How does ending your story on the climax affect audience experience?

While Stu is on show, Mel and Chas sit down to analyse the meaning behind the ending of 2024’s CHALLENGERS, especially when - upon reading the script - the most impactful moment of the ending on screen (for Chas in particular) is not written on the page.

Following on from episodes on filmmakers talking directly to the audience as well as previous exploration into choices and decisions (and hopefully serving as a prelude to our episode on Hero’s Choice), Mel and Chas explore the choices the characters make in that final moment, what happens when filmmakers obscure character motivation, and ultimately how that final moment in CHALLENGERS impacts theme.

This conversation ends up being a deep exploration of what is the experience on the audience (and its impact on the perceived theme) when a story cuts out at the climax without further resolution.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 - Cold Open
• 00:00:24 - The ending of CHALLENGERS
• 00:14:51 - Can one action line change the entire meaning of a film?
• 00:39:41 - Arc Studio Pro
• 00:42:29 - The effect of giving characters decisions
• 00:52:10 - Meta subtext
• 00:53:53 - Choices, feelings and theme
• 01:06:03 - Ending on the climax
• 01:09:27 - Key Learnings
• 01:15:59 - Patreon thanks

RELATED EPISODES

• DZ-113: Tools for filmmakers to talk to the audience
• DZ-84: Choices & Decisions
• DZ-111: Unreliable Narrators and Fight Club

LINKS

• CHALLENGERS screenplay
• How that crazy final tennis ball POV tumbling scene in CHALLENGERS was made
• Challengers ending explained: Screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes on that epic final scene

This episode brought to you by (drum roll) ArcStudio: go to https://www.arcstudiopro.com/draftzero for $30 off a pro subscription!

And how can we forget our awesome Patreons? Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

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We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

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