning dialogue
Don't make realistic dialogue.
Make bealivable dialogue.
JustFredrik what makes something believable?
@@Madanth0ny Hard question and if there was a solid short awnser for that then the key to writing dialogue would be that.
what makes believable dialouge?
Realistic dialogue is realistic and by making it realistic it's alike to dialogue you'd hear everyday. so it's believable? idk
@@WaffleAD it must fit the tone of the scene, being witty when you are talking to a crime boss and you are not an action hero or a martial artist
Remember: Sometimes it’s okay to sacrifice realism for what’s more interesting or immersive.
The subtext of "Sometimes" here is 90% of the time.
@@gamingtime468 If anything, realism makes everything less interesting and immersive, everything must go through some theatrical exaggeration/romanticising to some extent, because life is boring, unfortunately. And interesting literature is just what we use to escape that boringness for a moment of ecstacy.
Good film is like good music. I should yank the emotions out of you.
@@xeraphyx7903 Exaggeration is why the mc actually does stuff. Nobody in real life would go off to fight a giant snake thing that can kill you with only eye contact, but Harry does. You always need to make your MC braver or less fearful than normal people will be (with some exceptions.)
depends on the genre
"there are no umms and errrs in dialogue" there absolutely should be though, it's realistic, and is hilarious
Um. .word.
@@imangiomo what? i mean.. what?
Lol, I agree. I say "um" and "err" all the time and I relate more with characters who don't speak perfectly, thus making it more believable.
Umm, what about- err, what about Jeff Goldblum?
But not as much as in reality, it's fiction after all.
Hello There
-General Kenobi
The perfect phrase
@illana partidai
of darkness in the valley
We can live like jack and sally if we want
Where you can always find me
@@guillegarcia7146 And we'll have Halloween on Christmas
And in the night we'll wish this never ends
WE'LL WISH THIS NEVER ENDS 😢😢
@@anantahandley where are you??
And I'M SO SORRY
I cannot sleep I cannot dream tonight
You shall not say GOODBYE
To be fair to Anakin, it's possible he's saying hamfisted romance dialogue because he's trying to convince Padmé to love him, but he's really bad at being romantic because he's spent half his life in a monastery. If Lucas's goal was to make him look pathetic, he succeeded.
Isn't that the whole idea? I don't understand how this dude could bomb the scene so hard if not to squeeze in the "hey guys laugh at the fucking prequels heehaaw". One of the defining key points in the Star Wars saga is Padme's rejection of Anakin, leading to her death, leading to Luke living on Tatooine and not knowing of his sister Lea et cetera, et cetera. The subtext in this scene is that Anakin is desperate for her because he knows he's turning to the dark side of the force and whatnot. BUT NAAAAH THE PREQUELS SUCK OMG LET'S kiLL GErORgE LuCaS
Let's not forget George Lucas wanted to simplify the story in order that even 5 year olds could easily understand it. He made his priority for Star Wars to be readily accessible to young children. Hence this deliberately awkward dialogue from Anakin has to be very much 'on the nose'.
Look at what Padme says to Anakin in response:
"...No you listen! We live in a real world, come back to it. You're studying to become a Jedi, I'm... I'm a senator. If you follow your thoughts through to conclusion, it will take us to a place we cannot go, regardless of the way we feel about each other."
The dialogue was meant to explain the situation as simply and literally as possible to innocent young children. Star Wars was never written to be realistic, rather dramatic and theatrical. It's not method acting, it's pastiche, a fairytale style opera about family, made for all ages, set in a galaxy far far far away.
Wait. Everybody gonna gloss over the fact that this is Dr Shaym??
There’s a theory that talks about how there’s no way that Padme naturally fell in love with Anakin. Anakin brainwashes her using the force. It’s a long shot, but it’s interesting
@@doctordeathdefying132 if Anakin had that 'power' he'd have used it again to turn Luke, Instead he had to watch helplessly as his son denys him, and prefers jumping to his death rather than to stand by his father's side.
Wouldn't Anakin have used it on the Death Star, to get the location of the plans from Leia? Instead they attempt to use torture, and blackmail to try and get her to talk. Including blowing up her home planet?
Then there's the common sense question like, if Padme had been mind tricked to 'love' him, wouldn't she be mind tricked to join him on the Dark Side? Yet they argued throughout the Prequels, and particularly in ROTS. On Mustafar Anakin wouldn't need to get angry with her, he'd just mind trick her again to join his side (and rule the galaxy?).
It's established lore that mind tricks are very difficult to do, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon attempt it only after becoming experienced Masters. Luke only in ROTJ after finishing his training with Yoda. It only works some of the time, and ONLY on the weaker minded. Not Padme, who regularly demonstrates more self control and resolve than Anakin, she's stronger than Anakin. If anything it's Padme that controls him.
Having a conversation with a human being at least once in your life is a good start.
That's rich coming from the one that wrote this comment.
@@gamingtime468 Oh please, stranger, do tell me how many conversations I've had in my life. The exact number. I'm waiting.
Whats a human being?
Introverts: I’m in danger
A good rule thumb to make realistic dialogue is to talk to humans! Thanks
What blows my mind about Tarantino is that he can have his characters talking about seemingly mundane things and yet the scene and dialogue will still be so engrossing.
Pulp Fiction's Royale with Cheese and Reservoir Dog's Tipping scenes for example.
i think a large part of that is the way it’s shot. everyone knows the iconic shot of the close-up on Sam Jackson when he says “royale with cheese” or the hand gestures each other make while smoking or the framing of the car or the hallways. it’s engrossing because it has a funny scenario behind it that gives conflict and they’re acting casual.
ever gave someone a foot massage ?
