How to Write an A24 Screenplay (Writing Advice)
Summary
TLDRThe video script discusses the success of A24, a film studio known for its unconventional approach to movie-making that has garnered critical acclaim and commercial success. It outlines seven tips for writers to emulate A24's style: casting atypical protagonists, making personal stakes matter, depicting characters in desperate situations, going to narrative extremes, using specific settings as a character, keeping the production contained to control budgets, and writing for a niche audience rather than trying to please everyone. The script emphasizes the importance of taking risks and creating unique, memorable films that resonate with dedicated audiences.
Takeaways
- 🎭 **Atypical Protagonists**: A24 films often feature lead characters from marginalized communities or unconventional roles that deviate from typical movie leads.
- 🚀 **Personal Stakes**: A24 stories focus on personal, relatable stakes over high-concept, world-saving narratives, making the audience care deeply about the protagonist's journey.
- 🔥 **Desperation Drives Action**: Characters in A24 films are often in desperate situations, which fuels their actions and adds depth to their stories.
- 🌟 **Extremes in Storytelling**: A24 is known for pushing boundaries with extreme and memorable scenes that provoke discussion and linger in the audience's memory.
- 📍 **Specificity in Setting**: Settings in A24 films are integral and often act as a character themselves, with stories deeply tied to their location or time period.
- 🏠 **Contained Worlds**: Many A24 films have a contained feel, with limited locations and a focus on a few key areas, which helps manage budgets and enhance storytelling.
- 💰 **Budget Consciousness**: A24's smaller budgets allow for risk-taking and unique films that don't need to appeal to mass audiences, leading to distinctive and memorable cinema.
- 🧑 **Writing for a Specific Audience**: A24 creates films for niche audiences who appreciate their unique, authentic, and sometimes uncomfortable storytelling.
- 🤔 **Defying Generic Storytelling**: A24 avoids generic plots and focuses on creating original content that stands out, even if it doesn't always achieve critical acclaim.
- 🎬 **Risk-Taking Approach**: A24's philosophy involves making movies that are weird and daring, often with small but dedicated audiences, rather than aiming for mass appeal.
- 👥 **Creating for an 'Avatar'**: Writers should focus on creating content for a specific, ideal audience member, ensuring the film resonates deeply with that individual.
Q & A
What is the secret to A24's success in the film industry?
-A24's success is attributed to their unique approach to storytelling, which includes casting atypical protagonists, focusing on personal stakes, creating extreme and memorable scenes, using specific settings as characters, maintaining a contained production scope, and targeting a niche audience rather than trying to please everyone.
How does A24 challenge conventional storytelling by casting their protagonists?
-A24 often casts unconventional lead characters that come from marginalized communities or are simply not the typical heroes seen in mainstream cinema. This approach allows for a fresh perspective and can make the characters more relatable or intriguing to the audience.
What is the significance of personal stakes in A24 films?
-Personal stakes in A24 films make the narrative more relatable to the audience, even if the overall plot does not involve world-ending threats. By focusing on the personal journey and struggles of the characters, A24 creates an emotional connection with the viewers.
How does A24 use extreme scenes to engage the audience?
-A24 is known for pushing boundaries and including extreme and excessive moments in their films. These scenes often become memorable talking points, sparking discussions and debates among viewers, which contributes to the film's cultural impact.
Why is the specificity of setting important in A24 films?
-The setting in A24 films is treated as a character itself, with stories often being period pieces or set in specific locations that are integral to the plot. This specificity helps to create a contained and immersive world for the characters and the audience.
How does a contained production scope benefit A24 films?
-A contained production scope allows A24 to manage costs effectively, enabling them to take creative risks without the pressure of needing a high return on investment. It also helps to maintain a focused narrative and can contribute to the uniqueness of the film.
What is the philosophy behind not writing for everyone when creating an A24 style film?
-By targeting a specific niche audience, A24 ensures that their films resonate deeply with a dedicated fan base. This approach allows for more creative freedom and authenticity, resulting in films that are memorable and have the potential to achieve cult status.
How does A24's approach to film production influence the film industry?
-A24's commitment to unique storytelling, risk-taking, and targeted audience engagement is changing the film industry by demonstrating that there is a market for unconventional films. This encourages other studios to explore new ideas and challenge the status quo.
What is the concept of an 'Avatar' in the context of writing for a specific audience?
-An 'Avatar' is an idealized representation of the target audience member for whom the film is being created. By imagining how this individual would interact with the story, writers can tailor the film to appeal to their specific tastes and expectations.
Why is it important for a writer to establish the protagonist's personal stakes early in the film?
