What is the best movie you've seen recently? Looking for recommendations. Also, I made a passing comment about Jennifer’s body here and vampires, obviously a film about possession, but she essentially behaves like a vampire in the film. Hence the comment lol doesn’t have much to do with the video but wanted to clarify for anyone that hasn’t already seen the film.

Non naturalistic dialogs aren't what the characters would say, they are what the characters wish they had said when they replay the conversation in their heads while showering

You can't talk about realistic dialogue without talking about The Room.

I always found a big difference between film dialogue and how normal people talk is that in movies, they speak full, eloquent monologues. In real life, you would probably stumble your words, pause to think of what to say, and get interrupted by someone.

I think an unnaturalistic dialogue is like a text between two people. We wait the other person to finish saying their words, we think a little before we text so that we have a better choice of words and expressing our thoughts. There is no stutter, pause or repeating in a text. Its the way we imagine a conversation with someone in our heads. Simply flawless

Me not being a native English speaker: Wait, it sounds normal though.

Why doesn’t anyone mention the masterful dialogue in The Room? “Oh, hi Mark.”

Its all about perspective- the more people I meet and interact with in life, the more i realize that even the most outlandish-seeming characters and dialogue can definitely be found in real life. Its one of the things that makes meeting new people unique

When I was a young kid I was super shy and awkward. Since I wasn’t very social I would frame how I interacted with people based off movie dialogue…that made it so much worse lmao.

I don’t like sand. It’s coarse, and rough, and irritating. And it gets everywhere.

Why does the way he speaks works? Because he's Samuel L. Jackson

The fact that this video used the OST from Arrival, a movie about interpreting an alien language while discussing film dialogue and natural language, just reinforces how wonderful this channel is.

The dialogue and non-linear storyline are what made Pulp Fiction so good and iconic.

"Nobody talks like this." Yoda: "Human, I am not. On you, the joke is."

I feel like naturalistic dialogue is severely under appreciated. It just makes characters easier to listen to.

I think "naturalistic dialogue" in films generally leaves out several aspects of actual natural language. It's rare for writers to include lots of "pause fillers" like um and er, which are derided in public speaking but an important cue in communication between people in real life. "Huh?" or "what?" are only used if a character is meant to be self-centered or rude, when really there are lots of reasons people need someone to repeat what they said. They also leave out the slow pace of many conversations, and particularly the awkward pauses. When dialogue *does* include these things, I've noticed, instead of feeling realistic and natural, in film it comes across as surreal.

I think Smiling Friends is one of the examples of naturalistic dialogue in a comedic setting done right. The way characters often overlap their dialogue in the most mundane conversations, how their eyes and faces dart everywhere when they're listening to someone else talking, and all the self-interruptuons mid sentence. "you know like obvi- yeah...you know?" I think it's brilliant.

"Nobody talks like Jules" I knew a guy who talked exactly like Jules. Exactly. Even unironically misquoting bible verses to excuse violence.

A video about how people talk spoken entirely in "video essay" voice.

It's pretty difficult to write a structured narrative with truly realistic dialogue. A lot of times, conversations don't have real clear intent. They just happen. Even when there is clear intent, the words that need to be said are often not said and when they are, their generally not poetic nor are they attention-grabbing. Real life drama takes very long to unfold and navigate through and most times people aren't even sure what the source of the drama was. Even I'm finding it difficult in my attempt to put words together to explain how messy real life conversations and drama is. For example, you could just simply drift away from old friends not due to a big event or a big fight, but you just simply care less and less about them or you quietly realize that you never really valued their friendship or something. Or maybe a big fight does happen but it's normal to just not see each other again some time and then act like nothing happened when you meet each other again. I've known people like this. No dramatic talks about making up and setting aside differences. In a movie, this would be jarring and may confuse the audience. Basically, real life is messy. In order to tell an effective story, most of the time, a structured narrative is required. So real life needs to be heightened just a little.

