Most Powerful Plot Construction Tool In Screenwriting - Jeff Kitchen

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[@therunawayrascal]

this is really helpful: “Asking at each point ‘What is the cause of that effect,’ rather than what happens before it. Because any number of things can happen before it, but only one thing actually caused it. So that’s a way to help separate the necessary from the unnecessary.”

[@duncanread587]

I vomited, because I looked at my vomit. Cause and effect or chicken and the egg?

[@27Pyth]

@@duncanread587 Was the vomit looking back at you? Had the vomit vomited you? Perhaps you were trapped in a cause and effect time paradox, which, not coincidentally in this case, produces nausea.

[@SanjayKamat]

@@27Pyth if the character drowned in his own vomit nauseating the vomit to cause it to vomit out the character, then you have a resolution with reverse cause and effect!

[@Fauntleroy.]

The advice given in this video is... absolutely invaluable. More than worth the time to absorb the lesson. But be good to yourself and watch at 1.25 or 1.50 speed LOL.

[@liquidbraino]

@Evan Hodge "Be specific" - Sanford Meisner

[@lizzelloart]

Truth.

[@jameshowes4677]

I've been taking his class for a little while. He gets my highest recommendations. If you use his tools correctly you will never have a sagging second act or a flabby, unsatisfying third act. None of this is cookie cutter production or paint-by-numbers (this goes on that page number). The result will be a lean and compelling story outline. The process stops unnecessary clutter in its tracks. The writing of my script was far easier and faster than I had ever experienced before because I had a lightweight and engineered substructure on which to stretch my script. Taking the time to craft the story before writing the scenes saves time later in rewrites. The processes lend themselves to all forms of narrative and adaptable to what you may have learned before.

[@robbmorris7790]

I worked with Jeff on a work-for-hire desert survival script and found this tool to be very effective in creating compelling plot points.

[@AndreaClinton]

I love that there's so much talk about characters on your channel. People think writing is easy, then are stuck when they are beyond the character (s) that inspired them to write their story.

[@mikemauro3119]

In a way, this is taking an essayist's approach to writing. I love it.

[@TFICANADA]

Jeff Kitchen is super amazing! His videos helped me so much on my screenplay marathon. Thank You film courage.

[@filmcourage]

Cheers Tariq, hope you enjoy this one!

[@bunnytarot]

This methodology is exactly what I needed to figure out simplifying my backstory, FANTASTIC!! Thank you 🙏

[@filmcourage]

Awesome! Glad it was helpful. Best of luck with your story.

[@chriswest8389]

Bk story, I here U. Even with flashbacks, suspect I'm told, I still need a massive info dump to explain, terrible, why the situation resolved itself the way it did. Assuming my , if U want to call it the subplot, is actually logical

[@chriswest8389]

Two dogs, one bone.

[@nathanielwinnjr9349]

This guy is an engineer of writing ... Step by step, awesome.

[@filmcourage]

Here's a deep look into his process - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGO1nYOQot9spMU

[@seanferguson5460]

Jeff was right. It was easy to find Price's 1912 (!) book online. Public Domain and all that. But he is such a thoughtful and engaging professional, I have no doubt that his book takes the best of Price and goes much further. Gotta get it!

[@AG-vk5or]

Jeff kitchen's approach has helped me so much

[@therunawayrascal]

this one is really good. a missing piece to the paradigm. thank you both!

[@Kormac80]

Good advice. Seasoned writers learn this thru trial and error.

[@mgasparywriter]

While listening to Jeff Kitchen, I was applying the same technique in crafting the plot for my fantasy novel, trying to make sense of this and that scene through what he called the reverse cause and effect technique. Thanks for sharing! 😆

[@user-zd1jh5zz9n]

It's deep for me a Stone age guy but it sunk in.. Thank you Film Courage and Jeff.

[@lizzelloart]

I watch all the ads on this channel just to show my support for the incredible advice found in each video. Thank you!

[@filmcourage]

A great way to support this channel! Thank you!

[@fiveshorts]

So, write the bleeding obvious. Brilliant. Thanks.

[@MrVh78]

Damn, life changing, fixed all my screenwriting issues in one go! thank you

[@BIRUKFILMENTERTAINMENT]

Thank you Film Courage. Thank you Jeff Kitchen. This is very helpful.

[@KrissKingdom]

This channel with the interviews are great!

[@storycreator84]

Wow! An excellent advice Jeff :) I already see how I'm going to rewrite the ending of my latest script. Thank you :)

[@filmcourage]

Glad it was helpful!

[@storycreator84]

@@filmcourage your channel and assistance helps all the time :)

[@filmcourage]

Keep creating!

[@sinokadafi1797]

This man is brilliant

[@fabianthaesler1317]

Great explanation. Thanks!

[@AnthonyPetrone]

Hell yes, thank you for more Jeff Kitchen. Love this guy. edit; this is priceless stuff wow and genius technique.

[@bristolb71]

Genius. Truly.

