エピソード

  • DZ-128: What even is a Character Arc?

    DZ-128: What even is a Character Arc?
    2026/06/28
    Listen to separate the three layers of an arc -- does the character change? How do they feel about it? And how is the audience positioned to feel about it? Stu, Chas and Mel finally begin their long-awaited journey into CHARACTER ARCS. In this "primer" episode, we try find some learnings and analytical lenses that we can then apply in future breakdowns. In this episode, we explore differences between a character learning something and a character fundamentally changing, how to dramatise that, and how the show teaches the audience to perceive that transformation (whether positively or negatively). Throughout the discussion, we skate over A NEW HOPE, BLUE MOON, BREAKING BAD, BETTER CALL SAUL, the French real-time thriller FULL TIME, A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS, THE GREEN KNIGHT, ALL OF US STRANGERS, PREDATOR BADLANDS, FIELD OF DREAMS, MEG 2, and Stu's receding hairline. Ultimately, this discussion synthesises into a series of questions to ask of a story and the main point-of-view character living through that story: Does the audience enter the story with an expectation that characters will change?How does the story teach the audience to expect characters to change or not?Do the characters change? Is it experiential change or internal value change? How is that dramatised?Is the character aware that they changed? How do they feel about that change? Does that matter?How does the story want the audience to feel about that change? If different to the character’s perception, how does the story pull that off?How does the story world punish or reward the change?What are the values explored by the arc? How does this relate to the theme?How is contrast vs affinity/unity portrayed through the characters’ journey? Order vs disorder vs inertiaWhat is the emotional event created between the character and audience as a result of the journey? Does the character end up more intimate or distant from the audience? In upcoming episodes, we intend to apply these lenses to stories with STEADFAST/RESILIENT arcs, POSITIVE arcs, NEGATIVE arcs and - potentially - a “WTF is this?!” arc. Please check out our homework discussion on Patreon. And if you want to vote on the stories we're gonna breakdown, sign up! As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes. LIKE THIS EPISODE? Discuss with our Patrons on Patreon.Join the discussion on Reddit.Watch and comment on YouTube.Send us feedback. Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre & Natalie and Lily. → Read the transcript for this episode. ——— "Character arcs are really difficult to talk about because they're not just in isolation. Rarely is a film only about one character, right? So we're actually talking about how we harmonize other characters around them." — Stu Willis @ 00:12:16 ——— CHAPTERS 00:00:00 – Cold Open00:00:17 – Character Arcs: A Primer on What We're Really Asking00:03:13 – › Three layers of an arc: character, self-perception, audience00:07:04 – › The four-quadrant map: change, no change, better, worse00:10:15 – › Why calling it an arc is already a misnomer00:13:35 – What We Each Want to Learn from This Series00:19:56 – › Whether emotional authenticity is becoming more valuable than spectacle00:23:37 – › Why stories let us safely inhabit experiences outside our own00:30:04 – The Deep Question: Can Characters Actually Change?00:35:49 – › Contrast and affinity as the design logic of transformation00:41:40 – › The rock metaphor: external forces versus intrinsic change00:46:43 – › Order, disorder, and inertia as the spectrum of arc types00:50:29 – Three Layers of Judgment: Character, World, and Audience00:56:45 – › How the filmmaker positions the audience relative to the character01:00:01 – › Do audiences enter stories expecting change at all?01:06:09 – › Mapping the inner journey against plot beats01:09:28 – › Why low points exist to make the climax feel earned01:12:09 – Key Learnings & Wrap Up01:26:47 – Thanks to Our Patreons! FILMS STAR WARS (1977) — (w) George Lucas SHOWS A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS — (w) George Rr Martin, Ira ParkerBETTER CALL SAUL — (w) Vince Gilligan, Peter GouldBREAKING BAD — (w) Vince Gilligan LINKS Website: Bruce Block's The Visual Story EPISODES IN THE CHARACTER ARCS SERIES DZ-128: What even is a Character Arc? RELATED EPISODES DZ-04: Catharsis and the Post-Coital CigaretteDZ-108: The Emotional Event with Judith Weston ——— More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser. We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter. Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2026/dz-128/
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    1 時間 30 分
  • DZ-127: Secrets and Clues 2 - The Cost of Revelation

