'Toy Story' Notes: Family Fun Screenplay Writing

Nico 2022-04-23 07:01:01

'Toy Story' Notes: Family Fun Screenplay Writing

1. Dilemma

Woody's dilemma is very ingenious. It's not really a lethal dilemma, but a dilemma that arises from misunderstanding. It's a family-sized character dilemma that can empathize with most audiences.

Woody wanted to fix him because he was jealous of Buzz Lightyear. He originally just wanted to push him into the gap of the cabinet, but because of a series of accidents, he pushed Buzz Lightyear out of the window. Bass fell into the grass, his life and death unknown. After the other toys knew the truth, they thought that Woody wanted to get rid of Buzz because of jealousy.

Woody's petty evil and petty villain, because of a series of accidents, were mistaken for a big evil by other toys. He was speechless and had to force himself to go home with Buzz Lightyear, whom he hated.

What is worth noting here is the establishment of the values ​​of the toy world. The values ​​of the toy group are very simple and positive universal values ​​- they hope that all toys can trust and love each other, and cannot accept a cruel and selfish toy. It is precisely because of such values ​​that the toy partners will collectively reject Woody, and will form Woody's character dilemma, forcing him to prove that he is not a bad toy by taking Buzz Lightyear home. Allow yourself to be accepted by everyone again.

Only after establishing the universal values ​​of the small toy group can Hu Di's dilemma become reasonable, a character dilemma that both the elderly and children can understand and empathize with, and a family-like dilemma.

2. Break the question

Buzz Lightyear's setting is not only very interesting, but also the key to the story.

Woody is a toy who loves toy identity very much and is proud to be Andy's favorite toy. And Buzz is a toy who doesn't know he's a toy. His goal is to save the planet. But it was such a big idiot who didn't even know he was a toy, which took away Woody's status, became Andy's favorite toy, and also won the love of his toy friends.

Buzz Lightyear's growth line is: from not knowing that he is a toy, wanting to save the planet - to embarking on a journey to find a rocket to leave the earth - to discovering that he is really a toy during the journey, three views collapsed, unacceptable The identity of the toy - to realize the value of being a toy, accept the identity of the toy, and take the initiative to return to Andy's side with Woody.

Because of Buzz Lightyear's personality and growth line, Woody was able to complete his heroic path: from being jealous of Buzz Lightyear into a catastrophe-to having to bring Buzz back in order to return to Andy's side Lightyear went home together - to help Buzz rebuild his sense of worth and accept his toy identity when Buzz collapsed - to finally take the initiative to save Buzz Lightyear and return to Andy's side with him.

In fact, it was Buzz Lightyear's identity crisis that catalyzed Woody's growth. The most critical node of the two's growth is the collapse of Buzz's three views, unable to accept that he is a toy. In order to save Buzz, Woody must transcend his jealousy and inferiority and tell Buzz how great he is and how much Andy needs him. While helping Bass establish a sense of value, it is also the process of Woody's acceptance of Bass beyond himself. Ultimately, for Andy's sake, Woody has to protect the toy that he thought had robbed him of everything, and to surpass himself to accept a competitor that he couldn't accept before.

Buzz Lightyear's plight is the antidote for the second half of the second act. His collapse and loss forced Woody to grow up, forcing Woody to sincerely accept the value of Bass.

Therefore, the change in the relationship between Bass and Woody is the key to solving the problem. The relationship between characters that is also similar to breaking the topic is Nezha and Ao Bing in "Nezha". The change in the fate of the two and the change in their relationship reveals the key point of the story-my fate is up to me.

On the whole, the design of Bass's concept is very powerful, it has solved Woody's chronic illness very well, catalyzed Woody's growth, and revealed the key points and themes of the story. However, there is also a bug in Bass's character design. If Bass doesn't know he's a toy, then why at the beginning of the story does he and Andy get along like other toys, pretending to be immobile and unable to speak? Did the toy program set him up like this? Of course, during the viewing process, the audience will not question this point. This is where Pixar is great. It deeply captures all the attention of the audience with dramatic plots full of emotional power, and very cleverly brushes logic loopholes. .

3. The villain and the crack

The setting of the villain A Xue is very clever. When Woody wants to return to his beloved Andy, what kind of obstacles will he encounter?

