Pixar movies have been a staple of our childhood for many of us, along
with Disney.
But have you ever thought...
WHY?
It's all because of the way they tell stories.
Whether you're a writer, artist, or make movies - all creatives can take
inspiration from the magical universe of Pixar. Here are the most
important storytelling tips you need to know.
01 | Stick to a Framework
All the great stories have one thing in common - and that's a great
structure. When you look at Pixar movies like Monsters Inc,
Toy Story, or Up, they all follow the same framework.
Once upon a time, there was______. Every day _______. One
day________. Because of that,______. Because of that,_______. Until
finally______.
With the right structure for your story, you'll be able to make sure
that it makes sense and that the reader or viewer won't get lost in the
plot.
02 | Make Your Characters Opinionated
Characters are often the thing that makes the story memorable. While the story is important, the character's personality holds our attention. Their humour, the way they deal with different situations and how they talk to others is what we remember for days, weeks, months, or even years after watching the movie. After all, no one wants to watch a boring, gullible character. Whether you're writing the hero or the villain, it's essential that they have a personality that gives them a unique edge and allows them to stand out from the crowd.
03 | Admire the Character More for Trying Rather Than Their Success
When you're reading a book or watching a movie, you want the characters to make their dreams come true. But as it always is with stories - there needs to be something between the beginning and ending to keep the audience hooked. While the start and finish of your story set the overall mood and tone, the middle - the plot itself - is where the audience falls in love with your character. But how does that impact your creative process? You should admire your character more for trying rather than their success. Of course, you need to know who your character is and what they want to achieve. However, your character needs to go through some development to make the story worth following.
04 | Don't Use Coincidences to Get Your Character out of Trouble
Characters often get into trouble by accident, and it's often the reason why the story is so amusing. It also gives the audience a sense of surprise. But when they get in trouble, it shouldn't be that easy to rectify the situation. Make your character work for it. While using coincidences to get your characters into unexpected situations can be clever, letting them get out of it that way is plain lazy. Pour your heart into the story and play around with your characters. Imagine how they'd react in different scenarios and honour their personality.
05 | Challenge Your Character
Developing a character arc is an essential part of the creative process when it comes to crafting stories. And as it is in life, your characters can't deal only with things that make them happy. Sometimes, they need to step out of their comfort zone. That's when you should throw at the protagonist their complete opposite. When you think of the movie Up, Carl is an old, lonely man who doesn't take any risks. And then he meets Russell - a young, carefree boy. While they're so different, they end up making each other happier. It gives you a great opportunity to explore your character in more depth and give the story another dimension. And when you do it right, it might be what makes the story.
06 | Find Your Theme
There is an idea at the very beginning of every story. But when it comes to the creative process, you shouldn't be too stuck on trying to determine what the theme of your story is. When you get an idea, run with it. As the creative process continues, you'll get to know your characters even better and come up with different challenges and situations. What I'm trying to say - it's okay that you don't fully understand what your story will be about until you finish writing it. Then, you can always tweak the story and make it even better to tie the theme together properly.
When you look at the rules creatives in Pixar follow to craft their stories, it's no wonder why they're so popular. However, this is only a small fraction of them. In fact, we've barely touched the surface.
If you'd like to move your storytelling to the next level, here are
the
22 Pixar storytelling rules.
Coded by Eva Machova