    DZ-127: Secrets and Clues 2 - The Cost of Revelation
    2026/05/27
    Listen to learn the emotional impact of revealing secrets vs discovering them. In this episode Stu, Chas and Mel apply the Landmark–Hidden–Secret framework (from DZ-126) across two very different genres: the thriller SIDE EFFECTS (2013) and the tragicomic pilot of SHRINKING. SIDE EFFECTS is a film of two genres. The first half plays as a drama about depression and over-medication; the second half is a 90s thriller. We talk about how every time Dr Jonathan Banks uncovers a new piece of information, it puts him in danger — and that danger motivates him to uncover more. In SHRINKING, we see a different use of the framework. "What are psychologists but detectives of the mind?" Rather than the cost of finding secrets, it's about the cost of sharing them. Chas also comes out of this with a paradigm he's been building toward (but we're keeping what that is secret until you listen!) And inevitably we go on some tangents: whether SIDE EFFECTS should even have been an erotic thriller! As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes. LIKE THIS EPISODE? Discuss with our Patrons on Patreon.Join the discussion on Reddit.Watch and comment on YouTube.Send us feedback. Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily. → Read the transcript for this episode. ——— "Every time Dr Jonathan Banks uncovers a new piece of information, it puts him in danger -- and that danger motivates him to uncover more." — Chas Fisher @ 00:26:04 ——— CHAPTERS 00:00:00 – Cold Open00:00:16 – Intro: Secrets and Clues 2 - the Cost of Revelation00:01:03 – Previously on Secrets and Clues (Recap of Part 1)00:04:24 – Flashforward Insights00:09:29 – SIDE EFFECTS00:20:18 – › The First Half: Push and Misdirection00:28:41 – › Genre Shift: Banks Becomes the Detective00:48:06 – SHRINKING01:00:02 – › The Inverted Paradigm: When Everyone Knows01:07:47 – › The Cost of Sharing01:22:02 – › Power Through Honest Acknowledgement01:35:37 – The Key Tool Chas Learned01:39:28 – Key Learnings & Wrap Up01:50:48 – Many Thanks to our Patrons! FILMS SIDE EFFECTS (2013) — (w) Scott Z Burns (d) Steven Soderbergh SHOWS SHRINKING — (w) Brett Goldstein, Jason Segel, Bill Lawrence SCRIPTS Study the script: SIDE EFFECTS (2013) — Scott Z Burns LINKS Website: DIY & dragons: Landmark, Hidden, SecretWebsite: The Alexandrian » Advanced Node-Based DesignWebsite: Ascii Dreams: The Quest for Quests (Part One)Website: Ascii Dreams: The Quest for Quests (Part Two) EPISODES IN THE SECRETS AND CLUES SERIES DZ-126: Secrets and CluesDZ-127: Secrets and Clues 2 - The Cost of Revelation RELATED EPISODES DZ-90: Setups & Payoffs in EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE ——— More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser. We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter. Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2026/dz-127/
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    1 時間 52 分
  • DZ-126: Secrets and Clues