The best answer is a toy-abusing teenager, Andy's opposite.

A Xue propped up the second half after the middle point of the second act, and he also catalyzed the change in the relationship between Buzz Lightyear and Andy. Because of him, Buzz Lightyear fell into the terrible crisis that had been set up in the beginning - being blown up.

But in this part, the most powerful is the way to crack A Xue. Pixar is very aware of the size of the family story. The contradiction and reconciliation between the child and the toy must be within the size range of the family story. This is an animated movie that the whole family can watch together. So how can two toys that are eager to return to their beloved masters escape the palm of a little devil, and even the most conservative old people and children who lack moral values ​​can applaud? The answer is education.

It can't be revenge, it can't be punishment, it can't have any real physical or mental harm. When Woody staged a "toy haunt" with the "monster toys" tortured by A Xue, Woody gave A Xue an ultimatum "We don't like being tortured by you, please treat us well", In other words, "please love us". This is the "punishment" of the family size, it is an education and an extremely positive expression. The toys tried their best to hit ghosts and scare A Xue, just to teach him to be kind to toys, just to tell him "please love us", this is the way of discourse and the positive energy of the whole family.

The cracking of A Xue also fits the tone of the whole story. This is a story of a toy accepting another toy for the beloved owner. So Woody’s way of cracking A Xue is also to teach A Xue to be kind to toys and to love toys. The value tone of the story is very clear-toy lovers, people also love toys, this is a family-friendly movie with love.

4. Act Three

At first glance, "Toy Story" is a very simple cartoon, but it's engaging precisely comes from its ingenious design.

The resolution of the act 3 finale crisis completes the story's gorgeous ending:

In the first act, Woody questioned whether he could fly in order to confront Bass. Buzz made Woody slap him in the face through a set of gorgeous jumping movements.

In the second half of the second act, after realizing that he is not a toy, Bass tries to fly out of the window, but falls down the stairs, only then does he know that Woody is right, he really can't fly, he is just a stupid toy.

In the third act, the final crisis, when the toy car runs out of battery, Andy's car disappears in front, Woody and Bass seem really cornered, they lose Andy forever... At the end of the second act, Asher The crisis brought about has become a turning point at this moment-A Xue wants to blow up Bass' rocket launcher, burn Woody's match, and burn the lens principle of Woody's forehead. The combination of three originally evil things has become an escape from the "desperate situation". "Aircraft. And this flight also echoed the flight when Buzz appeared in the first act. Buzz accepted his toy identity and brought Woody back to Andy through an upgraded version of "Gorgeous Jump".

The same similar "crisis antidote" also appeared in "GET OUT" ("Escape from the Dead Town"), the habitual action of "buckling the armrest of the sofa" in the second act made the male protagonist controlled by the hypnotist. In the third act, the man who helped the male protagonist escape from the desperate situation was also "buckling the armrest of the sofa". He buckled the cotton in the armrest of the sofa, plugged his ears, and avoided the most dangerous hypnosis, which gave him a chance to GET OUT.

A key stage, in the second and third acts, has a positive and negative transition in nature, which is a delicate design of the drama.

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Extended Reading

Toy Story quotes

  • Mr. Potato Head: [From in the Cardboard box they'd been placed in for Moving] How did I get stuck with *you* as a moving buddy?

    Rex: Everyone else was picked.

  • Sergeant: [he and the other green soldiers leap out of the bucket onto Woody] There he is, men! Get him!

    Mr. Potato Head: Let's string him up by his pull string!

    [he and the other toys, apart from Slinky and Bo Peep rush on over toy Woody, and attempt to throw him out]

    Bo Peep: Would you boys stop it?

    Andy: Okay, Mom, I'll be right down; I've gotta get Buzz.

    [all the toys return to their places as Andy enters his room, looking for Buzz]

    Andy: Mom, do you know where Buzz is?

    Andy's Mom: No, I haven't seen him.

    [Mr. Potato Head looks grimly from behind Etch, having drawn a hangman noose]

    Andy's Mom: Andy, I'm heading out the door!

    Andy: But Mom, I can't find him!

    Andy's Mom: Well honey, just grab some other toy; now, come on!

    Andy: [picks up Woody and heads to the car] Okay.