So I didn’t get the Simpson’s scene where Principal Skinner chases Bart in The Boy Who Knew Too Much (1994), let alone the episode Itchy & Scratchy Land from the same year.

The Original Terminator

Michael Crichton wrote the novel that Steven Spielberg turned into Jurassic Park (1993), which is essentially the same story as Westworld if you substitute dinosaurs for people. When Malcolm (Goldblum) in that movie says the “Pirates didn’t come to life and kill people”, he is obviously referencing Westworld. Another one I had missed.

A major character in this film – and in our clip below – is The Gunslinger (Yul Brynner). As homage to The Magnificent Seven, he wears the same outfit as in the Sturgess western: all black, like the TV version’s Man In Black.

The fans often refer to the Gunslinger as the original Terminator. Schwarzenegger reportedly based his performance on Brynner’s. You get it: for an overall better entertainment experience, watch Westworld. You’ll definitely have more fun if you watch the HBO show after savouring this feature.

Have We Got A Vacation For You

The movie did well at the box office. It cost only $1.5m to produce, made nearly three times that amount during its first release, and it took even more during the re-release a few years later.

You wouldn’t think this success came as a surprise, given the terrific high concept. Nobody had seen anything like this before: a thousand-dollar-a-day resort where people go on a holiday to act out their forbidden primal desires. Then, of course, things get out of control.

The truth is: despite the great concept, Crichton struggled to get it financed, the film was troubled with all sorts of production nightmares and the story doesn’t really hold up very well today.

Even back then, writer/director Crichton completely re-edited the first cut of the movie because he was depressed by how “long and boring” it was.

After Westworld, he learned a thing or two about basic screen story structure.

Westworld’s Structural Malfunctionings

[SPOILERS] Westworld’s realism, its tremendous attention for detail, and its slow build reminded me of 2001 A Space Odyssey.

It seems Crichton wanted it to look like pure sci-fi. If you can appreciate this, and you can transport yourself back to the 1970’s, you’ll enjoy the movie. If you prefer fast-paced however, skip straight to HBO.

Until the movie’s mid point, nothing really happens that is out of the ordinary in Westworld. In fact, the encounter with a malfunctioning rattlesnake is the real (and much overdue) Call To Adventure. How so?

Everything before this moment really belongs to the world our characters have been in during the entire movie. As long as it is functioning properly, the resort is the movie’s Ordinary World.

Doesn’t Anything Work Around Here?

A strong Call to Adventure (CTA) is an event that has never happened before, that has an impact on the main character, and that calls for action. It is always an Event happening to the hero, never an Action by the hero.

Here, in response to this CTA, our heroes should no longer trust the safety of the park, and the appropriate action would be to leave.

Remember Jurassic Park? That structure worked. When you’re developing a feature, it is always helpful to find successful precedents with a similar concept, and study their structure.

To make a screen story work for today’s audiences, the story catalyst should sit at least half an hour earlier.

Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, creators of the HBO’s show understood this, and introduced the inciting incident/CTA (the first on-screen malfunctioning ‘host’) within the first half hour of Episode 1.

Bring In The Gunslinger

Apparently Yul Brynner was one of only two actors in Hollywood who wouldn’t blink during the firing of a gun. Okay, that’s a piece of totally useless trivia, but still fun(*).

In this clip from Westworld, Brynner delivers an extraordinary blend of cowboy cool, and techno cold. “Get this boy a bib,” he taunts Peter (Richard Benjamin)… “He needs his mama.”

The moment is retained in the TV series, when one of the heroes spurs the other on to start a fight. They’re invincible anyway… Even though we know that the Gunslinger’s bullet can’t hurt our heroes, the tension is palpable…

Oh, and in case you were wondering, yes that is indeed Christian Bale who traveled back in time to play John Blane (James Brolin).