    DZ-126: Secrets and Clues
    2026/05/05
    Listen if you want to understand how hidden information drives character motivation and plot structure! “Getting information puts your character in danger. And danger rewards your character with information." — One of three ideas we steal from game design in this episode. In this two part series, we talk about how secrets, clues and hidden information motivate characters and may (or may not) help you plot from a character perspective. Part One (this episode) looks at WAKE UP DEAD MAN; while Part Two looks at SIDE EFFECTS, and the pilot episode of SHRINKING. The other two (related) ideas are: Landmark information (characters just have it), Secret (they know it's there, need to unlock it), and Hidden (invisible until they pay the cost)Narrative velocity — are characters pushed forward or are they pulled forward? To that end, in this episode Stu, Chas and Mel start with the murder mystery (ostensibly the easier deep-dive): Rian Johnson’s WAKE UP DEAD MAN. But this is a complex film made even more complex by being a dual-protagonist film. Uhuh. Benoit Blanc is pulled through the story by his need to solve the case; Father Judd pushed through, against his will, to prove his innocence. Breaking down how that plays out — and why it matters for the kind of escalation each character can sustain — is the heart of the episode. And inevitably we go on some tangents: pointers, plants, and underpinnings (from our Everything Everywhere All At Once episode) fair play in locked-room mysteries, Narrative POV (as always) and node-based plotting and what dungeon-crawl game design has to do with writing a web of clues. As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes. LIKE THIS EPISODE? Discuss with our Patrons on Patreon.Join the discussion on Reddit.Watch and comment on YouTube.Send us feedback. Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily. → Read the transcript for this episode. ——— "Information puts players in danger and danger rewards characters with information, right? That's kind of the loop with like thriller game design." — Stu Willis @ 00:05:40 ——— CHAPTERS 00:00:00 – Cold Open00:00:18 – What do we mean by Secrets and Clues?00:04:17 – › Landmark, hidden, and secret information defined00:08:10 – › Narrative velocity as push and pull for characters00:13:22 – WAKE UP DEAD MAN00:17:56 – › Key learnings preview: push-pull and narrative velocity00:32:33 – › Mapping character awareness of secrets through WAKE UP DEAD MAN00:58:21 – › Distinguishing secrets, clues, and hidden information01:13:17 – › Benoit Blanc's character arc and the choice of grace01:22:50 – KEY LEARNINGS & WRAP UP01:24:22 – › Character drives how secrets are hidden and revealed01:25:34 – › Narrative velocity and escalating stakes reveal character FILMS WAKE UP DEAD MAN (2025) — (w) Rian Johnson SCRIPTS Study the script: WAKE UP DEAD MAN (2025) — Rian Johnson LINKS Read: DIY & dragons: Landmark, Hidden, SecretRead: The Alexandrian » Advanced Node-Based DesignRead: Ascii Dreams: The Quest for Quests (Part 1)Read: Ascii Dreams: The Quest for Quests (Part 2)Read: Mel's KNIVES OUT: A Rose by Any Other Name Would Not Clue Us In EPISODES IN THE SECRETS AND CLUES SERIES DZ-126: Secrets and CluesDZ-127: Secrets and Clues 2 - The Cost of Revelation RELATED EPISODES DZ-90: Setups & Payoffs in EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE ——— More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser. We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter. Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2026/dz-126/
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    1 時間 29 分
  • DZ-125: Oscars One-shot - BLUE MOON

    DZ-125: Oscars One-shot - BLUE MOON
    2026/02/26
    Listen if you want to understand how narrative POV, screenplay format, and dialogue craft can elevate a contained biopic into an Oscar-nominated film BLUE MOON is a talky, period-drama that film about an obscure songer-writer in the 1940s. Yet, it attracted world-class talent AND Academy Award nominations, including for it's script. Join Chas & Mel as they explore how narrative POV, interweaving relationships, hooky dialogue, and even the screenplay format itself make the script for BLUE MOON so great. While Stu is still on show and we are between the 2026 Oscar nominations and the actual ceremony, our patreons selected BLUE MOON for this one-shot and boy are Mel and Chas glad they did. They dive into many lessons learned in previous episodes, like our character-driven episode… or analysis of French scenes in Adolescence… or the story-telling power that comes from the audience knowing the ending from biopics. As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes. LIKE THIS EPISODE? Discuss with our Patrons on Patreon.Watch and comment on YouTube.Send us feedback. Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily. → Read the transcript for this episode. ——— "When I say rules, I mean the prescriptive rules of when someone posts something on screenwriting and everyone goes *Oh, you broke all the rules*. I'm saying this is good. I'm saying most of those rules are suggestions or most of those rules are given to you when you are learning how to write for a reason." — Mel Killingsworth @ 00:38:42 ——— CHAPTERS 00:00:00 – Cold Open00:00:32 – What Makes a Contained Biopic Compelling?00:02:19 – Flashforward Insights: POV, French scenes, dialogue craft, and structure00:04:32 – BLUE MOON: Plot Summary and Structural Overview00:08:00 – › How script format signals emotional breaks in a real-time story00:13:34 – Controlling narrative POV00:17:13 – › Tragedy versus the life he would have chosen00:24:09 – › Narrative POV as the film's core structural tool00:27:49 – Using screenplay FORMAT to reflect the emotional story00:31:56 – › French scenes and real-time spatial staging00:35:40 – › How rule-breaking formatting signals emotional truth00:39:27 – Interweaving relationships: Hart's Relationships as the A, B and C Stories00:44:50 – › Hart and Rogers: the collision of artistic integrity and commercial success00:49:14 – › Hart and Elizabeth: desire, repetition, and the just-not-that-way callback00:53:08 – › The bar regulars as audience surrogates and mirror to Hart's self-awareness00:56:46 – Repetition and pop culture references in dialogue00:59:48 – › Repetition as lyrical structure in dialogue craft01:03:49 – › Tonal variety and mixing registers in witty scripts01:07:54 – Key Learnings01:09:48 – › The hidden craft beneath real-time, single-location scripts01:13:42 – › How cultural touchstones establish stakes without exposition01:16:02 – Thanks patreons and Oscar-nominated listener! FILMS BLUE MOON (2026) — (w) Robert Kaplow (d) Richard Linklater LINKS Read: BLUE MOON - Scene Headings Breakdown RELATED EPISODES DZ-01: Do Screenplay Gurus win you Oscars?DZ-68: Using POV to structure KNIVES OUTDZ-118: ADOLESCENCE -- How Questions Create Dramatic TensionDZ-90: Setups & Payoffs in EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCEDZ-35: Driving Characters or Character Driven?DZ-63: Tools for Better Dialogue 2 - Hook and Eye ——— More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser. We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter. Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2026/dz-125/
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    1 時間 18 分
  • DZ-124: Making the Despicable Compelling