They talked about burgers, foot massages and defenestration in the space of a few minutes and I was convinced of the whole thing.
I was thinking the same thing because in a another video this guy said dialogue is not a conversation but yet the conversation about the things in Europe (pulp fiction) seem like a normal conversation people will have
Bill's talk about comic books and Superman. His point being that Beatrix WILL never stop being that killer even if she settled down as a mother. I absolutely loved it.
Good dialogue doesn't need to be realistic, it needs to get immersive. Dialogue needs to feel natural in respect to the character. I feel like some newer writers often fall into the trap of sacrificing their characters for the sake of their story.
The old Jesus technique.
gotta make it interesting
sam jack in pulp fiction, the merovingian in the matrix 2, gyllenhall nightcrawler dinner date scene, the end of godfather 1
last of us
Or to make the character "relatable". I've seen this often- Scripted looking dialogue that doesnt fit that character half bit.
Caution: subtext does not work in a relationship
Doubt
zexna Tell that to every woman.
😂😂😂😂
@@rnindless TRUE. lmao
In relationships, direct communication is always best. Obviously subtext can be interpreted differently which is not good in a relationship.
The dialogue in the room is some of the best I've ever heard.
Oh hi sonosilence 224
I want to live where you do!!!!
"hi doggy"
so bad its good
“I did not hit her it’s not true it’s bullshit I did not hit her I did not.”
i'd say that there are a few times in real life where our speech turns into dialog:
- a first date
- a job interview
- trying to convince someone to do something (includes sales)
generally, when conversation has actual stakes involved. if it's just two people shooting the shit as friends then that's not dialog. but i think we come to dialog in movies because we DO have real world analogs.
Fun fact people who watch lots of movies and shows tend to actually speak like they do in movies because they subconsciously incorporate them into their lives. So in actuality the more movies we watch the more realistic the dialogue becomes to us
You missed the best example: shower monologues/dialogues
@@desireandfire ohhh that's why I sound vaguely archaeic when I talk. it's the fantasy novels and movies
A movie filled with stake after stake is boring too. Sometimes you want to see two characters shooting the shit, as long as there is purpose to the dialogue, like establishing character.
But The Room is the pinnacle of phenomenal dialogue:(
Oh hi Mark.
You're tearing me apart, Lisa!
Why, Lisa, why, WHY?!
It seems to me like you're the expect, BSJ
Fantastic videos, please do a video on why lovecraftian horror isn't made into movies or tv shows.
Wouldn't that be funny if random things we said during life was weird foreshadowing?
Hmm unfortunately most random things we say ends up immediately forgotten within the hour, so even if this was true we just wouldn't realise it.
Honestly I had this kind of shit happen to me a few times, to the point me and a couple of friends joke that my life may be shitty, but it's very well written
This thread is an example of writing good dialogue (except this post, obviously). Kudos!
@@Kaiwala Thatd be the beauty of it. Cleverly disguised as random forgetful dialogue we end up foreshadowing later events.
It is frequently the case.
My little sister and I would joke about how we seemed nothing like our father.
Our father ended up not being our biological father.
I was at a party with my friends listening to them have a conversation and it dawned on me at that moment _this real conversation would be considered horrible writing._
Then I saw the quarter pounder with cheese conversation in pulp fiction
Yeah, the beauty of "the quarter pounder with cheese" is that it's a thing that you or me would talk about with our homie
The point of that dialog is to show how much killing people means nothing to the characters, so little discussion about the murder that the most mundane conversation becomes the topic at hand. It’s character development too because it shows how Samuel L Jackson’s character finds himself to be deep and worldly rather than just some criminal.
That whole conversation was a mislead to viewers too. It’s the beginning of the movie and we have no clue what it’s about yet or who these characters are. Then you learn visually that they are assassins. It’s a successful and great reveal. It establishes that the movie is not serious but it will also shock you.
The different storylines each have different tones. Then you find out that they’re all connected but are not in order. Again, great reveal. This was Tarantino’s genius concept. Reveal information to the audience over the course of the film. He, as the director, was in full control and manipulated us without showing any of his cards or hinting at what he’d do next.
Anakin "I'm in agony"
Me watching that scene "me too bub, me too."
hehe
"It's hilariously bad because it's just so boring"
My life: "I feel personally attacked"
No replies with one kay lykes?
How?
I paused the video, looked at the comments, and read this one. Then I unpaused the video, and this part of the video immediately played.
With that pfp of yours, Sans feels personally attacked too.
Yes
life is all about ones experiences, so while one may find fishing to be utterly boring, they may find nascar to be fun, that is why opinion is utterly worthless. Its pointless.
"You killed my father!"
"Alternatively, is it possible that your father isn't dead?"
"What?"
"Perhaps what you heard isn't entirely true, and he survived?"
"The hell are you on about?"
"Maybe he's somewhere within the vicinity... somewhere not un-nearby?"
"What are you saying?"
"Luke... I'm not unlike nor not undissimilar to he who doesn't not, in reality, share 50% of your chromosomes."
"I don't understand."
"Subtext, Luke."
"There are things which you say that confuse myself."
"Ah, I see. Well, your mother and I had intercourse and I killed her and became a Sith lord."
"Wait... you're my father?"
"I'm not not not not not not not your un-father."
"NOoooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooOOOOoOOOoOOooOoOoOOOooOOooooo!!!!!!"
Spot on
Truly a work of genius why didnt george do it like this
Yeah, sometimes QT's dialogue feels like he's really proud of how clever he is and wants to show off.
@@meris8486 Who is "QT"?