-Karel Segers

(* the other one: Clint Eastwood)

https://ozzywood.wistia.com/medias/0rb0058th9?embedType=iframe&seo=false&videoFoam=true&videoWidth=1080

Karel FG Segers

Karel Segers wrote his first produced screenplay at age 17. Today he is a story analyst with experience in acquisition, development and production. He has trained students worldwide, and worked with half a dozen Academy Award nominees. Karel speaks more European languages than he has fingers on his left hand, which he is still trying to find a use for in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. The languages, not the fingers.

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If/when you have seen the movie, tell us in the comments what you think of it.

If you liked this, check out more videos about screenwriting or filmmaking. And if you know of a great video on Screenwriting, let us know in the comments. Thanks!

by Dave Trendall (structure breakdown) and Karel Segers (notes).

I’m still a big Spielberg fan, although War Of The Worlds made a small dent in this and – being Belgian – I’m a bit nervous about Tintin.

Story Origins of E.T.

The script for E.T. was written by Melissa Mathison but the original story Night Skies (that went on to become E.T.) was pitched to Spielberg in a Paris hotel by concept artist Ron Cobb. (Wikipedia):

“Steven Spielberg offered him the opportunity to direct this scarier sequel to Close Encounters of the Third Kind until problems arose over special effects that required a major rewrite.”

A few years ago Ron, who lives here in Sydney, replicated to me the pitch for Night Skies and, believe me, it sent shivers down my spine…

But we were going to talk story and structure.

Structure and POV

E.T. looks far more traditional than Close Encounters, which seems to have a never-ending first act (and threshold sequence), a non-existing second act and a downright odd ending – which I still loved. Obviously this didn’t keep it from being ridiculously successful.

In addition to what I’ve already said and written about Point Of View , it is worth noting how POV is handled in this film.

Let’s have a look at the first sequence:

ACT ONE

Sequence A: A scary first meeting (12:30mins)

00:00 E.T. lands on earth and leaves the spaceship.
03:00 E.T. walks around and sees the city. Homing signals glow.
05:00 The bad guys arrive in trucks. They begin searching.
06:00 E.T.’s homing signal glows alerting the bad guys and the chase is on!
07:00 E.T. misses the boat – the spaceship leaves without him.
07:30 E.T. ventures down to the city as the bad guys continue searching.
08:00 Elliot wants to play but all he’s good for is getting the pizza.
09:00 He gets the pizza… and hears something in the garage.
09:30 Back garden: Elliot throws a ball into the shed, and it’s thrown back.
10:30 Elliot runs into the house screaming with shock – they all go hunting.
11:00 ‘It’s just a coyote.’ Nobody believes Elliot.
12:30 Elliot checks again and sees him. E.T. freaks and runs to the forest.

The movie opens with a great hook in which we see the Extraterrestrial for the first time, albeit briefly and mostly indirectly. Can you see the parallel with Jaws? Next we’re introduced to Elliot (and we stay with him until the end of Act One). The sequence ends on his Call To Adventure, when Elliot sees E.T. for the first time.

Sequence B: Becoming friends (9:30mins)

14:30 Elliot cycles up to the forest with lollies.
15:30 A suspicious man looks around and Elliot pedals quickly away.
16:00 Nobody believes me! He takes his frustration out on his mum.
19:00 Elliot waits in the garden at night, snuggled in a blanket.
20:00 E.T. reaches out to Elliot by giving him back the lollies.
20:30 Leaving a trail of lollies, Elliot gets E.T. into his room.
22:00 E.T. mimics his actions

The second sequence shows Elliot’s response to the Inciting Incident (or Call To Adventure). He is not really refusing his call: he wants to see E.T. again, contrary to those around him, who don’t believe him. You could argue that they are also more flawed than Elliot because of their lack of imagination.

The end of the second sequence usually sets up the hero’s goal. What is it here? Not so simple… Elliot wants to keep E.T. as a friend, while hiding him from the adults, because he doesn’t trust them. Elliot’s goal has an indefinite timeline: until when will he need to hide E.T.? Typically this wouldn’t work very well but here this doesn’t seem to be a problem. Note that this entire sequence is told from Elliot’s POV.