    DZ-124: Making the Despicable Compelling
    2026/01/30

    Listen if you need audiences to root for characters who do terrible things

    Mel and Chas continue to explore what Noir (the genre) can teach writers of all other genres. In particular:

    • How to keep the audience on side of characters doing reprehensible things;
    • How to control your audience understanding of those reprehensible actions; and
    • Distinguishing between characters undergoing transformative arcs against discovering their true natures

    In finding the common craft tools of Noir over 100 years, this Part 2 looks at two modern noirs – DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS (1995) and WOMAN OF THE HOUR (2024) – after Part 1 looked at the classic DOUBLE INDEMNITY and THE LONG GOODBYE.

    Despite Chas claiming to have edited this episode it was, in fact, Chris Walker who saved the day and got this done. Thanks Chris.

    As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

    LIKE THIS EPISODE?

    • Watch and comment on YouTube.
    • Send us feedback.

    Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.

    → Read the transcript for this episode.

    ———

    "I think these films have got really strong control over the questions and that's how they get us to follow, compelling us to follow characters who are doing terrible things." — Chas Fisher @ 01:06:08

    ———

    CHAPTERS

    • 00:00:00 – Using noir as a lens
    • 00:01:56 – DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS
    • 00:07:06 – › Period setting, race, and noir's embedded worldview
    • 00:10:30 – › Voiceover as access to morally compromised decisions
    • 00:22:02 – › How the film justifies rooting for Easy's transgressions
    • 00:29:09 – › Character worldview versus film worldview in noir
    • 00:31:33 – WOMAN OF THE HOUR
    • 00:37:15 – › Why WOMAN OF THE HOUR qualifies as noir
    • 00:43:25 – › The system as collective villain enabling the killer
    • 00:53:12 – › Depiction without endorsement, empathy without sympathy
    • 01:04:30 – Key Learnings
    • 01:08:50 – Thank you Patreons!

    FILMS

    • DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS (1995) — (w) Carl Franklin, Walter Mosley (d) Carl Franklin
    • WOMAN OF THE HOUR (2024) — (w) Ian Mcdonald (d) Anna Kendrick

    LINKS

    • Shot Zero: Noir shots in WOMAN OF THE HOUR

    EPISODES IN THE NOIR SERIES

    • DZ-123: Flawed Characters in Noir
    • DZ-124: Making the Despicable Compelling

    RELATED EPISODES

    • DZ-123: Flawed Characters in Noir
    • DZ-03: Making Unlikeable Protagonists Compelling
    • DZ-110: Voiceover

    ———

    More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons.

    If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser.