-Establishing the protagonist's personal stakes early on helps to create an emotional investment in the character's journey. It also sets the tone for the level of difficulty and tension that the character will face, which can heighten the audience's engagement with the story.
How does A24's approach to casting and character development contribute to the cultural impact of their films?
-A24's focus on atypical protagonists and personal stakes allows them to tell diverse and authentic stories that resonate with a wide range of audiences. This approach often results in films that are critically acclaimed and culturally significant, contributing to the company's reputation for producing high-quality, thought-provoking cinema.
What advice would you give to a writer looking to create a script in the style of A24?
-To create a script in the style of A24, a writer should focus on developing an atypical protagonist, crafting a story with personal stakes, exploring extreme scenarios, utilizing a specific and contained setting, considering budget constraints, and writing for a niche audience rather than trying to appeal to everyone.
Outlines
🎬 A24's Unique Approach to Filmmaking
This paragraph discusses the success of A24 in the film industry, contrasting it with the struggles of Hollywood and Blockbuster. A24 is praised for its consistent success at the Oscars, creating iconic films like 'Midsummer,' 'Everything Everywhere All at Once,' 'Moonlight,' and 'Lady Bird.' These films not only garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards but also turned a profit. The paragraph also poses questions about A24's secret to success and how writers can emulate their style. It then lists seven tips for writing an A24-style script, emphasizing casting atypical protagonists, making stakes personal, and writing about desperate characters, among others.
🌟 Crafting Personal and Extreme Stories
The second paragraph delves into the specifics of A24's storytelling approach. It argues against the common notion that stories must have high stakes to be impactful. Instead, it suggests that personal stakes are more effective, as seen in films like '8th Grade' and 'Mid90s.' The paragraph also highlights A24's willingness to go to extremes, which sets their films apart and often leads to memorable, talk-worthy scenes. Furthermore, it discusses the importance of setting in A24 films, where the location becomes a character in its own right, and the benefits of keeping the story's scope contained to manage budgets effectively and take creative risks without needing to appeal to a broad audience.
🎭 Writing for a Specific Audience
The final paragraph emphasizes the importance of writing for a specific audience, or 'avatar,' rather than trying to please everyone. It suggests that by focusing on a particular niche, filmmakers can create unique and memorable movies that resonate deeply with their target audience. The paragraph also touches on the idea of creating a dedicated fan base that appreciates the authenticity and risks taken in A24's films. It concludes by encouraging writers to embrace their uniqueness and to create movies that challenge and engage their chosen audience, leaving a lasting impression.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡A24
💡Atypical Protagonist
💡Personal Stakes
💡Desperation
💡Extremes
💡Specificity of Setting
💡Contained
💡Budget Constraints
💡Writing for a Specific Audience
💡Risk-Taking
💡Cultural Iconic Moments
Highlights
A24 has dominated the Oscars for the past 5 years and produced critically acclaimed films such as 'Midsummer, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Moonlight, and Ladybird'.
A24's films often feature atypical protagonists from marginalized communities or unconventional character types.
The stakes in A24 films are personal and relatable, rather than focusing on high-stakes, world-saving scenarios common in other movies.
A24 movies like '8th Grade' and 'Mid90s' showcase characters with strong desires and absolute desperation, driving the story.
A24 is known for going to extremes in storytelling, with memorable and extreme scenes that provoke audience discussions.
The specificity of setting is crucial in A24 films, where the location becomes a character and is integral to the story.
A24 scripts are often contained, with limited locations and a focus on a few key areas, which helps manage budgets and allows for risk-taking.
A24's approach to filmmaking involves making movies that don't aim to please everyone, focusing on creating unique content with dedicated audiences.
A24's success is attributed to their understanding of what audiences want and their ability to create culturally iconic moments.
Writers can learn from A24's philosophy by focusing on personal stakes, extreme storytelling, and a strong sense of setting.
A24's films often have a contained scope, with stories set in a specific part of the country or period, making the setting a character in itself.
The budget constraints of A24 films allow for risk-taking and unique storytelling, avoiding the need for massive budgets and high-profile stars.
A24's films are characterized by their willingness to explore weird, uncomfortable, and out-of-the-ordinary ideas, setting them apart from generic blockbusters.
Writers are encouraged to focus on a specific 'Avatar' or ideal audience member, tailoring the story to resonate deeply with that individual.
A24's commitment to unique storytelling and not compromising has changed the face of the film industry, influencing how movies are made.
A24's films like 'Under the Silver Lake' and 'B is afraid' may not always receive critical acclaim but are memorable and resonate with specific audiences.