It's crazy how many different artforms go into making a film. From the obvious to the minute, whether it be dialogue, cinematography or acting, all the way down to sound design, typography, colour grading, editing, vfx, production design, costume design, etc. As a musical artist I love the fact that everything I make is 99% my own work. Sure, we use drum recordings, maybe a few ad-libs etc, but for the most part, I can put out a song and confidently say that I produced the entire thing - it all came from me. I think if I were in film I'd be a little proud, or stubborn. I'd want to do EVERYTHING myself to achieve my vision, which just isn't practical on the enormous scale of a feature length film. And I know the director kind of oversees each step, but they're still at the mercy of hundreds of people. I really just admire how cohesively so many different people can work together to create something beautiful that makes sense.

Tarantino writes language as if the characters are actually listening to eachother. Not unrealistic, but rare.

How do people talk again it’s been 8 months Since i’ve talked to one

Brilliant background music choice in this video. Really allows your words to not just be heard, but felt.

Really enjoy this style of video. It’s cool to compare a lot of different styles and examples covering a topic. I like the vids on a specific show/movie, but this is really compelling. Great job!

The most realistic dialogue pacing I've seen so far is in Uncut Gems. That constant overlapping over others and the repetition of sentences is _exactly_ how people talk -and it stressed me the hell out-

"Everyone in the movie talks like Quentin Tarantino, except Quentin Tarantino, because when he does show up his staggeringly bad acting means he can't even deliver lines in the style of Quentin Tarantino." - Mark Kermode

This is one of the most important videos I've ever seen in terms of screenwriting. I love this channel.

I wrote my thesis few years back on this matter... It brings so many memories back! Nice video and keep it Up!

Omg one day I noticed how unhuman dialogue can be in tv and movies and I cant unsee it. It’s horrible

Ideal language is what I've often referred to as "people don't talk this way in real life, but when you hear it, you kind of wish they would."

If anyone is curious, the track at 7:39 is The Nature of Daylight by Max Richter, one of my favourite pieces, the appearance of which in media I always appreciate (another example of its appearance is the introduction scene of the film Arrival).

This video unexpectedly blew my mind I was kinda getting confused and kinda loosing it but just when you show a real “Natural Language/Dialogue” was i instantly get it and its something that we tend to overlook and tend to not even notice it at all, its actually crazy that when i am shown a perfect good written dialogue that is quite realistic that i forgot what a real authentic imperfect dialogue is and im surprised not many writers uses this more, it really gives more life to what you’re writing. I’ve watched and listen to lots of imperfect realistic dialogues from other movies, but its kind of insane i never noticed how very different they are to what we usually hear and see in written dialogues, and yet never consider how actual humans talk to each other especially in the heat of the moment.

God imagine if people spoke like how JoJo characters spoke, that would make life so much more interesting. You walk up to a Mc Donalds and the guy behind the cash register poses at you and says “You want a burger and I know that because I’m very precise you see. I can tell from looking at your body that you’re a meat eater, however, that meat is usually consumed in a unhealthy amount and of unhealthy quality. Do you know who the polish painter Zdzisław Bekiński? In most of his paintings he would draw broken and blackened worlds with large destroyed buildings. I work here because this run down McDonalds reminds me of his work.”

"Why does every movie KZfaqr sound like Nerdwriter. That's not how people talk. Today we will explore ... _dramatic pause_ ... why." _cue intro music_

When communicating using proper flow and timing to your words is groundbreaking. It can make a text feel like a whole moment and it can really help a cause when convincing others.

The script for Clerks is still one of my favorites. I always felt like, even if it wasn't exactly how people talked, it sounded enough like how people THINK they talk to make it sound like there was no script.

I'm autistic and a lot of the time I do speak in an oddly 'scripted' way because I tend to plan out what I'm going to say before speaking to somebody... I've been told many times that I sound like I'm performing a monologue or a speech.

The thing about Jules' bible verse is that he actually mentions in the movie that it's something that he has rehearsed and said to people multiple times before he has killed them because he thought it was a bad ass thing to say. So it's actually one of the few times a Tarantino dialogue was a bit realistic because he admits to rehearsing it.

