I would like to get a more in-depth approach to story telling in this post. Over my last couple of posts I have been discussing the dramatic arc and the elements that are used to telling a story. Whether it’s for song, literature, film, or stage productions, throughout this process we have found that it is important to have a story with a strong structure. I have also shown some examples and walked step-by-step through different versions of stories and discussed storylines and structure. Now I would like to talk about Subtext, which for me adds excitement and depth to a story.
Subtext is the hidden meaning between the lines or a character’s personal journey throughout the development of a story. It is said that a good writer can create a story, but a great writer can create the subtext within the story. Actors, for example, are taught that as soon as they receive a script they are to read the story twice, from a different perspective each time. First, they read the script to understand the overall story. Next, they re-read the script, looking at the character they portray in a deeper way. Many actors take their character beyond the scope of the story, and investigate the character’s life. They may go from birth all the way to the time of the story that is being presented. The purpose for doing this is to gain knowledge of the physiological reasoning behind the character and see how they developed their characteristics. Essentially, the actor gets inside the character’s head and really becomes them.
As an audience member that has an actor’s training, it has become easy for me to predict story plots and the ways in which characters develop. This is usually because of the subtext. I would like to use another example; in light of Halloween I will use the first film in the Saw series. We, as an audience, find out within the first scene that one of the main characters, Lawrence, is a doctor who has been kidnapped and placed in a room where he is given clues that will help him survive. As soon as he said he was a doctor, I began to think to myself, “What kind of relationship do doctors typically have with their families?” I realized that doctors often have a reputation for putting their work before their families, so I guessed that he probably has major family issues, so somehow throughout this film we will discover his weaknesses with his family and he will learn to appreciate the importance of their role in his life. Because of the subtext, I was able to predict exactly what the characters personal struggle was and realize the basic reason why he was kidnapped and pushed into a deadly scenario. As you can see in this example, subtext makes stories more realistic. I give this challenge to my readers: The next time you watch a film, look for the subtext and I promise you will be able to predict any twists and turns before the movie is even close to a finish. Be aware, though, sometimes filmmakers surprise you and make things difficult to predict, so don’t feel bad if you are unable to predict it! Enjoy!
If you are interested in learning more about subtext or practicing your subtext skills here are two links that will help you discover the magic of subtext: WiseGeek or Script for Sale.