ACT TWO

Sequence C: Keeping the secret while having fun (12:30mins)

24:00 The bad guys close in… they find the lollies.
25:00 Elliot skips school. He dims the shades and the fun and games begin!
26:30 While the cat’s away… Elliot gives E.T. an education.
27:30 It’s too much excitement! Time for milk and cookies.
30:30 Over the phone, Elliot convinces mum that he’s ill.
33:00 Allies, Michael and Gertie, meet E.T. … and freak.
34:30 ‘This isn’t a room, this is an accident’: Mum comes home.
36:00 Sister Gertie makes a pact to say nothing – this is their secret.

Act Two opens with a brief scene from the POV of the antagonist, building an underlying tension for the entire next sequence. In many movies, this is the only function of a shift of POV. What follows now is a typical Allies & Enemies / Fun & Games sequence.

Sequence D: E.T. & Elliot apart, share experiences.  (12:30 mins)

37:30 Bad guys are taking photographs of the house.
38:00 Gertie takes a dead flower to Elliot’s room.
39:00 Elliot, Mike and Gertie watch in wonder as E.T. does magic.
41:00 Elliot hears the bad guys outside… edging ever closer.
42:00 E.T. makes the flower grow.
42:30 Elliot goes to school.
43:30 Mum hears noises and checks it out but nothing.
44:00 E.T. goes to the fridge and opens some beers.
45:00 Elliot starts feeling the effects from the beer – in class.
46:00 Both are drunk.
47:30 ‘I gotta save him…’ Elliot releases the frogs in science class.
48:30 Reading a comic book gives E.T. an idea.
50:00 E.T. makes a machine from a toy while watching a movie.
50:30 Elliot recreates a romantic kissing scene from the T.V.

A second sequence of fun & games strengthens the bond between the boy and alien. Again, this sequence opens with a brief scene from the POV of the antagonists, showing they are gradually closing in on E.T. and Elliot. As a result, the tension rises.
E.T. is the story of the friendship between earthling Elliot and the Extraterrestrial and its structure shows elements of the buddy movie and even the romance, with a kiss around the mid point of the movie.
When Elliot goes to school, the POV is split between the boy and the alien. However, in terms of the story we really stay in Elliot’s POV’s, whose experience of getting drunk is more dramatic than E.T.’s.

Mid Sequence: E.T. phone home! (14:00 mins)

51:30 Gertie tries to get mum to meet E.T.
52:30 Mum gets the call to pick up a drunken Elliot.
53:00 E.T. speaks!
54:00 Gertie understands him. E.T…. Phone… home MID POINT
56:00 Bad guys listen in to Elliot and Mike.
58:00 Elliot cuts his finger and E.T. heals it.
1:00:00 Halloween… ghost E.T., Elliot and Mike leave to trick or treat.
1:03:00 Gertie waits at the top of a hill.
1:03:30 Trick or treat. The three guisers walk down the street.
1:04:00 E.T. and Gertie swap costumes. Elliot takes off on his bike with E.T.
1:04:30 The bike takes off with E.T. in the basket and goes higher still!
1:05:30 Mum doesn’t know where they are and blows the candles out.

This is a mid sequence in the purest sense: the tone changes from upbeat & fun to serious & suspenseful. The moment we see the scientists listen in to Mike and Elliot, we know it will be a matter of minutes before the fun is over.
The objective changes, too. First Elliot wanted to keep E.T. as a friend but after the mid point he helps E.T. to return home, which is a clear reversal as he will have to let go of his friend.
Where many films show a leap off a cliff at the mid, Elliot rides his bike with E.T. off a cliff to realize they can fly. But the flight ends with a crash, symbolizing the crash that is about to following immediately after every mid point high. Can you see other typical aspects of a mid point reversal?

