Story Telling: How the Toy Story 3 story was Written

This is one of those gem YouTube videos that doesn’t have millions of views but that you can learn so much and apply it to your creative endovors.

Process Notes

• Feedback loop: Write Script -> Draw Reals -> Screen Draft -> Feedback from BrainTrust -> Repeat again (in this case 7 times)
• This is a beta test and you don’t rely on notes from one or two people.
• Great for a general audience. Beta test your story like software
• Started with a new story vision and the first draft didn’t work as normal

Story Notes

• Greated tentpole moments

Opening Notes

• Establish Characters / Setting
• Establish Relationships
• Establish Back Story
• Set up expectations for the future

Expectation Notes

• Original start was a a bunch of people standing around talking
• Inciding incident disrupted expectations
• Mistakes Made on Expectations:
  • Uncertain
  • Hazy
  • Subject to debate
  • Vauge
• Give a clear and specific set of expectations
• Lessons Learned
  • Expectations for the future
    • Certain
    • Clear
    • Specific

Inciting Incident

• Disrupt plans for the Future
• Change Sense of Self
• Change Sense of World

Changed to something

• Unforseen
• Visceral
• Action setpiece is enacting worst fear
• Worst possible thing

Keep in mind clear and character based logic.

Lessons Learned

• Disrupt Plans
• Change Sense of Self
• Change Sense of World
• Unforseen
• Visceral
• Action Set Piece Enacting the Worst Fear
• Best Possible thing or worst possible thing

Big Lesson Learned

Sometimes you need to plot backwards.
Reverse engineer the story logic based on what has to happen to your characters.

Inciting incident = Worst Possible thing
Plot is expression of Character (darkest fear)

Goals for the First Act

• Make the character active not passive

Long-Term Goal

Lessons Learned

• Compelling
• Sympathetic
• Maximum Rooting Interest for Success

Short-Term Plan Goal

• Clear
• Binary
• Black-and-White
• Pass/fail
• Seemingly Humble or easy to Achieve
• Ticking clock attached
• Vicsercal negative consquences if your hero fails to achieve said goal

Midpoint Activities

• Change the Direction
• Deepen the Stakes
• All Exposition
• Recognize and Inner flaw
• New story directions need new obstacles
• Reversals in as close proximity as possible with no treading water.

(Actually 6 different story threads with 6 different midpoints)

Second Act Break

Hero fails in

• External stakes
• Internal stakes
• Philosophical stakes

Villan is not wrong. Your villan is right. Looking at the world through the wrong end of the binoculors

Climax

• Hero’s epiphininy
• Toy Story 3 became a universal drama of parenthood and letting go.

Redefine

Redefine the wahy the charcter looks at the internal stakes:

• Deeper
• Generous
• Poetic

Video tipped off to me by from Acquired Podcast Disney episode