Dialogue is all about conveying the information of the story in a smart way - in a way where the story beats are not spoon feed to you. Where you can figure out what’s going on without every single detail being spelled out for you. That is great dialogue. That is great writing.

The Sopranos is an example of the show where the dialogue is somewhat exaggerated at times but truly does reflect real and mundane life. As someone from New Jersey, it is extremely refreshing to see such well written dialogue that comes so naturally out of the characters. Truly a masterpiece of a show.

Zucc in the social network is unrealistic, he's way too human.

My wife loves “Gilmore Girls” but I couldn’t put my finger on why it bugged me. This helps it make sense. It is played overly scripted. No one ever interrupts anyone, people always have the perfect response whatever the situation. Every scene is like “line, punchline, response” repeat ad infinitum.

Oh my god I was thinking about this topic so many times its crazy to see someone just say it out loud and take it further, I sub

Love this essay! Some really beautiful prose and an interesting subject. The song you chose genuinely touched me, so thanks for introducing me to that!

I frequently find myself thinking, “Who talks like that?” while watching TV and movies.

My favorite thing about Nerdstalgic is something that I've never seen anyone point out before. He's the only content creator that publishes video essays in the aspect ration of the source material. This video is in 21:9, his video on Hey Arnold is in 4:3, and his videos on The Office are in 16:9. Maybe it's because I use an ultrawide monitor, but something about it helps me get so much more immersed. So... thanks for that.

Wow! I love this video, not only because it explains different types of dialogues in movies, but because it gives a fresh look at what the human condition really is like. We say certain things, in a certain way, often unaware of the reason behind it. Some people, including me, strive for perfection in everything they do, but the difficult truth is: you cannot be perfect, and in letting yourself be imperfect and accepting it, you express your true self! Therefore it's important to note that movies are just movies, and real life doesn't work that way - there will always be conflicts and there will always be communication problems, whether it be lighthearted og serious - and we need to deal with it as best we can.

Just found your channel and want to say - You have a truly epic perspective on the human condition and what makes us, us. Keep it up bud!

"Nobody talks like this" No, HEALTHY people don't talk like this.

In my creative writing class my teacher told me: No one talks like how dialogue is written So, the whole dialogue should be realistic thing is false really For dialogue to feel 'realistic' it just needs to make sense in your story and provides purpose If your dialogue serves those two purposes, your dialogue should be fine

Writing isn’t in my career or hobbies but have been thinking about this since I was a kid. This is an awesome video, thanks.

Good video. Makes me think that I would love to see a good scifi or horror written in naturalistic style. No cliches or one liners, but real humans experiencing believable awe or terror.

Characters often don’t talk like people and that’s perfectly ok. Movies are a heightened version of real life and dialogue is a heightened version of real speech. If dialogue was like real life many movies would be much less enjoyable.

I think the amount of hate that that scene in Marriage Story got just goes to show how little people are aware of this aspect of filmmaking-they thought that Scarlett and Adam’s performances were horrible when they were actually extremely accurate. It sounds stupid because it IS, that is just how we talk to each other when emotions take over and we no longer are able to carefully chose words.

THANK YOU! i feel like i've always said this to people who loves quentin tarantino, but they said that it's one of his strongest side of his movies, yet i feel like its the opposite. thank god im not the only one who thinks this way :)

My favorite dialogue style is the one in Edgar wright movies tbh. The man makes every character a walking trope rapid firing stupid statements and still manages to make them feel like people

I remember I used to be part of this friend group that, if they didn't talk in "perfect dialogue" would come at least close sometimes. It was a group made up of very smart, very witty people, and every line spoken had to be funny, had to build on whatever bit they were doing on the fly. Being around them was entertaining as hell, but man was it stressful trying to keep conversations at dialogue standard.

