The Matrix Screenplay Analysis Story Map

The Matrix Screenplay Analysis Story Map by Dan Calvisi Act Four Screenplays

StoryMaps:Wri.ngtheGREA StoryMaps:Wri.ngthe GREATScreenplay TScreenplay AStoryMapismyownmethodf AStoryMapismyownmethodforstructuringa orstructuringascreenplayb screenplaybycrea9nga ycrea9ngasimple,yetpowerfu simple,yetpowerful l outlinethatcontainsthebu outlinethatcontainsthebuildingblocksofyou ildingblocksofyourconcept,cha rconcept,character ractersandplot;thema sandplot;themain in drama9celementsanddr drama9celementsanddrama9cbea ama9cbeatsofthenarra tsofthenarra9veandtheor 9veandtheorderandcrucialpa derandcrucialpagerangeo gerangeof f thosebeats,noma>erthegenre. • 95%ofgreatmoviesfollowtheStoryMap Idefineitdowntothepage.Bec Idefineitdowntothepage.Becausethat’ ausethat’showthepro showtheprosdoitandthat’ sdoitandthat’sexactlyw sexactlywhatIwas hatIwas lookingforasaSeniorStoryAnalys lookingforasaSeniorStoryAnalystworkingfo tworkingformajorstudiosan rmajorstudiosandproduc9o dproduc9oncompaniesinthe ncompaniesinthe movieindustry,evalua9ng movieindustry,evalua9ngincomingsubmission incomingsubmissionshopingtoget shopingtogetthegreenlightt thegreenlighttobemadeintoa obemadeintoa movie. Inshort,theStoryMapoutlinestheprot Inshort,theStoryMapoutlinestheprotagonist,his/herg agonist,his/hergoals,whatk oals,whatkeepshim/herfromth eepshim/herfromthe e goals,thetheme,thearcofchang goals,thetheme,thea rcofchangeandhowitends. eandhowitends.Ifindittremendouslyhelp Ifindittremendouslyhelpfultolookat fultolookat producedfilmsandnotetheirelement producedfilmsandnotetheirelementsinaStoryMap,cr sinaStoryMap,crea9ngaquick ea9ngaquick-referen -reference“library”of ce“library”of mapstocompareandc mapstocompareandcontras ontrast.Itisatremendou t.Itisatremendoushelptostudyh shelptostudyhowprof owprofessionalscreenw essionalscreenwriters riters takecharactersalongthejourneyfrompointAtoZ. Iencourageyoutowrit IencourageyoutowriteStoryMapsofallyo eStoryMapsofallyourfavor urfavoritemovies. itemovies. Ifyouworkwithme,Iwillprovideyouw Ifyouworkwithme,IwillprovideyouwithaprimeronmySt ithaprimeronmyStoryMapmethodan oryMapmethodandseveral dseveral sampleStoryMapsfromsuccess sampleStoryMapsfromsuccessfulHollywoodmovies,lik fulHollywoodmovies,liketheonebelow etheonebelow.Thesematerialsw .Thesematerialswill ill giveyouaclear,powerfulroa giveyouaclear,powerfulroadtosuccesso dtosuccessonbothacra nbothacraOandcommer Oandcommerciallevelwithyour ciallevelwithyour wri9ng. Remember,theStoryMapisaform, not aformula.Itisastorystructur aformula.Itisastorystructurethatisfollow ethatisfollowedby edby almosteverypopularHollywoodfilm.Itdo almosteverypopularHollywoodfilm.Itdoesnotdictat esnotdictateyourchoices–itdo eyourchoices–itdoesnottellyouwha esnottellyouwhat t towrite--itonlyprovidesaframeworktoholdyourchoices.Thescreenplayiss9llundeniably yours,butitnowcomeswr yours,butitnowcomeswrappedintheshin appedintheshinycoa9ngth ycoa9ngthatcover atcoverspre>ymuch spre>ymuchallmajorstudio allmajorstudio moviesandisrecognizedbyev moviesandisrecognizedbyeveryAgent,Manag eryAgent,ManagerandProdu erandProducerinthebusiness. cerinthebusiness. IfyoufollowtheStoryMapande IfyoufollowtheStoryMapandexecutea xecuteanac9vest nac9vestoryintheproperpa oryintheproperpageranges geranges,yourscript ,yourscript willFEELlikeamodernhitmovie. Ihopewecanworktogethers IhopewecanworktogethersoIcanintro oIcanintroduceyoutoth duceyoutothispowerfulwri9ng ispowerfulwri9ngmethod. method. GoodluckandHappyWri9ng! -Dan

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The Matrix Screenplay Analysis Story Map by Dan Calvisi Act Four Screenplays

