For Drama 571

1. The Inciting Incident,
Story design in 5 parts
STORY
Rideshare (Donovan Cook, 2011)

2. Robert McKee’s Principles from the reading
1. About “The Setting”.
2. About Authorship – Empathy and Authenticity
3. Inciting Incident – comes into story ASAP
•A fully developed event, not vague. What is the worst possible
thing that could happen? How could that turn out to be the best
possible thing that could happen?
•Radically upsets balance of forces for protagonist
•Needs a setup and a payoff and protagonist needs to react
•Needs to restore balance
4. The “Spine” is the energy of the protagonist’s desire.

3. “NARRATIVE” or Persuasive Story
Aristotelian Poetics distinguished between two types
of fictional narratives - mimesis (showing) and
diegesis (telling). Cinema combines both.
Both mimesis and diegesis describe ways of presenting
a story. In mimesis, the story is acted out. In
diegesis, the story is narrated. Mimesis is show.
Diegesis is tell.
Narratology is the study of of how stories work — the
study of different narrative structures, storytelling
strategies, types of stories (genres) and their
symbolic implications.

4. FIGURATIVE TECHNIQUES
Explores the use of artistic devices that suggest abstract
ideas through comparison. (All are “symbolic”)
Motifs can be a technique, an object, or anything that is
repeated but does not call attention to itself.
Symbols can be things that imply additional meaning to the
sensitive observer.
Metaphor is comparison that is not literally true. Cinematic
metaphors can be created through montage and editing.
Other figurative techniques are allegory, allusions
(analogy) and homage.

5. POINT OF VIEW -- NARRATION
First-person narrative is where the cinematic equivalent to
the “voice” of a literary narrative is the “eye” or lens of
the camera.
Omniscient point of view is where the lens is the all-
knowing observer that supplies evaluations of the scene.
Voice-over narration is common and when there is a
narrator that literally talks over the action.
Camera as buddy is uncommon but is when the camera is
treated like an active listener in the story.
Another WAY TO express ORIGINAL INSIGHTS.

6. “Follow Your Bliss – Take a Hero’s Journey”
Joseph Campbell
Joseph Campbell was an
American mythologist, writer
and lecturer, best known for
his work in comparative
mythology and comparative
religion. His work covers many
aspects of the human
experience. His philosophy is
often summarized by his
phrase: “Follow your bliss.”
From Joseph Campbell Foundation

7. Based on the teachings on Joseph Campbell

8. Story Structure
Based on Robert McKee’s Story: Substance, Structure, Style
Protagonists’ Quest?
(Hero’s Journey)
What’s at Stake? Are subplots involved too?
The Metaphoric Goal
X Inciting Incident Primary Cause of what Happens
X Crisis Decision
X Event, A Cause for an Effect
X Event, A Cause for an Effect
X Event, A Cause for an Effect
A hurdle that affects the challenge of desire
X Event, A Cause for an Effect
X Event, A Cause for an Effect
X Climax
Give audience what it wants but
not the way it expects.
X Escalating Actions
X Resolution
The climactic effects of
plot and subplot(s).
The Apparent Goal

9. The Inciting Incident, Story design in 5 parts
Story
Rideshare (Donovan Cook, 2011) Watch the Trailer
Shot entirely on iPhone (4) on a budget of $34K,
Rideshare is a comedy about three strangers who
answer an ad to drive a car from LA to DC.

10. Rideshare Story Structure
Escalating Action Plotline Schematic
Protagonists’ Quest
What’s at Stake?
Find Life and Freedom
X Inciting Incident Answering the Ad
X Crisis Decision
X Slushie – Consequence?
X Hoover Dam – Border Jumping
X Four Corners and Petie
Do they break up in Dollywood?
X Lemonade’s Disclosure about USC
X Car breakdown – Darlene meets the dude
(X Climax Subplot Faux Climax)
X Climax
Abe and Darlene’s fate
Lemonade’s Big Surprise
X Escalating Actions
X Resolution
Life and Freedom
Meet the Schedule

11. Fill This Out
YOUR Story
Title:
Your Name (Director):
X Inciting Incident
X Crisis Decision
X Event
X Event
X Event
X Climax
X Escalating Actions
X Resolution