Story triangles are subplots. Small plots often leave an open tail at the end, so they are called open endings. Compared with the big story, the small story focuses more on the protagonist's intentional or unintentional struggle with his own thoughts and feelings.
Story Design Terms The
beat is the smallest unit in the structure of a story. Beats, by changing people's behavior patterns, are built into scenes. The ideal effect is that each scene becomes a turning point, swinging from positive to negative, or vice versa, creating a significant but subtle change in the character's life. A sequence of scenes is constructed into a sequence and culminates in a scene that hits the characters moderately, to a greater or lesser extent than any scene in the same sequence, or to change its value for better or worse. A series of sequences constructed into an act, culminating in a scene, creates a major reversal in the characters' lives more than any completed sequence.
The second act of this idealistic master thought is the structure. The first act ends with the protagonist Mike successfully quitting drinking and marrying the heroine Rosa (they are both second marriages). Between the first act and the second act, it is all about whether Mike will drink again. There are three major blows in the film, and he has overcome each time, so the second act is the end of the moment when he wins. Finally, it is an optimistic and harmonious ending.
The protagonist must react to the Inciting Incident. Inciting events not only evoke a conscious desire, but also an unconscious desire. Unconscious with the king is always stronger and more lasting, and its roots have always been embedded in the heart of the protagonist.
Mike's conscious desire is a relationship with his ex-wife and daughter, as well as his ex-agent Harry.
Mike's involuntary desire is a relationship with a local band.
Story structure
sequence: Mike starts out as a hopeless alcoholic, Rosa and her son hear the voice and stand at the door with a helpless expression. (Looking at their expressions, I knew that this was not the first time I heard and saw this kind of scene, and it was reminded later that Mike has lived here for two days).
Act 1
Sequence 1
Scenario 1: Because Mike has no money to pay the rent, he asks to pay the rent through his own labor.
(This is the motivating event for the scene. The scene is good here, the camera is on Sonny, and Sonny is looking back at them)
Scene 2: Work.
(Sonny is always on camera, testing him, trying to get close to him)
Scenario 3: Mike pays the house, but asks to stay and help, Rosa agrees. Mike refueled and counted the money, Rosa pushed open the door and came out to look at him
(there was a feeling of distrusting Mike, afraid that he would steal the money). The three of them ate quietly together, and Sonny asked Mike's name. The next day Sonny took the initiative to come over and chat with Mike who was sitting on the ground.
(Sonny has been trying to get close to Mike, Sonny is really lonely inside).
Scene 4: The three of them go to church together (Rosa drives). After I came out, I had some exchanges with the pastor about baptism, and I will respond to this matter later in the video. The three of them watched TV together at night, Sonny went to bed first, and Mike and Rosa started talking about their family situations
(Sonny refused when he heard about Mike's unbearable past, so he protested, and they ended the conversation).
0:12
Scene 5: Mike and Rosa were working in the fields together. Mike said that he had not had a drink for two months, and neither of them felt that the time passed so quickly. At this point, it has been clarified that Mike has successfully quit drinking, so during the conversation, Mike proposed to Rosa, and Rosa agreed. The next step is to see if Mike will drink again. This is the suspense of the whole story and a test for Mike.
Sequence 2 0:14
Scenario 1: Sonny is playing baseball, a group of classmates come to scold his father and stepfather who died in Vietnam, when it is said that his stepfather is an alcoholic, Sonny and the classmate start to scuffle
(Sonny feels humiliated, and this is not a fact anymore, it is the past, and it is also an act of defending the image of the stepfather).
Scenario 2: Sonny comes home from school, and when he sees his mother, he asks if he goes to the same school as his father? Does he look like his father?
(The subtext is why the classmates know his father's past, because his classmate's parents are also in this school, so they will describe his father to their children intentionally or unintentionally, so he will also ask his mother if he can take me Go see my dad?)
Scene 3: The family drives to the cemetery and Rosa takes Sonny to see his dad's grave.
(This scene explains Rosa's past, and Sonny's inner longing for his father. The first act ends here. Next, we will describe Mike's past and his inner struggle).
Act II
Sequence 1
Scene 1: A reporter travels from afar to interview Mike. Mike refused, and walked to the backyard at the same time, his expression melancholy, because he remembered a lot of past events.
(The conversation here reveals a lot, not the least of which is that his ex-wife is having a concert nearby, and his daughter is likely to come too. This is a motivating event for this scene, and what happens next is based on this Scenario 2: After
dinner, Mike taught Sonny to sing, and when he sang the lyrics, he didn't forget to emphasize his feelings for her with Rosa, but Sonny was absent-minded about singing, he was more concerned about the most heard Some rumors about Mike's past, Mike is also patient to answer.
(It can be seen here that since the marriage proposal, the family's relationship has progressed a lot and become much closer)
0:19
Scene 3: A local band drives to their house, ostensibly to cheer, but in reality It's to meet their idol Mike.
(The footage here gives the impression at first that someone in the band likes Rosa and wants to confess to her or something.)
