What Does 'Not Enough Conflict' In A Screenplay Really Mean? - Erik Bork

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[@prayforpeace2204]

I hope this is helpful - In my first 15 scripts or so, coverage notes always came back saying there was not enough conflict. I personally do not like conflict in real life, or at least I didn't used to. I discovered over the years that I needed to personally embrace conflict in my own life (not physical fights or car chases, but rather I needed to face my problems head-on). Once I began having a bit of courage to face my personal issues, I found that my well of courage deepened. Courage begat more courage. And conflict became normative. Life became better. Going back to writing, I found myself forcing characters to confront deeper and deeper issues, and thus higher and higher levels of conflict. This has made for richer stories. Surprisingly, this entire experience also profoundly impacted by dialogue writing. Characters now feel more 3 dimensional. In short, I have learned that you can't just write about brave characters, you have to be one yourself.

[@MrHarri07]

You are just making many people's life useful. Please don't stop to make videos

[@filmcourage]

Thank you for your support hari. Day by day, we are doing the best we can. Keep creating.

[@thereccher8746]

A conflict is: Character A wants a goal. Character B wants a mutually exclusive goal. Only one can win. Example: John wants to open the door. It's rusted. Character John wants the door to open. Character Door wants to stay closed. They can't both get what they want. Conflict established.

[@lonjohnson5161]

This is just what I needed now, although I would have loved it if he could have given concrete story examples of conflict that works and conflict that is a little weak.

[@ClintLoweTube]

The greater the consequences the better the conflict will be. And it has to mean a lot to the character. The more it means to them the better the conflict works.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

A full-featured setup like you're asking is probably worthy a whole video series on its own... There are some pretty great stories out there with conflicts that from the casual side aren't very powerful, meaningful, or worthy. Yet, the way the story is presented is worth the watch, because it's well established and visually exciting... Take "Mousetrap"... Problem : Two brothers who don't get along well, inherit a fine old mansion from their dead father and have to renovate it while contending with a "mouse from hell" who's domain is in the house... Antics ensue... Not because there's some earth-shaking matter in the balance. It's an old house nobody's lived in for decades, and a mouse is defeating a couple idiots... BUT it's worth watching for the "Road-runner and Coyote" plotting, sight-gags, and a dubiously gentler resolution of working with the mouse to also save a string factory from being bought out by a big conglomerate... The house is destroyed and the factory is saved as it shuts down production on string, and re-imagines itself as a string-cheese factory... AND of course, the two (idiot) brothers reach an accord with the mouse to work together (since apparently they're incompetent at rodent-icide... No, not likely to be pulitzer material. Funny as hell, but the actual plot... um... scarcely even what you'd consider "relatable" until you actually watch the thing. Somehow, presenting these otherwise "low power" conflicts with keen visuals and layers of atmosphere, proper timing from setup to pay-off, and keeping the action very close to "reasonably realistic" makes the characters FEEL identifiable. We've faced mundane problems that we SHOULD have been able to stroll through with no more than proper tools... and we've found whole new ways to achieve failure. Everyone's "screwed the pooch" at some point, just dropped the ball and watched it roll away uselessly. We've all felt "beaten" by relatively mundane or even inane forces of our world, and this comical little movie depicts something parallel to that. BUT to a judge of "writing quality" in plot? The conflicts are a bit weak... The bottom line isn't just the "Power" or "Level" of conflict you start with, but through character establishment and development, drawing the audience more intimately in line with the main characters, it's the sensation you can create or the power of expression that makes your conflict compelling. Countless Sci-Fi movies have rolled out of Hollyweird with "the very fate of the world and mankind" as the crux of the conflict... AND they've largely been snoozefests because the presentation was more centered around arcane sciences and obscure factoids than the characters we (audience) were supposed to "buy into"... "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" satirically frames this well, even that the plot was obviously and intentionally "the worst sci-fi movie EVER"... and later only seconded to "Return of the Killer Tomatoes"... (lolz) For truly great conflicts, maybe the key is to start with truly great, and deeply established characters. The tricks and techniques to condense those kinds of information so the audience instantly and easily digests and agrees with them is the hard part for establishing plot well. In any case, I'm sorry this got long... again... but I hope it helps. ;o)

[@ClintLoweTube]

Seems to be a modern trend to start with conflict and skip characterization. I prefer a slow start focused on character first.

[@ClintLoweTube]

And I wish I could attend the talks.

[@dipakchowdhury31]

Write Heroes should be both, no? Characterisation through conflict.

[@thereccher8746]

Without conflict, characterization doesn't exist.

[@HackMyControlSystem]

Fantastic question right off the bat!

[@Almediale]

Great advice!!

[@user-go2yu4hq5p]

Great

[@bittersquirrel]

great for storytelling in general, amazing

[@filmcourage]

Thanks for watching

[@Bravosmom1]

This is great !👍🏻

[@plisskenetic]

This is definitely one of the better segments!

[@nefl83]

Hey guys. Thanks for the lesson. Where can I find more information about the 7 elements of the problem?

[@IsilbrandoSciarconazzi]

What is said about the conflicts is correct. But I see a lot of movies and read books where the solutions of the conflicts/problems/troubles looses the contact with reality and becomes not realistic and unlikely. I believe that the stories must be plausible. The twists, especially if forced, make you lose likelihood and credibility.

[@RDSimpson]

Finally, someone explains the word 'conflict' that I can understand,. Hate the word. ' Problem' much less... militaristic!