Analysis of Movie Storyform Analysis

In my continuing quest to figure out what Dramatica storyform structures I want to use for my trilogy, I’ve conducted some analysis of the movies analyzed on this site.

Despite my hope, I do not think the below data is useful from a plot selection standpoint, as you get into a Top Down versus Bottom Up storyform conflict assuming you (like me) already have an idea about your characters. By selecting the genre/plot structure levels, you largely eliminate the theme/character level possibilities in the story engine, to the point that this approach would only work well if you had no clue what you wanted to write about and intended to have Dramatica inform you on the limited theme/character levels that were left for you to choose. Simply by selecting the 4 throughline signposts for OS/MC/IC/RS, you reduce the number of storyforms down to 128, and so the possibilities left over end up being highly restricting if you already have ideas for your theme and characters. Even if this approach isn’t going to work for me at this time, I think its a good thing to understand the tool in order to get the most out of it.

That said, it is kind of funny when you look at the movies below that have the same plot structure, and yet are seemingly wildly different movies. I hope you enjoy this diversion.

IMPORTANT: More than half of the movies had unique genre/plot selections and therefore the top 10 are actually not highly statistically significant. The #1 genre/plot accounted for only 6 out of ~250 movies. The #2 for only 5 movies. Having a unique or common genre/plot did not seem to indicate whether the movie was successful or not. For example, some highly successful Pixar movies had more common genre/plots, like Finding Nemo and Toy Story 2, while other highly successful Pixar movies had unique genre/plots, for example, Monsters, Inc. I would conclude then that genre and plot levels are not that important in the sense of there being no sure fire formula for success.

Basically these are the top ten most frequent Genre and Plots (according to the Dramatica terms) of the movies available on this site. The top two levels of the towers for the 4 POVs. It is interesting how two seemingly disparate movies can have the same Genre and Plot structure but (though unanalyzed) likely have different Theme and Character structure which makes all the difference. I think this supports Dramatica’s claim that the theory is fractal and that the deep structure in movies is not obvious; the theme and character levels being much closer to the surface from the audience point of view and therefore blinding people into thinking superficial differences belie deep structure differences. Like how the same fashion model wearing two different outfits with two completely different hair and makeup styles can often look like two completely different women.

NOTE: I only looked at ~250 movies that are analyzed on this site. There are 300+ movies/stories analyzed but I didn’t get to all of them.

To clarify, these are the Top 10 Genre & Plots in Frequency of the 250 movies I looked at herein, and not in box office take or ratings or popularity etc.

TOP TEN OS/MC/IC/RS CLASS/DOMAIN/GENRE & FOUR SIGNPOSTS/TOPICS/PLOT FOR MOVIES ANALYZED ON THIS SITE

Number 1 Most Frequent Genre & Plot (6 out of 250)
OS: Physics - Learning Doing Obtaining Understanding
MC: Universe - Past Progress Future Present
IC: Mind - Memory Preconscious Subconscious Conscious
RS: Psychology - Conceiving Conceptualizing Being Becoming

Examples: Beauty and the Beast, Scream, Central Station, Into The Blue, Just Like Heaven, Some Like It Hot

Number 2 Genre & Plot
OS: Physics - Learning Doing Obtaining Understanding
MC: Mind - Memory Preconscious Subconscious Conscious
IC: Universe - Past Progress Future Present
RS: Psychology - Conceiving Conceptualizing Being Becoming

Examples: The Others, City Slickers, Desk Set, Let The Right One In, Team America: World Police

Number 3 Genre & Plot
OS: Physics - Understanding Doing Obtaining Learning
MC: Universe - Past Future Present Progress
IC: Mind - Subconscious Preconscious Conscious Memory
RS: Psychology - Conceptualizing Being Becoming Conceiving

Examples: Back to the Future, Eastern Promises, Shrek, Star Trek, Tarzan

Number 4 Genre & Plot
OS: Physics - Learning Doing Obtaining Understanding
MC: Mind - Memory Preconscious Subconscious Conscious
IC: Universe - Progress Future Present Past
RS: Psychology - Conceiving Being Conceptualizing Becoming