Mike came out of the room and had a friendly and simple exchange with them. (This is again to emphasize how brilliant Mike's past has been)
Scene 2 and Scene 3 are used to express the rhythm of this passage. From the beginning, the reporter suddenly visited and revealed so much information. If he directly connected with his ex-wife's concert, the rhythm would be too fast and the emotions would be too tense, so I added two gentle beats here, also for the next step. When the scene of his ex-wife appears, the mood of the audience can be a little higher. If it is followed by a longer scene, then this scene should be preceded by 1 or 2 short scenes, otherwise the rhythm is not right.
Sequence 2 0:20
Scene 1: Mike's ex-wife Daisy's concert scene, Mike left the scene when he heard the emotion. Met ex-agent Harry outside backstage. Mike gives Harry a song he recently wrote and hopes Daisy likes it.
(It was a motivating event, and Mike wanted to give Daisy, his ex-wife of 8 years, a fond memory in this tactful way).
Scene 2: Mike was walking in the background and saw a photo of himself when he was young. Not long after, Daisy returned to the backstage during the intermission and saw Mike. She was very aggressive and kicked Mike out.
(Mike doesn't say much here, but the subtext is, oh my god, you're still so unreasonable, it's been so many years. There's also the emotional gap of this scene here.)
Scene 3: Mike goes home and sees Rosa is ironing. Mike asked about things he did almost every day, but got cold replies, and he knew Rosa wasn't happy. Rosa also confessed that she was jealous, but then when asked about some of Mike's inner thoughts, he refused to answer, and the two quarreled. (This may be the first time they quarreled, but as an audience, I would think in my heart, God, I think Mike was whipped by a woman twice in one night, and he was going to get angry again, and even started drinking again, but the atmosphere eased up immediately. Yes, Mike finally took the initiative to say sorry, Mike accepted the first test in his new life).
The description of this section is fantastic. The atmosphere turned from the negative at the beginning to the positive, and the transition was easy. (This paragraph is really a good reference for real married life.)
0:31
Scene 4: Harry returns him the latest song Mike wrote to him, and also brings some words against him from his ex-wife.
(This is probably what Mike expected, but the next answer should be unexpected, which is the response to the previous Inciting Incident, and the emotional gap in this scene gradually widened.)
When he asked Harry about this song When it came to the song's opinion, even Harry didn't say much. This made Mike really annoyed. Harry is gone, and Mike grumbles. At this time, Rosa began to comfort him, and also brought a guitar and asked him to sing to her. But Mike was completely out of shape, rushed out of the house and drove away.
(This is the climax of this scene, and the most violent moment of emotional outburst in the film. Most of the audience is now guessing that Mike is going to have a big drink, and his life is about to fall again)
Scene 5: Mike He did come to the bar, but there was a song by his ex-wife playing in the bar, but Mike, who didn't want to cause trouble, had to choose another place to have a drink. Mike drove the vehicle so intensely that he almost got into a car accident.
Scene: 6: The local band came to their house and wanted to tell Mike the good news that they were going to hold a concert, but Mike had already released his emotions.
(This is another tense scene, great!)
Scene 7: Mike drives to another bar. Rosa walked to the side of the road, hoping that Mike would come back sooner. Mike bought a bottle of wine and went back to the car.
(It can be imagined here, Mike is very drunk, and there may be a car accident)
Scene 8: Sonny looks out the window, worrying about where Mike is now.
(In a normal bloody drama, it is estimated that there will be a call at this time, or a police officer, saying that something has happened to Mike. Or the drunk Mike came back and smashed things and cursed.)
At this time, Sonny and Rosa started a strange time. conversation. The atmosphere is subtle. It's another scene that starts out negative and ends up positive.
Scene 9: Rosa turned off the lights and was lying in bed ready to go to sleep. While she was reciting the prayers, she heard the voice of Mike coming back. A sane Mike stood in front of him and told Rosa that he had bought wine but emptied it all. When Rosa heard this, she didn't blame him and didn't press anything further, but asked him if he had eaten, and got up and prepared something for him.
(This part of the conversation made their feelings almost exploded to the top, without saying a word of love, just showing some thoughts and actions, but it already made people feel infinite sweetness, and finally Mike put Rosa down. In bed, haha, awesome!)
Scene 10: A local band at a concert. Mike went shopping with them. Finally, it shows how popular his songs are, because they meet fans again.
Sequence 3 0:50
Scene 1: Mike returns home and is told that someone is waiting for him in the living room. Unsurprisingly, it was his daughter, Annie, whom he hadn't seen for a long time. The first sentence his daughter met was also amazing: Do you know me?
(This conversation is very warm. The subtext is flying all over the sky. When his daughter asked him if he remembered a song he sang to her before, Mike said he didn't remember it, and after his daughter left, he stood The window sill, looking in the direction where her daughter was leaving, sang the song.)
Scene 2: Daisy sings, but this singing scene is aimed at Harry, who is complicated inside, and the reason for the complex is given in the next scene Answer.
