Tropes Explained - Types of Tropes & the Art of Subverting Them

[@StudioBinder]

Hey, everyone! Just wanted to clear up the confusion regarding the hospital explosion in The Dark Knight. The delayed explosion was intentional. Nolan clears this up in a featurette called Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene. Here's a clip: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4apmoGrh6ago8U Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to Film Tropes 01:01 - Spoilers 01:17 - Trope Definition & History 02:07 - Chapter 1: Character Tropes 08:36 - Chapter 2: Plot Tropes 14:55 - Chapter 3: Tropes in Dialogue 20:12 - Chapter 4: Cinematic Imagery 24:18 - Takeaways

[@moonshinefilms]

How about a video on the switcheroo?

[@pushin3839]

Thank you for interesting videos! Can we have a video about hidden things and easter eggs in shots?

[@candide1065]

the voice of the old white man sounds pretty toxic masculine

[@pushin3839]

@@candide1065 too subjective comment

[@juanthyme1569]

Turned out not to be true

[@OlgaKuznetsova]

One trope that I cannot stand is the "miscommunication" because a character doesn't take 5 seconds to explain or the other character won't take 5 seconds to listen. Like Character A walks in on their partner (B) at a restaurant with another person (C) and immediately assumes it's cheating, but won't listen to B explain that C is a sibling. OR B just doesn't explain. It's such a lazy way to create a conflict.

[@StudioBinder]

agreed, it's insulting

[@gregorylagrange]

That's why rom coms are so bad. They depend on things like that.

[@boboboy8189]

But this thing really happened in real life, a married couple can fall to this trope in real life when they no longer communicate with each other

[@noellebelle24]

So over this one!

[@WickedlyChill]

@@boboboy8189right!! And stories are meant to teach us

[@gretchenm47]

I think Hot Fuzz really needs special commendation on this, as they did the first 75% of the movie subverting buddy cop and creepy small town tropes, and then joyously dove right back in and played them all straight for the last 25%. Masterclass.

[@Whimsy3692]

One thing I'd like to comment on is how I absolutely love and appreciate how every movie title is listed at the bottom of every clip displayed. Makes life a lot easier.

[@anigamex1031]

Spiderverse has a good subversion of the 'yup that's me' trope as they all intorduce themselves as if they are the main character and then also shows the character arc pf Miles as he becomes his spiderman and gets his own comic book intro

[@StudioBinder]

That's a great example!

[@nikhilalexander8412]

A perfect subversion! That moment is goated!

[@wwjjss33]

My Name Is Earl also did this to great comic effect 👍

[@anigamex1031]

@@wwjjss33 which episode and in what way. Are you referring to the general intro

[@marklondon9004]

It would be great to see a compilation of the first usage of what later became an overused cliché or trope!

[@TheDisquietingNight]

As the sites do tell, "tropes are tools", so a trope's quality, wether one uses it it straight, subvert it, or deconstruct it, do depends on the users.

[@StudioBinder]

exactly

[@matthewstoops1330]

Gotta love the ole antagonist/protagonist “we’re not so different, you and I”

[@nutcracke16]

One comedy trope I love is when a character says a cool exit line in a car and hits the gas but the car goes backwards. I’ve seen it a thousand times and it always gets me

[@GaryTongue-zn5di]

I have literally never seen this in a movie or show! Examples? 🤔

[@spinsandneedles]

The trope of characters who initially don't like each other getting paired to work together is really worn out but I think it will never go away. Same with the character of the cop's wife who is trying to keep her man at home instead of him going to work. "Do you have to go? Can't you stay home?" So tiring and can't be much fun for the actors knowing its been done so much. Thanks for showing so many different tropes and how some can be made to work.

[@StudioBinder]

👍

[@firiel2366]

Ok but Walter White and Jesse Pinkman fit the "characters who initially don't like each other getting paired to work together" trope to a T and their dynamic is GOLD 😅

[@spinsandneedles]

@@firiel2366 Well it can be fun. It's just funny how often in police dramas they figure out that if "they just work together" they can get ahead and solve the crime!

[@maryclaremayo6157]

And the rogue cop who can't get along with anyone but is always right, making his bosses look bad, so he gets suspended or canned, but he carries on his own investigation and solves the crime, once again saving the day. zzzzzzzz

[@spinsandneedles]

@@maryclaremayo6157 The Dirty Harry films really worked the trope of the hero cop against the system. I liked a recent film called Dragged Across Concrete. Instead of just getting yelled at two cops get suspended. They then decide the way to make some money is to rob some dangerous criminals.

[@julius-stark]

I love setting up a familiar trope, and then turning it on it's head. It's the best kind of subversion. Like in Home Alone where the old man across the street is setup to be some kind of psycho killer then he ends up saving Kevin at the end and reuniting with his family, but then again I'm sentimental.

[@StudioBinder]

those are the best!

[@maryclaremayo6157]

Like Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird.

[@5cree]

I like it where the director has put time into making people think it’s going to be turned on its head because we all know the trope and then it plays out just as the trope would, but with extra comedy. 😂

[@benster62]

If studio binder had a trope it would be always posting insightful and entertaining content. Love your work

[@StudioBinder]

Hopefully a trope that will never die :)

[@JC_Cali]

And a narrator with a British accent to make us feel - and them soung - smarter lol

[@russellwboss]

This is hilarious

[@louisnemzer6801]

One of my favorite trope subversion is in "Palm Springs". A character says 'we're trapped in your basic reliving the same day over and over time loop'. But since audiences have seen this so many times, they can make a more complicated version

[@StudioBinder]

always looking for new creative ways!

[@Medosco]

There's a time loop episode of The Magicians that makes great use of the characters' awareness of the trope. One character is even a fan and recites a list including Groundhog Day and Source Code

[@neo_bellic]

One of the most noticeable tropes I've seen in action and horror movies is the "in weapon's vicinity" trope. I don't know if it's known by some other commonly known term, but in this kind of trope we see a character held down by another (usually at the neck) holding onto his/her life while reaching his/her hand out to anything a few inches away that would serve as a weapon and in time would help the character to get released and fight back. For example, in Kill Bill vol 1 the bride's neck is squeezed by Gogo with ball-chain thingy weapon, while bride tries to get hold of broken wooden leg of chair. Something similar happens during the hospital scene in Spider-man 2, with one of the doctor and doc ock's arms, and also in Spider-man 3 during Peter-Venom fight and many more movies which I can't seem to recall at the moment but I'm sure others must have noticed it as well. Also, in mostly horror movies there's a trope of character being suddenly dragged or pushed by unseen or unclear entity (not counting jumpscares because jumpscares are the cheapest trope in horror).

[@StudioBinder]

Interesting point!

[@androssteague]

I hate that. I do krav maga, and my friend and I tried this to see if there's actual blind spots are tunnel vision when your adrenaline is pumping when you have someone pinned down. Nope you see exactly what their arms are doing.

[@misterbobby8913]

Well you must hate any Jackie Chan movie then, because that's what he does, it's called interacting with the environment. And it's actually pretty common in dirty bar fights when one or both of them just grab onto anything close to their vicinity and uses it to hit the other person.

[@szabolcsjobbagy30]

In movie Saw, the guy cannot reach the mobile phone with his arm, so he cuts his own leg with the saw, however he could easily reach the mobile phone WITH the help of the saw, elongating his arm with it.

[@misterbobby8913]

@@szabolcsjobbagy30 Wow, True Point!

[@Brickster963]

In Walking Dead season 1 they’re looking for Glen and get into hot water with seemingly violent local survivors who work out of an industrial, grimey warehouse. Then in the span of a few moments so many tropes are subverted when the leader’s Abuela comes down to check in, asking to see if medicine is available. The warehouse turns out to be a place where they care for the elderly, and the “hardened survivors” are really just looking out for them and trying to protect them. The subversion does so much to establish a theme of good people forced to do hard things, and is one of the reasons the show was so good early on.

[@StudioBinder]

Great example!

[@adamkane4217]

My favorite trope is when a character in a movie is facing hard road ahead and says "A storm's coming." Bonus points when it's accompanied by a clap of thunder or ominous clouds.

[@frontmanford]

Studio Binder is saving my life. I can't afford film school. I'm addicted to every video.

[@StudioBinder]

Happy filming!

[@klartext2225]

Please, do something on those seemingly UNAVOIDABLE totally worn out CLICHÉS! For example: - people falling from tall buildings always land on the roof of a car - when someone unsure or with stage fright grabs a mike, there is always a feedback shriek - people do not just awake out of bad dreams, they always jerk up 90° and sit upright, panting - the two men watching the entrance from across the street are completely invisible... because they sit in a car! - bullets fired into the back windshield of a getaway car only smash the rear glas, then evaporate, never touch the front windshield! - there are slits under doors high enough to push even thicker envelopes through and so on and on! I would LOVE to see this episode!

