Script Analysis: “La La Land” — Part 2: Plot
Read the script for the Oscar nominated movie and analyze it all this week.
Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this bi-weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule:
Monday: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown
Tuesday: Plot
Wednesday: Characters
Thursday: Themes
Friday: Dialogue
Saturday: Takeaways
Today: Plot.
In every scene, something happens. A plot point is a scene or group of scenes in which something major happens, an event that impacts the narrative causing it to turn in a new direction.
A relevant anecdote. Years ago, I was on the phone with a writer discussing a script project. My son Will, who was about four years old at the time, must have been listening to me talking about “plot points” during the conversation because after I hung up, he asked, “Daddy, what’s a plop point?”
That’s in effect what a plot point is. It’s an event that ‘plops’ into the narrative and changes its course. So when you think Plot Point, think Plop Point!
The value of this exercise:
- To identify the backbone of the story structure.
- To examine each major plot point and see how it is effective as an individual event.
- To analyze the major plot points in aggregate to determine why they work together as the central plot.
This week: La La Land. You can download a PDF of the script here.
Written by Damien Chazelle.
Plot summary: La La Land tells the story of Mia [Emma Stone], an aspiring actress, and Sebastian [Ryan Gosling], a dedicated jazz musician, who are struggling to make ends meet in a city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts. Set in modern day Los Angeles, this original musical about everyday life explores the joy and pain of pursuing your dreams.
Writing Exercise: Go through the scene-by-scene breakdown of La La Land and identify the major plot points. Post your thoughts in comments and we’ll see if we can come up with a consensus.
Major kudos to Sharita Gopal for doing this week’s scene-by-scene breakdown.
To download a PDF of the breakdown for La La Land, go here.
For Part 1, to read the Scene-By-Scene Breakdown, go here.
Tomorrow we shift our focus to the script’s key characters.
So seize this opportunity and join in the conversation!
I hope to see you in the RESPONSE section about this week’s script: La La Land.
Onward!
