Why You Should Study South Park

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Today I want to look at how Stone and Parker are able to consistently create great stories for over 20 years. I want to analyze how South Park balances its philosophical conflicts, creates a strong want and cost relationship in its episodes, as well as has some of its best stories written on a crunch.
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#Screenwriting #SouthPark

[@TylerMowery]

Get Practical Tools to Write Your Great Screenplay: www.practicalscreenwriting.com

[@TigerGreene]

Have you had any screenplays produced into a feature, or sold one that was made into a feature?

[@riddhimanroy2909]

The BUT & THEREFORE rule is the most helpful tip I have ever seen.

[@NUCLEARDASH]

Indeed it is

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

I feel like it could also be mixed with the story circle.

[@riddhimanroy2909]

@@TomEyeTheSFMguy yes- that's a great point!!

[@SirBlackReeds]

Is it? From what I've read, the writing process for South Park can be best summed as "just pitch whatever amuses Trey Parker the most." It doesn't sound like a very professional work environment. Plus, both he and Stone fell for their own hype.

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

@@SirBlackReeds where'd you read that? Sounds like a youtube comment.

[@ruizma9826]

The best and most bizarre cartoon I've ever watched and I love it.

[@SirBlackReeds]

Ah, a newbie.

[@3Prayt]

I'm surprised that the 'Why you should study" series doesn't have a KZbin list yet

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

I made one.

[@OlgaKuznetsova]

The but & therefore thing is genius! I have a fully storyboarded screenplay right now that I just started writing and I looked at my board and my 40 beats and tried to insert "but" or "therefore" between the beats. And it turns out that I couldn't do so a few times and those really were my weakest beats! I'm going to re-work them now!!

[@JerryAGreene]

Tyler, you did a fantastic job on explaining the use of but and therefore. I see the short clip of the South Park creators going around and talking about it, but your in-depth description is the best I’ve seen.

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

Oh yeah, boy, South Park! We really need a "Why you should study the Coen Brothers" video sometime soon.

[@SirBlackReeds]

And Walter Hill, and Tab Murphy.

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

@@SirBlackReeds who?

[@Makoto03]

I love South Park. Its always been the best of the early adult animation trio (Family Guy, Simpsons, South Park) and i love how it manages to always feel fresh and topical. But the best part of South Park is how unafraid it is to mock any and everything. Its probably the only show left on air that hasn't succumb to political correctness and seems cancel proof. We need the show now more than we did even a decade ago.

[@SirBlackReeds]

Who are you trying to fool? South Park is far from its heyday, and Parker and Stone have a work schedule that's perfect for succumbing to excessive burnout. Let's not forget that they've also relied too heavily on politics, putting the subject at the forefront instead of leaving it in the background and only bringing it to the foreground when necessary. Hell, they scripted an entire season based on _their_ assumption that Hillary Clinton would beat Trump. This is especially embarrassing when you factor in that by their own word, they don't swing too far left or right because they know very little about politics. In short, they've fallen for their own hype.

[@knuckles2494]

@@SirBlackReeds That's just, like, your opinion man...

[@tsp1999]

yeah, and now that the guy that threatened them repented, i think they should bring back muhammad

[@jocelynastheart2732]

The creators of south park are geniuses

[@Relithraxas]

Great vid, love your stuff, thanks!

[@fictionalmediabully9830]

The philosophical conflict bit is very interesting. I'm not someone who's against a typical "Good Vs. Evil" storyline, but I've noticed many of my favourite stories are about characters who aren't objectively more correct than eachother. It does make for more compelling narratives in addition to deeper characters who feel more human. I'll certainly take this to heart when writing my stories. The same goes for the rest. Fascinating stuff.

[@jaimeerindy4573]

Why I have I never heard of "But & Therefore" before?! So simple, but SO effective

[@SirBlackReeds]

Is it? These are the same guys that scripted an entire season based on _their_ assumption that Hillary Clinton would win. They experimented with serialization and it blew up in their faces.

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

@@SirBlackReeds yeah. It is. And the whole "Hillary Clinton" thing seems pretty separate from a simple storytelling method.

[@MucepheiCustoms]

​@@SirBlackReedsno one can 100% predict who will win on election

[@ChrisRonak]

this was great man!

[@harrypotteryescaillouno45]

South Park may be offensive, but it is also an educational and important show we need.

[@lildurk3004]

Its satirical

[@PixelateThat]

I never thought that you would do South Park 😂😂 I’ve always wanted to see one on South Park though

[@SirBlackReeds]

Eh, I've seen a far superior video on South Park.

[@alexjozbel712]

Realmente me gustan estos videos que haces, te tomas la molestia de estudiar trabajos ya echos sean buenos o malos y los videos que haces son realmente buenos. Keep going

[@jiteshshivakumar9759]

Correct my if I'm wrong here, but the last "therefore and but" in Scott Tennerman are wrong/swapped. "But" Scott burns Cartman's money and therefore he Devises another plan.

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

So it's therefore but but therefore?

[@jryce]

Thanks!

[@OutstandingScreenplays]

Best animated series ever made. ✅

[@SirBlackReeds]

That's just an outright lie.

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

@@SirBlackReeds no, it's his opinion.

[@nytronochrome]

It's not THE best, but it is one that deserves recognition

[@ruaangrobler3035]

"I learnt something today" :D - couldn't agree more. I watched the first episode when it aired on TV in my country (I was 13 I think), and I was hooked. I've been a consistent fan - so much so that I get ridiculed for always saying "well, there's a South Park episode..."). I also used to record them on VHS and watch it over and over in the background while cooking, studying, working, whatever. The amount of story they squeeze into 20 minutes is astounding. Also..."what's a 'but' for" :D I like this rule, I'll try it (I'm not a pro, just like to write in my spare time). Thanks

[@SirBlackReeds]

So, let's ignore that Parker and Stone fell for their own hype?

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

@@SirBlackReeds yes. This is about storytelling craft.

[@williamfrederickiversen3588]

Can you do a video on "Plotless Movies" like from Ghibli movies, The Before Trilogy, and a lot of A24 movies.

[@S3aChange]

Another really useful video, Tyler. I did have one question if you happen to see this; how would you define the philosophical conflict in the Scott Tenorman episode? It doesn't play at all like the "Goobacks" episode where there's a central question and we see two separate arguments. Thanks.

[@gowthamgangaraju2881]

I think the purpose of that episode was to set up Cartman for the rest of the series. Until then he was only part of the group who only appeared to be more vicious than others. But after that he became one of the primary sources of chaos. He became the guy who manipulated people for his benefits.

[@chavinchacon5517]

Do a screenwriting outline video

[@yrshvsky]

Thank u

[@raulvalledor8935]

Two years later and i wonder how you still managed to get footage of *that* episode without censorship

[@alexanderwindh4830]

I'm surprised how they can make an evil character like cartman so likeable. And yet still surprise us AND do it GOOD

[@LordHollow]

Fishsticks is also one of many examples of this in this show.

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

0:07 what episode of spongebob is that?

[@benjaminread5287]

Could we please have a 'why you should study Studio Ghibli' by you Tyler. Or at least a breakdown of your thoughts on them. Please?

[@SirBlackReeds]

That's an interesting request because Studio Ghibli feels are more atmospheric by design.

[@benjaminread5287]

@@SirBlackReeds exactly, something very important in a film, however they don't usually follow American story structures, and sometimes (particularly with Myisaki's later films) they don't follow any story structure at all.

[@azk4sheikh]

YES PLEASE!!!!

[@windsonma8209]

From a Layman’s Point Of View it just Feels a little Risky giving your self a Deadline because to take a page from Yoda. Fear Is The Path To The Dark Side Of The. In this context it is Deadlines Is The Risky Path Of The Loss Of Audience/Reader. Let Explain in the same Yoda Style. Deadlines Leads To Rushed And Rash Thinking, Rushed And Rash Thinking Leads To Messy Scripts, Messy Scripts Leads To Continuity Issues, And Continuity Issues Leads To You Risking Losing Your Audience/Readers. I Suppose it’s fine if you’re writing a Satire or a Comedy. But for everything else well you know, which again In My Opinion includes Fan Fictions and Parodies.

[@SirBlackReeds]

You really should have brought up their experiment with serialization.

[@windsonma8209]

@@SirBlackReeds Oh Yeah I Probably should shouldn't I? Guessed it slipped my mind at the time.

[@jessegoonerage3999]

That's why you rewrite.

[@ijasandeepsingh]

Tyler your view on Bollywood stories ?? Please tell

[@papayasandpeas3674]

THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@mrink8822]

do you recommend to watch south park know from ep 1 till the end?

[@richardgamrat1944]

Yes

[@SirBlackReeds]

No. Cut yourself off after 6-8. It'll only go downhill afterward. No seriously, Parker and Stone relied on politics as a crutch and made many other mistakes.

