Week 3

Media Notes: I was listening and occasionally watching a youtube video series called "Anatomy of Failure". This particular video was talking about the Men in Black International, a movie I knew had come and gone but hadn't watched. The whole title of the video is "Men in Black International - How to build a toxic character - Anatomy of Failure." In this video the commentator talks about what went wrong with the movie.

Some spoilers ahead:

The main character, Molly, witnessed an alien during her childhood and saw the men in black at work without loosing her memory, since then she has dedicated her life to finding and becoming a member of the men in black. Not even half way into the movie Molly finds the Men in Black and explains how much she has wanted this and wants to be a part of it, and she gets it. She gets in to the Men in Black and is given a task immediately. 

"If a plot of a movie is built solely on a character wanting, odds are that the plot isn't emotionally powerful enough."

When the character gets what they want the driving force behind them is thus lost. After that point in the plot Molly is just pushed around without personal stakes or goals to back it up. She has gotten what she wanted without any trouble, any struggle nor any high stakes behind it. She has no emotional attachment to the task she has been given, because there is nothing that connects her to it and thus it isn't as interesting.

Why I wrote a post about this particular video is that it reminded me of how important your character's goals are. Want is not necessary enough to keep the interest of the viewer up when writing a plot and I will try to take it to heart.

In contrast here is one example of how to write characters who only want something, without villain and hero having contracting ideologies:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtmM-uasnTo

One basic thing that differentiates Shazam from Men in Black International is that it takes a long time for the main character to get what they want and during that time we are introduced to another personal want that drives the plot to the end.

For those interested in different types of plots I highly suggest looking up "Monomyth" or "Hero's Journey." If I remember correctly it talks about mythology, but there is a theory that all stories are usually made within these parameters.  Here is a picture on Joseph Cambell's 17 stages monomyth:

Here is a link to the video on Men in Black International: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBi2WyPVaMI&t=455s

And another link to video by the same guy talking about Hellboy reboot: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXF0sYOGy7E&t=774s

Here is a video on Hero's Journey:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XevCvCLdKCU

I would also want to point out a great comment under this video by Alan LaCerra

Aang as Hero (Based on the Three Books on TV): - Call to Adventure: Aang is born as the Avatar. - Refusal of the Call: Aang runs away from being Avatar and gets stuck in an iceberg for a hundred years, and as a result, the Fire Nation throws the world out of balance. - Supernatural Aid: Aang finds Momo at the Southern Air Temple. - Crossing the First Threshold: Aang enters the Spirit World and discovers that Roku has a message for him. - Belly of the Whale: Aang communes with Roku, the previous Avatar, who gives him the deadline of stopping the Fire Nation before Sozin's Comet arrives. - The Road of Trials: Though an excellent airbender, Aang has yet to master waterbending, earthbending, and firebending. Aang and the gang encounter many obstacles along the way. - The Meeting with the Goddess: As the Avatar, Aang allies with the Ocean Spirit to take revenge on the death of the Moon Spirit. Yue sacrifices herself to become the Moon Spirit, and Aang regains his humanity. The balance of Moon and Ocean is restored. End of Water. - Woman as Temptress: General Fong tries to cut Aang's journey short by forcing Aang to enter the Avatar State instead of allowing Aang to master the elements in due time. - Atonement with the Father: When Aang and the gang uncover the knowledge of the Fire Nation's darkest day from the Spirit Library, Wan Shi Tong, the library's keeper, sinks the library into the desert to keep them from using this knowledge. As a result, Appa is lost for a long time. The father figures get progressively better, going from the angry spirit to Long Feng (treacherous but human), the Earth King (clueless but well-meaning), and Guru Pathik (wise and helpful). Also, Appa eventually returns. - Apotheosis: Aang trains with Guru Pathik and learns how to enter the Avatar state at will. - The Ultimate Boon: Underground, Azula nearly kills Aang while he is in the Avatar state, and consequently, Aang cannot enter the Avatar state. However, Aang does not die, for Katara uses her healing waterbending along with healing spirit water to save him. End of Earth. - Refusal of the Return: Aang allows the world to believe that he died when Azula attacked him. He changes his appearance and throws his glider in volcanic fire. - The Magic Flight: Aang has nightmares and daydreams from his anxiety over the planned attack on the Fire Nation. The attack fails, but Aang and the gang escape to the Western Air Temple. - Rescue from Without: Having decided to help Aang, Zuko joins the gang at the Western Air Temple and helps them defeat Combustion Man, whom Zuko had sent after them before his change of heart. Together, Zuko and Aang improve their firebending through the aid of the last two dragons. Aang has a good deal of power over all four elements now. - The Crossing of the Return Threshold: The Ember Island Players show Aang and the gang a distorted vision of the events of their journey thus far, embarrassing and frightening Aang. Although Aang was going to wait until after Sozin's Comet to take on Firelord Ozai, he springs into action when Zuko discloses Ozai's plan to use the enhanced firebending possible under the comet to wipe out the Earth Kingdom. - Master of Two Worlds: Alone on an island that turns out to be an ancient and enormous lion-turtle, Aang consults his past lives for advice, yet he receives the most help from the lion-turtle, who reveals energybending to him. Aang truly becomes Avatar Aang when he is able in the Avatar state to halt his attack on Ozai in order to use energybending to take away Ozai's firebending, thereby neutralizing Ozai as a threat while still sparing Ozai's life. - Freedom to Live: With Ozai neutralized and Sozin's Comet passed, Aang is free to start a happy life with Katara. End of Fire.