[@abouthisbiz4330]

"The montage" is probably one of my favorite, especially when the sequence of events have not happened yet, a single character or a group are playing it out. I also love the old Miami Vice styles. Example Sonny Crockett is driving in his Ferrari, rayban sunglasses at night, florescent colored lights flashing by, Phil Collins is singing in the background and a witness to a murder and it's emotional consequences replay in Sonny's mind. Never gets old for me.

[@LibraryCake]

the trope of someone secretly watching a funeral happen from afar

[@toolittletoolate3917]

Two recent additions to the collection: The Wise Teen, always on hand to teach all of the adults profound moral righteousness from the depths of their 15 years of experience, and the Sad Sack Detective who is struggling with depression/having relationship issues with his family/haunted by an incident in their past (or all 3) but is still on the force functioning as a ticking time bomb for his fellow cops.

[@johnjim6793]

Pouring rain to signal sadness and thunderstorms to signal a huge internal conflict are among the most overused clichés in cinema. Especially when they are used as a link between the second and the third act in a romantic context. It is like one of those flashing "applause" signals in TV studios who inform the viewers that, in case they haven't noticed, the protagonist is now sad or struggling with conflict.

[@JessicaKennedy367]

Good ol' Pathetic Fallacy in visual form. My English teacher had a particular hate for this literary device, so it sticks out like a sore thumb for me. Not always bad, I love a dramatic vista, but always noticeable.

[@tawnieriekena7]

Another variation is when they show a time lapse shot of clouds moving quickly to signal things falling apart or events out of control in the character's life. I think I first encountered it in the non- narrative film, Koyanisqusi, then saw it used effectively in Oliver Stone's Nixon. Since then, it appears so frequently that it has gone from cliche to parody fodder.

[@archival3154]

As far as I've known, Joker's delayed explosion was unplanned and resulted in some explosives failure. Heath Ledger just went along with it.

[@Jeremysteen]

did Nolan tell you that?

[@Chxrgerifle]

I can confirm this, I am Christopher Nolan

[@siddharthnath7917]

I think it was a part of the behind the scenes. So, yeah, Nolan did tell us that

[@brucea3103]

With the cost of an stunt that can't be duplicated, there is no way everyone wasn't on script for the scene. I could see using a louder 'bang' on the delayed explosion that Ledger may not of known about, but it was all planned.

[@Pinko_Band]

@@brucea3103 Again, Christopher Nolan explained this in the behind the scenes. Its actually more common than u would think that there are mishaps in movie explosions. But it was just a simple delay, Ledger rolled with it, they used the take instead of doing it again

[@gregorylagrange]

You got me exited about the Time Bandits reference. I loved that film. I think one of the more famous trope subversions is Indiana Jones where Indiana takes the simpler solutions and just shoots the guy with the sword. Subverts all the monologuing that's done in action movies that The Incredibles satirized. A personal favorite trope subversion was in Scicario when Emily Blunt Pulls a gun on Benicio Del Toro, and instead of doing the "let's talk it out..." with the strong female character, he shoots her and says if she does that again he'll kill her. Really solidified his character and how extreme the world the characters deal with really is. Tropes I'd like to see go away permanently are the "Nooooooooooo....." undramatic moment. The arch enemy that the good guys finally are able to capture, but it turns out he's the only person that can help them with their next mission. And of course, he gets away while helping them in their next mission. Third, mistakenly picking up someone else's cell phone or knocking over somebody's computer, and the one picture or thing that the cell phone/computer owner would never want that person to see, is right there on full display on the screen. And fourth, women who are able to beat up trained missionaries or guards that are twice their size.

[@StudioBinder]

That's why those scenes are iconic!

[@QUEENOBSCURE]

Time bandits is epic. RiP to Evil/ David Warner both a childhood cush for me

[@maryclaremayo6157]

Time Bandits is great. I haven't seen it since it came out! This is dumb, but I still remember that scene where the whole gang is standing in the woods, and you might miss it, but one of the guys picks his nose. I remember because my sister was so grossed out.

[@Kennethmarchant9705]

My favorite trope is the ticking bomb. I’m know is a little tired trope, but I feels like it’s add to suspense in any movie, doing it in a right way. It’s a classic one. The one I dislike the most is the hero walk out explosion, to catch a cool image. It’s so overdone and lazy nowadays. Even for me, I personally love (a good) action movie. Fantastic video, guys! Appreciate a lot for educating about the film media.

[@StudioBinder]

As long as it's done well 💯

[@MarkEichin]

@@StudioBinder Goldfinger in *1964* did the "stop the countdown at 007 seconds" which I've always taken to mean that directors thought the trope was overdone *60 years ago* :-)

[@MrChriscable]

Die hards bomb on the roof and jumping off the side of the building. Improved the trope because the explosion was a ticking bomb and he wasn’t in control of any of it.

