Last week, I mentioned delving into Robert McKee's Story—a study on the structure and nuance of screenwriting. This week, I'm putting it into practice as I add layers to the feature version of our short film, SOL RISE.
As screenwriters, we're naturally focused on telling the story and conflict of the protagonist, but we don't always stop to define the true purpose of what the other characters serve—including the antagonist.
According to McKee, the antagonist is a mirror to the protagonist in that he or she challenges the protagonist's beliefs. The antagonist exists to bring out the truth of the protagonist's character through meaningful opposition. Likewise, every significant supporting character exists to put pressure on the protagonist from a different angle.
So, in my feature outline, I've started using the comments feature to identify the specific pressure each highlighted character brings to the protagonist. As the outline fleshes itself out, those pressures stay front and center. They're attached to each scene, helping ensure the tension continually pushes the protagonist to confront her false belief.
So that’s where I am this week! Where are you in your JFC journey?