Sequence E: I think we’re dying (11:30 mins)

1:06:00 They get to work on making the machine.
1:07:00 Mum is angry and leaves the house…
1:07:30 … bad guys break into the house.
1:08:00 Mum picks Mike and Gertie up… but where is Elliot?
1:09:00 The machine is working!
1:11:00 The bad guys continue ransacking the house.
1:12:00 Elliot wakes up but where is ET?
1:13:00 Missing person… Elliot arrives back.
1:13:30 He pleads to Michael to find E.T.
1:14:00 Mike is being followed and tries to lose the bad guys.
1:15:00 He finds the blanket and a half-dead ET. Helicopter circles.
1:16:00 ‘I think we’re dying.’ Mum is aghast and sees E.T. as the problem.
1:17:30 The bad guys… the scientists… invade their home.

With the last half of the second act we have entered darker territory. Elliot knows that he will lose E.T. if the alien returns home but … it looks like E.T. may not even make it home when Elliot finds him half-dead. Elliot meets with the antagonists when the scientist crew enters the house. This is an ironic ‘approaching of the inmost cave’ because it is effectively the antagonist entering the cave (Elliot’s home) in the literal sense. For Elliot and E.T., the approach is symbolic as they are preparing to face their worst fear: to lose each other.

Sequence F: Approach to the inmost cave (12:00 mins)

1:18:30 The scientists enter the house with equipment.
1:19:00 The alien is misunderstood.
1:21:00 ‘He’s calling his people… he needs to go home.’
1:22:00 The Scientist tells Elliot he was happy the alien met him first.
1:23:30 ‘The boy’s coming back… we’re losing E.T.’
1:26:00 The flower wilts… E.T. is dying.
1:28:00 E.T. dies… the Doctors stop trying.
1:30:30 ‘You must be dead because I don’t know how to feel’

The Ordeal sequence usually has ‘the image of death’ and here we see E.T.’s death literally on the screen. When Elliot says “You must be dead because I don’t know how to feel,” it shows how he now has to learn to stand on his own feet. This very realisation signals Elliot’s transformation and thus we have the end of Act 2. At this point a story ALWAYS turns from hopeless to hopeful. In a way this story is a coming of age for Elliot; he has to cope with the abandonment of a friend. Would it be a coincidence that this theme is equally present in the Toy Story movies?

ACT THREE

Sequence G: This is reality… (08:00 mins)

1:33:30 ‘He’s alive!!!’ As Elliot leaves… the flowers perk up.
1:34:00 Opening the casket door, Elliot sees E.T. is alive.
1:35:30 Uh oh. Gertie gives mum a note from the boys a bit too early.
1:36:00 Mike drives away from the uniforms. His mum follows.
1:38:30 Mike’s friends on the bike meet E.T. at the playground.
1:40:00 ‘This is reality Greg…’ The chase is on!
1:41:30 A dead end? They fly over the roadblock with E.T.’s magic powers.

Once Elliot’s transformation (or growth) is complete, we’re ready to move into Act 3 and immediately the energy turns to positive, the pace picks up and the kids leave “the cave”. Note that like in every successful film, there is a ‘threshold sequence’ because at this point in the movie, for a variety of reasons we need movement.

Sequence G: I’ll be right here… (5:30 mins)

1:42:30 They arrive at the forest. E.T.’s Spaceship touches down at the forest.
1:44:00 Sister and Mike say their goodbyes.
1:44:30 ‘I’ll be right here’, E.T. reassures.
1:47:30 E.T. goes back to his ship and the ship leaves.
1:48:30 They wave goodbye.
1:49:30 END

The kids have shed the antagonists (the adults), the main tension is now resolved and despite the fact that the friends have to say goodbye, the atmosphere is somewhat lighter. Elliot is now strong enough to say goodbye to E.T.

Structural Analysis: Dave Trendall
Notes: Karel Segers

_______________________________

With thanks to Sol.

Enjoy!

Karel

Karel FG Segers

Karel Segers wrote his first produced screenplay at age 17. Today he is a story analyst with experience in acquisition, development and production. He has trained students worldwide, and worked with half a dozen Academy Award nominees. Karel speaks more European languages than he has fingers on his left hand, which he is still trying to find a use for in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. The languages, not the fingers.