[@daverhoden445]

LOL.. Have you seen Galaxy Quest? There's an interesting take on this trope. And a different take in The Fifth Element.

[@chriscaygill7871]

Great video, as always. One trope I'd like to end is the "I'm showing how angry I am by breaking things". Particularly, a glass or a cell phone. Are we supposed to believe the character is so distressed they aren't even thinking about the hassle of getting a new phone or cleaning up tiny fragments of glass? On the subject of phones, treading on a screen doesn't normally damage the SIM which can then just be put in a new phone and retain all data.

[@chrisjfox8715]

Tropes are perfectly fine as long as the film isn't overrun with too many of them...and the performances are captivating enough. Even if a movie IS overrun with tropes then it can be okay as long as the performances are hammed up enough to make it clear that the tropes are being made fun of.

[@StudioBinder]

As long as it's done right with a great direction

[@brycecombs2868]

The transition from the John Wayne film being screened in The Postman to actual riders on a trail is a great transition in trope from wild west to post apocalyptic.😉

[@StarlasAiko]

"If it's done well, it's a trope. If it's done badly, it's a cliche." There are two awesome "Walk away from the explosion" subversions that get me every time. One is the mentioned Joker scene, which was purely accidential. Ledger was expecting more explosions, since they were in the script, but they didn't come. He just rolled with it and the rest is epic history. The other is in Megamind, when he is too close to the explosion of the museum and is "genuinely scared right now".

[@NecroAngelDeclaresWar]

The Joker scene was planned as it is. No detonations can be executed on accident or improvised. They would cut.

[@StudioBinder]

The Ledger improv is an internet myth; Nolan and special effects supervisor Chris Corbould stated it was rehearsed so Ledger would have enough time to get away from the rest of the explosion

[@BohoAstronaut0819]

One stupid guy claims this on tiktok and everyone goes with it. Screen rants and snopes have debunked this myth.

[@obi-wan-jacobi840]

@@BohoAstronaut0819that myth has been around a lot longer than TikTok. It sticks around because it’s such a compelling story even if it’s not true.

[@matusfekete6503]

Third one would be from The Other Guys where they even hang lapshade on how loud the real explosions are.

[@zenleek2129]

Bodyguard trope : used to be everywhere, very rarely seen now. I enjoy it ; I find it very flexible and entertaining

[@StudioBinder]

What's your favorite example?

[@zenleek2129]

@@StudioBinder I really enjoyed Tangled and Green Book, very different examples that I consider functionally similar. Of course The Bodyguard plays it straight, but I also enjoyed it for the modern twist on Knight Servant that it was at the time.

[@CollinThomasEverett]

I'd love a video on Artifice vs. Verité style filmmaking, and why both exist, and why both are needed!

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@Pedro_Larroza]

"Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015) subverts - or avoids - all six main tropes associated with women in violent films. The channel "Innuendo Studios" has a great series of videos on this topic called "Taking Back What's Stolen". Highly recommend. Thank you, StudioBinder, for another great video!

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks for watching!

[@misterbobby8913]

Or...mad max fury road is woke feminist propaganda. I guess you think Terminator Dark Fate also *subverts* tropes, it doesn't actually.

[@pixels_per_minute]

We've all heard of a "whodunit " before, but maybe a video on "whydunit's" if not already made. As the audience, we know who the killer is, but the protagonists may not. They may even be close friends with them, or even family - thus greatly raising the tension of individual scenes where both are present. In the end, it's up the main characters in order to uncover the mystery behind the killers true intentions, even though they may not like what they find. A somewhat recent example of this is "Invincible", who did this with the character of 'Omni Man' (The main protagonists father).

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@daverhoden445]

The Scream movies are great with the way they play with the tropes of Slasher movies. One of my fave bits from Scream 2 is when the black camera man tells Gale he's leaving because he's read her book and the black guy always dies in these situations.

[@BruceHurley]

The presentation, research, and production of this video are all first class! Highly informative and entertaining. This must have taken so much time to create. I don't understand how you do it.

[@Cammi-Cat-XIII]

I like “the Mexico filter” that was popularized by Traffic. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul made excellent use of this color grading style as well.

[@StudioBinder]

Interesting!

[@alejandrovargasaguilar6180]

My favorite trope is when is monday night and i see my favorite channel release a new video of pure cinematic quality. I just say: here we go again.

[@StudioBinder]

Let's go!

