DZ-79: Interweaving Timelines 2 - The Social Network

Listen to understand how manage stakes when you're using flashforwards.

In this Part 2 of Interweaving Timelines (aka The Stu Monologue Episode), Mel, Chas and Stu tackle Sorkin/Fincher's The Social Network. As you’ll hear, it is clearly Stu’s favourite of the examples we cover and, ah, not Mel’s favourite. While all three bring their own biases and opinions on the reality of Facebook as it has become, we do manage to put the destruction of democracy to one side to actually analyse the meticulous craft that this film displays.

We analyse Sorkin’s on-the-page skill with time jumps, managing intercutting and introducing characters - as well as explore how the flash-forward technique manages the absence of stakes (i.e. we know Facebook exists) and creates a different emotional experience to the flashbacks of Destroyer. Finally, and most importantly, we look at how the interweaving timelines change how the audience feel about Mark Zuckerberg (as portrayed in this film).

Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode.

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

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CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 – Introduction
• 00:01:48 – The Social Network
• 00:07:36 – The flash forward structure
• 00:18:46 – Why did we pick this film?
• 00:29:41 – What are the stakes?
• 00:42:45 – Time jumps & transitions
• 00:52:59 – Audience's perception of Mark
• 01:00:45 – Storyteller cuts
• 01:09:20 – Sorkin vs Fincher
• 01:16:07 – Wrap up & key learnings
• 01:23:15 – Backmatter

FILMS

• THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010) — (w) Aaron Sorkin (d) David Fincher

SCRIPTS

• Study the script: THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010) — Aaron Sorkin

EPISODES IN THE INTERWEAVING TIMELINES SERIES

• DZ-78: Interweaving Timelines 1 - Destroyer
• DZ-79: Interweaving Timelines 2 - The Social Network
• DZ-80: Interweaving Timelines 3 - Little Women

RELATED EPISODES

• DZ-43: Driving Sequences - Character and Plot Intensity
• DZ-78: Interweaving Timelines 1 - Destroyer

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Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2021/dz-79/