concept narrative-structure ◆ established
Character-Driven Plotting (in the Edit)
n editorial philosophy that prioritizes a character's psychological journey and choices as the primary engine of the narrative, rather than adhering to a predetermined plot structure. The editor builds the story beat by beat from the character's internal state, allowing their decisions, reactions, and flaws to dictate the sequence and pacing of events. In films that are deliberately 'plot-less' character studies, this becomes the primary method for finding the narrative path. Editor Glenn Ficarra describes a process on *Whiskey Tango Foxtrot* of stripping the film down to essentials, finding it too 'aimless,' and then rebuilding by focusing purely on the protagonist's story. Anything that strayed too far from her perspective, even if it was a 'great scene,' was removed to maintain the film's drive. Editor Pietro Scalia formalizes this with his 'Character, Story, Structure' hierarchy, stating, "Any story starts with character. The decisions are based on character. Who is this character? Where are we with the character?" Stephen Mirrione adds that good storytelling depends on point of view, ensuring the audience understands "what the characters are thinking and feeling."
notes
Scalia's hierarchy is a powerful framework to add to this concept.
criteria
- In action scenes, ensure the audience experiences the action through a character's perspective.
- Prioritize moments that build character and facilitate audience identification.
visual examples
- Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016) — The editors found the film's narrative drive by ensuring every scene directly related to the main character's journey, cutting scenes about 'Afghanistan as a whole or reporters as a whole.'
- Star Trek Beyond (2016) — In action sequences, the editors ensured they were "not outside of a character’s headspace for too long," grounding the spectacle in the ensemble's point of view.
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