[@cary_domiii]

Would love to see this channel dissect more of these tropes soon!

[@StudioBinder]

Feel free to mention what tropes you'd like covered!

[@dragonqueen7328]

The trope I wish wouldn't be used so often is the "Nobody's ever talked to me that way before" as reason for romantic interest.

[@StudioBinder]

haha nice

[@lrvogt1257]

The trope I continue to hate even when it’s done well is the villain who rises again for one more round after the climactic battle.

[@angelabertrand9684]

The bad guy always comes back three times😅

[@HistoritorJimaldus]

Except in Aliens - best ending ever

[@Boncomics]

22:17 The JOKER walking away in a nurse's uniform solidified HEATH LEDGER as THE BEST JOKER for me. Sorry, Mark Hamill.

[@StudioBinder]

haha it's iconic

[@alisyasashin]

Whoever voicing this, should narrate a book.

[@StudioBinder]

haha maybe in the future

[@officegossip]

The letter voice over trope is also one of the effective ways to deliver a lot of info on the image or screen at once.

[@ericwilliams626]

The biggest trope is the one where they say the line twice to end the scene, "We must do what what we need to do, no matter the cost, no matter the cost."

[@nightmayor6114]

Opening of Lego Batman movie also is a good example of trope subversion where batman narrates that all important movies start with black screen and edgy music and long logos. it essentially subverts the narrator dumping exposition about movies by instead making it kind of Meta commentary on movies itself

[@StudioBinder]

Liked that intro

[@fr33dom_s4int]

The Dark Knight delayed explosion was a spontaneous issue with the pyrotechnics, and Heath Ledger saved the shot by his improvisation because they only had one shot at demoing the parking garage.

[@MrUtah1]

This isn't from a film but its from a story nonetheless. In Pink Floyd's "The Wall", Roger Waters opens with "In The Flesh?", which acts as a "yup that's me" as well as a set up for a pay off later in the story. (Spoiler Alert: the song "In The Flesh" reappears again when the protagonist is at his lowest point)

[@OzanBurada]

I want to give a shout out to Hitchcock and North by Northwest : clean sunny day, open field and a plane. Hitchcock himself said he did it like this to do total oposide of an expected crime place, dark alley.

[@StudioBinder]

brilliant shot!

[@kassidychriston1927]

I would like the sympathetic villain/ killer trope to end, along with the sad backstory of a villain/killer.

[@StudioBinder]

👍

[@brandonwilkerson5813]

I appreciate y’all for even mentioning “The White Savior”, I wish y’all gave more examples. Could y’all do a video on stereotypes & how they play a role in a screenwriters character development? Whether it be related to race/gender/nationality/sexual orientation?

[@AnonymousC-lm6tc]

The Blind Side is not an example of the “white savior” trope, it is about a Christian family extending a helping hand to a young man who is intelligent, but had his potential stifled by his environment and simply needed more resources and love in order to recognize his full capabilities. It’s about people helping other people. There is nothing objectionable about that.

[@brandonwilkerson5813]

@@AnonymousC-lm6tc If that makes sense to you then okay

[@ashleylodewyk7454]

As a screenwriter, I do the best I can to subvert every other genre trope I've seen in every other movie that made it big, and it's fun doing that. The script/story feels fresh with every read thru. Thanx for reminding me of some of these tropes I've seen and heard in so many movies out there.

[@StudioBinder]

Happy writing!

[@szabolcsjobbagy30]

A very good trope which makes every movie very exciting, full of suspense is when the protagonist's team arrives just a few seconds late and misses to catch the villain, and they need to find a clue where to find the villain, then they arrive just a few seconds late again etc., for example in Angels and Demons.

[@MisterM2402]

I hate the trope/cliche of characters X and Y having a conversation, then Y goes to leave and X calls after them "Oh, and Y...? Thanks." It's crazy how common that exact dialogue is. Also tropes are worse once they're pointed out, then you see them everywhere and they're hard to ignore.

[@noahnelson3786]

And you left in “I Heard Ramona Sing” beyond its place. Brilliant.

[@MemphiStig]

The thing that strikes me about that Blind Side trope is that it really happened. A case of art imitating life imitating art etc. Tropes aren't all just artificial story-telling constructs and contrivances. And they work best when they feel real, and sometimes that means they run true, and sometimes they get subverted. I didn't like the end of Inception because to me it was predictable and felt like the weaker choice, but apparently it worked for some people. But tropes are just tools, and it's how they're used that matters. Excellent video!

