American Hustle"s Amazing Twist
In AMERICAN HUSTLE, this film's twist was very intelligent as it completed numerous pay-offs that were set-up earlier in this screenplay.
First, let's hear what Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB) had to say about AMERICAN HUSTLE: "A con man, Irving Rosenfeld, along with his seductive partner Sydney Prosser, is forced to work for a wild FBI agent, Richie DiMaso, who pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia.
" Are you ready for information about set-ups, pay-offs and twists? Hope you are, for here it is: What kernels of information on each page are used to develop the screenplay (or novel or short story) you're writing? Find them and know them because it's the little things that add up to something bigger.
During a rewrite you'll often recognize that your story needs more strength causing you to install a twist or misdirection that will seize your readers' attention as it spins your story elsewhere than expected.
When you add a major event like a twist near the middle or at the end of your story, it has to be set-up earlier in the story.
Go back and find the proper locations to plant those kernels of information that set up this twist.
Your readers didn't pay attention to it when they first read it, but upon finishing the story, readers can reflect and say, "I should have known that was going to happen because this was said early in the story or that happened early in the story, which was the clue that this twist or misdirection could arise.
" To set-up and pay-off is necessary in writing and very rewarding for your readers, but don't be disappointed if you don't have it all organized upon your first or third or fifth rewrite.
Analyze how your story ends, and the twists and misdirections that are needed to make the crisis and climax exciting - then go back to your story's introduction and main-body (drive) and find the right spots to plant the seeds (set-ups) that make these events authentic.
Nothing is worse than a movie or book that has solutions that came from nowhere, which is simply a copout that leaves viewers and readers feeling empty.
No one will know when you planted your set-up - it's only for you to know that on your eighth rewrite you dropped in an exciting misdirection that turned your story around, and that on the ninth rewrite you planted previous information for that turnaround to be acceptable, and that on the tenth rewrite you adjusted the rest of the script's material to adhere to these new events - and most important, that this new direction your story has gone in is a big improvement from your previous rewrites.
It's only the finished product that readers will see so don't be in a rush.
To get better at this practice, identify and describe the set-ups and pay-offs in the movies you study and analyze.
You probably won't notice the set-up, because the pay-off will happen later.
Once you see the pay-off or twist, go back and find what information or event set-up that pay-off.
When an event near the end of the movie forces the climax or ending, what is it earlier in the movie that set-up this event or twist? AMERICAN HUSTLE had many set-ups.
After catching Iving and Amy conning money from people, FBI agent Richie DiMaso frames Irving and Amy to not only set up Mayor Carmine Polito, but also mobster Victor Tellegio.
Richie DiMaso is hungry for fame and he feels convicting Polito and Tellegio will make him very famous.
But Irving stings back at Richie and his FBI crew, catching them with a con (twist) that takes the FBI's two million dollars, but more important it freed Irving and Amy of retaliation from mobster Victor Tellegio, a retaliation that would have ended Irving and Amy's lives.
Unfortunately Irving's friend Mayor Carmine Polito is hurt by the scandal, but Irving has Carmine's sentence reduced.
The sting (twist) was impossible to see coming and the movie played it up with the FBI celebrating what they thought was a successful wiretapping.
Being caught in this con left a lot of pie on the FBI's faces when they realized they had lost two million dollars and their wiretapping was deemed useless.
Many of this film's early set-ups were showing Irving's character, how he adopted a son who he continued to love, even though the boy's mother was constantly a thorn in Irving's side.
And how Irving became friends with Mayor Carmine and how it hurt him much when Carmine was convicted.
Irving managed to get Carmine's sentence reduced when he returned the two million dollars, but he felt guilt that Carmine's political reputation was ruined.
To set-up and pay-off like AMERICAN HUSTLE did requires clever and thoughtful work.
When you have a unique twist to drop into a story, know that you have to set it up properly.
And know that everything doesn't come to fruition in the first draft you write so be prepared to write and rewrite to get the quality of material you want, no matter what genre or if it is fiction or non-fiction.
To know story (film) is to know your life - it's all connected.
To replace anxiety and confusion and frustration with creativity is a joyful trade.
Get brain training and build your self-development by writing and studying story and film technique.