    We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

    Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2026/dz-124/
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    1 時間 11 分
  • DZ-123: Flawed Characters in Noir

    DZ-123: Flawed Characters in Noir
    2025/12/31
    Listen if you want to write morally compromised characters without endorsing their choices. In this two part series, Mel and Chas use Noir (the genre) as a lens to interrogate flawed characters. How can characters doing reprehensible things still engage audiences? How can you ensure representation isn’t endorsement? And whether these characters undergo transformative arcs, or simply reveal their true natures? Part 1 (DZ-123) focuses on two (now classic) noirs: DOUBLE INDEMNITY and THE LONG GOODBYE. While Part 2 (DZ-124) looks at two more contemporary examples DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS and WOMAN OF THE HOUR. Despite Chas claiming to have edited this episode it was, in fact, Chris Walker who saved the day and got this done by the end of 2025. Thanks Chris. As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes. LIKE THIS EPISODE? Discuss with our Patrons on Patreon.Watch and comment on YouTube.Send us feedback. Thanks to our Patrons, especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis and Khrob. → Read the transcript for this episode. ——— "This is the philosophical question, right? When you get drunk, do you change what you do or do you simply allow your inhibitions to fall and do what you would normally want to do?" — Mel Killingsworth @ 00:42:04 ——— CHAPTERS 00:00:00 – Cold Open00:00:17 – Flawed Characters and Noir00:03:06 – › Writing morally compromised characters without endorsing their worldview00:08:41 – › Defining film noir as genre, style, and worldview00:14:27 – › Noir's reach across decades of screenwriting00:16:40 – DOUBLE INDEMNITY00:21:41 – › Diegetic confession and its structural function00:27:17 – › Telling the audience the crime upfront removes justification burden00:32:24 – › How everyman framing sustains complicity in a morally bankrupt protagonist00:41:43 – › Whether morally compromised characters genuinely change or self-reveal00:49:17 – › Film worldview versus character desire: crime without endorsement00:53:38 – THE LONG GOODBYE01:00:17 – › Save the cat: establishing a morally complex protagonist01:06:26 – › Transgression, personal code, and the inevitability of noir failure01:14:13 – › Character change versus worldview shift at the ending01:21:15 – Wrap Up and Key Learnings FILMS DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944) — (w) Raymond Chandler, James M Cain, Billy Wilder (d) Billy WilderTHE LONG GOODBYE (1973) — (w) Leigh Brackett, Raymond Chandler (d) Robert Altman SCRIPTS Study the script: THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) — Leigh Brackett, Raymond Chandler SHOT ZERO DEEP DIVES Blocking a Sneak: DOUBLE INDEMNITY LINKS Read: Mel's A Brief History of Queer Coding in Film Part 1 EPISODES IN THE NOIR SERIES DZ-123: Flawed Characters in NoirDZ-124: Making the Despicable Compelling ——— More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser. We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter. Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2025/dz-123/
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    1 時間 23 分
  • 1dZ-01: Arkyvrs - A Mansion Most Vile - Ep1

    1dZ-01: Arkyvrs - A Mansion Most Vile - Ep1
    2025/10/26

    What happens when a group of filmmakers play a ragtag group of filmmakers in a gritty sci-fi horror?


    "Ignite the fire within and explore unknown territory" - Werner Herzog.


    This episode is unusual, even by Draft Zero standards. It's an "Actual Play Podcast" where Chas, Stu, & Mel are joined by Kim Ho and Luke Clark to play MOTHERSHIP, the sci-fi horror game we talked about in episodes DZ-121 and DZ-122. Stu is the GM while everyone else is a ragtag crew of freelance filmmakers. We debrief the experience (so far) at the end of the episode)


    Mel plays Zara, the glamorous face of the operation. Chas plays Winston, the cynical and egoistical "photojournalist". Kim is Cal, the scrappy scrounger and sound recordists, while Luke is Tarsos the steadfast producer of the group. The crew are enlisted to record a sensationalist report on a missing corporate president before the mercenary retrieval team arrives.


    And yeah, this means we're soft-launching yet another project that's called 1dZ, which looks at how we can use tools from ttrpgs in screenwriting… and vice versa.

