What are the different ways a filmmaker can ask something of the audience?

Chas and Stu are joined by recurring guest Mel in this prelude episode to upcoming episodes on Voice Over and Breaking the Fourth Wall. In this episode, we attempt to taxonomise the different ways filmmakers can ask something directly of their audience. To this end, we identify 4 levers that can be pulled:

Diagetic to non-diagetic (in story world to outside story world)
Who is talking? From story-teller to a character
Whom are they talking to? Themselves or directly to the audience?
From when in time is the communication coming?

They then take these levers and ask a series of questions, including:

What does the communication want from the audience?
Does the audience know who's talking?
How reliable is the information?
How aware is who is communicating of the audience?

They then apply these questions and levers to… deep breath… STAR WARS, ROBOCOP, STARSHIP TROOPERS, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, MINORITY REPORT, CHILDREN OF MEN, NEVER HAVE I EVER, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, STRANGER THAN FICTION, DUNE, OPPENHEIMER, YELLOWJACKETS, HUSTLERS, THE OFFICE, MASTERCHEF, ZOMBIELAND, FLEABAG, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, SPONTANEOUS, BLACKKKLANSMAN, AMERICAN FICTION, AMERICAN SPLENDOR, THE KILLER, VERONICA MARS, FIGHT CLUB, SHUTTER ISLAND, SIXTH SENSE, HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR. FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, GOODFELLAS, EMPERORS NEW GROOVE, THE TRUMAN SHOW, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, DIE HARD, THE BIG SHORT, THE USUAL SUSPECTS, DERRY GIRLS, THE LAST JEDI, THE LAST DUEL, RASHOMON, BONES AND ALL, ARCHIVE 81, SANS SOLEIL, F IS FOR FAKE, THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS, JULIUS CAESAR, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Vol. 1

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

Thanks to Chris Walker for his excellent editing this episode.

CHAPTERS:

00:00:00 - Cold Open
00:00:49 - Distinguishing communicating directly to the audience
00:04:32 - Different levers in how to communicate to the audience
00:09:20 - Who is communicating?
00:26:13 - Does the audience know who's talking?
00:40:00 - From what time is the communication coming from?
00:40:50 - How reliable is the communication?
00:46:08 - How aware are the characters of the communication?
00:58:35 - Analysing edge cases
01:07:37 - What effects do all these have on the audience?
01:16:00 - Key Learnings and Wrap Up
01:19:00 - Patreon thanks

RELATED EPISODES:

DZ-108: The Emotional Event with Judith Weston
DZ-15: World-building Rules
DZ-54: Thematic Sequences

How can we forget our awesome Patreons, especially Lily, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

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We are @stuwillis, and @chasffisher on twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

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DZ-109: Talking DIRECTLY to your audience

Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast