How Writers Can Use Symbols To Improve Their Stories - Christopher Vogler

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In this Film Courage video interview, Author Christopher Vogler explains how symbolism is a powerful tool in filmmaking, allowing invisible ideas and emotions to become visible to the audience. Alfred Hitchcock's work serves as an example, as he skillfully uses objects, sounds, and shadows to convey deeper meanings. These symbols can represent concepts, foreshadow events, or evoke specific emotions. Colors, sounds, and even animals can be employed to create associations and build tension. In myths, symbols have their own significance, providing clues about the presence of gods or conveying universal truths.
Christopher Vogler made documentary films as an Air Force officer before studying film production at the University of Southern California, where he encountered the ideas of mythologist Joseph Campbell and observed how they influenced the story design of the first Star Wars movie. He worked as a story consultant in the development departments of 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Pictures and Animation, and Paramount Pictures, and wrote an influential memo on Campbell’s Hero’s Journey concept that led to his involvement in Disney’s Aladdin, The Lion King and Hercules. After the publication of The Writer’s Journey, he had a hand in developing the stories of many productions, including Disney’s remake of 101 Dalmatians, Fox’s Fight Club, Courage Under Fire, Volcano, The Thin Red Line and many others. Vogler lives in Los Angeles, California.
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[@therunawayrascal]

"Symbols make invisible things visible" is the most helpful definition of symbolism i've heard. mahalo mucho for that!

[@yapdog]

Yep. Well said. This pertains to novels, as well. It's more difficult to convey symbolism in such an active medium (i.e. it requires readers to do something: read), but it's worth it. For example, my MC is a modern-day, hard-boiled, African American (grieving) detective. He's torment by a white man (a demented cyborg) who's dressed in the style of gumshoes portrayed in 1940's and 1950's movies. Never once do I state that he's dressed this way to taunt my MC's ability to "detect," but the symbolism is there. And you always know he's coming before he appears by the measured and amplified sound of his footsteps. It's a symbol of danger, that sometimes gives false positives when someone other than him appears in a hallway or parking garage. It's effective. Try it out.

[@audiogarden21]

I love Chris Vogler. He always provides me useful insights.

[@sibusisoboemah]

Chris Vogler hit it on the nail! I believe Vince Gilligan is another master of symbolism.

[@wewatchmovies4446]

30 seconds into the video and i hear the conceptualization of symbolism - brilliant

[@williamlavagna1096]

A good example of this was in The Sixth Sense with the colour red.

[@UnoCinema-wx3zz]

This is just confirmation for me .

[@woodspriteful]

Depth Psychology depends on the exploration of symbols because it's the access point to one's subconscious (the unseen). Symbols are everywhere and it makes life more rich.

[@yapdog]

Great observation @ 3:56 it is, indeed, Pavlovian 👍

[@S.R.Jackson-v9v]

Williams uses music motifs the way he talks about colors. This is why scores should be more than a beat and a dumbed down mood. It needs to express and say something, to engage us to interact with what’s happening. Boring music makes boring films. If the lighting, acting, music, and screenplay are all boring, why wouldn’t the film be? They don’t need to be busy, but should never be boring. Ever frame, light, word, and bar (music) should be a painting… a painting that engages and immerses us.

[@Felix-z2r]

very interesting and worth applying - I will have to review some scripts ~!

[@jemhoare2105]

Some symbolism I've noticed in films: Some thrillers have the first death at around the 4 minute and 44 second mark. If you hear a crow someone is probably about to die.

[@playGEMJI]

Symbols for me are Proxies. “Tell me without telling me..” A more intricate way to “show, don’t tell”.

[@nickybjammin7629]

I always liked the chimes wether it be curiosity, or they’re fixing to do something clever, or something magical. I like in diehard I think there was something that gave him hope and you can hear the flutes and a little magical chime, 😂 but that could’ve been where he saw the naked calendar girl on the calendar in the air duct area we assume from the workers that we’re working on the building. I can’t remember right now but there might’ve been a magical chime there too! LOL Especially in Christmas movies santa needs to appear magical may be a wink, a symbolic wink with a ding noise he must’ve saw a snap-on-tools calendar in the garage, he couldn’t go down the chimney at this house ( too slick for a good roof-landing he needed to maneuver a yard-landing, came in through the garage) But it Dei hard I believe there is something else that was going to help him or something dawned on him that he could use amongst all the stress he kept finding something or realizing something that kept him going.

[@williamlavagna1096]

Would this not apply more to directors rather than writers?

[@concernedcitizen7385]

Just as dialogue should be sub rosa, visuals need to be subliminal.

[@grantgreyguda]

👍 👍

[@alterdres]

Daniel Craig James Bond. Let i give a couple of examples. Silence at meeting Spectre (Think about your sins) and silence in QOS before Bond ''meet'' slade (also part of the hidden place theme). Judi Dench name in a star in CR, with tricker sound in QOS and her name over the graveyard in Skyfall (and there are 1 more in each of those two) No picture of Greene on the wall. Mathis looks and his return. Rachel Weisz Daniel Craig wife. Ralph Fienes casting. Trees in SF (Go right), Spectre and NTTD. Some people mabey wil remember Bond take wheel whyle ''Eve'' dryving followed by destroying the mirrors. Casino Royale titles: Goldeneye reference to 006 ''friend'' death. Bond masked that not happend yet til Spectre. Spectre possible hint: Daniel Craig wil be Bond for 20 Years and return for Bond 26. Corona changed year in 2026. 5 years is symbol. 3x 5 = 15. Suprise on the corner: Another 5... 2005-2020 (2006-2021) and 2020-2025 (2021-2026) In SF Bond shoot on simalar thing what means he stil wil Bond over 5 years (2017). Of course there can be false symbol too or both ways. Camile in QOS and Paloma in NTDD said something what not happend. But biggest symbol are hide in the Lyrics.

[@victorcates9330]

So in some cases we're talking subconscious cues, pre-existing visual language, and in others it's consciously being used to - on the fly - develop a language? Would the presence of say a rat be symbolism if you were supposed to mentally process it as a sign of decay, or something rawer if it's just meant to trigger a visceral response that bleeds into the scene? Or maybe the rodent is just texture. Same question with music or sound design. A motif is maybe obvious. A high-pitched sound meant to build unease might not even register. I suck at symbolism. Processing colors in a lynch film is pretty obvious, but I want a more precise mathematics. I liked the video, but trying to come up with a complete model is just going to torture me.

[@UnoCinema-wx3zz]

I was doing this in twenty eleven.