@@kingchickenwing4887 Quentin Tarantino? Honestly no idea what they mean.
3:37 is that man really eating fruit with a knife and fork
Maybe it's a weird alien meat fruit
@@max.cr33p But it's literally just a normal Earth pear. We even see it get cut open later and it's white and has seeds. I have no idea why George Lucas went through the effort (for lack of a better word) to make the fruit CGI yet still have it be just a normal pear.
Hope Bryant
god I don't wanna think about cutting a fruit and it's just meat
@@thedeliveryboy1123 oh man that’s a disturbing though
“I see your Schwartz is as big as mine! Now let’s see how well you handle it!”-Dark Helmet
Now you see that Evil will always triumph, because Good is dumb!!!!!!
“He’s beginning to believe” -Morpheus
“Your dentist’s name is crentist.” - Michael Scott
Both moments of great tension, equally memorable.
agreed
"Maybe that's why he became a dentist" - Dwight Schrute
LMFAOOOO
Azazel Dreciare 54? You’re rollin man don’t call yourself old yet
😂😂
"There are no umm and err in dialogue"
Well you see.. umm.. dialogue.. err.. dialouge, Ah, finds a way.... umm.. well there it is.
Seems like Jeff Goldblum is the exception to the rule.
He cites The Social Network during that because the use of erms and uhs during that movie was the biggest challenge to the actors.
Same with Jurassic Park. Jeff Goldblum added that for emphasis.
Obama, I didn't know you were British!
Yeh, well, that's just like..umm..your opinion man
The point about no ums or ers is stupid. It’s important to show a character’s power dynamic in a scene, and not everyone becomes super confident to deliver serious dialogue, it’s important to show their level and display their emotions, wether it’s discomfort or a lack of confidence or just plain confusion, it will be only natural to incorporate those elements in your dialogue. Same goes for witty remarks, that can only work if you have established your character to be passionate about the thing that is being talked about, or smart or witty in general.
It is a matter of intent. In most cases of text, the 'umm's serve a purpose. Whereas most regular conversation (at least as far as I have observed), drops that little crutch at least once every other minute.
That is why professional speakers sound far more credible when they speak without that crutch.
The uhms and pauses add fat to the script. Cut them out. Every word has to be impactful and develop your story.
@@thereccher8746 that's just overdoing it. not every conversation somebody has is going to be extremely meaningful, and a lot of time when a scene includes heavy themes, characters themselves should still be allowed to be simple. not everyone is a poet. you can add meaning to a natural, plain conversation; you don't need to make every line clear spoken and deliberate. like a girl with abandonment issues could be asked by someone who's important to her whether she will stay in that night, as she usually goes out. say, she responds that she will and asks about him in return; he answers that he spends every night in. she's the one who hasn't been around, while he's been there waiting for her every time she returned home. this isn't insanely 'deep' for the characters, who aren't likely to outright explain everything they feel, but it carries a meaning.
@@elijahwinchester6690 Yes, I agree.
Facts! You're overdoing it, and some characters can sound flat without it. Especially if you want to convey what kind of character they are.
"I am your father." has a lot of subtext though. Luke thought of Vader as the ultimate evil and representation of the empire, someone who killed his family. Vader shatters the notion of him being an outsider and that he was his father, meaning Luke has the evil within him too, and that his father went to the dark side, Ben also lie-protected him. In addition, it shows that Vader wants to convert Luke by indirectly training him by toying with him in that lightsaber duel and finally playing "we're family" card, along with that appeal to rule the galaxy as father and son. All in four words.
That’s not subtext. That’s meaning. Subtext is what the character is subtly saying
@@Michael-McCollum I think you mean context, not meaning. The meaning of "I am your father" is that Vader is Luke's father. More to the point, though, text + context = subtext. It's not limited to the character speaking the line.
@@redenavari you’re right. It is context
Joker's monologue in dark knight was just perfect and it was delivered even more perfectly by heath.
Agreed. When the video discussed how the most iconic moments of dialogue happen at the climax of a conflict, I was surprised that this wasn't cited.
I think the reason he didn't use it was that it was a monologue, not a dialogue
“Madness is like gravity, all it takes is a little push”
“I believe that whatever doesn’t kill you, simply makes you... stranger”
But have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?
"Wheres Harvey?"
"Whats the time?"
"Why does that matter?"
"Well depending on the time, he could be in one place... or several."
Thats brilliant subtexts.
That moment you realize that almost every line of dialogue uttered by The Joker in The Dark Night is iconic...
*Clapping in admiration*
*Joker clapping meme.
But you know, so is every line by palpatine in revenge of the sith... so maybe it’s more to do with quotability than quality
@@gryotharian Ironic
Every line said by Bane during the Dark Knight Rises is even more iconic than the joker ones and are memes on the internet
PriestlyBlock67 Bane’s lines are equally as dramatic as tdk’s Joker’s, granted, but are they as iconic?
As much as realism is a must in dialogue, a dialogue that feels sharp and linear can be beautiful to the ears, especially in ending climaxes. This is cinema after all, we don't make movies because we want to recreate life, we make movies because we want to take the rules of reality, and twist them in a way that creates an entertaining, thoughtful, masterpiece.
"I need a weapon"
"Sir, finishing this fight"
"Relax, don't want to piss this thing off"
"Thought I'll shoot my way out, mix things up a little"
"I thought there won't be any cameras"
"That's not going to happen"
"No, I think we're just getting started"
I swear, this character's almost every line is always golden
Masterchief
Until 5,
"Negative infinity"
"Thank you Kelly"
"Cortana please"
This is sierra 117 to Blue team do you copy"
"Fred no"
His lines sound like generic Military Talk
"To give the Covenant back their bomb."
