DZ-84: Choices & Decisions 1 - Booksmart

Listen how the separation of choice, decision, and consequence (for a character) creates emotional impact.

In order to better understand dramatising of character, Chas and Stu take a very draft zero look at very specific tool: choices and decisions. We analyse three films through the decisions made by their characters. In particular, how the audience understanding of: the choice available, the considered decision itself, and the consequence changes how we feel about these characters. And how separating those three things can create different emotional effects on your audience.

We debate this in the episode, but this is the terminology we settle on:

CHOICE: Are the options presented to the character.

DECISION: Is the knowing consideration of the choice and resulting action.

CONSEQUENCE: is the resulting outcome from the choice.

Part 1 (this part) establishes what we mean by choice and decision, and then takes a deep dive into BOOKSMART, directed by Olivia Wilde, and written by Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins and Susanna Fogel. We all discuss FLEABAG, SEVEN, and old favourite, Star Wars.

Part 2 will turn our analytical eye on THE FAREWELL and WRATH OF MAN.

Thanks to Chris for editing this episodes.

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

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CHAPTERS

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:01:36 – Choices vs Decisions

00:19:51 – Booksmart

01:01:41 – Decisions & Structure

01:05:50 – Mills' decision in Se7en

01:07:50 – Key Learnings and Wrap Up

FILMS

BOOKSMART (2019) — (w) Sarah Haskins, Emily Halpern, Katie Silberman, Susanna Fogel (d) Olivia Wilde

SE7EN (1995) — (w) Andrew Kevin Walker (d) David Fincher

STAR WARS (1977) — (w) George Lucas

THE FAREWELL (2019) — (w) Lulu Wang

WRATH OF MAN (2021) — (w) Ivan Atkinson, Marn Davies, Guy Ritchie (d) Guy Ritchie

SHOWS

FLEABAG — (w) Phoebe Waller Bridge

SCRIPTS

Study the script: BOOKSMART (2019) — Sarah Haskins, Emily Halpern, Katie Silberman, Susanna Fogel

Study the script: SE7EN (1995) — Andrew Kevin Walker

Study the script: THE FAREWELL (2019) — Lulu Wang

SHOT ZERO DEEP DIVES

Editing as Imperfect Memory in THE FAREWELL

EPISODES IN THE CHOICES AND DECISIONS SERIES

DZ-84: Choices & Decisions 1 - Booksmart

DZ-85: Choices & Decisions 2 - The Farewell & Wrath of Man

RELATED EPISODES

DZ-34: Game of Choices - Decision Making and Character Implications

DZ-48: One-Shot - Blade Runner 2049 – Agency vs Choice

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Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2021/dz-84/