3 Questions A Screenwriter Should Ask When Developing A Story - Paul Joseph Gulino 

“A twist is just telling two stories at the same time, one the audience thinks it’s seeing, and one it’s actually seeing.”

OMG I LOVED the way he just casually told that story of the man poisoning the chocolate off the top of his head. Would've taken me forever to come up with a twist like that.

Paul was a professor of mine in college and his lectures were great! He got mixed reviews on his teaching style but everyone loved him and his class was easy if you just showed up and did the reading. He has a lot of insight to offer as well and I really enjoyed learning from him then and now, through Film Courage.

He needed only nine minutes to sum up the development of a story that could become a two-hour movie or a multiple-season series. That's the kind of advice a screenwriter wants and should not avoid.

This is the third time I've listened to this and I've learned something new every time.

Paul is a true master and it comes through in the clarity of his teaching.

This guy seems a genius! I am not into arts or movies but he makes lot of sense! Fantastic!

Wow, he's speaking to the congregation! I say the same thing to filmmaker/writer friends all the time about how the audience doesn't need to know every single thing all the time but you as the creator/writer/filmmaker needs to know! Thank you for these videos Film Courage!

Another Great Video!!! As a GM, I have to concern myself with how much information I can trust my audience/Players with... SO consistently through-out the telling part, I have to check myself and my notes for how much should I let the Players know, versus what I need to Player-Characters know... Sounds kind of meta? Yep. BUT There's the big difference from an RPG and a Theatrical Storytelling, even the old-school "round the campfire" kind of thing that almost nobody does anymore outside a few festivals or fairs... In Literal Storytelling, you govern what you're explaining to the audience by pacing it out over the show. You're going to end up telling them about everything sooner or later... Usually since they're (really old school) allowed to ask questions along the way, SO you (Storyteller) don't even always know what direction a "show" is going to take from one telling to another... (lolz) In RPG's you have a bit more control, but ONLY if you work just a little in the "meta" sense. Yes, it's often repeated how people (especially GM's) HATE that "meta-gaming" stuff... BUT it's ongoing anyway, exploit it where you can. Lots of stuff works better if the Players know things the Characters won't necessarily be taught "in school" or "by momma"... whatever. Like the origins of their culture. You probably don't really get the whole origins of your culture either, and I sure as hell don't have "the whole story" either... BUT if Players at least get the "radically shortened overview" they can make a little better informed choices about how their Characters would or "should" act in various situations and stresses... The same can be said for any kind of storytelling or construction... What does the audience REALLY KNOW, as in that concrete and tangible sense of "knowing it versus thinking it"... AND what can you actually "get away with"? That's what makes a story interesting. Whatever the Characters want or avoid, or how much trouble they're having getting it or avoiding it... and all is more about making reasonably sensible logic so the whole thing doesn't instantly unravel. ;o)

Great! Thank you. Good timing for me. Those 3 questions are great. The first one we all know. The others one are more fresh.

Ok, this is fantastic.

Wonderful anecdote, i.e. Paul remembered a script he tried to doctor for/at Showtime. Two decades later!

This is an enlightening clip!

Great insights in this video. One of my faves, definitely!

I just bought the kindle book the science of screen writing on Amazon

OMG how does this not have 100k views?

I think I have his book. Is he the sequence method guy?

Woow Twist.

Seems that a good story benefits from a sting in the tail.

Talk about the potential for cultural brainwashing! And yes that is a double-edged sword. The intention must be clear in the writer's mind and in the production assembly otherwise confusion will ruin the outcome. Secondly, of course, is whether the intention is apparent to the recipients (the audience) and also whether the intention is benign or malicious.

He said books what books?

🙏🙏🙏🙏

Does each page leave the reader wanting to read the next? Is there a setup and payoff opportunity that I''m missing? How does this scene fit into the storyline? Is the protagonist, or main character, driving this scene?

Started this segment too early

4:25 you're welcome

That gun plot twist was crazy!

1) what does the character Want, & what he wants to avoid? 2) What he knows? What he doesn't know? 3) what the audience know? What the audience doesn't know?

Is the main character vulnerable? Are most of my characters relatable? Does the story line up in the way it should? Do the characters need the story or does the story need the characters? There are a lot of questions I ask in terms of my story.

When I become successful I will make sure I thank film courage in every acceptance speech You guys are amazing!

wow this was amazing to listen to.

I am getting so much help from these videos! And the professors example of a twist gave so much insight to letting the audience to take "wrong" clues

Love you film courage

Thank you for always popping up on my youtube home with the clues i need to start moving, when i am totally down,sad,blocked. Respect and Love 🖤🎬

You can tell his experience runs deep.

Nice use of psychology as well as inductive and deductive reasoning examples.

