As someone who is still quite new to Dramatica, I’m looking for good movies to cut my milk teeth. What are your recommendations for stories with which to start developing analysis skill?
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I’m in the process of watching all of the movies analyzed here and on Narrative First (I’ve done 50 so far, by last count), and this is the process:
- listen to the DUGs and Narrative First Podcasts (take notes if possible on why those elements have been chosen/how they’re illustrated)
- Watch the movies
- See if you can illustrate some of the blanks
That’s it.
There are only a few that aren’t great to start with (For example, Big is one that’s a little iffy and also some of the ones that have multiple interpretations are tough, e.g. City Slickers), but otherwise, you can start anywhere.
Personally, I’d advise starting with a few Physics/Obtaining stories because they’re the easiest to break down in my opinion.
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Also, doing movies you have absolutely loved is a good way to get the brain’s attention. You might enjoy reading the analysis group-done of Man for All Seasons. We, who took part in it, were blown away by the craftsmanship of the film, at some time in our lives. I was fortunate to have seen it in the big movie theater when it came out. You might want to see the film first.
There are a lot of analyses, and it also might be more fun to see the films again, first. But brains work differently, so try both ways out.
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Coco seemed super clear to me. It’s the only one I’ve ever done correctly.
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The analyses I’ve gotten the most out of have been the ones I’ve participated in here at length (Cars and Beauty & the Beast - thanks @Gregolas for starting those). Doing it in a group is useful as long as
a) you can totally let your preconceptions go as necessary (why was I so sure Belle was in Mind? Clearly she’s not)
b) you have one or more DSE’s participating.
There’s also an advantage to choosing something whose OS domain is obvious from genre. So a superhero movie is most likely in Physics, a romance is probably Psychology, etc. In other words, look for examples that seem representative rather than counter-intuitive at least at first.
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Star Wars is always a good choice. Pretty sure it’s been done to death. 
Anything with a strong formula that still managed to provoke a strong reaction in you–so Disney, Disney/Pixar, in fact any children’s movies–are good choices. From there… I couldn’t say. I spend most of my time digging into the theory, so what do I know? 
Another thing you can do is watch Tales or broken stories and try to figure out what’s missing, though that’s generally a lot more difficult. After you get past the “where’s your Influence Character?” reaction, try to see if the thematic conflict has mucked up, and what you might do to fix it. (EDIT: For example, in one recent movie I watched, the Main Character’s big deal was Trust, and the IC’s was Test… except her motivation was “I’m screwing over the entire world because I Trust the real Big Bad to keep his end of the bargain.” Spoilers: he doesn’t. )
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In this order:
- Star Wars - Do-er MC. Activity OS. Top right quad.
- To Kill a Mockingbird (ideally, the book, but the movie has the essentials but skimps on some of the MC throughline) because the protag, antag, MC, & IC are 4 different characters. Mind OS. Top left quad.
- Shawshank Redemption - IC protagonist. Be-er MC. Universe OS. Bottom left quad.
- In the Heat of the Night - Steadfast MC. Psychology OS. Bottom right quad.
- Michael Clayton - Rare “unpleasant” OS goal. Unusual MC alignment (trying to avoid spoilers).
6 & 7. ET and Back to the Future - No list would be complete without the 2 most common story problems (pursuit & avoid) within the most common OS concern (obtaining). If commercials make you cry, avoid ET.
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Star Wars, Episode 4, u know, the real one.
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