Examples: Finding Nemo, Collateral, Edge of Tomorrow, Pitch Perfect

Number 5 Genre & Plot
OS: Physics - Learning Doing Obtaining Understanding
MC: Universe - Progress Future Present Past
IC: Mind - Memory Subconscious Conscious Preconscious
RS: Psychology - Conceptualizing Being Becoming Conceiving

Examples: Groundhog Day, Galaxy Quest, Three Kings, Toy Story 2

Number 6 Genre & Plot
OS: Physics - Learning Doing Obtaining Understanding
MC: Universe - Progress Future Present Past
IC: Mind - Preconscious Conscious Subconscious Memory
RS: Psychology - Conceptualizing Being Becoming Conceiving

Examples: Looper, Smoke Signals, Stalag 17, The Thirteenth Floor

Number 7 Genre & Plot
OS: Physics - Understanding Learning Doing Obtaining
MC: Universe - Present Progress Past Future
IC: Mind - Conscious Memory Preconscious Subconscious
RS: Psychology - Conceiving Conceptualizing Being Becoming

Examples: Forbidden Planet, Almost Famous, Life Is Beautiful, Whale Rider

Number 8 Genre & Plot
OS: Psychology - Conceptualizing Being Becoming Conceiving
MC: Universe - Future Past Progress Present
IC: Mind - Memory Preconscious Subconscious Conscious
RS: Physics - Understanding Doing Obtaining Learning

Examples: Eat Drink Man Woman, Flightplan, She’s All That, Working Girl

Number 9 Genre & Plot
OS: Physics - Doing Obtaining Learning Understanding
MC: Universe - Present Progress Future Past
IC: Mind - Memory Preconscious Subconscious Conscious
RS: Psychology - Conceptualizing Being Becoming Conceiving

Examples: The Matrix, Dogma, The Palm Beach Story

Number 10 Genre & Plot
OS: Physics - Doing Obtaining Learning Understanding
MC: Universe - Progress Future Past Present
IC: Mind - Memory Preconscious Subconscious Conscious
RS: Psychology - Being Becoming Conceiving Conceptualizing

Examples: Ever After, Pecker, Return to Me

My next approach will be to analyze the Character and Theme levels of the available movies from the bottom up to see if that would help me decide on a starting point. For example, what are the most common choices, or is it all over the road like the genre and plot.

I appreciate the feedback I have received here, which basically is to use a less rigorous approach and let the storyform find me instead of trying to force something. I just don’t think that approach would give me what I am looking to achieve, so I am trying to improve my odds of success by finding a happy medium between forcing a structure and letting one fall where it may. Its entirely possible that this is impossible. But I will have to discover that for myself.

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I looked at a few of the simpler storyform aspects. The Story Limit of Optionlock was somewhat of a surprise, 96% of ~250 movies is very high. Makes sense if you want to appeal to the typical female audience member though. Of the 96% OptionLocks, ~70% of those were Linear Problem Solving, so you get the typical males and the typical females empathizing with the main character most of the time. I had already decided this for my movies, but its good to see the statistics support that choice.

Of the rest, I would say the Approach (Be-er or Do-er) and Growth (Start or Stop) are a crap shoot. It probably doesn’t matter much to the audience.

Keep in mind that the 250 movies I looked at on this site are a small sampling of all possible movies and the types of movies could be skewed toward certain aspects. Also, although I’m sure the User Group and the members that have submitted storyforms did a good job, there is always the possibility that the analysis is flawed in some cases. That is why I’m mostly looking at the extremes, very high or very low.

And remember, no one ever got fired for choosing Dramatica.

Story Limit
96% Optionlock

Story Judgment
85% Good

Main Character Problem-Solving Style
73% Linear

Story Driver
71% Action

Story Outcome
71% Success

Main Character Resolve
60% Change

Main Character Approach
57% Do-er

Main Character Growth
56% Stop

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Nice breakdowns…if you haven’t already, you might find this series of articles on the Audience Appreciations of Story interesting. I go through the percentages of those appreciations and suggest different ideas why an Author might choose one or the other.

Also, this seems a lot like @bobRaskoph’s Network Map of All Storyforms.

Interesting that everyone seems to be drawn towards a similar exploration of Dramatica.

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