Great post, Scott. A class on Twist Endings would be outstanding! In fact, you might maybe broaden it to twists and reveals in general, and how conceal then reveal makes the reader / viewer “lean in”, and how making ‘em do the work keeps them invested. In his TED Talk, Pixar’s Andrew Stanton says “don’t give them four, give them two plus two.”
Thanks also for the info on scripts. Might be cool at some point to drop an outline plus script plus finished pages in the Dropbox, then in class go over the end-to-end process of concept to outline to script to art, perhaps including the tweaks you make after the art first comes in.
Safe travels on your way here to LA, and hope you have a terrific trip!✈️
Not only twist endings but I'd love to learn about ambiguous endings. Like The Graduate, Donnie Darko, American Psycho, etc. I'm working on a story right now that has one and pointers would be great.
I'm such a full script writer by nature, but it would be fun to work with an artist that really likes a lean script. Put me out of my comfort zone. I've been fortunate enough to work with artists that don't mind full script.
Twists would be cool. I'd be interested to hear how much you work backwards from having all the final details in mind, then obscuring them via the story versus having an initial intriguing set up that you figure out how to make more interesting with a twist.
Great post, Scott. A class on Twist Endings would be outstanding! In fact, you might maybe broaden it to twists and reveals in general, and how conceal then reveal makes the reader / viewer “lean in”, and how making ‘em do the work keeps them invested. In his TED Talk, Pixar’s Andrew Stanton says “don’t give them four, give them two plus two.”
https://youtu.be/KxDwieKpawg
Thanks also for the info on scripts. Might be cool at some point to drop an outline plus script plus finished pages in the Dropbox, then in class go over the end-to-end process of concept to outline to script to art, perhaps including the tweaks you make after the art first comes in.
Safe travels on your way here to LA, and hope you have a terrific trip!✈️
Not only twist endings but I'd love to learn about ambiguous endings. Like The Graduate, Donnie Darko, American Psycho, etc. I'm working on a story right now that has one and pointers would be great.
I'm such a full script writer by nature, but it would be fun to work with an artist that really likes a lean script. Put me out of my comfort zone. I've been fortunate enough to work with artists that don't mind full script.
Twists would be cool. I'd be interested to hear how much you work backwards from having all the final details in mind, then obscuring them via the story versus having an initial intriguing set up that you figure out how to make more interesting with a twist.
Yes. Twists.
Strange! I actually was just thinking that I could use some advice on plot twists. Please do it!