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Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast

Chas Fisher and Stuart Willis

Working out what makes screenplays work.

  • 1 hour 20 minutes
    DZ-109: Talking DIRECTLY to your audience

    What are the different ways a filmmaker can ask something of the audience?

    Chas and Stu are joined by recurring guest Mel in this prelude episode to upcoming episodes on Voice Over and Breaking the Fourth Wall. In this episode, we attempt to taxonomise the different ways filmmakers can ask something directly of their audience. To this end, we identify 4 levers that can be pulled:

    • Diagetic to non-diagetic (in story world to outside story world)
    • Who is talking? From story-teller to a character
    • Whom are they talking to? Themselves or directly to the audience?
    • From when in time is the communication coming?

    They then take these levers and ask a series of questions, including:

    • What does the communication want from the audience?
    • Does the audience know who’s talking?
    • How reliable is the information?
    • How aware is who is communicating of the audience?

    They then apply these questions and levers to… deep breath… STAR WARS, ROBOCOP, STARSHIP TROOPERS, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, MINORITY REPORT, CHILDREN OF MEN, NEVER HAVE I EVER, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, STRANGER THAN FICTION, DUNE, OPPENHEIMER, YELLOWJACKETS, HUSTLERS, THE OFFICE, MASTERCHEF, ZOMBIELAND, FLEABAG, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, SPONTANEOUS, BLACKKKLANSMAN, AMERICAN FICTION, AMERICAN SPLENDOR, THE KILLER, VERONICA MARS, FIGHT CLUB, SHUTTER ISLAND, SIXTH SENSE, HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR. FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, GOODFELLAS, EMPERORS NEW GROOVE, THE TRUMAN SHOW, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, DIE HARD, THE BIG SHORT, THE USUAL SUSPECTS, DERRY GIRLS, THE LAST JEDI, THE LAST DUEL, RASHOMON, BONES AND ALL, ARCHIVE 81, SANS SOLEIL, F IS FOR FAKE, THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS, JULIUS CAESAR, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Vol. 1

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

    Thanks to Chris Walker for his excellent editing this episode.

    CHAPTERS:

    • 00:00:00 - Cold Open
    • 00:00:49 - Distinguishing communicating directly to the audience
    • 00:04:32 - Different levers in how to communicate to the audience
    • 00:09:20 - Who is communicating?
    • 00:26:13 - Does the audience know who’s talking?
    • 00:40:00 - From what time is the communication coming from?
    • 00:40:50 - How reliable is the communication?
    • 00:46:08 - How aware are the characters of the communication?
    • 00:58:35 - Analysing edge cases
    • 01:07:37 - What effects do all these have on the audience?
    • 01:16:00 - Key Learnings and Wrap Up
    • 01:19:00 - Patreon thanks

    RELATED EPISODES:

    How can we forget our awesome Patreons, especially Lily,  Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

    Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

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

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    1 May 2024, 3:28 am
  • 1 hour 37 minutes
    DZ-108: The Emotional Event with Judith Weston

    How and why should every scene have an emotional event?

    For the first episode of our tenth anniversary year, we are joined by Judith Weston to talk about Emotional Events. 

    What is an emotional event? Well, it’s a way of thinking about scenes through relationships rather than plot. Instead of asking how a scene moves the plot forward, ask how the scene alters the relationship between characters. While emotional events are ostensibly a tool for directors to interpret scenes, we believe that the emotional event starts with the writer(s).

    But it is an idea better illustrated through examples and discussion rather than sound bites. To that end, we breakdown scene from OPPENHEIMER, CASINO ROYALE (the Daniel Craig one), and PAST LIVES and explore how the emotional event is written (and not written) on the page. 

    Through a close reading of each scene, we talk about subtext, power dynamics, status transactions, tactics, beats and much much more. Because Chas, Stu and Judith are also reading the scripts there  lot of discussion about table reads and how to get the most out of them.

    For those unfamiliar with Judith, she is a famed teacher of writers, directors and actors with a focus on the directing or actors. Her books Directing Actors and The Film Director’s Intuition are basically industry standards. 

    You can find Judith Weston (and her books!) at her website: https://judithweston.com/web/

    As always: SPOILERS ABOUND.

    Thanks to Chris Walker for his excellent editing this episode.

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

    CHAPTERS:

    • 00:00:00 – Cold Open
    • 00:00:30 – What is an emotional event?
    • 00:13:48 – Oppenheimer
    • 00:46:16 – Casino Royale
    • 00:59:35 – Past Lives
    • 01:30:20 – Key Learnings & Wrap Up
    • 01:36:05 – Thanks to our Patreons

    RELATED EPISODES:

    How can we forget our awesome Patreons, especially Lily,  Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

    Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

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

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    SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack

    31 March 2024, 10:53 am
  • 1 hour 54 minutes
    DZ-107: Establishing Tone Through Character

    How can we use dramatisation to create tone?

