Essential Epiphanies

Last night I came across this section that seems to piggyback well with Frank Darabont’s thoughts from yesterday’s post— After Darkness, Light:

“But, c’mon now, is it really necessary to have this change, this epiphany, by the end of the story?

Yes. No character arc, no change, no movie.

As for epiphanies, they and the heart and soul of any worthwhile tale; they are inherently linked to good storytelling. Without them, just forget about it—pack up your things, turn your computer off, and start again some other day.

And so, let me reiterate my golden rule, since this is so fundamental , so basic and important to the telling of a good story:

An engaging character actively overcomes tremendous odds to reach a desired goal, and in doing so he or she changes for the better.”  
Kevolin Richard
Screenwriting in the Land of Oz 

Perhaps in a totally unplanned way these first two posts of 2012 have set the tone for the entire year. 

Scott W. Smith

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After Darkness, Light

Happy New Year!

Yesterday, after blogging everyday for three years I decided to make some changes for 2012 and not post on weekends or holidays. Not a major change, but since readership dips some during those times it was a natural first step in shaking things up a little bit.

There will be other changes for this blog in 2012 such as producing videos, interviews with screenwriters and filmmakers, and even guest bloggers. And I welcome any ideas you all may have.  After a total of four years of writing Screenwriting from Iowa (and writing well over 1,000 posts) I still exciting to continue this journey and see where its takes us.

I hope that the last post of 2011 on Edward Burns was as inspiring to you as it was to me. Come on, a feature film shot by a three-man crew—what’s not inspirational about that? Hollywood’s answer to less people going to movie theaters appears to be bigger blockbusters (in 3-D, of course, for more revenue), but I think that that combined with digital distribution will open the door for more filmmakers following the Edwards Burns model of indie filmmaking. 

We’ll explore all of that in 2012. But for now here’s a great quote to start off the new year by the writer/director of The Shawshank Redemption:

“Shawshank, I can tell you what that’s about. It’s about hope and resilience and the redemptive essence of the human spirit… Most of the characters I’ve known as a writer have travelled something of a path from darkness to lightness. Those characters that I love: those who seek some kind of enlightenment or betterment, a nobler sense of themselves. Those are the characters I tend to write. It’s a recurring theme in my work. I love that. I want more movies showing us the potential of ourselves. People seeking what Abraham Lincoln called ‘the better angels of our nature,’ rather than necessarily being mired in all the ways in which we can fail—spiritually or emotionally. I want to see more movies about working through those pitfalls and coming to a better place. Hey, I just described Frank Capra, didn’t I? That’s another thing I’ve always admired so much about Steven Spielberg’s work, and George Lucas’s work.”
Frank Darabont
The Best of Creative Screenwriting Interviews

Any question why The Shawshank Redemption is one of the most beloved movies in the history of cinema?

P.S. I love the Latin phrase for “after darkness, light”—Post Tenebras Lux. While I’m making changes for 2012 I might as well embrace that as the official motto of Screenwriting from Iowa.   

P.P.S. One thing I don’t plan on changing on this blog is the layout. I personally dislike how Facebook keeps changing their layout. I prefer the simplicity of Google and Apple so I’m going to roll with this a while longer. (If I get the itch to change something, I’ll add a new photo.)

Scott W. Smith

 

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