A24's success formula includes casting unconventional leads, focusing on personal rather than high stakes, and creating a strong desire in characters.
The company's films are often set in confined spaces or limited locations, which helps keep production costs low and the narrative focused.
Transcripts
in an era where Hollywood is falling
apart every Blockbuster seems to crash
at the box office it seems like no one
knows how to make movies anymore except
a24 a24 has ruled the Oscars for the
past 5 years it's had hit after hit
after hit created culturally iconic
moments with films like Midsummer
everything everywhere all at once
Moonlight and ladybird one dozens of
oscars gathered critical Acclaim and
just about every movie they make turns a
profit personally a dozen of my favorite
movies from the last decade were made by
a24 the Florida project everything
everywhere all at once hereditary
Moonlight Under the Skin exmachina all
made by the same company they're just
about the only Studio left that seems to
understand what audiences want so how
can a writer learn from a24 success and
write something that fits the a24
philosophy what is their secret formula
here are seven tips on how to write an
a24 style script Number One cast an
atypical protagonist a24 movies have
lead character characters that are not
your typical movie lead the characters
may be unconventional because they come
from a marginalized Community like in
Moonlight or the Florida project or
manari or because the character is just
not the type of person we usually see
leading a movie you would not picture a
middle-aged Chinese lrat owner as the
protagonist of a matrix style action
epic or an alien masquerading as Scarlet
Johansson there are a few stories told
from the perspective of awkward eighth
grade girls or wannabe skateboard kids
in the mid90s to write an 24 style
script you need to go beyond the normal
protagonist the opening of ladybird does
a great job of showing us that a
protagonist is anything but ordinary in
the middle of an argument with her
mother Lady Bird opens up the car door
and leaps out of the moving car
everything after that we don't know what
she'll do next number two the stakes are
personal one of the most commonly
propagated myths of Storytelling is the
idea that everything must have high
stakes meaning the story must matter to
civilization and be about one of the
main driving forces of Life survival
Vengeance Justice where this gets us
into trouble is the scale of movies
getting out of control this is one of
the big problems with the superhero
movie which maybe is the opposite of an
a24 movie how many times can we watch
someone say hey let's go save the world
yet writing teachers everywhere still
claim you must have high stakes the
truth is the search for high stakes can
lead you off the path and cause you to
write something generic the stakes don't
have to be high as long as they are
personal take 8th grade or mid90s for
example the stakes of these films are
basically non-existent the desire to fit
in and be accepted by your peers but the
stakes matter to the protagonist and so
we care in contrast think of how many
superhero movies fall apart under the
weight of their high stakes the world is
always going to end but we don't care
because it is not personal in everything
everywhere all at once we are given the
high stakes of a superhero movie The
Very fabric of time in space will fall
apart if Evelyn does not succeed but
what takes this to another level is that
in addition to the high stakes the
stakes are personal it is about Evelyn
reconnecting to her daughter and husband
standing up to her father and
recognizing her place in the world but
here it brings a good question how do
you make the stakes personal well a
writer defines the stakes of the story
by showing us how terrified our
characters are about the journey they're
about to undertake so early on you need
a scene that establishes how hard the
story will be for the protagonist for
example in BO is afraid Bo is AF afraid
of everything sending a guy this
devastated by anxiety into the world
makes the journey far more difficult
amping up the
stakes although the stakes in eighth
grade are not the world- ending threat
of a superhero movie Kayla's anxiety
makes the story matter this can also be
done by giving your character a strong
desire that drives the story another
secret of 82 24's Effectiveness is they
take this desire to a level of absolute
desperation number three write about
desper
people in the anatomy of story John truy
discusses how a powerful desire can be
the ultimate driver of the story what
elevates a24 films is the protagonist
absolute desperation in pursuing this
desire M Goths Pearl doesn't just want
to be a star she needs to be to escape
her miserable and hopeless life when she
takes action to get what she needs we
don't feel sympathetic necessarily as
you can't really sympathize with her but
we see how she got there Moonlight red
rocket Under the Skin uncut gems all
deal with characters put in impossibly
Desperate
situations this allows the filmmaker to
take the film in extreme directions
number four go to extremes a24 is
unafraid to go where other storytellers
will not and there are often extreme and
excessive moments that get the audience
talking where this the grotesque horror
of Scarlet Johansson destroying her
victims in under the skin or the butt
plug Kung Fu battle and everything
everywhere all at once or the batshit
insane endings of hereditary and
Midsummer a24 gives us memorable extreme
scenes that leave us talking number five
the specificity of the setting a24
movies use setting in a way other film
companies ignore so many of the films