    In this episode, Chas and Stu continue their deep dive into how to write tone by examining films with “light” (we use the phrase loosely) tones: LADY BIRD, EMILY THE CRIMINAL, THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS, and SPONTANEOUS. We also talk a surprising amount about DUNE and CRAZY STUPID LOVE.

    We focus on the relationship between character & tone and how the writers of these films use dramatisation to create their unique tones. We talk minimalism vs maximalism, dialogue, character actions & reactions, emotional dynamic range, and rules of the world vs given circumstances.

    Stu proposes a new triangle to help us understand the dials we as writers have to affect tone: the given circumstances of the story, how that effects character actions & reactions, and how the audience are told about those elements.

    Thanks to Chris Walker for his excellent editing this episode.

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

    CHAPTERS:

    • 00:00:00 - Cold Open
    • 00:00:23 - Tone & Character
    • 00:15:26 - Ladybird
    • 00:33:20 - Emily The Criminal
    • 00:57:43 - The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
    • 01:17:28 - Spontaneous
    • 01:39:38 - Key Learnings & Wrap Up
    • 01:51:58 - Many thanks to our Patreons

    RELATED EPISODES:

    How can we forget our awesome Patreons, especially Lily,  Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

    Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

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

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    29 February 2024, 12:28 pm
  • 1 hour 36 minutes
    DZ-106: How do you know if you have enough story?

    How do you know if you have enough narrative fuel to write a script?

    In this episode, Chas, Stu and Mel attempt to answer a listener question: 

    “In your own pre-writing process, how do you know you have enough for a feature? And do you have a specific pre-writing method you're going to?”

    Thus we launch into a discussion on our writing processes and the varying usefulness of tools such as log lines, turning points, beat sheets, synopsis, treatments, and scene breakdowns. We also tackle the challenges encountered while developing an idea to first draft, such as balancing the pace of the story, developing distinct character voices, character choices, plot changes, pacing, and thematic clarity.

    Is this backmatter? Or is it development tools? You decide! Hahaha.

    Thanks so much to Chris Walker for his excellent editing on this episode!

    CHAPTERS:

    • 00:00:00 - Cold Open
    • 00:00:30 - Introduction: Falling Short
    • 00:02:38 - Our Development Processes
    • 00:33:06 - Developing from concept
    • 00:45:26 - Sponsor: Arc Studio Pro
    • 00:48:12 - Expanding your Idea
    • 01:15:29 - Long Short Documents
    • 01:27:22 - Consistent problems with first drafts
    • 01:34:28 - Many thanks to our Patreons!

    This episode brought to you by (drum roll):

    And how can we forget our awesome Patreons, especially Lily,  Alexandre, Malay, Casimir, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

    Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

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

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    31 December 2023, 5:34 am
  • 2 hours 6 minutes
    DZ-105: Establishing Tone Through Big Print

    How can we teach the reader to find the humour in our darkness?

    Chas and Stu finally start their long-mooted exploration of tone with a series that examines films and shows with unusual tones and dives into how the writers establish those tones in the first 5 pages.

    How does your script want your reader to experience violence in your story? Humour? Sex? Prejudice?

    To answer these questions, this episode look at how films with “darker” or “sadder” tones teach the reader what they can laugh at, namely: THE NICE GUYS, THE BANSHEES OF INISHIRIN and the pilot for YELLOWJACKETS.

    Together they learn how to better talk about tone, how to frame tone for a scene or sequence, and what levers writers can use on the page to compensate for cinematic tools like music, performance, composition, lighting, design, editing, etc etc etc.

    Future episodes plan to explore establishing lighter or quirkier tones, as well as tools in shifting or changing tone on the page.

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

    CHAPTERS:

    • 00:00:00 - Cold Open
    • 00:00:32 - What is tone?
    • 00:25:00 - The Nice Guys
    • 00:55:07 - Sponsor: Arc Studio Pro
    • 00:57:23 - The Banshees of Inisherin
    • 01:25:06 - Yellowjackets
    • 01:53:30 - Key Learnings & Wrap Up
    • 02:04:40 - Many thanks to our Patreons!

    RELATED EPISODES

    This episode brought to you by (drum roll):

    And how can we forget our awesome Patreons, especially Lily,  Alexandre, Malay, Casimir, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

    Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

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

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    SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack

    30 November 2023, 11:40 am
  • 1 hour 29 minutes
    DZ-104: Characters Alone - Dramatizing the Internal

    How can scenes where characters are alone increase our connection with them?

