Film Courage: How does knowing our own story make us a better storyteller? Mark W. Travis, Author/Director: It's a big question.
That's a great question because that's at the core of everything
and let's say Karen you have an autobiographical story a story you want
to tell and a couple of things a couple of things are very clear one thing I
mentioned earlier is it's already written so the question is how to tell
the story not what the story is about how do I tell it another thing that's
very very clear getting in terms of writing and getting in terms of how this
process will influence your writing of anything is the protagonist the
protagonist and your story is you and let's say it's a story when you were 15
years old and a date you had or something like that whatever it is I can
see you trying to remember one okay okay it's a story it at home that's
fine now but you're the protagonist of the story of any story now the question
is when you think about we talk to writers about the stories that they're
creating and writing how well do they know the protagonists now this is often
a problem with a lot of the people who teach screenwriting or storytelling you
know how well do you know the protagonist
but now we're back to autobiographical the protagonist is you you should know
you pretty well in fact you should know the other people around you family and
friends or whoever else is in that story pretty well this is good this is really
good but the question is your protagonist how well let's say at 15 how
well do you know the fifteen-year-old Karen how well do you know what she was
really thinking really feeling really wanting really desiring really expecting
really fearing at that time you know what you did you know about sitting at
the phone you know that the phone didn't ring or a did ring and it wasn't wasn't
for you it was for somebody else or whatever it was you know what this you
know what the events the story our but here's something
that's really important the events of your story Karen about sending home
waiting by the phone those events and what happened is not the story those
that are the events of the story that's the plot well that's the storyline but
it's not the story the story is what happens inside
fifteen-year-old Karen what is going on inside this young woman sitting there by
the phone what is really going on what is she hoping for what is she
fearing who is she fearing that might call who is she hoping that might go
that's what we need to know that's the story so the story exists inside the
protagonist not around the protagonist now all the events around the
protagonist that happened actually trigger what's going on inside or what's
going on inside is a reaction to what's going on in the outside so we need both
but the events are not the story the inner world of a fifteen-year-old Karen
that is this story so now in this process and now right now on camera I'm
going to invite you to come take you and David to come take a right to your life
workshop as our guests see that's on tape so right now the process is Karen
you have to look at fifteen-year-old Karen as a character and go who is she
what's really going on and then once you can determine I know what was going on I
remember this is what was going on this is going on now and you have all of that
that was going on during this event now the next question is how do I relate
that to the audience how do I let the audience know that there's that one guy
Charlie and I'm hoping he won't call because he did threaten to call and I'm
hoping because if he calls and I answer the phone I'm in trouble because I don't
know if I have the courage to say no to him and I don't want to I'm just making
this up how are you going to let the audience know that because of the
audience doesn't know that if the audience does
know what's going on inside you they don't get the story all they get is
event so they go find you're sitting at home and then you're worried and I'm you
can see and I was worried and all that which gets us to the two narrators in a
second here but but that's so learning how to for the writers to go through the
process of exploring excavating pulling apart looking at all the elements of a
story that they know better than anybody else and exploring really what was going
on for them and for all the people around them and then to try to
understand the other parent the parents the brothers and sisters or whoever the
other characters are understanding them and how can I render them true to who
they are that's what makes a difference and all the other writing because we say
what else you and I say to people who have taken the right your life
especially writers and directors we say okay now you see how deeply you have
gone into your character and all the other characters they go yeah you have
to do that for every character and everything you director and everything
you write that's what you have to do and now the bar is really high but now they
understand I have to understand my protagonists in my fictional movie as
well as I understand me but you can't do that until you've gone through a process
of understanding you you just triggered a memory and that was I wasn't 15 but
the age 15 came up and that was being home and there was a knock at the
apartment door my mom wasn't home I wasn't 15 I was younger and it was quote
The Paperboy coming to collect and I said well and I was stammering he goes
if you're 15 I'll take you out Wow like like that's quick he doesn't even know
who I am on the other side I could see him because yeah but but it was I can
still see that because it was I don't think I was even 12 yet and he didn't
know that sounded older than I was but just the fact that somebody's coming to
collect for the paper and he's already trying to like you know hustle up a date
things just go to honey but so you reminded me of that because he mentioned
if you're 15 because he said I'm 15 okay if you're 15 I'll take you out even
though I can't see you right and I'm here just to cloud paper boy I'm here to
collect for your for your paper but anyway but so so going into that it just
reminds me so there you go there's part of a story no that's a good story
it's a good story and on the surface like many most stories we go oh that's
cute it's kind of creepy at the time ya know
yeah but it was creepy to you right right to the rest of the world that you
say you know there I am and he says it 15 I'll tell you okay what we do once we
start to hear what's going on inside you you know that feeling like oh it's this
you know I've feeling uncomfortable or feel that's what we want to hear that's
what that's the richness that's the core that's the gold of the story it's what's
going on inside that little 12 year old right at that moment who's home alone
goes home alone and the paperboy is is coming to collect yeah it's a great
story thank you I can still see it
you