📖Storytelling for Film and Television Unit 6 – Dialogue and Subtext in Film/TV Storytelling

What's Dialogue and Subtext Anyway?

• Dialogue refers to the spoken words exchanged between characters in a film or TV show
• Consists of the verbal conversations that drive the plot, reveal character, and convey information to the audience
• Subtext is the underlying meaning or implied message beneath the surface of the dialogue
• Subtext communicates the characters' true thoughts, feelings, and motivations that are not explicitly stated
  • Can be conveyed through tone, body language, and what is left unsaid
• Effective dialogue and subtext work together to create depth, nuance, and realism in storytelling
• Mastering the interplay between dialogue and subtext is a key skill for screenwriters and filmmakers
• Well-crafted dialogue and subtext engage the audience by allowing them to interpret and connect with the story on a deeper level

Why Dialogue Matters in Film and TV

• Dialogue serves multiple purposes in storytelling, including advancing the plot, revealing character, and establishing tone and mood
• Helps to establish the unique voice and personality of each character
• Dialogue can provide exposition, delivering important information about the story world, backstory, and character relationships
• Effective dialogue creates conflict and tension between characters, driving the dramatic action of the scene
• Memorable and quotable dialogue can become iconic, contributing to the lasting impact and cultural significance of a film or TV show ("I'll be back" from The Terminator)
• Poorly written or unnatural-sounding dialogue can distract the audience and undermine the believability of the story and characters
• Dialogue pacing and rhythm contribute to the overall flow and energy of a scene

Subtext: The Hidden Gem of Great Writing

• Subtext adds depth and complexity to characters and their relationships by revealing their unspoken desires, fears, and conflicts
• Allows the audience to read between the lines and interpret the true meaning behind the characters' words and actions
• Creates a sense of realism by mimicking the way people often communicate indirectly in real life
• Subtext can be used to build tension, foreshadow future events, or create dramatic irony
• Skilled writers use subtext to show rather than tell, trusting the audience to infer meaning and draw their own conclusions
• Subtext can be conveyed through various techniques, such as sarcasm, double entendres, and loaded language
• The most powerful and memorable moments in a story often rely on subtext to deliver their emotional impact (the "I know" scene in The Empire Strikes Back)

Crafting Natural-Sounding Dialogue

• Natural dialogue mimics the way people speak in real life, with interruptions, fragments, and imperfect grammar
• Effective dialogue is concise and purposeful, avoiding unnecessary exposition or on-the-nose explanations
• Each character should have a distinct voice and speech pattern based on their background, personality, and emotional state
  • Consider factors such as age, education, occupation, and regional dialect
• Use contractions, slang, and colloquialisms to make dialogue sound more authentic and conversational
• Vary the length and rhythm of characters' lines to create a natural flow and avoid monotony
• Read dialogue aloud to test for awkward phrasing or unnatural-sounding lines
• Effective dialogue balances the need for realism with the demands of dramatic storytelling, avoiding verbatim transcription of real speech

Subtext Techniques: Showing vs. Telling

• Showing involves conveying information through action, behavior, and subtext, while telling relies on explicit exposition and dialogue
• Effective subtext allows the audience to infer meaning and draw their own conclusions, creating a more engaging and rewarding viewing experience
• Use body language, facial expressions, and nonverbal cues to convey characters' true feelings and intentions
• Employ silence, pauses, and hesitation to suggest unspoken thoughts or emotions
• Utilize visual metaphors and symbolism to communicate subtext through the mise-en-scène (the train entering a tunnel in North by Northwest)
• Create contrast between a character's words and actions to reveal their inner conflict or hidden agenda
• Use subtext to build dramatic irony, where the audience knows more than the characters on screen
  • This technique creates tension and anticipation as the audience waits for the characters to discover the truth

Balancing Dialogue and Visual Storytelling

• In film and television, dialogue should complement and enhance the visual storytelling, not compete with or overwhelm it
• Effective screenwriting finds a balance between dialogue and action, ensuring that each scene advances the story through a combination of words and images
• Avoid overreliance on dialogue to convey information or explain character motivations, as this can lead to "talking heads" syndrome and a static, unengaging viewing experience
• Use dialogue to punctuate and underscore key moments in the visual narrative, rather than as a constant running commentary
• Embrace the "show, don't tell" principle by allowing actions, images, and subtext to carry the weight of the storytelling whenever possible
• Be mindful of the medium's visual nature, and trust the audience's ability to interpret and connect with the story through the interplay of dialogue and visuals
• Remember that in some cases, a single look or gesture can convey more meaning and emotion than a page of dialogue

Famous Examples: Nailing Dialogue and Subtext

• In "Casablanca," the dialogue between Rick and Ilsa is laden with subtext, hinting at their complex history and unresolved feelings ("Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.")
• The diner scene in "Heat" showcases the power of subtext, as the characters' small talk and pointed silences reveal their mutual respect and understanding, despite being on opposite sides of the law
• "The Social Network" features rapid-fire, overlapping dialogue that captures the energy and intensity of the tech world, while also revealing the characters' ambitions, insecurities, and conflicts
• In "Breaking Bad," the subtext-rich exchanges between Walter White and his family members hint at the growing disconnect and moral decay beneath the surface of their relationships
• "Lost in Translation" uses silence, facial expressions, and body language to convey the unspoken connection and longing between Bob and Charlotte, two strangers adrift in Tokyo
• The confrontation scene in "A Few Good Men" ("You can't handle the truth!") demonstrates how powerful dialogue can create a memorable and cathartic moment of dramatic tension
• In "The Wire," the characters' distinct speech patterns and slang serve to immerse the audience in the gritty reality of Baltimore's streets and institutions

Practical Exercises: Leveling Up Your Dialogue Game

• Eavesdrop on real-life conversations in public places to study the natural rhythms, interruptions, and idiosyncrasies of human speech
• Practice writing dialogue-only scenes, focusing on revealing character, advancing the plot, and creating subtext through the words alone
• Experiment with removing dialogue from existing scenes and conveying the same information and emotion through visual storytelling and subtext
• Write multiple versions of a scene, each time exploring different power dynamics, emotional states, or hidden agendas between the characters
• Analyze the dialogue and subtext in your favorite films and TV shows, breaking down how the writers use language, silence, and nonverbal cues to create meaning and depth
• Read your dialogue aloud or perform it with a partner to test for naturalness, pacing, and emotional impact
• Collaborate with actors or fellow writers to improvise scenes and explore different approaches to dialogue and subtext
• Continuously revise and refine your dialogue, cutting any lines that feel expository, on-the-nose, or inessential to the story and character development