    In this episode, we explore the audience's connection with characters through the lens of characters being alone.

    Chas and Stu breakdown scenes (and their scripts) from AFTERSUN, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY and THE EQUALIZER to discuss the significance of solitude in giving the audience insight into a character’s interiority. We talk how big print can reflect character; how finding moments for vulnerability allows characters to drop their masks; and how staging can help these moments occur organically.

    Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode.

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

    CHAPTERS

    • 00:00:02 - Cold Open
    • 00:00:24 - Intro: Character's Alone
    • 00:13:04 - Aftersun
    • 00:31:55 - Sponsor: Arc Studio Pro
    • 00:34:16 - Sense and Sensibility
    • 00:59:59 - The Equalizer
    • 01:25:02 - Wrap Up & Key Learnings
    • 01:28:34 - Many thanks to our Patreons!

    RELATED EPISODES

    RELATED LINKS

    This episode brought to you by (drum roll):

    And how can we forget our awesome Patreons, especially Lily,  Alexandre, Malay, Casimir, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

    Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

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

    BUY DRAFT ZERO MERCH via TeePublic

    SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack

    1 November 2023, 4:29 am
  • 1 hour 42 minutes
    DZ-103: Game of the Scene 2 - Triangle of Sadness, The Favourite

    How can games elevate dramatic scenes?

    In part two of this two parter, Stu and Chas go further into the game (of the scene) and look at how games force characters *other* than the protagonist to interact. We deep dive into the wonderful social satires of TRIANGLE OF SADNESS and THE FAVOURITE.

    We discuss how games reveal character through competency and decisions, how resources and skills impact the tactics that characters employ, and the difference between referees, rule lawyers, rule makers and rule breakers.

    Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode.

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

    CHAPTERS

    • 00:00:00 - Cold Open
    • 00:00:19 - Sponsor: ScriptUp
    • 00:01:45 - Intro: Follow up
    • 00:10:50 - Triangle of Sadness (Parts 1 and 2)
    • 00:35:37 - Sponsor: Arc Studio Pro
    • 00:38:25 - Triangle of Sadness (Part 3)
    • 00:52:51 - The Favourite
    • 01:30:34 - Wrap Up & Key Learnings
    • 01:40:30 - Thanks to our Patreons!

    RELATED EPISODES

    RELATED LINKS

    This episode brought to you by (drum roll):

    And how can we forget our awesome Patreons, especially Lily,  Alexandre, Casimir, Jennifer, Thomas, Garrett, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

    Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

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

    BUY DRAFT ZERO MERCH via TeePublic

    SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via our many social medias!

    1 October 2023, 12:18 pm
  • 1 hour 23 minutes
    DZ-102: Game of the Scene - Bluey, John Wick 4

    How can ‘games’ help us write better scenes?

    Stu and Chas turn their attention to a topic that has long eluded them: the game of the scene. We look at how considering the game that characters are playing — its rules, arenas, players, referees, and win conditions — can help you write more dynamic scenes.

    This will be a two-parter, and for this half, we talk BLUEY, “The Quiet Game” (from Season 2) and “Phones” (from Season 3), and JOHN WICK 4. We also touch on GAME NIGHT and LIFE OF BRIAN.

    Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode.

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

    CHAPTERS

    • 00:00:00 - Cold Open
    • 00:00:18 - Sponsor: ScriptUp
    • 00:01:52 - Intro: What do we mean by Game of the Scene?
    • 00:15:06 - The Life of Brian: "What have the Romans ever done for us?"
    • 00:20:03 - Bluey
    • 00:35:08 - Sponsor: Arc Studio Pro
    • 00:37:56 - John Wick 4
    • 01:14:34 - Wrap Up & Key Learnings
    • 01:22:17 - Many thanks to our Patreons

    RELATED EPISODES

    RELATED LINKS

    This episode brought to you by (drum roll):

    And how can we forget our awesome Patreons, especially Lily,  Alexandre, Casimir, Jennifer, Thomas, Garrett, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

    Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

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

    BUY DRAFT ZERO MERCH via TeePublic

    SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack

    31 August 2023, 2:23 am
  • 1 hour 23 minutes
    DZ-101 Creating Immediacy & Anchoring Action on the Page

    What can we learn by analysing how ‘oners’ are written on the page?

