The art of storytelling

 On Wedensday, February 28, we watched a Ted Talk on storytelling by Andrew Stanton, who is a writer-director for some of Pixar's most incredible pieces of work, like Toy Story, and it was one of the most inspiring and informative videos I have ever watched.

Here are the points that stood out to me the most:

  • All good stories should start with a promise that the story will lead to something good.
  • Invoke a sense of wonder
  • MAKE ME CARE: emotionally, aesthetically, intellectually
  • Change is fundamental in a story. If things go static, stories die, because life is never static.
  • Write from what you know. Draw from it. It doesn’t always mean plot or fact, it means capturing a truth from our experiencing it, expressing values you personally feel deep down in your core.
  • Give your character a main goal to pursue. All well-drawn characters have a spine. The characters have an inner motor, a dominant, unconscious goal that they’re striving for, an itch that they can’t scratch.
  • We want to be told, what is 2 + 2? But we don't want to be told, 2 + 2 = 4

This video meant a lot to me, because it gave me a lot more guidance in how I am going to tackle creating my movie opening. Overall, I take with me that all characters need a spine to them, a story behind why they are the way they are. Themes always need to be incorporated into the story. And most importantly, since I am creating specifically the OPENING to a film, I need to leave the audience with a promise that the story will lead to something good and worthwhile.

The video:









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