are period pieces or take place in a
specific part of the country and it
would be hard to imagine moving these
stories to a different location and have
the movie still be the same to write a
movie like a24 the setting becomes a
character the key to making your setting
into a character is to keep it contained
imagine creating a map like JRR tolken
would laying out the world of the story
and where everything is in relation to
each other the world of the characters
will be contain to a handful of places
the world of the Florida project extends
to whatever is walking distance to the
hotel they live in right next to Disney
how they share space with other hotels
in the area and the abandoned hotels in
the distance ladyb Bird's World is her
hometown of Sacramento we see the Border
she crosses to go from the bad side
where she lives to the good side where
her dreamhouse lives setting can express
character we understand who ladybird is
by the way she reacts to her
surroundings she rejects her home the
way she rejects her
name sometimes it may mean the time
period is as essential as the place as
in the witch or in mid99s by limiting
the scope of the map we create a world
the audience can imagine it also helps
keep it contained making the movie
easier to make number six make it
contained one of the things wrong with
Hollywood is the bloated budgets and
ridiculous salaries of movie stars every
movie seems to need 3,000 extras endless
CGI and a movie star that cost the
budget of the entire movie but the
entire budget of everything everywhere
all at once was $25 million that's
roughly what Tom Cruz gets to appear in
a movie the smaller budgets allow a24 to
take risks and make movies that don't
have to please everyone all around the
world writers need to keep budget in
mind every time you move the scene to a
new location it costs money everything
everywhere all at once spans locations
and realities but it is the outlier so
many more a24 films are contain scripts
allowing the filmmakers to keep the
budget low and maximize profits take
luck the entire movie is Tom Hardy
driving in a car and it's fantastic or
bodies bodies bodies which takes place
entirely in one house or green room
which takes place almost entirely at a
bar sometimes a24 expands from one
location but still keeps the setting
manageable like the English Country Town
that is the setting for men or the area
around Disney world that is the world of
the Florida project or the New England
town that inhabits the witch one of the
most expensive things in a movie
production is what is called a company
move where you pick up the whole
production and transfer to a new
location by minimizing company moves the
filmmakers keep the budget under control
now sure there's something to be said
for letting your imagination run wild
and going wherever you want to go but a
bigger budget means you need a higher
return on your investment and there may
be ways to tell a big story and minimize
the company moves for example while
everything everywhere all at once it's a
massive reality hopping epic the
majority of the story takes place in the
IRS office in the laundromat and finally
on a green screen this is not all about
money either this is about making unique
movies that can take risk rks because
they do not need to please all audiences
and that's another thing maybe the most
important thing number seven don't write
for
everyone if you write for everyone you
may find a wide audience but no one will
truly love what you do but a24 doesn't
worry about this they make movies that
are weird risk-taking and have small
dedicated audiences the kind of
audiences that care about the authentic
feel of the New England Village in the
witch or the audiences that want to be
made to feel uncomfortable like anyone
watching the killing of a sacred deer or
people with weird senses of humor like
anyone who like the lobster sometimes
a24 fails and makes a movie that doesn't
get their usual critical Acclaim like
under the Silver Lake which was not
well- loved but for me is in my top five
favorite movies of that year or B is
afraid which flopped but some claim is a
masterpiece you don't need to make a
movie for everyone those movies feel
generic and are forgettable I guarantee
you whether you loved or hated but was
afraid you will not forget it if you
want to write an a24 Style movie you
have to lean into what makes you unique
and forget the idea of catering to a
wide audience instead find an audience
Avatar that one person that you're
making the movie for maybe it's you
maybe it is a friend or an imaginary
person what would they want to see in a
movie that they have not seen before
would they want to see Oscar Isaac do a
dance routine with a robot girl would
they want to see a world where everyone
has hot dogs for fingers not everyone
would write your movie for the person
that would my avatar is Marty they love
horror doesn't care if it's elevated or
splatter Gore they are attracted to
weird the out of- the ordinary idea
instead of writing for some nebulous
audience I write for Marty and myself
this is a common philosophy in
advertising and also YouTube Imagine The
Avatar for your ideal audience member
imagine how they would interact with the
story and cater the experience to them I
don't need the whole world to like the
movie I just need Marty to love it if I
wrote for everyone Marty would lose
interest a24 continues to pump out great
films and not compromise and in doing so
they are changing the face of the film
industry if you want more tips on how to
write check out this video on A2 24's
Midsummer and the story structure of
slowburn Horror
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