'Wilson'
- Tom Hanks
WIIILSOOOOOOOOON
Yes, but he said many thinks by that "Wilson" XD
Press F for my boi
Pan P. R. Exactly. That one line has more subtext than some entire movies
I cried
When you have zero interest in writing any type of story, yet you still watch every video essay from The Closer Look because they're just that good.
Honestly, watching these videos makes me want to write some stories, something that never crossed my mind before.
Knowing how to write isn't only useful for writing but to be able to appreciate good writing and notice bad one.
Well, it also doesnt Hurt for dnd for example ^^
or maybe your subconscious is preparing you to write a book in your sleep. You just don't know it. ;D
Tru
When you realize the talk scene in The Silence of the Lambs is a more intense fight scene than the Casablanca sequence in John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum
About Star Wars Episode 2: Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman decided to play a joke on Lucas, and read their lines as if they had no acting skills. Lucas liked it, and put that scene in the movie.
DUDE. WHAT.
This must be wrong lol
If this is true it changes everything
@@FPSIreland2 I think it was only the scenes on Naboo, or something like that.
Chrsitensen was so bad in that film that I walked out on it. He's slightly better than a box of Crayons-not a joke
“I am really sad right now, I need a hug.”
MrPomegranX [Matoi] here u go 💜
Until you start using subtext, no hugs for you!
Kave Kaviani Thanks
@@MrPomegranX pssht hug your self
actually here ya go, merry valentines
joshuabooth top10andinfo Haha, thanks
"Oh
You've decided to approach me?.."
"I cant kick your ass unless I get closer"
Top tier dialog
Jojo
My reaction reading this was: Yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! YES!
*y a r e y a r e d a z e*
NIGERUNDAYO SMOKEY!
"I'm fine" is the Thanos of subtext
I’m stupid what does that mean
@@thatsabingo6695 He just means nothing has more subtext than an "I'm fine" when someone's obviously not
"R u good dawg?"
"Yeah,im fine"
"No ur fucking not"
The darkseid
Dialogue is about the character. Not the conversation. It is about the relationship. The gestures and mannerisms. The feeling behind the spoken words.
10:12 "There are no 'umms' or 'errrs' in real dialogue."
Rick and Morty: *Laughs in hidden*
Gavin Smith Jesse Eisenberg: hides behind tree.
He is not entirely correct. There are umms and errs in movies, but they still follow these rules. If a umm is written in the script it is, because it's a character trait.
In 'Limitless' there are 'um's and 'ah's in dialogue. To show when characters are accessing the usual 10% of their brains and not the full 100%
There is TONS of subtext in the line “No, I am your father”
It shows Vader’s ruthlessness, as he lets his own son die. This single line increases the personal stakes in the hero and the threat of the villain tenfold. He reveals one single piece of exposition, but the weight that has on the story before and after is immense.
Subtext is what the character themself *means.*
What you are talking about is the dialogue's purpose: and in it, like you said, it basically recontextualises the whole conflict. It is indeed great dialogue.
Subtext is referring to the CHARACTER’s intent.
I caught this too. To me, this line holds a massive amount of subtext. Though I posit that Vader is upending Luke's worldview with this line. Vader is actually telling Luke that everything he knew about the world was a lie. The people he trusted lied to him. Even brings his morals into question. This was a character-changing line of subtext (as well as a nice twist). That's why it's good IMO. Though if it was proceeded by Vader saying: "No, everything you've been told is a lie because I am your father." Then we enter the world of "on the nose" bad dialogue. Anyway, I thought this was a big one to gloss over in a video about subtext making up the crux of good dialogue.
He doesn't let his son die though, he just witnesses his son reject his offer and let himself fall. Vader also can see a bit into the future (force powers), so he probably can foresee that his son will survive.
Agreed. Vader isn’t just stating paternity, he’s (trying to) get Luke to join his side by showing Luke first Obi-Wan lied, and second Luke is more like Vader than any other Jedi
Guy: are you okay?
Girl: i'm fine.
*that moment you knew you're doomed*
“I am your father” has lots of subtext.
It represents a shift from our hero having descended from a martyr to having descended from evil.
For Vader personally, it means “You will join me if you have any sense”
And for Luke it means he has to reconcile this
I think what Closer Look is saying is that it's on the nose. It's purely literal. Whereas he's told us to to show not tell, and there should generally be a difference between the spoken words and the underlying meaning.
Here he's pointing out that sometimes plain, literal dialogue is necessary
Trying to add jokes in a script and making the dialogue seem like actual dialogue is one of the hardest things ever, I've tried it before.
Trying to make a VN right now. I can vouch you on that.
I’m trying to start an animate series right now.
You are very correct.
It’s not too hard for me, because I normally add witty responses to my own conversations. So I’ll just add something I might respond to something
@@tftsauce2555 You might not be as funny as you think yourself to be, definitely be sure that you have other people's opinions, or else it might turn out like the Star Wars prequels.
A Choking Fish if you’re funny, just write how you talk
Most dialogue should have subtext, fit the theme, and grow the characters BUT direct lines like "I am your father", which are a huge revelation/twist, should leave no ambiguity ;)
I still think it has subtext, which comprises what Luke knew about his dad through Obi Wan and what Luke experiences in the cave.
