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A master teacher

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:34

Robert McKee, the renowned international creative writing teacher, was recently in South Africa to conduct his Story Seminar.

VALUABLE LESSONS – Robert McKee

Robert McKee has held seminars around the world which have inspired thousands of writers. His former students have won 32 Academy Awards, 160 Emmy Awards,
21 Writers Guilds of America Awards and 17 Directors Guild of America Awards.

Some of McKee’s most notable students include Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind), Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings), Andrew Stanton (Wall*E, Finding Nemo) Paul Haggis (Million Dollar Baby) and many more.

A profound and inspirational teacher, McKee stressed two main aspects about writing: the first is to always write the truth and the second is never to display your mediocrity to the world. One must always strive to be the best.

McKee’s lectures were held over an intensive four-day period at Johannesburg’s Monticasino and covered The Writer and the Art of Story, The Principles of Story Design and The Writer’s Craft Applied.

He began by asking a simple question: “Why are people gathered in a room to learn about screenwriting when this used to be common knowledge? Over the recent 40 years that knowledge has slowly dissipated and there has been an errosion of the storytelling understanding. This is why more stories are banal, shallow and predictable. As a result the audience is less and less satisfied.”

At the heart of our lives is story. “Whether this is page, screen or stage. The storytelling artist makes sense out of life whether it is absurd, tragic or comic. Stories are experiments for living and they are metaphors for life.”

He stressed the importance of honesty in the telling of a story. “We need great, honest stories to shine a light into the darkness.

“Storytelling is the key to the civilization of society. If this crumbles the result is decadence. Storytelling is not just about entertainment but an expression of the truth of life.”

Savvy audiences

He went on to say that one cannot fool an audience. “They know when they are in the presence of the truth.”

On the philosophical point of what lies at the heart of the creative process, he maintained, was not use of language. This was a naοve and superficial assessment. 

“Story is far more profound than words. A writer must in a sense be a skeptic and see the subtext of everything; he is not a politician who thinks he knows the truth but someone who goes in search of the truth. Writers do not simply receive knowledge. They must go beyond to find the honest expression of what it means to be a human being. This is not easy.”

McKee does not support the idea that writers must mimic Hollywood to be successful. “If you try and imitate Hollywood the work is not yours. The critical objective is to make a work that is unique and expresses your vision of life. I try and help people to make films for the world that come from their own culture. Make works that cross boundaries and make great international work.”

There are two critical requirements for a story to resonate with an audience. “The first is for the audience to enter a world they do not know, to have an anthropological pleasure of discovering a new world and fresh vision of life. Secondly, the audience must discover themselves in that world; to discover a humanity that echoes their own so they can live through those characters in a world they could never live in. If you do these two things you are on the right path to making an international film no matter how strange and foreign the subject matter.”

Form

Another aspect is that all stories must have form but this does not mean adherence to a formula. “There is an essential form at the heart of all art, whether it is classical music, acid rock or painting. This form is remarkably simple. For music it is the 12 notes on a scale. On the one hand form is also incredibly complex. One must accept this insight and become the author of your work. An author is someone with real knowledge and a Godlike understanding their world and characters. The passion for perfection is what drives any great artist and this comes with great diligence. You must only show the world your best work.”

McKee maintains that a talented person is someone who can take what is in their head, their life experiences and create. “A writer must master the craft and when you do this you are liberated. Ignorance of the craft is when you copy other people’s stories and become a slave; a place where your writing is full of clichιs and your characters are dull. Inspiration is what gets you started, finishing is the problem. Socrates
said that an unexamined life is not worth living.

“We must all be philosophers and find meaning in our lives.”



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