![]() ![]() But even then, no one talked about the meaning of "the B-story." Why did we always have a "love story" (or another intimate story) along with the main storyline?īlake Snyder wrote about the B-story concept in Save the Cat!. You had to follow the spine at all costs and branch out to subplots or move between them seamlessly every time. You couldn't cut to some unrelated scene in his show. Then, we worked with a veteran filmmaker who was very strict about having every tiny element connect with the main character and their main goal. So when my screenwriting group and I began writing our first show, we all thought parallel stories were only meant for giving the main story a break. Duh!īut I wasn't alone! I had seen many TV series where seemingly unrelated storylines ran separately for many weeks. I didn't realize the parallel storylines had to be connected to the main plot. This scene from The Dark Knight weaves together this romantic B story into the main plot through the actions of the film’s antagonist the Joker, making for a highly dramatic scene.When I first began writing screenplays, I was confused about subplots. Romantic subplots can create drama and empathy within the main plot line as in one of the best Christopher Nolan's movies,Īlthough it is not a part of the main plot of Batman saving Gotham, Bruce Wayne’s relationship with Rachel is important in humanizing our protagonist Bruce as well as creating conflict in his objectives. Your protagonist meets someone and begins a relationship while the main plot line is occurring. ![]() This is one of the most commonly used subplots as it is quite easy to weave into a film’s main plot. All, however, should serve the main plot. The vehicle and type of a subplot can vary based on a film’s genre and plot structure. To start incorporating subplots into your film, it's important to first understand the types of subplots that exist by analyzing different subplot examples. To better understand the value of B plots, check out Lessons from the Screenplays analysis of how subplots are used to enhance the story of the film Hidden Figures. This can be done when a subplot challenges a character through a relationship, career choice, or reaction to a situation. ![]() Lastly, a B story can help reveal traits of a character that can help establish empathy with an audience. This can be a crucial plot device in providing context for the main plot line that moves the story forward. Some subplots often allow for various points of view and thus allow us to visually see different parts of the film’s world. Although the definition of subplot in literature is similar to how B plots operate in film, they differ in one specific way. The second value of a subplot is its ability to better establish the world of a film. While the actual action that occurs in a B story may be far from what is occurring in the main plot, they can both thematically resonate to strengthen the overall theme of a film. The first way being they resonate the main plot’s overall theme. So, what is a subplot good for? Although the subplot definition is very general, a B story can enhance a story’s main plot in many different ways. Subplot definition and uses The value of subplots ![]()
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