@@TuanNguyen-ko9wz I agree with you. "I am your father" is loaded with subtext. Proof: Luke was motivated by revenge, he wanted to fight Vader because he believed that Vader killed his father. The theme of Luke's struggle was one of revenge against the empire and Vader. Vader on the other hand was motivated not by revenge but by LOVE when he discovered that he had a son. Discovering that he had a son was what allowed Vader to see through the cloud of the Emperors power because it brought him back to his former identity as Anakin. He wanted to bring Luke to the dark side, so felt that he would defuse Luke's motivation for revenge by revealing that he IS his father. In truth, Anakin was not killed by Vader, he was killed by the emperor- killed when the emperor took him away from LOVE by telling him that he killed Padme, thus turning him to the dark side. Ultimately, love for his son was what caused Vader to return to the light side of the force at the end. Only Jedi can become a force ghost so Anakin's redemption is very clear. The fact of the matter is that Luke could not have destroyed the emperor, only Anakin could. Therefore he fulfilled the prophecy that he was the chosen one, because the defeat of the empire would not be possible without him turning back to the light side- something that was only possible thru his encounter with Luke when he rediscovered love. Lots of subtext there. It is not just a 'dramatic twist', it is the crux whereby the resolution of the story relies entirely.
@@TuanNguyen-ko9wz Agreed. It was a direct line which advanced the plot but created an implication which influenced Luke's character development. A cognitive dissonance in which the movie afterward had a whole section focused on him fighting with the idea that he could turn to the dark side just as easily. That he isn't far removed from evil. I do think the hallucinations in Dagobah were a little too heavy handed though to show this inner turmoil. I do think there were better lines in other movies to use because although Star Wars is a good movie, the dialogue isn't fantastic in any of them really. I personally think the line from Taxi Driver in which he says his driving record is "Clean. Really clean. Like my conscience" would have been a better choice for dialogue which seems direct but has subtext as the plot moves along
@@makeshift_battlefield_music The line serves multiple purposes but there's no subtext. Not as The Closer Look defined it - being what the character means minus what they actually said.
There is nothing Vader meant that he didn't also say in that line.
It's worth pointing out, that the General Convention is to put subtext to dialogue... Meaning there IS space to "break the rule" so long as you find meaningful points and purpose in doing so.
AND absolutely AVOID over-doing it.
Again, Comedy, allows for the purposes of "being funny" the breaking of any and all such rules or conventions... That's exactly what sets comedy apart, that the writer has practically unlimited license to break rules, ruin formats, interchange the formal with informal, and anything else really... SO LONG AS IT'S FUNNY.
The difficulty with "good" Comedy, is keeping in mind that it's strictly the FUNNY business, not the You business or the Me business. Nobody gets allowed the ego without having it torn to pieces and ripped from under them, BECAUSE it's funny to do so. ;o)
I remember reading in a screenwriting book that a good way to see how conversations normally flow and to apply it in your dialogue is to analyze how you talk to other people
Also read out the dialogue out loud. Something that sounded great in your head doesn't always come across s such when spoken aloud.
You should do a video where you compare & contrast the writing styles of the most revered dialogue writers like Quentin Tarantino, Aaron Sorkin, David Mamet, etc...
I think “I am your father“ is so powerful *because* it is so simple.
It is a plot twist and no plot twist is being conveyed by subtext. It has to be a punch that hits everyone like a truck.
In the scene, we have the duel between Luke and Vader. It is full of tension, but also has a lot of subtext. A good fight tells a story as well and here we have the evil lord having barely any struggle and the young hero trying to stand a chance. He gets defeated and is full of anger, fear and hate, about to be killed. Then, the evil lord offeres him the dark side, abandoning the legacy of his father. The stakes are clear, when BAM! Lucas slapps everyone in the face!
Actually we have to thank Irving Kershner for that one!
It would have been more powerful with subtext. For example: Luke, I am not your unfather!
Anakins cheesy dialogue in episode 2, I view, is an example of how emotionally stunted he is as a result of growing up with the jedi order.
I actually would have loved if this was the purpose: characterizing him with naivete, and a melodramatic sense for romance and attachment. It would have been masterful writing if Padme responded at that point incredulously, "Who taught you to talk like that?? Did you think that was what I wanted to hear?"
This would have been a natural way to seed the idea that he is, on some level, socially stunted due to his upbringing in an order of space monks through subtext.
@@SHiTJuFro743 i would have loved that
Can everyone stop trying to use fictional reasons to explain why real world writing sucks? There's no imaginary justification for shit writing.
@@thesymphonyoflife3950 Dialogue isn't supposed to be realistic. If it was realistic, it would be tangential and go one forever. There's no good excuse for bad dialogue.
It was episode 3 dialogue that got me. When Anakin and Obi-Wan were fighting. Towards the end Obi-Wan says "Anakin, Chancellor Palpatine is evil.", then Anakin like the fucking nerd he is pushes up his glasses and says "Umm, actually, in my point of view, the jedi are evil.". Way to ruin a good fight, throw in shitty dialogue.
God the way you described the first encounter between Hannibal and Clarice is exactly how I feel about it. A conversation which says so much more than what is being spoken.
The reason the Vader line "No. I am your father" worked so well without subtext was the circumstances surrounding its delivery. At this point in the story no one had suspected that twist, and Vader was the last person Luke should have heard it from. That line flips the story on its head at just the right moment, and the lack of subtext was necessary to achieve that.
Wtf, hes getting flowers for his loyal Lisa obviously
I think it also shows how good his life is. People like him and he likes the world.