[@FRNKNSTNmusic]

I thought he said perfectly crafted “from a drag” point of view - meaning aerodynamic. He said “dramatic” but the misunderstanding gave me some new insight as well. I just started thinking of my own character development in my personal life as “becoming more aerodynamic” after a friend described his experience parasailing.

[@Hyporama]

While working at a parasail company, people would use different words to describe the experience. One man said, "it was like being alone in the universe"

[@tomperugini189]

Love this

[@JoannaJStroz]

Thanks for sharing❤

[@eighthwonderproject1395]

Brilliant!

[@EliuEspinoza]

Fantastic!

[@cristianhoward64]

Thank you

[@nicholasfranghias9542]

A worthy clip though I would like to hear more about "cause and effect" WEAVING within plot and sublots. So it is clear that structure involves not one main plot only. Thanks.

[@MiguelCruz-oz7km]

There's a great video by Every Frame a Painting discussing F is For Fake as a means to exploring this general idea about weaving multiple plot threads. The simple structure is therefore/but/ meanwhile back at the ranch. So a given scene will have a character presented with a problem they have to solve. They try to solve it in some particular way, but encounter an obstacle requiring them to solve the problem in some other way leading to a temporary resolution or some other problem. We cut to your other character and we do the same basic thing we did to the first. Problem, failed solution, alternate solution leading to a temporary resolution or an entirely new problem. Then you either return to your first character or you give us a scene with your third and so on and so forth. Sometimes your B story will be the relationship subplot between your main character and another who may or may not be obviously tied to the main A plot. You do much the same. Scene 1 is about the hero having to fight the bad people and scene 2 is about hero having to deal with his marital issues (or whatever). Scene 3 might be the hero dealing with some other third issue or even a different character doing something. By the time the movie reaches it's climax all these subplots should coalesce into a single plot. If it's a bunch of separate characters on their own adventures, by the third act they're all in the same scene. If the subplots are different issues the hero is having to deal with, those threads should all come together by the climax. This is why in a lot of action movies the same basic thing happens. The bad guy sets their sights on someone important to the hero. The alien queen kidnaps Newt. The Green Goblin kidnaps Mary Jane. Gary Busey kidnaps Danny Glover's daughter. Hans finally learns that Holly is John's wife.

[@chriswest8389]

Big red stripe, is it him, no subplot, no sale.

[@albertmailyan9680]

wow great tool

[@liquidbraino]

I love how he's very specific, nothing he conveys is done in a vague way and yet he's able to explain a complex subject in simple language that anybody can understand. Breaks it down so the average idiot (like me) can understand it.

[@moetarded7757]

This was a good one. He scared me in some other videos.

[@tedarcher9120]

Script kitchen, nice!

[@leonardodalongisland]

Great advice. I did it the reverse-from start to finish-already knowing the ending. But to start at the end and work backwards makes a lot of sense. The term I like to use is, "As a result." Just one question, what the heck is, "Disappear him"???

[@ccwoodlands1565]

Steven Covey: “Begin with the end in mind”.

[@bcatbb2896]

i was wondering at first what he was going on about until he mention starting from the ending. ive actually seen this in use from some of the authors i follow and even mentioned by them on many occasions. it does work and makes sense

[@chrismahan]

amazing

[@filmcourage]

Thanks for watching Chris!

[@chrismahan]

@@filmcourage thank you for making these :)

[@5Gburn]

Watching Jeff Kitchen think is engrossing.

[@chuckgibson3973]

Grrr. Now this book is TWICE AS MUCH as it was last time I looked. Second printing, please. I don't do Kindle. Meanwhile, I'm going to watch the breakdown of the method in this video a couple dozen times to see if I can get a handle on it. Thank you for the info here.

[@SacWebDeveloper]

Does all this apply to sitcom writing?

[@filmcourage]

What are your main takeaways from this video?

[@dustyhills8911]

That I could have used it months ago (maybe years ago) instead of banging my head repeatedly against the keyboard like Don Music!!! ... to be serious, I just figured this sort of process out on my own through 2 false starts on my recent 1st draft. Now I have a solid treatment and writing pages. It helped me because the story is inspired by real events on two different timelines, and therefore already has a framework of sorts. Meshing the two together required reverse engineering very much like what Jeff describes. Very cool! Now I want to apply it to an adaptation I did years ago and fix my mistakes!

[@rakscyn]

For me: "It's endings --- all the way back." Until you know 'an ending' (at any level) you can't find the right cause for it. So I will follow all sorts of paths to collect story ideas (endearing characters, challenges, ...) but until I find the final ending I assume I am still lost. Then when the ending appears that I fall in love with, I can now, working backwards, line up all the dipoles (the cause-effect dyads) to align with that final ending (naturally, with letting go of pet ideas that don't work ---- "Kill your darlings" as it's often put). Best of all, I find, that when I have my ending --- my motivation to do the rest of the hard yards goes sky high and that boost is the fuel that keeps me going --- and keeps me patient to get everything else right --- because the ending is right.

[@DenkyManner]

That I should buy his book and not someone else's book.

[@PermaPen]

I do this naturally, as a systems designer - but this is very cleanly described, which is useful for me. It seems a good tool for writing a coherent synopsis, too.