[@storytimewiththecrimsondm1318]

now i want to point out, that you don't have to have 3 dimensional villains. sometimes we just want the bad guy to be hilariously unapologetically evil. See classic Disney villains. but if you are trying to make a story about philosophy you do want to have more fleshed out ideals. good video though. yes this is the show we should study

[@XFLexiconMatt]

The biggest enemy a writer can face is not finishing your story, be it prose or screenplay, your first draft is always going to suck, even the ones that seem to flow, so get through them.

[@DMTInfinity]

Why You Should Study This Video Too:

[@thedoctor2871]

Wow, you made South Park seem smarter than my teacher.

[@SirBlackReeds]

That's because he used a rose-tinted lens. The truth is far browner.

[@tootslootandshoot]

Yeah its better then simpsons or family guy is now but to say theres been zero decline in quality since like season 14 (The shows last truely great season) is absurd

[@Kneevirus]

I wouldn't say it got better over the years the peak is still seasons 5-8 or 9 but its still shockingly funny and fun to watch for a show with 25 seasons and counting

[@storytimewiththecrimsondm1318]

also, this video and episode seem more topical than ever, oof. real life sucks amiright. glad I'm a cartoon character lol

[@04dram04]

I think the show was good until they made each whole season just one story.

[@TRIPP5_Shurikens]

Having morality is "mediocre writing" lol aight peace.

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

Nah. Having black and white Philosophical Conflict is mediocre writing.

[@TRIPP5_Shurikens]

@@TomEyeTheSFMguy you can assert things all day, but the question is WHY? Good is good and evil is evil, the same way black is black and white is white.

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

@@TRIPP5_Shurikens yeah, okay, but the truth is that life isn't entirely black and white. It's grey.

[@SirBlackReeds]

This video overrates Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The truth is that those two are far from their heyday, not unlike South Park itself. The series is a shadow of its former self. It no longer has that small town vibe it used to have, and it'll never go back to when the boys are just playing and everything around them goes from 0 to 100. The writing isn't that consistent, and while it has improved, it would eventually hit a nadir. It's recovered, but not to the point where it's like its golden era. Best stories on a crunch? The crunch is what led to those two bozos relying on politics as a crutch. Actually, when fans pull that "both sides" spiel they fundamentally misunderstand South Park, and it ignores the fact that it's easy to make fun of extremes. It should not be looked at as a matter of for or against but as scales, and the scales tip in favor of conservatives. Stone said "I hate conservatives, but I really fucking hate liberals," and both he and Parker have been Republicans as far as back as 2018. Furthermore, by their own admission, they don't swing very far left or right. While this adds appeal to the left and right, this also robs them of nuance because a huge part of why they don't swing very far is they really don't know much about policy and what have you. However, there's more that was conspicuously omitted. Parker once said that he originally wanted to make a punk rock show but once he moved to LA he saw that in that city, the only way to be punk rock is to be Republican. That is a very telling statement, and LA is a place that changes those who live in it. Still, there's more. That one Al Gore episode aged so poorly that Parker and Stone had to pull a 180 on ManBearPig. They almost certainly had an effect on climate change denial. There's also that episode with Rob Reiner, where they decide to demonize the entire anti-smoking lobby because they find Reiner overly righteous, and they also portray the cigarette companies as being all things kids like. Then there's their treatment of Chef. They offed him in such a brutal way because they were pissed that Isaac Hayes quit. They put Phil Collins in the show out of jealousy. They went on buy into their own hype and decided to take on the mantle of political arbiter. Lastly, a show like South Park relies on shock value. They've crossed so many lines that there's really no lines left to cross.

[@pufelmulticolorido]

Who hurt you?

[@SirBlackReeds]

@@pufelmulticolorido Who hurt you? There are very valid reasons as to why someone wouldn't praise Stone and Parker like sliced bread.

[@fictionalmediabully9830]

Unprofessional comment.

[@steveflatcher6252]

I love South Park, there are some really great episodes. But most of episodes are garbage

[@aaron4647]

Tyler has no references he is a newbie and tries you to sell his own course. It is a making money strategy and you will learn crap from him. It works like a placebo you think you making progress but really you only learn techniques which are not worth to learn and also brings you up from learning your own style of creating new ideas and stories. He only made 1 script, he has not won any Filmfestival/Oscar etc. It is the same for most of the courses. You do not need any paid courses to get good in writing. Do not listen to this bullshit!!!

[@Ilikeypurmother]

I'm really interesting is psychology and how different medias are changing the eat we functioning and think about things. If there is any media I live to study relating to this it's south Park. It's breaking barrier for Media and how people live and honestly helping unsensor shows Edit: I forgot to mention is also helps us understand you don't always have to choose one thing or the other and can stay neutral

[@martian14]

@grahammurray2452 You were saying south park doesn't have good lessons?