@@legrandhanf And that he's the flower shop lady's favourite customer! Even though she didn't recognise him at first with those deviously-disguisely dark glasses, which *completely* distract the mind from the weirdly-fitting suit, semi-Transylvanian accent and long Goth-tresses.
yOu ArE teArINg mE A PpArT liSa
I loved Braking bad's dialogs, because they felt real. It was littered with ehrms and half sentenses, but had great lines and weight. So even a more realistic approach can be done masterfully, even in a drama! :)
What about Better Call Saul?
the wire has exceptionally better dialogue
@@marcusjenkins5371 For me Breaking Bad's has the better dialogue. The more people told me about Breaking Bad the more I was adamant I had no interest in ever watching it. It simply was not my cup of tea, but when I watched it the dialogue pulled me in, so much so I watched the entire series. The Wire on the other hand I wanted to watch, but try as I might I just couldn't get in to it.
@@andrewchen9097 You have to wash both series man. The wire has more compelling characters, the story is more complex and is well written. I say this having watched both shows at least twice
@@marcusjenkins5371 I agree, and I have watched both, but that is my point. Breaking Bad is a genre I don't like, and not as well written story as The Wire, but in spite of this the dialogue still managed to hook me in.
Great instruction! "Subtext is the difference between what a character says and what a character means. Subtext is the "show don't tell" applied to dialogue. It is what the character is really saying, minus the words they speak. Conversation is not dialogue. The two are entirely separate things...write dialogue that feels so real to the audience that they believe it to be authentic, even though there is very little real about it. A real conversation is like a winding river...never even completed...but a good dialogue exchange is like a train track...that serves the master purpose of the scene and builds towards that final resolution."
Me: "Huh, characters who just announce how they feel. That reminds me of that line from Futurama with Robot Devil."
*Literally 2 seconds later*
5:32
The Futurama episode is a mini writing class all by itself.
The dog scene is essential to the arc of the Room’s story. It establishes that everyone loves Johnny, except Lisa. It establishes that Johnny is charitable by telling her to keep the change. It shows that Johnny is even kind to animals. It also depicts Johnny’s mysterious and cryptic ways, showing even those close to him can’t recognize him with sunglasses.
10/10 comment
This, right this. Not only does everyone love the devastatingly handsome and cool Johnny (except for Lisa, that hussy), he's romantic and thoughtful, he's sweet to animals, he's generous, and dammit, he has a go-to florist whose favourite customer he is. This scene is unassuming but it cements Lisa's position as the unmitigated villain in the story. If it was cut, we wouldn't know even half of how perfect Johnny is.
Tarantino is a beast with dialogue. Same with Aaron Sorkin.
king does the best lines tho. at least he did, i think he quit the drugs
Inglourius basterds dialogue was mindblowing and suspense at its best!
@@randomicus4782 nose clams
Aaron Sorkin’s scripts are over 300-400 pages. That’s how much dialogue he uses. He’s crazy
I'd add The Coen Brothers to the list too. Maybe not AS good as Tarantino, but definitely the same league.
The Room is so ahead of it's time! In a 100 years it will win an OSCAR!
This is why the movie "Live from Baghdad" was so great, the whole movie is just good dialogue and it's basically one verbal conflict in various levels after another. From "Ok we have different opinions but we are working towards the same goal." to outright hostility.
"They point a Gun at them and start reciting bible verses?" the funniest thing a YT'er ever said for some reason.
I laughed so hard at that scene. Like wtf! A bible thumping gangster who is unabashedly a cold blooded killer.
But that dialog was not actually from the Bible.
Hilarious.
Yeah but I can quote more lines from The Room than from any Tarantino movie
Therefore:
The Room > Entire QT catalouge
You are tearing me apart Lisa.
how many times have u seen the room
Oh hai, Oda
Anyway Oda, how is Luffys sex life?
“listen to audiobooks instead of a boring teacher” now thats inspiring
The flower shop scene in The Room is AMAZING and that dead pan delivery I adore it best dialogue ever EVER I SAY!
What are you on about? In that scene in The Room, we learned that Johnny likely has a girlfriend through his need to buy flowers. We learned that he's a pretty nice guy cause he took the time to greet the dog and told the clerk to keep the change.. And we learned that people like him because the clerk went out of her way to tell him he's her favorite customer.
All that character building in less than ten seconds. Truly a work of genius.
we also learned that he is a master of disguise through the clerk saying she didn't recognize him at first. (which would have come into play with the vampire subplot which was cut.)
This is old but it’s awful because we could convey him being kind and favorite without using dialogue in a far better way. Have him see a bouquet of flowers so expensive, have him check his wallet and he has just enough money to cover it, cut to him walking with the bought flowers > kind, selfless. That dialogue wastes time that can be spent building conflict and better plot points.
To further show he’s kind and likable have him make someone’s day by giving them a flower. All the character development with no wasted dialogue/time.
@@auntienyannyan no because it is showing that he is very good and being disguised, that is one of his vampire abilities.
"How often do you see someone get so angry they point a gun at someone and start reciting bible verses" *Heavy Father Anderson breathing*
Lallepop Lord of Ahegao Not quite. Anderson would be pointing a bayonet blade at you, and throwing in some Boondocks Saints references along with them.
Adorni true
I discovered what you're talking about with peaky blinders, watching every character knowing how to response in a smart way and not being too direct with what they want to say
The scene you brought up from The Room actually serves multiple different purposes, It Characterises Johnny and explaines where he procured the flowers. It shows how he is a regular customer at the flower shop, and that he likes dogs to an extent.
Dialogue is natural speech with purpose and panache.
so Game of Thrones/ Song of Fire & Ice is 100% subtext.
Drax from Guardians of Galaxy is 100% no subtext
Well yes amigo.
One of my favorite exchanges is in 'Berserk'. Casca asks Guts if he killed a hundred men just for his own survival, he pauses for a moment, then just says "Yeah..."
