BEA Ignite2015 - Egan

Candace EganCalifornia State University, Fresno

Narrative Film Story Development:

In-class Creativity Exercise with the Storymatic

BEA IGNITE

Field Video Production

Candace Egan

Associate Professor

Department of Mass Communication & Journalism

California State University, Fresno

candace@csufresno.edu

MCJ 115

Field Video Production

Narrative Story Development:

The Storymatic Exercise

Field Video Production

The Storymatic

Exercise

Wherein you pair up with your partner in crime

for the Movie Opening assignment and

storytelling mayhem ensues

Inspired By: Brian Mooney

The Storymatic.com

A Wrecking Ball For Writers Block,

http://archive.wired.com/geekdad/2012/02/storymatic

Field Video Production

Step 1: Main Characters & Premise

Protagonist & Antagonist

Who are they? - Draw one

gold card for each

Describe the character for

each

• Gender, age, physicality

What is their primary want/need (goal) in

life?

• Why?

Field Video Production

Step 1: Main Characters & Premise

Premise

What’s the movie

about?

What’s the story

action device?

Narrative patterns used to guide plot

Ron Layne and Rick Lewis

Striving toward a goal

Overcoming adversity

Solving a mystery

Solving a problem

Bringing order to chaos- from confusion to

understanding

The journey

Coming of age- from innocence to experience

Personal growth

The Seven Basic Plots

Christopher Booker

Rags to riches

Overcoming the monster

The Quest

Voyage and return

Comedy- Overcoming adversity

Tragedy- Fall from grace to death

Rebirth-from villain to redemption

Field Video Production

Step 2: Conflict

Source of conflict between

two characters –

Draw one copper card

What’s the protagonist’s

side of the conflict?

What’s the antagonist’s

side?

Field Video Production

Step 3: Ending

What happens to

the protagonist

after having gone

through the story?

Field Video Production

Step 4: Beginning of

Story/Exposition

Thing/person/skill that

helps the protagonist

Draw one card

• Introduce early in story

• Plays a key role in

climatic events

When and where do the characters live?

What’s the mood of the story?

Candace Egan

Field Video Production

Step 5: Inciting Incident

What is the inciting

incident that propels

the protagonist on a

quest to achieve their

goal (want/need)?

Which is in direct

opposition to what the

antagonist wants.

Field Video Production

Step 6: Rising Action

Lock in

First culmination

Mid point

culmination

Third act twist

Field Video Production

Step 7: Climax/Resolution

Climax

Confrontation with Antagonist

Second copper card

• Plays a key role in climatic events

Resolution (See ending)

Outcome of climax

What happens to characters as a result of

the climax?

Field Video Production

What’s your story

Opening sequence

Inciting incident

First culmination

Mid point culmination

Third act twist

Climax

Resolution

Candace Egan