[@yola6139]

agreed on both points.. end of inception was predictable and frustrating but anything else happening to the spinning thing would have maybe taken away from the philosophical approach of the film

[@lauracgc]

Still have this opinion after all the stuff that came out recently? 😂

[@MemphiStig]

@@lauracgc Well, I never expect any movie "based on a true story" to be all that close anyway. The story is supposed to take the core and fantasize it for us, and when it's "based on" real life, filmmakers have a tendency not to care about the truth if it doesn't serve their story. (Woman King, for instance.) So I guess I'm not really surprised at recent events with respect to how the film told the story. That's pretty standard. It's usually just a matter of how long it is before the whole truth comes out.

[@spyros219]

What about a video about the dystopian genre? There are some interesting examples.

[@StudioBinder]

we might!

[@maryclaremayo6157]

@@StudioBinder Yes! One of my favourite things!

[@taitano12]

The Dark Knight delayed hospital explosion was a blooper left in because of the subversion mentioned. It was originally going to be the trope played straight. But the issue caused the comedy/tension/tragic underpinning combination that made the scene awesome, so they kept it in... Besides, they only had one take because they were blowing up an actual closed hospital, which was scheduled for demolition anyway, IIRC.

[@New_Perspective]

I don't know how you would frame the video, but I'd love to watch one on the different ways films interpret history. Whether they're based on a real event, use historical inspiration, or intentionally rewrite history to explore a new narrative outcome.

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@mumiemonstret]

That's a very good topic! All the different levels of authenticity that storytellers use to label their work. What do they actually mean regarding amount of artistic freedom, and why does it matter so much whether a story is "true" or not? "Based on a true story". Documentary. Biopic. "Inspired by real events". Etc. It can be quite embarrassing and even dangerous if you take a made-up story for a historically accurate record and internalise it as facts.

[@princejbc2003]

The antagonist's monologue when they think they've won and just before they get dispensed with.

[@StudioBinder]

Specifically a villain monologuing in a superhero film. a trope to the point some superhero films reference it

[@magnus1383]

The heroics sacrifice is perfectly subverted by the scene in SCP secret laboratory where one of the MTF members guides his comrades into an elevator and tries to stay behind to face and distract SCP-106, but the SCP ignores him, going straight for the closing elevator doors and killing his allies as he screams.

[@CleoS-vx5pd]

Another trope is Studio Binder using Inception in every video! 🤣 The only reason I know is because I keep watching, so it’s all good. 😊

[@StudioBinder]

haha you can see our preferences

[@laughing1995]

My favorite Trope is the mean popular girl, great start for so many stories and social commentary

[@StudioBinder]

haha it's a fun character for sure

[@WifeWantsAWizard]

My favorite trope is the "George Lucas Ear Flick"--where you sit down to watch a movie you've seen one hundred times and suddenly it's different for no reason other than someone wanted to make you cry. It's like opening a bottle of fine wine or getting flicked in the ear with a bullwhip.

[@johnjim6793]

One of the most popular dialogue tropes in action movies: "Let's get (the f*ck/the hell) outa here!" "Mickey Blue Eyes" made fun of this when Englishman Hugh Grant desperately tries to give this line the proper Italo-American pronunciation to pass as a true gangster. This line is used so often that if you had put it in as an example in this video it would have been a trope trope. :-)

[@zetenytoth5404]

I wish you talked more about the differences between tropes and clichés. Regardless a great and informative video once more.

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks for watching!

[@hitrewind_]

6:54 I Related this trope[Wise Old Man] to most of the popular tamil movies like Jigarthanda, Sarpetta Parambarai and many more.....

[@visual_audiosymphony]

I reached a point where I don't care if a movie gets spoiled for me,I am gonna watch your videos anyway.😅

[@BenDiaz]

Evil mastermind says “it’s so hard to find good help these days”

[@StudioBinder]

👍👍

[@danielcielak9228]

I have five suggestions to videos that I think could be useful to get videos about, so I’ll just add them here. Firstly, a video on character work and ways to give depth to characters. You could use things such as The Last of Us, Chernobyl, and Andor as examples. Secondly, subjective filmmaking. Matt Reeves specifically. He always says he tried to get into the pov of a character, and bases his whole style on subjectivity. A video about that would be amazing. Fourth, a video on how to create mystery and payoff would be amazing, maybe using pieces such as Poker Face, the Knives Out movies, True Detective, and Se7en. Fifth: how to use action in service of the story. The Mission Impossible movies, Andor, and all James Gunn/Matt Reeves movies tie action into the themes and character progression, I’d love to see a video covering that. James Gunn has even touched on it from time to time. Finally, I’d like to see more videos breaking down unique styles of directors. James Gunn, Matt Reeves, Rian Johnson, and Christopher McQuarrie especially.