I really REALLY love your content, you not only nitpick things that are frustrating in film but you point out why these things are philosophically frustrating and ways to improve upon them. Which in my opinion is more important than just being able to spot when something doesn't work.
"the beginning of the end of the end of the beginning has begun"
- the grand budapest hotel (2014)
on of the best dialogues in history in my opinion
Big rip he didn’t mention Obi-Wan telling Anakin when he had the high ground.
Oh yes that's the best line of dialogue ever written
I just found your channel and I'm enthralled. You really nail the subject with an eloquence I haven't seen anywhere else. Your videos all seem to have a climax of insight, in a way mimicking their very subject matter (narratives). Incredibly clever stuff.
I always felt like Anikan’s dialogue went that way because it’s a representation of his character. When his emotions are strong he becomes unstable and doesn’t really know what to do, so he just reacts to the emotions. Just like when he killed the whole village of sand people. And when he swore himself to Palpatine.
As the wise videogamedunkey once said,
“Why do I even exist?”
He recommends a book...
Me: The subtext says "it´s an ad"
It's weird you'd say Pulp Fiction has heightened dialog because having just seen it for the first time I was struck by how realistic the dialog felt. It seemed like real conversations normal people have.
You can't always have your characters announce how they feel, that makes me feel angry!
Lmao XD
I’ve always felt that Christopher Nolan (as a director) has always had that issue you pointed out: a desire to express his theme openly through dialogue when it never needed it.
What always came to mind for me was the scene in The Dark Knight when the Joker’s plan with the ferries fails, and Batman says: “What were you trying to prove? That deep down, everyone’s as ugly as you?” As though we ever needed that piece of dialogue. For one, Joker made his plans abundantly clear in the interrogation scene, and two, the scene itself (through visuals) illustrated the idea perfectly. It’s almost as if sometimes, Nolan wants us as an audience to know that he fully realises his ideas or something like that. Little lines like those are scene-breakers for me. Appreciate you pointing it out though; epic video man.
I completely agree with you, but I think he does that very intentionally, how explicit he is with his messages. He wants to try to take elusive and challenging concepts and make them as accessible to the average joe to give the illusion of "intelligence." That's how he survives and thrives in the mainstream world. Makes you feel the smarter for it, but the trick is he's very direct about feeding you what you need to know.
His writting is very deliberate, he spells out everything so no one is left out, he assumes his audience are morons and that's exactly why his movies are popular, it makes the viewer feel smart becase they understood the movie.
On the other hand, people that'd get the message feel patronized, but those are a minority so it doesn't matters.
Arent you a little bit harsh or on the negative Side?
BeThomsen Not at all; just a guy with an opinion. I’m not trying to make out like they’re not intelligent films or that the people who watched and love them to bits are unintelligent. It was just interesting for me to see the video address it as an idea, as I’ve never really seen people discuss it before, even though I’ve had it in mind for a couple of years.
@@travellergreen6559 you werent even that "harsh", more like the comments under your one. ^^
I've actually heard some pretty entertaining stuff from accidentally eavesdropping on people's dinner conversations.
By far my favorite that I've heard so far is:
Guy: "Dad, you're so obsessed with money, you eat, sleep, and drink it!"
Old Guy: "Gotta keep a balanced diet."
“Troy” -Gabriella
I've been binge watching this channel and every reference to The Room makes me want to watch it again
pretty much all dialogue in Game of Thrones is a masterclass in subtext
Yeah but only from s1-4. s5-7 do have lots of great dialogue but it's not as cohesive. One of my favorites is olenna tyrell's when jamie seizes highgarden
Great video, but I disagree with one tiny bit, or rather I think that it requires a little expansion... I Personally (and this may just be me) believe that dialogue (and most other aspects of story telling in general) shouldn't be realistic, or above realistic as you suggest, necessarily but faithful to the universe of the story itself. Look at Wes Anderson: he doesn't write vaguely realistic dialogue, but it is consistent with the tones of his films. It isn't realism, or degrees of realism that are important, but verisimilitude, in my opinion. Like I say, I loved the video, keep up the great work!
okay but there are so many awkward pauses in my conversations that it always feels like I'm in a Wes Anderson movie
“I see your Schwartz is as big as mine” best line ever
Watching this video made me realize a few things about myself. One, I probably should take notes next time I watch another video. Two, I have a lot of flaws for the story I am writing just based on what you said. And 3, writing is a lot more complex than I thought. Besides that, you’re good at giving a clear explanation for writing tips a whole lot better than any of my teachers back at high school.
P.S I mostly draw and wanted to write and eventually publish a manga. But I have little to no experience in writing at all.
I have to disagree with the dialogue you showed from The Room serving no purpose. I believe the idea was to show how Johnny was super popular and a great guy that everyone loved, basically a Gary Stu. The dialogue and scene was still terrible, though.
I would argue that if a line of dialogue can be cut it, in the grand scheme, has zero purpose, even if purpose was truly intended for it. Those lines were 100% unnecessary, even if Tommy had a desired meaning when creating them, so I'd argue their lack of purpose, or perhaps relevancy to the story, is why they are at their core bad.
@@TheCloserLook, maybe arranging the lines in correct order would make it a bit better? On the other hand actors who can't act would make any dialogue sound awfully bad...
some of it was, but most of it didn't serve that purpose. only two of those lines had purpose, I'd say:
1) "a dozen red roses please" -- showing that he was buying roses for his gf, that he's a romantic, which she later shows she doesn't appreciate; and
2) "you're my favorite customer" -- showing that he's well-liked by the shop-owner, implying he's recognized and well-liked by lots of people.
but obviously they're clunky, and actually i think the second one is oddly contradicted by the part where she says she didn't recognize him with his sunglasses on.
