DZ-97: Ensembles 2 - Servicing Characters

Listen if you're writing ensemble stories and want to discover tools for giving all your characters adimension

In Part 2 of our exploration into ensemble stories, Stu, Chas and Mel examine films whose plot and genre require a lot of characters. Thus we tackle a team sports film (PITCH PERFECT), a murder mystery (GLASS ONION), a slasher (SCREAM 2022) and a family holiday flick (THE FAMILY STONE).

By looking at these films, we discover tools for writers to service characters and give them more dimension. These tools include: shifting group dynamics; the spectrum of private to public behaviour; breaking POV, and quintessential group introductions.

Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

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CHAPTERS

00:00:00 – Cold Open

00:01:46 – Intro: Servicing Characters

00:14:40 – Pitch Perfect

00:37:54 – Glass Onion

01:09:20 – Scream 5

01:32:17 – The Family Stone

02:13:22 – Key Learnings & Wrap Up

FILMS

PITCH PERFECT (2012) — (w) Kay Cannon, Mickey Rapkin (d) Jason Moore

GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY (2022) — (w) Rian Johnson

SCREAM (2022) — (w) James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick (d) Tyler Gillett, Matt Bettinelli Olpin

THE FAMILY STONE (2005) — (w) Thomas Bezucha

SCRIPTS

Study the script: PITCH PERFECT (2012) — Kay Cannon, Mickey Rapkin

Study the script: GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY (2022) — Rian Johnson

Study the script: SCREAM (2022) — James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick

EPISODES IN THE ENSEMBLES SERIES

DZ-96: Ensembles 1 - What do we mean by an ensemble?

DZ-97: Ensembles 2 - Servicing Characters

DZ-98: Ensembles 3 - Character Function & Theme

RELATED EPISODES

DZ-09: Characterising Introductions

DZ-43: Driving Sequences - Character and Plot Intensity

DZ-96: Ensembles 1 - What do we mean by an ensemble?

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Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2023/dz-97/