    Chas, Stu and Mel reunite to talk about writing the *feel* of camerawork in screenplays. We use “oners” — a long-playing continuous take — as a lens to talk about how some writers have “directed” from the page. We talk immediacy, camera positions, handovers, and anchoring action and more.

    We breakdown the famous Copacabana shot from GOODFELLAS, the awe-inspiring chase sequence from THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN, and the heart pounding ‘Zed attack’ from CHILDREN OF MEN. We also briefly discuss THE BOURNE IDENTITY, HEREDITARY, THE BEAR, ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN and TOUCH OF EVIL.

    And we do this breakdown by closely reading the actual words on the page. So thanks to Meegan May (of Starship Q Star) for performing the big print / action lines. Script Pages available on our Patreon.

    Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode.

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

    CHAPTERS

    • 00:00:13 - Cold Open
    • 00:00:23 - ScriptUp Sponsorship
    • 00:00:33 - New Chapter
    • 00:01:58 - Intro: Camerwork on the page
    • 00:09:50 - Contrary Examples: The Bourne Identity and Hereditary
    • 00:13:15 - Narrative Purpose and Oners
    • 00:16:30 - Goodfellas (intro)
    • 00:16:57 - Goodfellas (excerpt)
    • 00:18:22 - Goodfellas (discussion)
    • 00:32:48 - The Adventures of Tintin (intro)
    • 00:34:14 - The Adventures of Tintin (excerpt)
    • 00:37:23 - The Adventures of Tintin (discussion)
    • 00:49:34 - Children of Men (intro)
    • 00:53:38 - Children of Men (excerpt)
    • 01:00:32 - Children of Men (discussion)
    • 01:12:24 - Key Learnings and Wrap Up

    SCENE EXCERPTS via

    LINKS

    LINKS

    RELATED EPISODES

    This episode brought to you by (drum roll):

    And how can we forget our awesome Patreons, especially Lily,  Alexandre, Casimir, Eduardo, Jennifer, Thomas, Garrett, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, Alex, and Khrob.

    Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis, and @chasffisher on twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

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    3 July 2023, 6:55 am
  • 1 hour 35 seconds
    DZ-100: Scenes through Swords

    What scene work tools can be learned from martial arts?

    In this slightly unusual episode of Draft Zero (but also incredibly on brand), Stu and philosopher swordsperson Damon Young discuss how the lessons they have learned from martial arts can be applied to scenes. In particular, they discuss how approaching an opponent in a sword fight can be analogous to how characters approach conflict, such as: the distance between the characters, who chooses to engage first, how to feint, how to lure an attack by leaving yourself vulnerable, etc. 

    They reference classic conflicts such as Clarice interviewing Dr. Lecter in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, when Miranda puts down Andrea in THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, and the final showdown between Obi-Wan and Darth Maul in the animated series THE CLONE WARS. 

    You can find Damon Young here:

    As always: SPOILERS ABOUND.

    RELATED EPISODES

    This episode is brought to you by our awesome Patreons, especially Alexandre, Casimir, Eduardo, Jennifer, Thomas, Garrett, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, Alex, and Khrob.

    Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis, and @chasffisher on twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

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    29 May 2023, 10:26 am
  • 1 hour 34 minutes
    DZ-99: Scene Questions

    How do audience questions shape scenes?

    nspired by our earlier episodes on sequences, Chas and Stu narrow their focus to look at the atomic unit of screen storytelling: the scene. In particular, we breakdown how question and answers prompted in the audience structure individual scenes.

    We talk plot, character, and theme questions (and their hybrids) by analysing scenes from LOKI, THE LAST CRUSADE, THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, QUEEN AND SLIM,  and DO THE RIGHT THING. We also briefly discuss SUCCESSION, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOUR AMONG THIEVES, and ANDOR.

    As always: SPOILERS ABOUND

    CHAPTERS

    • 00:00:00 - Cold Open
    • 00:01:56 - Intro: Scene Questions
    • 00:16:30 - Loki
    • 00:23:24 - The Last Crusade
    • 00:33:03 - The Bourne Supremacy
    • 00:45:50 - Queen and Slim
    • 01:03:03 - Do The Right Thing
    • 01:15:03 - Key Learnings & Wrap Up
    • 01:33:02 - Many thanks to our Patreons

    SCENE EXCERPTS via:

    RELATED EPISODES

    This episode brought to you by (drum roll):

    And how can we forget our awesome Patreons, especially Alexandre, Casimir, Eduardo, Jennifer, Thomas, Garrett, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, Alex, and Khrob.

    Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners. We are @stuwillis, and @chasffisher on twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

    BUY DRAFT ZERO MERCH via TeePublic

    1 May 2023, 12:09 am
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