Scenario 3: It turns out that Harry is worried about Daisy's state, because Daisy's daughter, Anne, eloped with a man. Daisy was in bad shape and had to stop the concert and take a break. And he also asked Mike for help, hoping that the show could continue. At the same time, he paid Mike to buy the copyright fee for his song, but was rejected by Mike because Mike had other plans for the song he was writing now (this is a foreshadowing).
(Harry is actually a mercenary person, as can be seen from his conversation with Mike)
Scene 4: Mike leans against the door and tells Rosa that he was married once before marrying Daisy. It was the secret of his inner secret, the implication that he had told Rosa everything. Rosa also listened carefully to the secret that Mike told him that was hidden deep in her heart, but she did not have any other emotions. Finally, when Mike finished speaking, she just walked past Mike gently and touched his head.
(They've said nothing, both have been open to each other, no secrets, no suspicions)
1:02
Scene 5: Rosa sings in church, followed by Sonny's christening. Rosa watched with joy as Sonny completed the ceremony. When the curtain was drawn again, Mike was there, and he too was about to be baptized.
(There is an inexplicable sense of joy here) (Rosa's two most important men in her life are currently baptized at the same time, which is probably something she is very satisfied with. This baptism is also a response to the scene at the beginning of the film. )
Scene 6: In the car, the father and son shared their feelings after the baptism. The atmosphere was very cheerful. (Mike drives)
Scene 7: Mike takes the stage and sings the song he had written to his ex-wife Daisy and was rejected. The audience under the stage were moved by him and expressed their love for him. Rosa is also very beautiful tonight, and her hair has been re-do. After singing, Mike and Rosa danced together. The kid at the next table came to talk to Sonny and asked two very important questions. 1. How did your biological father die? 2. Do you like your stepfather? Sonny is caught off guard by the first question, which will be answered later. For the second question, Sonny thought for a while and gave a positive answer. At this time, Sonny had completely accepted Mike in his heart. Mike is all his imagination of his father's image. (Mike's life really seems to have changed completely, and he is back on his feet. The climax of the scene is in this scene)
Sequence 4 1:08
Scene 1: Annie comes to Mike's house and wants to exchange some cash. Rosa was alone at home. Annie was very curious about her father Mike's transformation, thinking that Rosa's strong request changed him, but Rosa didn't take credit, just said that he quit drinking just like that. Anne's boyfriend is also currently an alcoholic, and Anne also wants to be a singer, which is very similar to her father and mother's past.
Scenario 2: Daisy asks Harry what he thinks about Anne, and Harry doesn't comment. Daisy refers to Mike again, saying that Mike is humiliating her by not giving them information about Annie.
(Daisy has only hatred for Mike, and at the same time, she has some sexual relationship with Harry, which is reflected in Daisy's body language)
Scenario 3: The band comes to report the good news. Mike's new album is out, and the radio is on loop all day long. Because they don't have a player at home, they're going to drive to the band's house to listen. Rosa was already sitting in the car and turned on the radio. At this moment, the home phone rang and Mike went to answer the call. Mike comes over and turns off the radio and tells Rosa that Annie died in a car accident.
(This is the last test. Although Mike has changed his mind, every blow may make him drink again. However, the camera immediately caught him going to the funeral, so this worry can be relieved)
Scene 4: When Mike came to Daisy's house, Daisy couldn't help herself, so she could only lie on the bedside and wash her face in tears.
(The connection between McDaisy is completely broken. The second act ends, the next is the ending)
1:19
Scene 5: Mike is depressed and works in the field. Rosa felt it, walked over to him, and asked how he was doing? Mike spit out all his inner thoughts. He was very calm in front of Daisy, but in front of Rosa, he no longer concealed it. He compared his daughter's life with his own, and he was asking God. Rosa didn't answer and left silently.
Scene 6: Sonny comes home from school and Rosa says Mike gave him a present. Sonny took the gift and was about to go out, and asked Rosa at the door, how did his biological father die? (In response to a question from another kid in the bar earlier) Rosa couldn't answer him. But he gave him very positive encouragement, which is also a summary of the characters. This is probably the last time Sonny asks Rosa about his own dad, because after hearing Rosa's answer, he doesn't really care anymore, because there's already a good late dad in reality, Mike)
Scene 7 : Sonny and Mike are playing football in the field. Rosa looked away from the door of the house.
Many scenes in the finale
film appear twice, both for the sake of contrast. Like in the beginning, they went to church and Rosa drove. Later, on the way back from the baptism, Mike drove. The scene of farming is also compared before and after. The way father and son communicate in the fields.
The singing scene in the film appears 6 times in total. Daisy 2 times, the band 1 time, the band with Mike 1 time, Rosa 2 times. Daisy sings for the first time, describing Mike. The second singing, depicting Harry.
The scenes in this film are closely related before and after, and the previous scene is the foreshadowing of the answer later.
In addition, the screenwriter of this film is strong, the director is also good, and the editing is too bad. The explosiveness of the film would have been more powerful if the editors had not been editing so quickly.
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