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COMING SOON to the Story Department:

• Structure: Elephant in the Room (2)
• Mystery Man on Monday: Sex in Screenwriting (4)
• Structure: Inception (2)

With thanks to Sol.

Enjoy!

Karel

Not only will you find a link to the transcription of the story meeting, Mystery Man adds his own incisive insights and boils them down to 10 terrific points.

You can watch movies, read books and attend workshops but it hardly ever gets any better than this.

Never has there been a better time to be a learning screenwriter.

Karel FG Segers

Karel Segers wrote his first produced screenplay at age 17. Today he is a story analyst with experience in acquisition, development and production. He has trained students worldwide, and worked with half a dozen Academy Award nominees. Karel speaks more European languages than he has fingers on his left hand, which he is still trying to find a use for in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. The languages, not the fingers.

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“Ron Cobb: Concept to Creation”

Karel FG Segers

Karel Segers wrote his first produced screenplay at age 17. Today he is a story analyst with experience in acquisition, development and production. He has trained students worldwide, and worked with half a dozen Academy Award nominees. Karel speaks more European languages than he has fingers on his left hand, which he is still trying to find a use for in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. The languages, not the fingers.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Steven Spielberg first drew me into movies with Close Encounters of the Third Kind, back in 1977.

Because I was too young for Jaws in 1975, it wasn’t until later when I discovered the movie that really made Spielberg.

Jaws literally changed the movie industry as its tremendous success not only started the ‘wide opening’ with over 500 theatres, it also launched the summer season as the most profitable movie season in the US.

The structure below is an attempt to break the film down into its acts and sequences. I would welcome comments as you may or may not agree with this breakdown.

Some turning points are more obvious than others. The films Mid Point (of No Return) is beautifully emphasised with a long shot zooming into the ocean. The end of Act One and Two, however, are less obvious and you may have good reasons to see them differently. Please let me know.

Finally, like any other structural breakdown on this site, it is absolutely essential to view the film as the summaries below won’t make much sense without the context of the actual movie scene.

ACT ONE

Sequence A

00.00 Titles
01.00 Night beach party by campfire
03.00 Girl skinnydipping, boy is too drunk
03.30 POV shark
04.00 Girl taken

05.00 Breakfast, Brodys are strangers in town: concerned for kids.
06.00 Phone call. Wife: Be careful. Brody: In this town??
07.00 Brody with boy on beach: they find girl, is crab meat (I.I.)

Sequence B

08.30 Brody types report, minor office stuff
10.00 Buys sign, paint, orders to paint signs to close beach.
11.30 Mayor protests on ferry, your 1st summer, need summer dollars!
13.00 Watching the beach. “not an islander”
16.00 Dog taken, blood, everybody out. Alex Kintner is gone.
17.30 Town meeting, close beaches for 24hs. Brody: didn’t agree.
20.00 Quint’s proposal: $10,000 to bring it in.

ACT TWO A

Sequence C

21.30 Brody reads on sharks. Sees Mikey in boat, parents fight.
23.30 Quint throwing bait.
24.30 Broday reading: images of sharks & victims
25.30 Charlie falls in, almost taken
26.30 Matt Hooper arrives, wants to see girl’s remains first.
29.00 Ocean posse, everybody out in their boats for bounty.
30.00 post-mortem: no boating accident, was a shark.
31.30 Tiger shark caught. Hooper wants to cut open. Mayor: No.
34.30 Mrs Kintner hits Brody: you knew about girl, about shark.

Sequence D

36.30 Home, Mikey copies Brody. Give us a kiss. I need it.
37.30 Dinner stories. Hooper LOVES sharks. Brody HATES water.
41.30 Cut open shark. Nothing. Go see it in the ocean.
43.30 Boat, Brody about NY & Amity: one man can make difference.
45.00 Fish finder equipment, they find Ben Gardner’s boat.
47.00 Matt dives in, finds tooth and head.
48.30 Great white, no tooth. Mayor: beaches stay open for WE.