This is why you can't just say "Dialogue should be realistic" or "Dialogue shouldn't be realistic." There's no universal rule, no quick fix, that you can just follow to automatically succeed and malign everyone else for not following. As you say, it's a stylistic choice, and whatever you choose, what matters is doing it well.

thanks for making a thoughtful and individual take on screenwriting dialogue. as a writer, a lot of these video essays cropping up on youtube are pointless drivel with an aim to make the author seem intellectual or smart. your reflections on why odd language works are quite interesting. characterization is everything. something can look like shit on paper and be made great by an actor, and vice versa. directors are the invisible "actor" helping the actual actors find the correct characterizations for the script and his/her vision- i once has a friend tell me "actors don't know what they're doing on set. just who their character is and what the story is." and that's true. i had never considered that as the teenager i was. i thought everyone on a movie set knew what they were aiming for. it's quite the opposite. only the director really knows what is need. imagine the amount of trust you'd need in a director to feel he'd make your performance look good in the directing and editing process.

There’s a certain poetry to this dialogue. It’s pleasant to the ear. Scripts are like lyrics to a song.

I’ve noticed this with my sister. She watches lots of Disney sitcoms, and her dialect has changed, lots more pauses for non existent laugh tracks and much more saying stuff as if we(aka the audience) should already know it because she does. (She’s 8) Edit: the only difference is that Disney sitcoms aren’t exactly poetic.

So, could you look into how movie dialogue affects natural speech? You say “people don’t talk like this,” but to some extent I think some people do, due to the influence of cinema and TV. You can absolutely notice that some people will try and sound quirky like Juno, or project a confident persona that’s quite clearly based on their favourite movie character. I’d be really interested in if such feedback exists and where it shows up?

i think its the fact that the extremes are the things that make scenarios that would never happen, and their for making tv so enjoyable

I had to rewatch this video after watching The Meyerowitz Stories. Absolutely phenomenal naturalistic dialogue.

I love tarintino because he knows how to make a conversation in a movie just as interesting as a fight scene would be in other movies

If i wanted to hear what people actually sound like, i'd go to the grocery store

In a movie, a play or even a book, the author uses dialogue to communicate with the viewer; a vehicle for the characters to express feelings and ideas to the audience. Not for the characters to communicate with each other, because they don't need to. Sometimes the dialogue is very realistic, but other times it is very literary and flowery. As you said, "heightened". In the end, it's nothing but art; not a snapshot of reality, but an artist's vision of reality.

This is a great video for starting a conversation that, itself, completes misses the point

Heightened language for heightened characters goes back to Aristotle's "Poetics", so you're building on a long tradition of understanding that our storytelling doesn't have to be naturalistic, and in fact maybe shouldn't be, to be effective!

I've done conversation analysis, and when transcribed you see that most natural dialogues are trainwrecks. People barely speak in complete sentences, and they talk past and over each other constantly. So I'm very fascinated with that unscripted bit in Twin Peaks when a guy mishears something, and Cooper has to repeat his line. That's how people talk, but you never see it on screen.

Glad I watched until the end to abate my skepticism from the initial title premise. I have trouble communicating and find dialogue from Tarantino’s movie very fun to watch because I always learn something from pop culture that makes it seem like we are all just in a movie too. I am probably too tired to write this comment, but I appreciate this video. Thank you ^_^

Love that you used the same music that Denis Villeneuve used in The Arrival when talking about language and comunication

Ever watched Kingdom Hearts cutscenes? Now THAT'S how people talk in real life

As a teenage girl I really liked the dialogue in Jennifers body because it sounded like how me and my friends talked. The slang is made up but you still know what it means so it feels like the local sayings that only kids at that highschool would know. They sound goofy and dumb (and hilarious) because they're goofy and dumb kids, which makes the horror of what happens to Jennifer, the town, and Needy all the more poignant. Also it allows for a lot of great jokes and catchphrases that are usually what cements a film as an icon of the teen genre, think mean girls. So I actually think the dialogue is really good!

Tarantino does excellent dialogue for two reasons. He captures subtext perfectly. Characters will not talk base on what they know and want to show but instead use analogies or indirect language to hint what they want to say, but it's executed in a way that the audience in on it. Almost every dialogue not only is purposeful to the story but it introduces conflict. Every single dialogue in Tarantinos movies are conflict with stakes starting from the person losing an argument to a person losing their lives or many peoples lives.

ooooooohhh nice use of "on the nature of daylight." great song.

