Why Does Point of View Matter?
Another in the terrific screenwriting series Raising the Stakes.
Another in the terrific screenwriting series Raising the Stakes.
Jonathan W. Stokes is a screenwriter with a unique credit to his name: Five of his original screenplays have been named to the annual Black List. That alone should get your attention, but there’s also this: Over the last few years, he has produced an excellent video series called Raising the Stakes.
It’s been a while since the last video dropped and it took the Writers Strike to provide the time, but Jonathan has produced six more installments in the series. Here is Season 4, Episode 2: Why Does Point of View Matter?
In the video, Jonathan suggests this: “I believe that in movies it’s often best to use the fewest POVs possible to tell your story.” In addition to the reasons Jonathan provides in the video, here’s another one:
It’s easier for the audience to experience the story through the POV of a single Protagonist. Why? The character provides a specific pathway into the story, an emotional and psychological access point to the character’s inner life.
We live vicariously through the POV of the Protagonist. Additional character perspectives may complicate that audience experience.
Jonathan’s video explores the subject matter in an engaging informative way. Watch and learn!
To check out previous episodes in the Raising the Stakes series:
Season 1
Episode 1: The Objective Correlative
Episode 2: Breaking Suture
Episode 3: Nuking the Fridge
Episode 4: 10 Ways to Invest Your Audience in Your Hero
Episode 5: Heightening
Season 2
Episode 1: Theme Shown
Episode 2: Raising the Stakes on the Call to Adventure
Episode 3: 7 Ways To Do Bad Exposition
Episode 4: 9 Rules For Good Exposition
Episode 5: Magic Flight
Season 3
Episode 1: The Act One Break
Episode 2: Atonement with the Father
Episode 3: Seven Set Pieces
Episode 4: The Midpoint
Episode 5: Anaphora and Epistrophe
Season 4
Episode 1: The Tarantino Principle
For more background on Jonathan W. Stokes, you can go here.
You may read my interview with Jonathan here.