If You Don’t Know The Climax... You Don’t Know The Story - Jill Chamberlain

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Jill Chamberlain is the founder of a screenwriting school, a script consultant, a screenwriter, and the author of The Nutshell Technique: Crack the Secret to Successful Screenwriting.
The Nutshell Technique is considered the go-to manual many professionals swear by. It's on the syllabus at film schools all over the world and has been published in Mandarin Chinese, Korean, and Italian, and in audiobook format.
As a script consultant, Jill has fixed and fine tuned scripts for Oscar-nominated screenwriters, top television showrunners, screenwriters whose movies have made over a billion dollars at the box office, award-winning independent filmmakers, and for many, many spec script writers.
In 2006, Jill founded The Screenplay Workshop with Jill Chamberlain (www.thescreenplayworkshop.org) where she has personally taught thousands of screenwriters feature film and episodic television writing. Complete beginners to Emmy-winning screenwriters and award-winning producers enroll in her classes.
Find out more about her and her script consultancy at jillchamberlain.com.
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#writer #writing #screenwriting

[@filmcourage]

Here's a follow up segment where Jill talks about the problems writers often face writing the 3rd act - kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZzZc3Wih5xkba8

[@noteem5726]

It's the little orphan boy Luke Skywalker wanting nothing more than to avenge his father death only to find out that the man he thought killed his father actually IS his father.

[@mharun1984]

Is this written by you?

[@noteem5726]

@@mharun1984 Yes. I'm thinking of turning it into a trilogy. Perhaps even 9 films if all goes well but I don't want to push it. No one wants to ruin a good thing.

[@zoompt-lm5xw]

@@noteem5726 That's great. Please don't sell it to the mouse

[@giancarlofilms6891]

Oh this sounds interesting! If you don't mind some input, I'm imagining this story taking place across several planets and spaceships. Idk I'm just riffing here.

[@KayC1039]

I am so thankful for Film Courage. I have been working on a particular project for 15 years. Starting out as an amateur writer who didn't know anything about writing story, whose story was too big for him at the time to now having written a script that has made semifinals in the 2024 Screencraft screenwriting competition. I've watched probably hundreds of videos, applied the lessons and because of it, my writing dreams are starting to come true. Who knows, maybe someday I'll be sitting in the interviewee seat. ❤

[@GomteshUpadhye]

Here is an example for what she is saying in regards to the third option. In ET, the govt officials are chasing the kids and ET while they are rushing on their bikes to the spaceship. Our two options are 1. Will the bad guys catch the good guys? 2. Will the good guys reach before the bad guys close in? Option 3 aka the 'banana' emerges where ET uses it's super power and all the bikes take off and fly! It's inevitable yet surprising and something that doesn't come out of nowhere since we have seen ET use these powers before.

[@AllThingsFilm1]

I think she nailed it. I have her Nutshell book, too. I've come to believe that I need to know the ending to my story before I write it. So, this makes sense.

[@adriansigler9197]

Love Jill! Thanks for having her on so frequently.

[@filmcourage]

Thanks Adrian! Love this one!

[@joshliam1967]

I love the concept of finding the "banana" so much

[@Jaaaaaffff]

I don't write, but I always learn something new about stories from Jill Chamberlain's videos

[@100MileMan]

This is great advice on climax! The third choice when between rock and hard place is spot on for a great climax

[@oraclemedia9266]

I love the insightfull and helpful teachings of Miss Jil. Thanks a lot!

[@mattsager914]

this is super validating...my climax is killer and checks off all these boxes!

[@coffeeknight6148]

Can I read you story?

[@mattsager914]

@@coffeeknight6148 my first draft is just for me, but after my rewrite, I don't see why not!

[@Maazzzo]

I'm relieved to hear what I've got planned for my climax fits these descriptions. Thank you for the video!

[@Neomatrixology]

Always check into Film Courage U when working on a project. Divine timing as usual. Thanks Jill & FC!