[@MrWhipple42]

Deadpool 2 mercilessly parodied the "died in his arms" trope and turned it into one of the funniest scenes in the film.

[@fruzsimih7214]

Most hated trope for me in romcoms: Random people clapping when the protagonists kiss after reconciliation. Seems to have started in the late 1960s with Barefoot In the Park and has been around as long as there were romcoms (you see hardly any new ones nowadays).

[@doljlob..7097]

The guy trying to sacrifice himself with the grenades only to get whipped into the cliff edge in Kong: Skull Island is a very good subversion of the hero’s sacrifice trope 😂

[@elliotcohen6652]

I can't believe there was no mention of the "hero falls off cliff. There is a 7-second pause. Hero's hand grabs edge of cliff and hauls himself up" trope. It's one of my personal favourites.

[@MagneticDonut]

Man this episode was unexpectedly funny. Great class as always! Thank you guys!!

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks for watching!

[@yuriajones]

This video was brilliantly done. I felt like I was in film school.

[@5cree]

I wish they’d added in the other kinds of tropes like the tea-break trope, where during fight scenes there’s a comic relief break, for example deadpool counting his bullets or two guys fighting off an army and then getting into an elevator for the chill music to play, then get out and resume the fight.

[@thechriswhewell]

The one that grates on me is The Explainer, where the viewer is brought up to date with the events so far, but it's done by several characters walking about and adding to the narrative. I mean people actually walk into a room where a conversation is going on, and add to it seamlessly. As if everyone is on the same page and reading the same dialogue - which in effect, they are. NCIS do this all the time and it boils my .....

[@domhuckle]

Almost everything is a trope, we're living in a post-trope world This makes it hard to portray sincerity. Calvary does an exquisite job of it though

[@tawnieriekena7]

The trope i always point out is the main characters ' red convertible car. I understand that it makes sense. The red makes it stand out to the viewers, and being a convertible, allows us to see the actors. It's such a cliché that it's kind of like a nudge and a wink to the viewer now. However, this can get ridiculous as anyone who has tried to have a conversation while traveling at highway speeds in a convertible will know. The one I hate is when they show a soldier reading a letter from home out loud, and then they're either immediately killed, or killed in the next scene. Used and subverted very effectively in Apocalypse Now , not so much elsewhere.

[@theonlymegumegu]

i was expecting a call out to The Other Guys when you brought up the explosions trope XD

[@StudioBinder]

💥

[@szebilinho]

FYI, the dark knight trope Subversion was actually completely coincidental and not on purpose at all by Nolan. There was a technical malfunction and heath ledger just went with it and with the delay the explosion did happen then. Since they actually blew up something they didn't have multiple takes and Heath improvising is a strike of genius.

[@SnarkyLesbian]

I would argue, the Love Triangle involving the Narrator, Tyler Durden and Marla, is noch actually about both men wanting Marla, but about both the Narrator and Marla wanting Tyler. And those gay / inspired partner notes are I feel like given quite openly. "He wants his best friend / lover back", is kind of the idea given.

[@Infinite_Mortis]

22:18 FYI this was a movie set mistake actually, the bombs for the hospital were meant to go off but they were delayed. They kept rolling and Heath kept in character. Just a great moment of realism captured on camera

[@flyingrobotduck]

So many stories have been written and movies have been made that it's nearly impossible to make one without some Tropes. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to avoid some of the more obvious ones. Also if used enough even subverting a Trope can become a Trope.

[@atomicdoctor5686]

Maybe you could do a video on how to create a sequel that doesn't feel repetitive and unnecessary.

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@Just-a-bystander]

I’d like to see you look at scripts like Wind River.. scripts that may not be as popular as Star Wars, but subjects that deal with semi real story lines that are hard edge reality. There are so many aspects in which you might look at the subject and I’m sure your knowledge of this subject far exceeds mine. I find your selections do focus on the brilliant directors and the successful movies, but there must be an amazing assortment of movies that feed all the right baskets which you can develop brilliant content from movies that are a little off beat.

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@MISHKINPUSH]

Another great video. Suggestion: a comparison of character arcs between Groundhog Day, where only the main character has an arc, and Being There, where only those around the main character have arcs.

[@Herfinnur]

Trope to retire: hanging up without a goodbye. It takes me out of every fucking movie!

[@Patizm]

Could you make an episode on The Bear's artistic style? That show uses a lot of original technics in a very successful way.