Remember that CREATIVITY=INTELLIGENCE=CONFIDENCE=OPTIMISM.
And most important, have fun with it.
First, let's hear what Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB) had to say about AMERICAN HUSTLE: "A con man, Irving Rosenfeld, along with his seductive partner Sydney Prosser, is forced to work for a wild FBI agent, Richie DiMaso, who pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia.
" Are you ready for information about set-ups, pay-offs and twists? Hope you are, for here it is: What kernels of information on each page are used to develop the screenplay (or novel or short story) you're writing? Find them and know them because it's the little things that add up to something bigger.
During a rewrite you'll often recognize that your story needs more strength causing you to install a twist or misdirection that will seize your readers' attention as it spins your story elsewhere than expected.
When you add a major event like a twist near the middle or at the end of your story, it has to be set-up earlier in the story.
Go back and find the proper locations to plant those kernels of information that set up this twist.
Your readers didn't pay attention to it when they first read it, but upon finishing the story, readers can reflect and say, "I should have known that was going to happen because this was said early in the story or that happened early in the story, which was the clue that this twist or misdirection could arise.
" To set-up and pay-off is necessary in writing and very rewarding for your readers, but don't be disappointed if you don't have it all organized upon your first or third or fifth rewrite.
Analyze how your story ends, and the twists and misdirections that are needed to make the crisis and climax exciting - then go back to your story's introduction and main-body (drive) and find the right spots to plant the seeds (set-ups) that make these events authentic.
Nothing is worse than a movie or book that has solutions that came from nowhere, which is simply a copout that leaves viewers and readers feeling empty.
No one will know when you planted your set-up - it's only for you to know that on your eighth rewrite you dropped in an exciting misdirection that turned your story around, and that on the ninth rewrite you planted previous information for that turnaround to be acceptable, and that on the tenth rewrite you adjusted the rest of the script's material to adhere to these new events - and most important, that this new direction your story has gone in is a big improvement from your previous rewrites.
It's only the finished product that readers will see so don't be in a rush.
To get better at this practice, identify and describe the set-ups and pay-offs in the movies you study and analyze.
You probably won't notice the set-up, because the pay-off will happen later.
Once you see the pay-off or twist, go back and find what information or event set-up that pay-off.
When an event near the end of the movie forces the climax or ending, what is it earlier in the movie that set-up this event or twist? AMERICAN HUSTLE had many set-ups.
After catching Iving and Amy conning money from people, FBI agent Richie DiMaso frames Irving and Amy to not only set up Mayor Carmine Polito, but also mobster Victor Tellegio.
Richie DiMaso is hungry for fame and he feels convicting Polito and Tellegio will make him very famous.
But Irving stings back at Richie and his FBI crew, catching them with a con (twist) that takes the FBI's two million dollars, but more important it freed Irving and Amy of retaliation from mobster Victor Tellegio, a retaliation that would have ended Irving and Amy's lives.
Unfortunately Irving's friend Mayor Carmine Polito is hurt by the scandal, but Irving has Carmine's sentence reduced.
The sting (twist) was impossible to see coming and the movie played it up with the FBI celebrating what they thought was a successful wiretapping.
Being caught in this con left a lot of pie on the FBI's faces when they realized they had lost two million dollars and their wiretapping was deemed useless.
Many of this film's early set-ups were showing Irving's character, how he adopted a son who he continued to love, even though the boy's mother was constantly a thorn in Irving's side.
And how Irving became friends with Mayor Carmine and how it hurt him much when Carmine was convicted.
Irving managed to get Carmine's sentence reduced when he returned the two million dollars, but he felt guilt that Carmine's political reputation was ruined.
To set-up and pay-off like AMERICAN HUSTLE did requires clever and thoughtful work.
When you have a unique twist to drop into a story, know that you have to set it up properly.
And know that everything doesn't come to fruition in the first draft you write so be prepared to write and rewrite to get the quality of material you want, no matter what genre or if it is fiction or non-fiction.
To know story (film) is to know your life - it's all connected.
To replace anxiety and confusion and frustration with creativity is a joyful trade.
Get brain training and build your self-development by writing and studying story and film technique.
Remember that CREATIVITY=INTELLIGENCE=CONFIDENCE=OPTIMISM.
And most important, have fun with it.
