CONCEPTUALIZATION

& LAYOUT

AY1718S2 Week 01
Ahmad Al-Mahir
Objectives

Module Overview
Elements of Story
Basic Story Structure
The Story Spine
Story Tension Graph
The 7 Story Beats
What Makes a Good Story?
Finding Story Ideas
Module Overview

Aim
Assessment
Teaching Plan
 What is story?
A story has someone who wants
something badly and is having
trouble getting it.

Karl Iglesias, Screenwriter

Elements of Story

The 3 key elements for a story

1. Protagonist
2. Goal
3. Conflict
Elements of Story

Other elements:
Theme
Location
Inciting Incident/Moment
Story Question
Character Need
Character Arc
Ending/resolution
 Basic Story Structure

ACT 1 ACT 2 ACT 3

Exposition Conflict Resolution

Establish main Rising action. Climax story

chars, relationships, Protag attempts to resolve brought to most
world. problem arising from II (turning intense moment.
Inciting Incident point 1) but gets into worsening Resolution of story
(II): situations. and subplots.
End of Act1. Learn new skills/raise awareness Dramatic question
Life will never be of capabilities. answered.
the same. Character arcs. Protagonist and
Raise a dramatic May be aided by mentors/allies. other chars have a
question that will sense of who they
be answered in are.
the climax
The Story Spine

1.Once upon a time

2.And every day
3.Until one day
4.And because of this
5.And because of this (to add as needed)
6.Until finally
7.And ever since that day
Story Tension Graph
 The 7 Story Beats
1.Inciting 6.Grand Climax
3.Midpoint 3rd Act: Final showdown between
Incident Protagonists general
Protagonist and Adversary that
The moment 2.Stunning goal becomes 4. Act 2 5.Stunning
resolves the main plot question once
and for all.
where Protagonist specific because of
has a general goal. Surprise #1 crucial character Climax Surprise #2 7. Denouement
growth or the turning
point Rising to a
A surprise event that Surprise dramatic Goal met. Addresses all
Serve as an crescendo and
ends ACT 1 and begins reversal that ends ACT WANTs and NEEDs. Wraps
emotional or physical expected victory
ACT 2 2 by destroying the up all plot loose ends and
point of no return seems approaching
This event pushes Protagonists plan for relationships
Protagonist into an The clock starts victory while launching
unknown world. countdown to ACT 3. All undone.
increase suspense
A literal or
metaphorical death
and rebirth moment
story tension

ACT: 1 ACT: 2 ACT: 3

story starts story ends
Story Timeline
What makes a good story?
What Makes a Good Story?

1. Compelling character/s

A good protagonist in a story must be

relatable, memorable.
For them to compel the audience you must
also endow them with a deep passion for
something, anything. We care because they
care. True?
What Makes a Good Story?

Character traits are

supposed to aid or impede
a character in pursuit of
his/her goals.
Audience needs to very
quickly know who this
character is and what is
his/her goal.
What Makes a Good Story?

It is crucial for characters to evoke empathy

in the audience. True?
How can we make a character evoke
audiences empathy?
Difference between like and empathy?
What Makes a Good Story?

Simply put, a character can give up and

accept their fate only after every
imaginable course of action has been
tried. True?

Defeatism is not a good trait/flaw!

But a character can feel defeated (i.e. the
lowest point on the Story Tension Graph/
Stunning Surprise #2) but then something
happens to give the character hope (e.g.
another character spurs them on again).
What Makes a Good Story?

2. Interesting/relatable need
Humans are driven by the following
hierarchy of needs:
Physical needs: Physiological, Safety
Psychological/Moral needs:
Love/Belonging, Esteem
Self-fulfilment needs: Self-
actualization
(Maslows Hierarchy of Needs)
Need vs Goal?
What Makes a Good Story?

3. Conflict
What is conflict?
Consider: What is the
characters basic need and/or
goal? then build conflict from
there.
Does conflict have to be either
physical OR psychological? Can it
be purely psychological?
Is conflict as interesting if both
sides win (e.g. achieve mutual
agreement)?
What Makes a Good Story?

Universal Conflicts in Stories

1. Brain vs. Brawn 7. Tempting Fate

2. Rags to Riches 8. Fish out of water

3. Good vs. Evil 9. Ship of Fools

4. Role Reversals 10. Buddy Stories

5. Courage and Survival 11. Love Stories

6. Peacemakers 12. Quests and Journeys

What Makes a Good Story?

An interesting conflict puts something at

stake (e.g. Scene: A man running towards a
brick wall. Who is this man and why is he
running?)
To keep your story engaging find ways to
intensify conflicts and raise the stakes.
What Makes a Good Story?

How to raise conflict intensity/stakes?

Physical obstacles
Raise personal jeopardy
(physical/mental/emotional)
Increase amount of activity
Increase expenditure of energy
Deplete strength
Increase competition
A race against the clock
Ideally the protagonist is lead to address his
personal flaw through conflicts.
Homework (1A)

Analyse a short film vis-a-vis:

1. Protagonist (Who? Flaw? What does he/she
needs to learn?)
2. Goal/s (What? Why?)
3. Conflict/s (What? Intensifying Conflict?
Stake/s?)
4. Is the story good? Why?
Finding Story Ideas

Find ideas that have physical and emotional

stakes.
Most good stories revolve around watching a
character struggle outside of its comfort
zone. True?
Find out what your protagonist wants and
then throw the exact opposite at him and
make him try to overcome them.
Finding Story Ideas

Place protagonist in discomfort then have him

work to get back to his comfort zone (and be
changed by the experience).
We care because we like to feel comfortable
and want to see the protagonist be
comfortable too.
To really disturb the protagonist create an
existing flaw in the character then throw the
worst-case scenario.
Finding Story Ideas

How?
1. Pull from your own experiences
2. Observe your surroundings
3. Read/watch the news (mass media)
4. Analyse art
Homework (1B)

Each group is to come up with 2 stories

(i.e. story spine + 1 sketch for each story)
for class next week.
References

Heros Journey/Writers Journey

(http://www.thewritersjourney.com/hero's_jo
urney.htm )
Pixars 22 rules of storytelling
(http://www.aerogrammestudio.com/2013/0
3/07/pixars-22-rules-of-storytelling/ )
Movshovitz, Dean. 2015. Pixar Storytelling.
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.