    To get future episodes go to: http://www.1d-zero.com/


    CHAPTERS

    • 00:00:11 - Intro for DZ Listeners
    • 00:01:51 - Meet the Snortin' Betsy
    • 00:06:22 - A Mansion Most Vile (Ep 1)
    • 01:52:32 - Debrief through TOMBS

    RELATED EPISODES

    • DZ-121: Escalating Antagonism 1: Sinners
    • DZ-122: Escalating Antagonism 2: Rebel Ridge + Meet the Parents

    LINKS

    • Tuesday Knight Games
    • Joshua Kramer: A Mansion Most Vile
    • Alewood Games: Arkyvr
    • Nobody Wake the Bugbear
    • Campaign Supplies

    More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

    Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

    We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

    SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack

    SUBSCRIBE TO 1DZERO via Substack

    ACKNOWLEDGES via our website: https://draft-zero.com/2025/1dz-01/
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    2 時間 8 分
  • DZ-122: Escalating Antagonism Across Genres

    DZ-122: Escalating Antagonism Across Genres
    2025/10/01
    Listen to learn how thinking of your hero as the horror (for your villains) makes your script dynamic. In this episode Chas, Stu and guest Kim Ho continue their exploration into the power(s) of antagonism and how focusing on them can develop story. While Part 1 looked at the horror film SINNERS, in Part 2 we venture into genres beyond horror with the action-thriller REBEL RIDGE, and the comedy classic MEET THE PARENTS. To both these films we apply the generative story framework TOMBS (Transgression – Omens – Manifestation – Banishment – Slumber) and are surprised at just how well it maps. TOMBS comes from the MOTHERSHIP sci-fi horror table-top role-playing game. Which we love. We explore how TOMBS, and thinking about antagonism in general, allows writers to deepen their understanding of their characters, their relationship of the heroes with the antagonists, and generate story fuel in a way that escalates the story. We discuss how thinking of your hero as the horror for your villains helps everything become more dynamic. Oh, and we talk about launching an actual play podcast. Which is happening. Stay tuned! As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes. LIKE THIS EPISODE? Discuss with our Patrons on Patreon.Watch and comment on YouTube.Send us feedback. Thanks to our Patrons, especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis and Khrob. → Read the transcript for this episode. ——— "There's a great line from Don Johnson later where he says, the deal was fair. The issue is that you felt that you were allowed to offer it. He tells him that he has transgressed against the rules of the laws or the rules of this system of this world." — Chas Fisher @ 00:12:09 ——— CHAPTERS 00:00:00 – Cold Open00:00:12 – Escalating Antagonism Part 200:03:29 – REBEL RIDGE00:09:30 – › Writing loglines from the antagonist's perspective00:14:36 – › Tombs cycle maps onto hero and villain escalation00:25:07 – › Solve, survive, save structure in action films00:33:16 – › Self-restraint as survival within systemic corruption00:45:30 – MEET THE PARENTS00:51:55 – › Greg's lying as the true transgression engine00:57:41 – › Structural turning points and escalating disaster beats01:01:28 – › Jack versus Greg's insecurity as twin sources of antagonism01:19:33 – › Applying TOMBS structure to map omens and manifestation01:30:29 – Key Learnings & Wrap Up01:34:38 – › Mapping antagonism sources to escalate story conflict01:38:53 – › Expanding beyond Western storytelling structures01:41:38 – Thanks to our Patreons FILMS REBEL RIDGE (2024) — (w) Jeremy SaulnierMEET THE PARENTS (2000) — (w) Jim Herzfeld, John Hamburg (d) Jay Roach LINKS IMDB: Kim HoExplore: MothershipYouTube: The Philosophy of Final DestinationRead: The Philosophy of Horror or Paradoxes of the Heart by Noël CarrollYouTube: GinnyDI - "This Game used 5 steps to scare the crap out of me"Listen: 1dZ-01: Arkyvrs - A Mansion Most Vile - Ep1 EPISODES IN THE ESCALATING ANTAGONISM SERIES DZ-121: Escalating Antagonism in SINNERSDZ-122: Escalating Antagonism Across Genres RELATED EPISODES DZ-49: Antagonists! 1 - vs Humans ——— More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons. If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser. We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter. Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2025/dz-122/
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    1 時間 45 分