Telas Forum

Aaron Mendelsohn Presentation

The Ten Fundamental Questions

…that Challenge You or Your Writer to Write a Better Script
 • Considering a script

• Breaking a story

• Outlining

• Writing a script and hitting a wall

• Starting a rewrite

• Before production
Ask the tough questions!

The Ten Fundamental Questions

 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• Do you know what your story is about?
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
•• Do
Do you
you know
know what
what your
your story
story is
is about?
about?
Logline #1 - An epic tale of a 1940s New York Mafia family and their
struggle to protect their empire as the leadership shifts from the father to
the son he’d hoped would go straight.

Logline #2 - A mild-mannered chemistry teacher, after learning he has

terminal cancer, teams up with a sketchy meth-head to make and sell high
grade methamphetamine in order to provide for his family after he’s gone.

Logline #3 - An arrogant king who suffers from a debilitating stutter is

forced to work with a speech therapist to deliver the speech that will save
his kingdom.

Logline #4 - After the zombie apocalypse, an intrepid band of men and

women cling to their humanity as they fight to survive zombie attacks and
worse – the evil that men do.
• Do you know what your story is about?

• How are you honoring or subverting

your genre?
 The Ten Fundamental Questions

• How are you honoring or subverting

your genre?
 The Ten Fundamental Questions

• How are you honoring or subverting

your genre?
 The Ten Fundamental Questions

• How are you honoring or subverting

your genre?
 The Ten Fundamental Questions

• How are you honoring or subverting

your genre?
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• Do you know what your story is about?

• How are you honoring or subverting your

genre?

• What is the Central Idea?

 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• What is the Central Idea?
The Central Idea is the overarching notion
or theme that drives the story forward and
is tested in every scene.
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
The Central Idea is the overarching notion or theme that
drives the story forward and is tested in every scene.

When Harry Met Sally: Harry and Sally can only be a successful
couple once they do the hard work of being friends.
!
The Matrix: Neo can only be the One when he believes he’s the One.
!
The Avengers: The superheroes can only save the world once they
come together as a team.
!
Gravity: If Ryan finds the will to live, she will get back home.
!
The King’s Speech: George can only be a great leader if he allows
himself to be vulnerable to the people who can help him.
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
The Central Idea is the overarching notion or theme that
drives the story forward and is tested in every scene.

The Sopranos: Tony must always choose between what’s best for
his business and his family.
!
Modern Family: Our families face wildly different challenges but
persevere because of what they have in common: love.
!
Mad Men: Don Draper’s own worst enemy is himself and the
shameful past he’s trying to escape.
!
Homeland: That which makes Carrie the most driven agent in the
CIA – her mental instability – also makes her the most dangerous.
!
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• Do you know what your story is about?

• How are you honoring or subverting your

genre?

• What is the Central Idea?

• Who is the Central Character(s) and

what is their Conscious and
Unconscious Desire?
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• Who is the Central Character(s)?

The Central Character is the person or

people the story is about. On their outward
or inward journey, they either change or the
world changes around them.
 The Ten Fundamental Questions

• What is the Central Character(s) Conscious

and Unconscious Desire?

Conscious Desire: What the Central

Character(s) thinks they want

Unconscious Desire: What the Central

Character(s) learns, during their journey,
that they really want.
 The Ten Fundamental Questions

• What is the Central Character(s) Conscious

and Unconscious Desire?

The Matrix
!
The Avengers
!
The X Files


James Bond"
!
The Graduate"
!
Breaking Bad"
 The Ten Fundamental Questions

• What is the Central Character(s) Conscious

and Unconscious Desire?

The Matrix
Conscious Desire: to know the truth about the
James Bond"
Matrix.
Conscious Desire: to save the world from
Unconscious Desire: to accept that he is the One.
evildoers.
! !
The Avengers
The Graduate"
Conscious Desire: to be the Hero.
Conscious Desire: Mrs. Robinson
Unconscious Desire: to be a team member.
Unconscious Desire: Elaine
! !
The X Files
Breaking Bad"
Conscious Desire: to solve cases for the FBI
Conscious Desire: to provide for his family after
involving paranormal phenomena.
his death
Unconscious Desire: to find the truth about what
Unconscious Desire: to reclaim his lost manhood
happened to Mulder’s sister.
!
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• Do you know what your story is about?

• How are you honoring or subverting your

genre?

• What is the Central Idea?

• Who is the Central Character(s) and what is

their Conscious and Unconscious Desire?

• What is the Central Character’s Fatal

Flaw?
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• What is the Central Character’s Fatal Flaw?

The Fatal Flaw is that aspect of the central

character’s personality that is preventing
them from achieving their unconscious
desire (or conscious desire if it’s positive).
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• What is the Central Character’s Fatal Flaw?

Star Wars
!
Gravity
!
Mad Men
!
The Matrix
!
Homeland
!
The Sopranos
!
Birdman
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• What is the Central Character’s Fatal Flaw?

Star Wars: Luke’s youthful impatience.

!
Gravity: Ryan’s lack of will to survive.
!
Mad Men: Don Draper’s shameful past.
!
The Matrix: Neo refusal to believe he’s the One.
!
Homeland: Carrie’s bipolar disorder.
!
The Sopranos: Tony’s depression.
!
Birdman: Riggan’s insecurity as an actor.
 The Ten Fundamental Questions

• Do you know what your story is about?

• How are you honoring or subverting your genre?

• What is the Central Idea?

• Who is the Central Character(s) and what is their

Conscious and Unconscious Desire?

• What is the Central Character’s Fatal Flaw?

• What is at stake in the story?

 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• What is at stake in the story?

