DZ-61: Unfilmables 2 - Moments of Awe

Listen if you're writing a moment that feels too big for the page (but you need it on the page).

In this second part of our series on unfilmables, Chas and Stu continue their deep dive into how writing the “unfilmable” can enhance your script. Rather than looking at micro moments, they turn their gaze to "moments of awe" — those often breathtaking cinematic moments that feel beyond writing. But are those scenes actually unscriptable?

In this episode we look at sequences from YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE, SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER, THE INVITIATION, and MOONLIGHT. We talk writing cinematically, performance beats, breaking (and maintaining) "the spell", limited palettes of language, self-contextualising writing, and instructables.

Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode, and Carissa Lee for performing the big print.

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

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CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 – Unfilmables & Unscriptables (Part 2)
• 00:00:31 – Intro: Unfilmables Revisited - Moments of Awe
• 00:11:57 – Julio - When Unfilmables Don't Work
• 00:22:12 – You Were Never Really Here
• 00:26:05 – You Were Never Really Here [script reading]
• 00:29:00 – You Were Never Really Here [analysis continued]
• 00:39:29 – Searching for Bobby Fischer
• 00:47:09 – Searching for Bobby Fischer [script reading]
• 00:48:15 – Searching for Bobby Fischer [analysis continued]
• 01:04:10 – The Invitation
• 01:12:57 – The Invitiation [script reading]
• 01:15:52 – The Invitation [analysis continued]
• 01:29:23 – Moonlight
• 01:49:38 – Wrap Up & Key Learnings

FILMS

• YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE (2017) — (w) Jonathan Ames, Lynne Ramsay (d) Lynne Ramsay
• SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER (1993) — (w) Fred Waitzkin, Steven Zaillian (d) Steven Zaillian
• THE INVITATION (2016) — (w) Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi (d) Karyn Kusama
• MOONLIGHT (2016) — (w) Barry Jenkins, Tarell Alvin Mccraney (d) Barry Jenkins

SCRIPTS

• Study the script: YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE (2017) — Jonathan Ames, Lynne Ramsay
• Study the script: MOONLIGHT (2016) — Barry Jenkins, Tarell Alvin Mccraney

LINKS

• Read: DZ-61 Unfilmables Part 2 - Collated Scripts

EPISODES IN THE UNFILMABLES SERIES

• DZ-60: Unfilmables 1 - Engaging imagination
• DZ-61: Unfilmables 2 - Moments of Awe
• DZ-62: Unfilmables 3 - As Ifs & Emotional Context

RELATED EPISODES

• DZ-16: Masters of Time and Whitespace
• DZ-60: Unfilmables 1 - Engaging imagination

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Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2019/dz-61/