Sequence E

51.30 Tourists pour in, boats are patrolling.
54.00 Mayor tells people to go in the water, helicopter (DI)
55.00 Brody tells Mikey to go in the pond
56.00 Mayor lies in interview: all fine
57.00 Shark alert: false alarm, boys prank.
59.00 Shark going into the pond, grabs man
60.30 Mikey dragged out, dead? In shock. Zoom on ocean. (MPNR)

MID SEQUENCE

61.30 Hospital: take him home. Wife: to NY?
62.30 Mayor says sorry, signs voucher for Quint.
63.30 Quint vs. Hooper. Q. wants to go alone.
66.30 Goodbye to wife, getting ready. “Gone fishing.”

ACT TWO B

Sequence F

69.30 On ocean, near accident and warning about compressed air.
71.30 Fishing reel moves, pulling. Q.: very big. Hooper: no shark.
76.00 Quint bossing. Hooper hates it. Don’t have to take abuse.
77.30 Chief throws bait, head of shark appears.
78.00 25-footer. 3 tons, is circling boat.
80.00 Q. is radio’ed by Brody’s wife, tells her all is fine.
80.30 Shark harpooned, takes barrel, disappears.
82.30 Chief wants to quit, get bigger boat. Sunset.

Sequence G

83.00 Q. & Hooper compare scars, drink.
86.00 Quint’s shark story of the Indianapolis, ’45.
89.30 Whale song, singing together, bonding.
90.30 Boat under attack, start engines, shark leaves.

Sequence H

92.30 Barrel back, they rope it in, shark appears.
94.00 Brody: Mayday. Quint kills radio.
95.00 Hook up another barrel, harpooned & taken by shark.
96.00 Shark is chasing boat, harpooned, 2 barrels & shooting.
97.30 Shark attack

99.30 Shark eats rope, coming closer, more shooting, 3 barrels.
100.0 Shark tows boat, Quint cuts rope
102.3 Decision to head in towards shallow waters.
104.0 Quint at full power, bearings burned, stopped & fire.
105.0 Stuck, sinking & waiting

ACT THREE

Sequence I

106.0 Hooper’s plan: goes into cage with poison.
108.0 shark attacks & fight with Hooper.
111.0 Pull him up! The winch breaks, the cage stays down
112.0 Shark attacks boat, it starts sinking, Quint is taken.
113.0 Brody alone, bull fight, throws tank into shark’s mouth.
114.0 Brody shoots the tank, shark explodes
115.0 Shark sinks to the sea bed.

116.0 Hooper resurfaces.
117.0 Two men swimming to land with the two barrels.
115.3 Shark dies.

Sequence J

116.0 Hooper returns
117.0 Swimming with barrels

Under the surface of this suspenseful monster movie there is a powerful character journey. I once believed this movie is simply about Brody overcoming his fear of water. It is about much more than that.

Brody escaped the hazards of hardcore NY police work to find peace in Amity, where “one man can make a difference”.

But is he ready to make a difference?

When his wife tells him to be careful, he replies: “on this island?”. He is minimising any dangers before they even occur.

Brody is also dealing with symptoms rather than tackle the causes head-on. He tells his son not to play on the swings rather than reparing them. In the same way he tells his wife not to use the fireplace in the den before he goes out on the sea.

In the course of the story, Brody will learn to dig to the heart of the problem and resolve it at the root.

– Read the part about Jaws in this blog post for a brief introduction to the difference between a character’s WANT, NEED and LONGING.
– Read this blog post about what Jaws would look like if it were made today. Warning: not serious.
– ‘Jaws’ took a bite out of movie history 35 years ago this week.

Karel FG Segers

Karel Segers wrote his first produced screenplay at age 17. Today he is a story analyst with experience in acquisition, development and production. He has trained students worldwide, and worked with half a dozen Academy Award nominees. Karel speaks more European languages than he has fingers on his left hand, which he is still trying to find a use for in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. The languages, not the fingers.

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