[@Nathanthehuman09]

The simpsons movie took this advice perfectly.... By LITERALLY having homer getting hurt by a rock and a store called "a hard place"

[@TheVeganButcher]

😂😂 reallyyy

[@jeffj4440]

Best of Jill's videos to date. And all have been very good. Thank you!

[@LeviathantheMighty]

Great video! Next time, could you give specific examples? Great vs good vs OK vs bad climaxes?

[@drjag2861]

I just got her book in the mail and it goes over a lot of examples!

[@JJasonHicks]

Jill is fantastic!

[@BeggyBeggBegg]

Absolute banger of a video, as per usual from Jill.

[@filmcourage]

We all love this one!

[@jordangloss]

Another good one. Pearls of wisdom all over this channel. :) Thank you!

[@kalimistakidou9103]

Awesome thank you!

[@SDIBINGA]

She's awesome

[@crazyantmedia8587]

Great video from Jill! You got to have that climax to captivate the story

[@filmcourage]

What do you think?

[@willduffield7226]

I think my favorite movie follows what she said.

[@100poemasyunahistoria]

The master Jill, thanks

[@johnclay7644]

informative interview

[@Hervebutoyi]

Wonderful, I needed this!

[@sajithks97]

Quentin Tarantino and Stephen King doesn’t know the climax when they begin to write.

[@DustinWQ]

Yeah, they just have a premise, hence her statement in the first minute.

[@TheVeganButcher]

I know but we are not Tarantino or King

[@sajithks97]

@@TheVeganButcher eh?? It was just an observation. Not a suggestion on how you should write.

[@goldbrick2563]

They know proper grammar though. They wouldn't use the word "doesn't" in the sentence you wrote

[@TheVeganButcher]

@@goldbrick2563 that was forced

[@kevinnguyen909]

EXAMPLE!!!!! HOW DO YOU TEACH PEOPLE!!!!

[@StreetLifeIndia]

Very profound and interesting. Thank you for this. It will be very helpful if there could be some examples of movies that have the protagonists caught between 'a rock and a hardplace' making a 'banana' choice, which was unexpected yet inevitable.

[@carocarp5]

Skipped through the title so quickly I thought it said "Having".

[@paulmurphy8993]

Neil Simon said he never knew the climax or end of any of his plays/movies! He just started with interesting characters and wrote the story until he reached the end. So there's that.

[@kevinmejia1989]

One scene I love from Heat, is when we think De Niro is going to go back for the girl, but he sees Hanna, and then he has to make a choice. Freedom or love.

[@filmcourage]

Love this film too! Awesome example.

[@wexwuthor1776]

Banana is not a mineral, but it does have a lot of potassium.

[@jasserpalm3055]

All over the story , we assume it is ROCK or HARD PLACE ; But it is actually A BANANA . 🙏respect

[@MrNoucfeanor]

Climax is great but without a solid resolution....

[@The_Real_Black_Jesus]

Looper is a good example of this kind of climax. The setup was always there, subtly in the background.

[@arthousefilms]

Banana!

[@smellymala3103]

Many women lately around me are repeating this talking point, but I think they’re just providing a defense of smut novels. I have noticed all of them clinging to their strapping elves and then complaining about loneliness… men do the same thing that you know that’s over in three minutes. My heart aches for the lonely humans of this rock. Even proximaly close people are out to fuckin sea. Anyway your philosophical aside today! Check out Triangle! Hahahaha

[@eugenetswong]

People are growing so far apart, that I think that a large majority of people will finally agree to segregation.

[@smellymala3103]

@@eugenetswong and to actually reply to your statement there, I certainly hope not. In my opinion the novelty of meeting new people of all kinds and the diversity of opinion especially in the face of my own is one of the most exciting things that I find about this reality. I'm speaking to you very sanely now to warn you that many are tricked into being consumer zombies just like we were warned about. That's how black magic works they have to tell you first. You sound very thoughtful please do not ever stop.