[@StudioBinder]

we might!

[@aadisharma9972]

@@StudioBinder can you do one alone on S01 ep07?

[@BillPeschel]

This reminds me of a quote from Agatha Christie. In an early short story, her author avatar Ariadne Oliver has this to say about tropes. Context: She had designed a story Parker Pyne used to give a client an adventure. Afterwards, he asked her if next time she could come up with something more original. She said, "No." And then she explained: "What we are talking about, Mr. Parker Pyne, is the basis for my being able to sell my 40 books in 20 different languages. That is to say, the conservatism of the generality of mankind. "People like to know where they stand. They read about buried loot, maidens in distress, water rising in the cellar and so on, and they’re thoroughly familiar with them. So that when they experience these things for themselves, they really know they’ve had an adventure. Put them through something too unfamiliar, they merely have a disagreeable experience they’d rather forget. "No, no. Life should imitate fiction wherever possible."

[@quintenschouten1731]

Not sure if it's true, but I read that the subversion of the trope shown at 22:10 was not intentional. They only had one shot for this due to the explosions, but it partially malfunctioned. However, the actor stayed in character which lead to this final result.

[@StudioBinder]

That's an internet myth, they delay was planned and practically a solution to get Ledger to a safe distance with an actual explosion occurring behind him

[@quintenschouten1731]

@@StudioBinder Ah, thanks for clarifying!!

[@carl.from.accounting]

pt anderson once said that all characters are one dimensional when we first meet them. Complexity is developed as the story goes on.

[@StudioBinder]

Fair

[@lindenstromberg6859]

The letter voiceover in Dracula is kind of from the book. It’s sort of like Bateman’s music reviews in the film, some chapters in the book are music reviews from Bateman’s perspective-the book is filled with Bateman trying to emulate magazine articles.

[@BulletProofBacon]

The editing is fantastic!! Love all the timely movie references

[@chriswest8389]

Suprising choice to use as a bad character choice, namely Butthead Biff. He, like the general tenor( pun there) of the film is highly stylized. That excuses his two dimensionality. He's one of the few antagonists without ' breathing space'. He possesses no redeeming qualities.Hes one of the most iconic characters, certainly villians, in cinematic history though. It works artistically.

[@cree8vision]

What's really interesting is when a common trope is turned on it's head which happens more nowadays. I wish they'd retire the old horror trope of something scary is hiding in the dark and our hero keeps moving toward it.

[@StudioBinder]

Midsommar threw that on its head and did the exact opposite

[@cree8vision]

@@StudioBinder Fair enough.

[@BulletProofBacon]

Fantastic editing! Love all the movie quote inserts

[@rayancedrichaddad1197]

Thousand Thanks you StudioBinder for this Inspiring video. I didn't know before what is a Trope in Storytelling. Now I understand.

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks for watching!

[@crystalhallgame4965]

Great video! I always thought that the dark knight joker delayed explosion was an accident that was improvised. Great subversion by Nolan if he came up with it!

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

People are weird. We complain about things never changing: "there's nothing new in films anymore," yadda, yadda, yadda. But miss out any expected tropes and you get: "this director doesn't know anything about this genre!" (Whatever "this genre" happens to be; but complaints are more often found in sci-fi, horror and the like. Imagine a typical horror film without the jump scare; sci-fi without either the future, aliens or a rogue AI (or all three!), and so on, and you'll be able to hear the complaints in your head! It's what makes writing sci-fi so difficult (my area mostly, though I have expanded into crime & fantasy - not at the same time, though coming to think of it, the crime story has deliberate hints of fantasy and sci-fi in it. I just didn't really think about that till now.) I've been desperately trying to avoid tropes, but sometimes it's the only way to "show, not tell" in a novel rather than a film! Years after majoring in English, including creative writing, I'm still trying to wrap my head fully around that phrase when it comes to a book! I more-or-less get it from a film-script POV, but when it comes to novels, with few words describing a scene, you're going to leave your readers behind before you get into chapter 2! How about "show, don't tell" as a subject? Unless you did it before I subbed and I haven't found it yet. It's an important part of storytelling and it might even help me lol! I just want to add that despite never going to be in a position to film anything (it's hard enough getting the grandkids to stay in frame 😂), I find everything you do incredibly fascinating and it does help me think more about what I'm writing. So thank you, and please keep on teaching us ☺️

[@StudioBinder]

there's nothing truly original that can be made anymore, but it can be authentic. I think whether a trope is used or not used, the issue is when it's not executed authentically