Does the story grab me and keeps me however they accomplish that? Does it have a natural flow? Does it make me want to turn the pages? Your story should stand out in the pile of many many stories let it be either by the story being so different or the traits of the character or their arcs. When writing the story be sure to write all the information and details you have in your head be written down like when writing a train of thoughts because when the audience is watching it they arent already in that space they need all the necessary facts and information to come into the train of thoughts in which you were and the only way of accomplishing that is by putting all the information there in front of them or sometimes doesnt if you wanna be creative. Its never what the story is but how you execute your approach in the best way to tell the story. Creating suspense by with holding some information from the audience or thr character. Most of our experiences in life isn't based on our knowledge but on the deductions me make based on the clues and thats what makes us scared or happy or to expect things, maybe the stuff wont happen but the deduction had some emotional effect on me, so you have a top down processing unlike u see things and then see the results (this is like my consequences before actions technique). In top down you makes deductions by the clues on the basis of previous experiences, so this can be used creatively by showing a result of an action and then later on showing the same result to make anticipation or do a bluff. What if the back of the chair was a dragon? Now that would be a surprise for your normal deductions and make u surprised. You have to understand how the audience responds that is the writers job. They are always looking for clues and they are going to put them together and they are actively involved in constructing the reality. Now u the storyteller by giving them the clues and making them deduce stuff from the clues are making them the smartest person in the world in the words of Frank Daniel. Like Christopher Nolan uses in his films he makes the audiene think they are really smart by watching and deducing because not many people experience that as their lives are dull so you make their lives special by putting them in a really intelect and complex world where they can deduce things by the clues given by you themselves. They are trying to anticipate where you are taking them by figuring out the clues given by you (use this creatively by using 3rd or 4th result). You can create worlds and drive people crazy and manipulate them because throughout the story you are constantly manipulating the audience and facinating is the fact that audience likes to be manipulated subconsciously aslong as they dont know they are being actually manipulated. The gun and the chocolate story, you are telling two stories simultaneously the one which you are telling through actions and dialogues and the other using the clues and where the clues are taking them but in the end using the clues to manipulate the audience and after they have been manipulated they are so surprised and fascinated by the story. Make the audience think that they are smarter than the story teller than again and again pushing them back to their seats.

This is one of your best videos, holy shit thank u FC. I am gonna FINISH this fucking script tonight 🔥🔥

Questions start at 4:20 😎😎

Stories need a lot of twists throughout the script, it's what keeps viewers mentally engaged: the more engaged, the more immersed, the more immersed they are they become emotionally charged, the more emotionally charged, the happier the viewer becomes, falling in love with the story.

Psychologists in california have to take classes to re-certify their license to be therapists and one class just deconstructs the grail myth and whatever movie the phd guy feels like. He did gone with the wind and matrix 2 in the lecture I went to

That's what I strive for in my writing: To play the audience, make them expect all the right things, and then either pay them off or add a clever twist they can see coming on a rewatch.

6:30 -- the golden nugget...

Holy f*ck. This is a huge epiphany for me.

The content related to the title begins at 4:20

I think I know this man I might've watched him in a comedy horror movie

This is so hard

Another great video! The more I watch these, the more I learn about story. Keep it up!

GREAT INTERVIEW👍👍👍👍😁😁😁✌✌✌✌

Wow! This guy is so so cool! 🤩

0notnow

Good!

very interesting, what was the name of the book?

Interesting how the closed caption won't write the word 'gun'. Just skipped it every time he said it. I guess deaf people don't get to learn about his plot device.

That's very interesting. It's slight of hand and decoy and deception all rolled into one. I like it.

can you judge your own script ?

i like this guy - Peanskean Riddler #TheRiddler

The anniversary storyline about the gun and the chocolate is a lesson in screenwriting in itself. BUT , all his books are relatively expensive - why ?

My guess for the circa-2003 movie that bombed: Gigli.

That was informative, relaxed and on point. Thanks.

Great video and inspiring too! I love the gun/chocolate exemple. Gives me ideas!

This one blew my mind a little. Love it. Buying the book.

2:20 So like the book Starship Troopers vs the movie.

Is there an audio version of both of his books???

So good! Great insight.

Very insightful

WOW ! Great Info !

Film Courage your wonderful output is getting me through these locked down times superbly.

Wow! He makes it so simple.

Seems like an interesting twist, but a weak story tbh

My guess is he's talking about The Happytime Murders

The challenge is to have two, three, four... a DOZEN characters EACH following this line of expectation, knowledge or ignorance and have it all coalesce into one consistent story.

Agreed... not just with “movies” but with any project that involves multiple people, personalities... agendas. Ultimately ONE Grey Back needs to take over and we pray that they are Right!