If we give the screenwriter more credit (much, much more, even more than Greece got from EU), then maybe the subtext of this dialogue was this: "Who is this fruitcakeanyway? Oh well, I'll be nice to him so he'll spend more next time.".
@@TheCloserLook your video would have been a lot better had you shown a few scenes from a man for all seasons which in my humble opinion and many others has finest dialogue of any film ever produced. Lets be honest there aren't that many films such AMFAS where almost every line of dialogue is a tribute to the English language
3:30 for a second I though this scene was in _“Godfather III”_ partially because my glasses were dirty so I was internally reading Anakin’s line in an italian/godfather-esq accent (because I thought it was godfather and because I was listening this video on my mobile) _“I’ma haunted by da kiss I did not-a deserve-a”_
The accent is so spot on my goodness that is a skill you have here
One thing drilled into my head in animation classes was that Animation is not about being _realistic_ (necessarily), but predominately is about being _believable_ . Obviously live action movies and TV and other medium all play by different rules, but I think it's a good rule of thumb for keeping the audience's suspension of disbelief and the immersion intact.
The single best guide to brilliant, guided, scintillating repartee.
@12:25 “Again, nobody in the real world speaks like that because nobody is that clever to reply with witty zingers with such ease and immediacy”
May I introduce you to the late, great, Christopher Hitchens?
Craig ferguson also
I
The god closer look is back and stronger than ever
Good to be back, see you next month ;D
Stopped the video to subscribe at 3.34 - I trust that the whole rest of your channel is worth seeing on my YT homepage every single day, based on a 5 second clip that made me chuckle
"They're filmin' midgets."
In Bruges
"What's the most you ever lost on a coin toss?"
Vern Fields no country for old men !
Cormac Mccarthy is the man
That line turned “No Country For Old Men” into one of my fav films of all time
My theory for The Room : The words you hear are the Character's thoughts and not their actual spoken words.
"On Writing" is not only instructional and a fantastic guide on the craft, it's also wildly entertaining and one of SK's best works.
This video was fun to watch and very helpful. Thank you for uploading
Basically, what I would add to this is that rules are made to be broken. Personally I kind of get sick of how fake dialogue sounds in movies, and I really respect directors who get their actors to improvise conversation, or include takes where the actors stammer or forget lines. And I like slice-of-life stories that meander into different directions, that kind of prove that plot-relevance isn't the only thing that makes dialogue interesting. Quentin Tarantino does actually include this kind of dialogue in many of his films, such as Death Proof, the first half of which is basically one big chat between some friends in a bar, much of which could have been cut if your rule was "only include plot-relevant dialogue". But it's that kind of meandering irrelevant chat that, for me, makes the movie.
Tarantino actually mentions doing this on purpose in one of his interviews. He uses non-relevant dialogue to bury exposition and develop his characters to make them seem more filled in.
Yeah I can't really say I agree with this video. Dialog doesn't need a purpose in a story. It's one of the hallmark traits of post-modern storytelling. That's basically...everything by Kurt Vonnegut, Chuck Palahniuk, and Quentin Tarantino, etc. It also includes includes stories like The Matrix, Fight Club, Taxi Driver, Blade Runner, Memento, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, The Blair Witch Project, and so on and so forth. All of these stories and writers have dialog that doesn't have any relevance to the plot or characters. Sometimes it goes as far as to just be the writer's own musings, philosophy, or opinions voiced through the characters. Like what was stated above, sometimes the dialog serves just to give us a slice-of-life and immerses the audience into the story. When it's done correctly, it's incredibly effective at building a believable world.
The scene from Interstellar portrays perfectly one of the main problems I have with Anime. Some have interesting ideas, great messages. There are so many fantastic worlds displayed, stories told and ideas presented in Anime, but sometimes I feel like Anime-writers think the viewers are retarded. Maybe it stems from the fact that Anime has its roots in children cartoon, but the constant slapping in the face of the morale, that is perfectly conveyed by the scene itself, is annoying as hell. ''Hey, did you see how that character sacrified himself? Let me tell you how virtuous he is." Even Attack on Titan, which is much better in many aspects as the cliche animes, makes that mistake. They LITERALLY deliver the message by one of the characters shouting at the screen (with epic music in the background), that you sometimes have to sacrifice everything to win.
Did you watch the attack on titan dub? Because whoever wrote the script made the dialogue extremely on the nose and unbearable to watch! The sub was fine though.
I agree. That kind of delivery usually turns me completely off but i'll argue that it heavily depends on what you're watching. I've watched many anime that did not have that fault.
sadly all anime suffers from that, so annoying especially when they explain the joke or show flashbacks of stuff that happened in the same episode, it makes one feel like an idiot , even Kdrama has this problem.
DUDE YES! I was having a conversation with a friend about this! I feel like this is an issue with Japanese entertainment media in general. You have these incredibly emotionally powerful premises, ideas, and stories. But the delivery just removes subtext eliminating the nuance of reactions and emotions YOU might have about what you are watching. Drives me crazy! So much Japanese media could be so much better if they changed this!
Try Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. Probably the one of the best shows ever made, it surpasses almost everything I've seen. And the philosophy behind it about god, religion and science is being converted very well.
One the most best beginner guides I've seen on learning to write great dialogue. If I may emphasize one point: write dialogue, and then rewrite it to hone it. On the second pass ask all the questions you should and try to deliver as much context as possible in as little words possible - most importantly ask yourself, "would this scene be any different if they hadn't said that..." if the answer is no, then delete it.
The advertisement was thrown in there so smoothly, and thanks for the tips