Friends, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
How do you feel about the "god from the sky" approach when writing a screenplay?
There are often situations where events aren't entirely logical, but the story has to move forward. That's when writers are tempted to use what originated in Ancient Greek theater: at the end of the play, a god would literally descend from the sky on ropes and solve every problem.
Let me share a situation from the feature screenplay I'm currently working on, God's Secretary.
In my story, the Devil has grown tired of ruling Hell and wants to return to God. While Julia, the protagonist, has been left in charge by God to test what humanity is capable of, the Devil and his companion Eva try to persuade Julia to bring him back.
Then I ran into a problem.
When God eventually returns, He could simply send the Devil back to Hell at any moment. That would solve everything instantly.
This is where I got stuck. I'm even having to change part of the plot because, in my story, God will have to be unable to send the Devil back to Hell. Otherwise, the story simply won't be as interesting.
For me, everything in a screenplay has to be logical and grow naturally from what came before. I hate using a convenient solution where everything just happens by itself because a higher power steps in.
What about you? How do you feel about this kind of storytelling? Have you ever had to rewrite a major part of your script to avoid relying on a "god from the sky" solution?
I'd really like to hear your opinion.
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This is surely a curious little plot. I tried reading the whole thing twice but couldn't still exactly pin-point the specificities of the story. I'd love to give my opinions, and I might even be able to help you out -- so, if possible, could you please simplify the heart of the plot in 2-3 sentences?
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Do you allow any illogical elements in your screenplays? And if so, do you believe they can still work effectively within a story?
I’m also curious about your approach to story structure — do you think that beats should always flow logically from one to another, or is it acceptable for them to feel somewhat disconnected at times, as long as the overall impact remains strong?
When it comes to plays, deus ex machina has remained popular, but for screenplays it should be avoided. So if you feel that you have a situation where a deus ex machina appears to be the only solution, it may be a good idea to ask here for some better solution.
Once I had a screenplay with a mid level manager visited by top bosses. He didn't want them to discover anything. Impossible, so the problem was solved by giving everyone so much alcohol to drink that they didn't bother about what they were supposed to bother about.
It’s sometimes known at the “help from without” where someone or something swoops in to save the day or give direction. It can sometimes work within the logic of the world you’re setting up (if a character or faction is facing the same challenge as the protagonist and has decided to help) but it can sometimes feel like a cheap get out if it comes from nowhere.