THEMATRIX(1999) Wri>enandDirectedbyAndyWachowski&LarryWachowski

THEBASICSTORYMAP:TheMainDrama.cElements Protagonist: NE,early30's,computerprogrammer/hackerandreluctanthero.He'srebellious andhasissueswithauthority. ExternalGoal:TodefeatAgentSmithandoverthrowtheAIthathasenslavedhumanity. InternalGoal:Tobelieveinhimself,accepthisroleastheneandloveTrinity. MainDrama.cConflict:AgentSmith.Neo'sownself-doubt. Theme:FreeWillvs.Des9ny CentralDrama.cQues.on:WillNeoovercomehisfearsanddoubtsin9metodefeatAgent SmithandsaveMorpheusandtheNebuchadnezzar? Ending:NeodefeatsAgentSmith,pavingthewayforafutureinwhichmankindisnolonger imprisonedwithintheMatrix. Arc:Neobeginsasaself-doub9ngintrovertwho,althoughhe'srebellious,shunsconflict.He endsasaseasonedwarrior,fullyincommandofhispowersandunafraidtofacehisdoubts. LOGLINE:Inapost-apocalyp9cfuture,arebellioushackermustoverthrowtheAIthathas imprisonedhumanityinacomputer-generateddreamworld. Generalstructureofstory:“Thene”Hero’sJourney(riginstory).Aseemingly“normal” persontransformsintoasuper-hero.(e.g., Hancock,Wanted,StarWarsEpisode1:ThePhantom Menace)Neoistakenintoa“newworld,”trainedbyaMentorandateamandgivensuccessive trialsthatescalateinstakestotestnotonlyhisphysicalskillsbuthisbeliefinhimselfasthe des9nedhero:Thene.ThenearchetypeisdifferentfromastandardHero’scycleinthatthe protagonististoldfromthebeginningthattheyareaspecialherodes9nedforgreatnessbut theyini9allyrejectthisiden9tyandcalltoba>leandmustpersistthroughseveralfailuresto achievetheirgoal.Theirarcbecomesthestepstowardthemfulfillingtheprophecyand accep9ngthemselvesastheprotector/messiah/champion.

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The Matrix Screenplay Analysis Story Map by Dan Calvisi Act Four Screenplays

THESTORYENGINES ACT1: PursuedbymysteriouscomputercriminalsandsinisterAGENTS,hackerNEsearchesforthe answertotheques9on"WhatistheMatrix?"MRPHEUSofferstoshowhim. ACT2A: Neotrainstofulfillhisroleas"thene,"amanwhocansavehumanitybyalteringtheMatrixas hewishes. ACT2B: Neoisforcedintoaposi9oninwhichhecansaveMorpheus--andZion,thelastfreehuman outpost--onlybysacrificinghimself. ACT3: Neoba>lestheAgents.WithTRINITY'slove,herisesfromdeath,defeatstheAgentsandfulfills hisdes9nyasthene.

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The Matrix Screenplay Analysis Story Map by Dan Calvisi Act Four Screenplays

THEFULLSTORYMAP:MajorStoryBeats 1)Opening:1-5-TRINITYandMRPHEUSevadetheevilAGENTS.TheAgentsbegintolookfor NE,areclusivehacker,whoisbeingwatchedbyMRPHEUS. 6–MeetJohnAnderson,a.k.a.Neo 2)Inci.ngIncident:NeomeetsTrinity,whotellshimthathehastheabilitytofindtheanswer totheques9on“WhatistheMatrix?”butitmustbehischoice. 3)StrongMovementForward:NeoiscaughtbytheAgentsand“bugged”byAGENTSMITHso NeowillleadthemtoMorpheus. 4)EndofActOneEVENT/TURN:NeomeetsMorpheus,isgiventheop9ontoreturntohis normallifeorfindoutaboutTheMatrix. 28-DECISION:Neochoosestheredpill,accep9ngthechallengeandsendinghimtothe “real”world,apost-apocalyp9cwastelandwhereafewfreedomfightersstruggleto bringdowntheAIoverlords. 5)FirstTrial/Casualty:3–MorpheustellsNeothetruthabouttheAIenslavingalmostallof humanity.Neogetsscared,ill,andhebeginstodoubteverything,mostofallhimself. 45-53–Combat:NeoistoldheisThene,theonlypersonwhocandefeattheAIand freehumanity.HebeginshiscombattrainingandsparswithMorpheus. 6)Midpoint:60–63SENTINELSthreatentheNebuchadnezzar;thecrewescapesbyusingthe EMPdevice.CYPHERbetraysMorpheustoAgentSmith. 7)Declara.onofWar/Assump.onofPower:74–THERACLEtellsNeothathe’stheonlyone thatcansaveMorpheusbutitwillbeatthecostofhisownlife. 82–NeofightsAgentSmith. 8)EndofActTwoTURN:88–Cyphersabotagestheship,trappingNeo,TrinityandMorpheusin TheMatrix. 6–DECISION:NeodecidestoriskalltorescueMorpheus.Trinitygoeswithhim. (note:thisdecisioncomeslaterthannormal,butwithalongerrunning9meitbalances outsoActThreecanbeapprox.30pages/minutes,crea9ngbookendswiththe30page/ minutesActne.)

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The Matrix Screenplay Analysis Story Map by Dan Calvisi Act Four Screenplays

9)TruePointofNoReturn: 100-NeoandTrinityshoottheirwayintothebuildingwherethe AgentsareholdingMorpheus 105-NeododgesbulletsbymovingliketheAgentsdo. 10)Climax:122–126NeoiskilledbyAgentSmith,butstrengthenedbyTrinity’sloveherises fromdeath,controlstheMatrixandstopbullets,anddefeatsAgentSmith.nceNeoissafely back,MorpheusfirestheEMPtodestroytheSen9nelsandsavetheNebuchadnezzar. 11)Epilogue:128-NeoissuesawarningtotheAI…andflies.

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