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Children of Men
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By Lucy Hay
Juno
T
here is some suspicion directed at the notion of
structure by writers, and sometimes with good reason. After
all, meticulous or otherwise, it cannot rescue the most
pedestrian or bizarre of premises, it cannot provide a spec
feature with fantastic dialogue and it cannot turn a bad writer
good. Like all screenwriting elements, its uses are limited and its
impact misunderstood, underrated and overrated in equal measures.
Perhaps most problematic is the fact there are so many ways to
look at structure and none is the right way. While many writers
cite Aristotle as the authority on the subject in an “if it ain’t broke,
don’t fix it” kind of way, there is much to be said for the alternative
views. There are many writers who find a more sequential approach
helpful in breaking down their stories, so Chris Soth’s Mini-Movie
Method or John Truby’s 22 Steps will score highly with them.
And why not? While the three-act structure makes the most sense
to me as a writer, as a script reader I have always believed that it
does not matter how you use structure, just as long as you use it.
Yet very often writers believe character is the most important
element of screenwriting and that any thought to how a movie is
constructed in terms of plot is tantamount to creative terrorism.
These same writers will then go on to express cynicism at the worth
of the advice from the likes of Syd Field, Linda Seger or Robert
McKee; after all, what Hollywood blockbuster have these so-called
“Gurus” written? As a jaded script reading client recently told me,
“It’s always about structure… but all you need is a beginning,
middle and end!”
However, structure is not about formula or funky diagrams—
it is about understanding. As human beings, we are constantly
confronted with a barrage of messages, images, information and
situations; we need a framework then in which to compare and
contrast various things we come across in order to make sense of
68 By fiLmmakers. for fiLmmakers.
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