[@spiralsun1]

I bought Jeff Kitchens book. 🥰 Also the importance of everything contributing to the STORY. 👍🏻

[@deanpapadopoulos3314]

He’s brilliant. NASA always asks what will be doing when we reach the moon? We’ll driving, an engineer says…and they set out to build they buggy. We cannot see the future including the end of our stories. His technique forces us to make a decision (which we do well) about our story and then ask a question (which we also do well), What action resulted in this? Proposition is about creating options and choosing the best option. Plot isn’t very clear to me other than it is this process at the scene level. I’m relieved he cited his sources. It’s another example of how reading and its consequences - knowledge - rewards the voracious, curious, life-long learner.

[@RMT192]

Maxon Crumb cleaned up his act.

[@arzabael]

Whenever he makes an example from a movie, it’s always a crime thriller involving police and mafia haha

[@HarryJoiner]

4:44 - Toyota manufacturing “5 why’s”

[@Redbrack]

What has Jeff Kitchen written beside writing advice books? Has he written any scripts or works of fiction himself?

[@spiralsun1]

I bought Jeff’s book immediately... BUT!! Always always tell the first and last name and the title of any books you mention and NOT just when you start talking about them... I looked for hours on Amazon and online for the “Price” book which I absolute need too because I am using the information to develop theory. I am also a writer. If anyone knows the title or the first name of “Price”, then PLEASE PLEASE let me know. Literally spent hours and can’t find anything. Jeff doesn’t cite or use a bibliography in his book either which is extremely frustrating. Don’t think that you know everything someone might use your info for. I could give your book a lot of publicity by my unique citation and use of it. Just saying. Please someone let me know what book this is the PRICE book he talks about around minute 24-25

[@filmcourage]

Hi Stephanie, we think this is the book - amzn.to/3uf54TA (affiliate link) Jeff mentions the author's name at the 13 second mark of this video.

[@jeffkitchen1549]

Price wrote two advanced books on dramatic technique, The Analysis of Plot Construction and Dramatic Principle (1908), and The Philosophy of Dramatic Principle and Method

[@jeffthompson1869]

I think what he is giving is great at debugging a script.

[@J.B.1982]

I’m no writer but isn’t reverse cause and effect sort of obvious? I listened to a bunch of this man and he’s clearly brilliant, I’ve learned plenty but how else would you work a story if you had an idea you wanted to end with?

[@meirisrael1728]

Deconstructing a crime scene

[@terryfriend16]

Creative people talk with their hands. I've been in the wrong group all my life as a technical writer.

[@chriswest8389]

Thumbs up. Fingers bk.

[@higurro]

Like with Se7en - What's in the box? It's very important what's in the box.

[@cristinawilligs]

i learned it by practicing all alone with no script school or something, by he way i am a graphic designer whose hobbie is writing

[@Fuliginosus]

Jeff Kitchen reminds me of Christopher Walken.

[@BudsCartoon]

4:00 - So... Is a "corrupt mafia Don" one that follows all the laws? Hmmmmmm.

[@rafaelsarmiento1187]

David Mamet spoke about that in other words, its not a new tool.

[@jeanbarque9918]

Shocked that this isn't already teach.. I'm quit sure having already heard of this logic but maybe it was in another domain. Because the idea of starting by the end (now I'm sur I heard it in another video but it maybe came from you) is logic, obvious.. were do you want to arrive, how do you het there..

[@mementomori7949]

Is only me having the impression he's repeating the same things without entering the details, but seeming like he is?

[@jeanbarque9918]

Is there a trick, a thing that people who has to speak alot uses like drinking something with a lot of of fat, like oil (eatable oil of course not benzin.. but oil like sunflower oil). Because sometimes like with this guy, it seems like he as a fatty liquid in his mouth.. and I thought since a while that it's maybe.really something like this to lubricate and/or protect the.mouth, throat etc when.speaking alot. Do someone knows about a something like this ? Not.searching, neading it, just by curiosity 🙂

[@Mr.Quantum]

Hate love

[@ericwilliams626]

This is all well and good but its not the answer. The answer is to find your plot by writing and writing and writing some more. The more you write the more you understand story and plot. Most importantly, study what people want in this world and why, and you will find your plot. People don't want very many things, but the context at which you place it in is what makes it unique. You want peace for example, so you show an alien coming back from the future to change the outcome so maybe we have a chance at peace because we learned our lesson. Or you can read my book Perdido which you can find on Amazon and see how you create your own plot through sheer imagination and understanding again what people want.

[@ComicBookSyndicate]

No, his way works better. You can write and re-write and write some more. He addresses your method in the video. You can either re-write your story 24 times -- or you can re-write your OUTLINE, until it all fits together perfectly.

[@ericwilliams626]

@@ComicBookSyndicate I don't rewrite my work.

[@gonzaloleon-gelpi9151]

Sory, not necessarily true.

[@anderssongibbs9013]

This guy talks like he's ex-CIA and wants to carefully reveal only chosen words.

[@retromaniatampa]

he's saying a lot of words but is he really saying anything???