10 Screenwriting Lessons You Can Learn From Star Trek Into Darkness
1. Multiple Character Arcs
Narrative films are all about growth. Most movies end with a protagonist that is different than how they were at the beginning. Its a journey we all take, watching a metamorphosis that gives us hope that maybe we too can grow into something better. Its part of the reason we pay a handsome sum to go to the theater.
Whats better than your protagonist having a character arc? How about having arcs for several of your characters? This is certainly a tricky thing to do since you have to put time into other characters but it is very rewarding. In Star Trek Into Darkness, we get to see both Captain Kirk and Spock grow into different people. Watching two people change is doubly satisfying. So how did they pull it off? By making Kirk and Spocks arcs intertwined.
This seems to be the best way to pull this off. You have to write a story that involves several characters who need each other in order to change. If you take one character out and the other cant progress, you know youre onto something. It also helps boost your plot into another realm since everything seems vital, as if this is the only possible way these events can play out.
Even if it is something small, see if you can change part of your supporting characters. Any sort of growth is intriguing for your readers as long as it is believable. If nothing comes to mind, perhaps look at your character and take something away. Theyll have no choice but to spend the movie trying to become whole. And if none of your characters seem able to change within your screenplay, perhaps its time to rethink the story you chose. The best stories are those that radically change not only the characters lives, but ours.
Ryan Estabrooks is a film writer/director and photographer. When he is not busy solving mysteries, he can be found working on his feature length film. You can view all of his work at the imaginatively-titled RyanEstabrooks.com