How Do You Tell A Non-Linear Story?

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StoryLogue

14 жыл бұрын

A recent Q&A from Robert McKee's Storylogue.

Пікірлер: 34

@djsullivan9045 11 жыл бұрын

Again it all comes back to Story being most important. Thank you Mr. McKee.

@jeanleon3537 6 жыл бұрын

so..Pulp Fiction is a bunch of short films together?

@cartoondimensions 4 жыл бұрын

Make sense honestly

@SymonSaysTV 6 жыл бұрын

QT said many times that wen he wrote Pulp Fiction with his friend the goal was to write 3 stories and interlace them together. So he probably knew in advence a few things they were gonna shared in comon but i'm quite sure they were written separatly, particularly due to the fact that the Willis chapter wasn't even written by him, except for the Chris Walken's watch speach which he added himself afterwords.

@GOPJAC 12 жыл бұрын

While I wouldn't agree that Memento is a good example of non-linear, but a film like "21 Grams" I think is a good example, because a lot of the story telling techniques in that film involve "at which time period in these character's lives are we seeing"

@arttechno2038 2 күн бұрын

this is excellent...

@terrylaguardia6838 2 жыл бұрын

The multiplot films as mentioned here are not nonlinear. They all follow a line en as they parallel, interweave and crisscross each other.

@jimmydroid7838 8 жыл бұрын

There's some strange birds in that there cage.

@SteveHovland 12 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a good topic for research. What happens to the story after production?

@MTOTOwaNYAYO 13 жыл бұрын

@GabrielDrewDavis memento is linear just chronologically backwards

@GabrielDrewDavis 13 жыл бұрын

How would you go about writing a true non linear story in which your story progresses by moving backwards with confusing your audience. Ex. Christopher Nolans Memento

@archangecamilien1879 3 жыл бұрын

I don't know...I feel in many cases, one could always write a story linearly, haha...at any rate, planning the whole thing might help, if one is thinking about the way the audience will "consume" it, I mean...if one is deciding to write it in a non-linear fashion, one might need a plan of sorts...maybe writing it all linearly might help, haha...I don't know...

@karenzaretski2344 2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely love the cage and what's inside it ... nonlinear physical art in action ... ?

@yashzn1234 11 жыл бұрын

Type in 'list of nonlinear films wikipedia' in google

@rogeriocorrea3512 8 жыл бұрын

Linda Aronson's book explain this very clearer and much better.

@LindaAronson 4 жыл бұрын

I have made a detailed study of Linear, Nonlinear and Flashback forms www.lindaaronson.com/ See also A quick intro to flashback, nonlinear, and ensemble storieskzfaq.info/get/bejne/apumhZVh2sm5ZYk.html and other videos there

@LindaAronson 12 жыл бұрын

I'd disagree with much of what's said here. There are clear structural patterns that complex films, including non-linear films follow, so clear that writers can use them as templates. Much safer than leaving it all until post production. See my book The 21st Century Screenplay in which I provide practical guidelines. And yes, good questions Gabriel. Don't worry, there are many ways to create a non-linear story without confusing your audience. It's hard, but doable.

@jjkhawaiian 6 жыл бұрын

I disagree with Mr. McKee, all due respect. My first screenplay ever had a through-line story over all, but had a number of flashbacks that only could be told in that fashion. None of this prod/post prod. nonsense. To me, he's taking away or disregarding the writer's ability to weave a story, or stories, together like a fine seamstress or tailor. My story had jumps going back from hours to sometimes 18 years. The idea is not to confuse your audience, but yet tell it in a way that is fascinating or revealing, sometimes adding suspense, mystery or intrigue, to a rather mundane story if it were told from one point in time to the ending.

@verifymyageful 11 жыл бұрын

Ya, its so easy! >.

@stefanhougaerts4409 2 жыл бұрын

It's not true that it "only" happens in post! Nolan, Tarantino, Ryan Johnson

@humpfreylupin8292 Жыл бұрын

It sounds more like he was saying that the final decision is in post. The final decision could be to just go with the writer’s ideas. Also I think it’s kind of depends on the screenplay. If there is a B plot that reveals a key fact that the audience needs to know at a certain time then it can’t really be moved around. Or if the emotional impact of that B plot scene really works well after the A plot scene prior then the writer might not want it to be rearranged. But the fact that anything can happen in production and post production really applies to everything. I don’t think writers care enough or have enough power to demand the final cut looks like what they envisioned. Unless it’s some famous writer director producer celebrity or something.

@archangecamilien1879 3 жыл бұрын

4:13 I don't know, I suspect Tarantino wrote it the way it was shot, or at least roughly...I mean, he might have said that somewhere, is what I mean...or maybe I'm wrong...well, he had written True Romance to be shot in a non-linear fashion, so in that case, at least, it wasn't post-production, since they didn't do it that way, ultimately, and he wasn't even making the actual film, etc...

@archangecamilien1879 3 жыл бұрын

..maybe that's why I think he probably wrote Pulp Fiction the way it was made, etc...

@archangecamilien1879 3 жыл бұрын

Tarantino even didn't know "who did it" in The Hateful Eight...I mean...of course, not saying his films are exactly the way he wrote them, he talked about deleted scenes, etc, on occasion...there was something in Kill Bill or something, I don't remember...not even a deleted scene, they didn't even shoot that one...