Imagine seeing major films with more organic human speech mannerisms. Yawning, hiccuping, burping, sneezing, coughing and mumbling which isn't used for comedic effect, creative licence or plot. Mispronounciations, stutters, crutch words, and pauses done both a spontaneous and unpredictable way, just as is in life. Indie films incorporate that element of imperfection quite well. The razor-sharp delivery, quippy wit and sarcasm-ladened dialogue we've all come accustomed to in larger films I feel is sometimes so far removed from how we vocalise many of our day-to-day experiences.

I agree with most of this, but Jennifer’s Body I think is written that way because it’s camp. You’re not supposed to feel really like these are real people. The fact that they’re tropes is the whole point and is used to highlight the message, that we fear and make monsters out of female sexuality

So cool video❤I Never thought anyone would Talk About the Lyric Styles in movies🥰

Right, naturalistic dialogue/acting is just a style. The primary goal is to entertain and intrigue the audience, if you are trying too hard to be realistic you can lose sight of that goal.

Things that don't happen IRL: - NOOOOOOOOO - Announcing someone's name everytime they walk into your sight - People listening intently and kindly to a diatribe without interrupting, unless you're Stalin or something

He also gives him a bible verse that actually doesn’t exist

Loved the Social Network music in this video.

This is a great analysis. As Americans we are studied based on Hollywood movies, that’s how they learn English and our “accents” so if you notice that someone you know is always talking like a character, chances are they’re a stasi spy, gathering information on you, to use against you in the near future.

But people do talk like this. It's just rare. So the problem is when every character speaks in quips and quirks.

I’m a little confused how Diablo Cody’s writing style, while consistent, is seen as a gimmick in Jennifer’s Body, while Aaron’s writing in The Social Network and other films is seen as “it just works” because of its consistency. That contradicts itself. Why does Diablo’s dialogue style have to serve the story but Aaron’s can just exist?

This topic was interesting but I am watching it twice because it was so relaxing and calming to watch

I think the first time dialogue stood out to younger me as unrealistic, but as an important stylistic choice, was in 90s television. I remember being conscious of the way dialogue in X-Files and Twin Peaks was part of the world- and character-building. From there I began to appreciate it in films, Quentin Tarantino's being some that stand out to me.

idk i think Jennifers body's dialogue really works,, i think the point of the movie was for things to be over the top??

Hey, I have a small suggestion. When you show scenes of a movie for the first time (or every time, if that's easier), would you mind putting the title of the movie and possibly the year in a corner for reference? I say this, because when you speak about a certain movie, you will reference another movie from the same creator or studio and I think it would help some people, including myself, know which movies to go look for and know the references.

a show i think has really realistic dialogue is skam norwegian. even though it’s not in english and i don’t understand the language, i can tell the genuineness of it. the way the characters talk over each other and there’s a lot of silence and awkwardness really make me love the show a lot more.

Thank you, this is very insightful.

I think Jennifer's Body was really ages ahead, and got dumped only due to poor marketing & over-sexualization of Megan Fox

Honestly though. Pulp fiction absolutely nails realistic conversation flow, absolutely my favorite script ever written. The french big mac is an amazing example of something stupid we talk about in real life, and then bring it back as a lot of the things we say in a day are because we heard or saw it earlier. Pulp fictions script is heavily stylized but still has a lot of realism to it.

Excellent analysis mate

the social network bg music st the start there really accents the points nicely

Ever since I was a kid I thought it was weird how perfectly movie characters typically talk. Most movies don’t have their characters going “oh uh... well...” and stumbling over each other’s words, which is something that happens every day.

I got this notification right as My English teacher was lecturing my class about choosing good dialogue. Now that I think about it, Nerdstalgic has taught me more about great storytelling than any English teacher I've ever had.

Amazing you got through all of this without referencing theatre.