James Bond, the Avengers

!
The Sopranos, the Godfather
!
Hunger Games"

When Harry Met Sally

!
Game of Thrones
!
King’s Speech
!
Little Miss Sunshine
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• What is at stake in the story?
James Bond, the Avengers: The world.
!
The Sopranos, the Godfather: The family.
!
Hunger Games: Katniss’s death, which would spell the end of the
revolution.
!
When Harry Met Sally: Their friendship.
!
Game of Thrones: Good over evil.
!
King’s Speech: Uniting a nation against the Nazis.
!
Little Miss Sunshine: Getting to the pageant on time.
 The Ten Fundamental Questions

• Do you know what your story is about?

• How are you honoring or subverting your genre?
• What is the Central Idea?
• Who is the Central Character(s) and what is their
Conscious and Unconscious Desire?
• What is the Central Character’s Fatal Flaw?
• What is at stake in the story?
• What is the Antagonistic Force(s)?
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• What is the Antagonistic Force(s)?
An Antagonistic Force is a person, group of
people, force of nature, or an aspect of your
Central Character’s personality that stands in
the way of them achieving their goal.
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• What is the Antagonistic Force(s)?
The Godfather: The Feds, rival families and family personalities.
!
The Truman Show: The Director.
!
Birdman: Riggan’s alter ego and the people around him.
!
Walking Dead: Zombies and humans.
!
Gravity: Space.
!
King’s Speech: Speech impediment.
!
Little Miss Sunshine: Their own issues.
!
Inside Out: The destructive powers of the mind.
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• Do you know what your story is about?
• How are you honoring or subverting your genre?
• What is the Central Idea?
• Who is the Central Character(s) and what is their
Conscious and Unconscious Desire?
• What is the Central Character’s Fatal Flaw?
• What is at stake in the story?
• What is the Antagonistic Force(s)?
• What is the Overarching Conflict?
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• What is the Overarching Conflict?
The Overarching Conflict is the primary challenge
or series of challenges your Central Character
faces on their journey. It is fueled by the
Antagonistic Forces and often defines the journey.
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• What is the Overarching Conflict?
Boyhood: Mason struggles to survive a childhood beset with instability and abuse.
!
Meet the Parents: In trying to impress his fiancee’s parents, Greg continually makes
things worse.
!
Birdman: Riggan is determined to make it to opening night in spite of numerous set
backs and self-doubt.
!
24: Jack Bauer has 24 hours to stop an imminent attack.
!
Gravity: Ryan fights against the forces of nature and her own defeatism to get back to
earth.
!
The Big Bang Theory: The guys’ social awkwardness creates conflict in their friendships
and dealings with the opposite sex.
!
The Godfather: The more power Michael amasses as the Godfather, the more it destroys
the people he loves.
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• Do you know what your story is about?
• How are you honoring or subverting your genre?
• What is the Central Idea?
• Who is the Central Character(s) and what is their Conscious
and Unconscious Desire?
• What is the Central Character’s Fatal Flaw?
• What is at stake in the story?
• What is the Antagonistic Force(s)?
• What is the Overarching Conflict?
• What is the Central Character’s Lowest Point?
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• What is the Central Character’s Lowest Point?

The Lowest Point typically comes at the end of the second act
when the Central Character is seemingly defeated by the
Antagonistic Force. This is often a result of the Central
Character’s stubborn pursuit of their Conscious Desire and/or
their succumbing to their Fatal Flaw.
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• What is the Central Character’s Lowest Point?
Meet the Parents: The wedding is called off due to Greg’s missteps.
!
Breaking Bad: Walt’s actions lead to the murder of his brother in law, and drives
him and Jessie against each other.
!
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: All seems lost as Frodo succumbs
to the power of the Ring in the volcano.
!
Gravity: Ryan shuts off the oxygen supply to kill herself.
!
The Sopranos: As the business starts to crumble, Tony is forced to murder his
nephew Christopher, and Dr. Melfi drops him as a patient.
!
The Martian: The probe that’s bringing Mark crucial supplies blows up during
launch.
!
Skyfall: Bond delivers Silva right to his prey – M.
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• Do you know what your story is about?
• How are you honoring or subverting your genre?
• What is the Central Idea?
• Whois the Central Character(s) and what is their Conscious and
Unconscious Desire?
• What is the Central Character’s Fatal Flaw?
• What is at stake in the story?
• What is the Antagonistic Force(s)?
• What is the Overarching Conflict?
• What is the Central Character’s Lowest Point?
• What is the Critical Decision?
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• What is the Critical Decision?

The Critical Decision forces the Central Character to

confront their Fatal Flaw and choose between their
Conscious and Unconscious desires. The choice
they make reveals whether or not they have
completed their arc.
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
• What is the Critical Decision?

Star Wars: Luke chooses to use the Force.

!
Alien: Ripley decides to fight the Alien.
!
Breaking Bad: Walt puts himself at extreme risk to save Jesse’s life.
!
Lost: Jack sacrifices himself to save the island.
!
The King’s Speech: The King is faced with the daunting challenge of having to
deliver a critical speech to the nation.
!
The Matrix: Neo must accept he’s the One – or die.
!
Friends: Ross goes after Rachel before she leaves for Paris.
 The Ten Fundamental Questions
…that Challenge Your or Your Writer to Write a Better Script

• Do you know what your story is about?

• How are you honoring or subverting you genre?
• What is the Central Idea?
• Whois the Central Character(s) and what is their Conscious and
Unconscious Desire?
• What is the Central Character’s Fatal Flaw?
• What is at stake in the story?
• What is the Antagonistic Force(s)?
• What is the Overarching Conflict?
• What is the Central Character’s Lowest Point?
• What is the Critical Decision?