[@smellymala3103]

@@eugenetswong oh my word I didn't even think I was saying anything offensive and I got Shadow buffed in real time

[@smellymala3103]

@@eugenetswong anyway, point is, I believe in true horizontal equality and merit-based relationships that derives from a philosophy of loving kindness. Under the label of these things people are being moved to doing false things.

[@smellymala3103]

Guys if you manicure the stream of this thought then oh my goodness that is just I don't know. Well typical I guess film writing correct? Lol 🤣 two attached to my POV but it's true I sat down in the chair of your studio. And sometimes acting the ass, listen I do appreciate you guys so much. I'm sure I've gushed at least twice.

[@greeff100]

Dostoevsky taking notes

[@kristine8338]

I know the secret that will never ever be written. The rest is history and peace ☮️.

[@tb22k]

❤❤❤

[@meiyuc22]

She analyzed very clearly, however I feel she lacks real examples.

[@SDIBINGA]

"Schmuck bait"!!😅

[@sajithks97]

Please like this comment so I return to this video often. This video is a treasure

[@junky802]

A climax needs to feel like a release, dripping with satisfaction. Sonething too light a cigar afterwards.

[@squizzums]

Talking in absolutes--you must have a climax before I consider your project viable AND mixing metaphors--the character must be between a rock and a hard place/banana/lightbulb moments/schmuck bait--is your pedagogical style? And you provide no examples from extant films or books? Everything is crystal clear, guru! Say more!

[@AuthenticBranding]

I'm unsure what percentage of executive powers vs writing abilities come into play, but there is a huge issue, sure with Disney, but also with the writers and directors. Should Disney have done better? Yes, but so should J.J. Abrams. I mean at least Disney told Snyder no. But even with in writers, Favor made Jungle Book and Boba Fett and Mandalorian, and Iron Man. So there's a lot of fluctuation.

[@Felix-z2r]

Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid

[@josephvanwyk2088]

Recipe for great climax - PLANTS and PAYOFFS. You don't want to do things "unexpectedly" as a gimic or a "twist" or "banana" these things are gimics or "gotcha moments" that audience often hates -------- plant your seeds, don't make widows, don't make orphans. Learn your foundations people. The reason why Frodo doesn't destroy the ring and keeps it for himself - is not because of 3rd unexpected element "banana" , it's because of the constant MOTIFs running throughout the films or greed and self serving interests. Cause and Effect is the MOST POWERFUL TOOL. This is why the climax in Game of Thrones is HORRENDOUS. Because throughout the series they build it up Jon Snow vs the Night king - and then Ayra to steals the death was a HUGE mistake. Cersei's death by cave-in (should've been Ayra Stark). The 180 degree flip of Daenerys or the "Bran has a better story" BS. Why the last season of GoT is considered the worst writing in TV history. And lets not even discuss The Last Jedi................... These are ALL failures because people use "bananas"

[@micotellsart]

I think you are misunderstanding what the banana is. The "banana" is also a payoff to something that was planted. In a story, it is usually discovered in the darkest hour of the character, where the two solutions are awful and the character would rather die than being subjected to something so horrible. That's where the banana enters. In a character arc, the character believes a Lie and isn't able to see the Truth, but in their darkest hour, they have the hummility to consider a third possibility that was always there, but that their Lie made them (and the audience) blind to that possibility. But now you can finally see the Truth and a third way to solve the story. The banana was always there, but the Lie didn't allow them to consider it. Consider for example the surprise in Pixar: Up. The banana is that, for Ellie, the Adventure was their Life Together. Throughout the whole movie, Carl didn't want to see that section bc he felt he betrayed Ellie for not being able to give her the Adventure in South America he always promised. This Lie guides all the decisions he faces until he finally gets what he wants, but now everyone else is in danger and he doesnt really feel complete bc Ellie really didn't experience this Adventure, so he feels he failed her. And then the banana appears and gives Carl strength for the climax.

[@jonahlynx94]

This writing thing just ain't it for me, lol.