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Week 3 Day 2: Twists — THE MATRIX
1. Please watch this scene and provide your insights into what makes this scene great from a writing perspective.
2. Read the other writers comments and make notes of how you will build suspense into your script.
3. Rethink or create a Twist scene for your script using your new insights and rewrite the scene.
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WATCH 1ST FOR:
BASIC SCENE COMPONENTS — SCENE ARC, SITUATION, CONFLICT, ENTERTAINMENT VALUE, MOVING THE STORY FORWARD, AND SETUP/PAYOFFS.
– a somewhat weak-looking man being interrogated by slow-low-voice-talking, dangerous looking fed-types, accusing him of leading a dual life — one re illegal computer stuff. Yet he protests his right to make a phone call. Then weirdly they make his mouth paste shut — really frightening. Then they hold him down and a scorpion-like creature slithers into his belly button — extremely horrifying. He screams, then wakes up from a nightmare. It was just a dream or ???
WATCH 2ND FOR:
WHAT MAKES THIS SCENE GREAT?
– bank of TV screens looking down on Neo. Feds enter, slap down a huge file, including damning info on him. Low/slow voice of Agent Smith. The mouth gluing together (they didn’t do anything to cause it — just Smith’s words), then the mechanical scorpion, then the big twist — he awakens from this nightmare… or so it seems.
HOW THE TWIST WAS SET UP.
– In an earlier scene with a side business client: NEO: “You ever have the feeling that you’re not sure if you’re awake or still dreaming?” CHOI: “All the time. It’s called mescaline and it is the only way to fly.”
– also the weird impossible things that are happening seem like a nightmare.
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE TWIST.
– he wakes up and everything seems normal.
HOW THE TWIST CHANGED THE DIRECTION AND MEANING OF THE SCENE.
– we now don’t know if it was a dream or reality, or what is reality à sets us up for the rest of the story.
INTERESTING ACTION AND DIALOGUE.
– very low/slow talk of Agent Smith, sort of positive and normal, but with underlying threat. Neo’s brazen response, giving Smith the finger and demanding his phone call.
WHAT MAKES THIS SCENE GREAT FROM A WRITING PERSPECTIVE
– Simple interrogation room, 1 table, 2 chairs. Many tough-looking feds with sunglasses against a somewhat weak-looking normal guy. They say they have something very incriminating against him and could ruin his life. Then the sci-fi stuff, but then it was a nightmare, or ?? So at least 2 twists: normal to sci-fi, then sci-fi to it was a dream.
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