DZ-32: High-Tension Sequences

Listen if you want to evoke fear and tension using only the written word (without relying on camera, lighting, music, or sound_

Chas & Stu take a close look at sequences of high-tension - the ones that make you lean forward in fear, or jump backwards in terror. Without camera angles, lighting, music or sound, how can screenwriters can evoke those emotions in readers using only the page? These sequences can be found in any genre of film, not just thriller or horror. To that end, Stu and Chas dive into high tension scenes from NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, ZODIAC, ROOM, and THE BABADOOK. We cover their use of shifting POV, Dramatic Irony, Status Transactions, White Space, Sound FX, and many more.

And in backmatter we talk SICARIO and high tension, crack open the mail-bag, and look at how the so-called gurus rated the Oscar-nominated scripts.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

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FILMS

• NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007) — (w) Cormac Mccarthy, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen (d) Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
• ZODIAC (2007) — (w) James Vanderbilt (d) David Fincher
• ROOM (2015) — (w) Emma Donoghue, Emma Donoghue (d) Lenny Abrahamson
• THE BABADOOK (2014) — (w) Jennifer Kent

SCRIPTS

• Study the script: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007) — Cormac Mccarthy, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
• Study the script: ZODIAC (2007) — James Vanderbilt
• Study the script: ROOM (2015) — Emma Donoghue, Emma Donoghue
• Study the script: THE BABADOOK (2014) — Jennifer Kent

SHOT ZERO DEEP DIVES

• ▶ The detached, indifferent camera of Zodiac
• Perp & Victim 2: Opening Kills in Horror (2000s+)

LINKS

• Read: Aeon: Neurothriller - Horror Films are scarier than they were in the past
• Read: Film Crit Hulk - HULK EXPLAINS ACTION SCENES - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• Read: Film Crit Hulk - HULK EXPLAINS ACTION SCENES - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• Read: Film Crit Hulk - HULK EXPLAINS ACTION SCENES - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• YouTube: Zodiac Analysis - Inside the Basement
• YouTube: Jack's Escape (excerpt)
• Read: THE BABADOOK by Jennifer Kent - excerpt for educational purposes only
• YouTube: The Babadook - Possession Scene: You Can Bring me the Boy (2014 HD)
• Read: Jane Espenson: The Grim Brothers
• Read: Truby Rates the Oscar Hopefuls
• Read: Robert McKee's Work/Doesn't Work - ROOM
• Read: Scriptshadow on Spotlight (via Twitter) and his screenplay review

RELATED EPISODES

• DZ-05: Shifting audience point of view and heightened emotions
• DZ-08: Status Transactions
• DZ-13: True That - Tips from Tarantino
• DZ-16: Masters of Time and Whitespace
• DZ-29: Showdowns & Scene Structure
• DZ-30: Oscars revisited - Spotlight and Carol

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We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2016/dz-32/