You’re in the hospital, gosh, your headaches. You try to lift your arm to comfort your head but you can’t move. A delicate nurse enters your room, she introduces herself and injects some sort of liquid into your supply before you could slip back asleep, a sheet of linens that are wrapped around your bed, slowly unveils the source of a faint noise of nuisance pulsating through your ears, you wonder what is behind it? You’re terrified to witness a stoic man, every hole in his face infested with creatures of the night, handcuffed to the bed and his exact self-looking down on you, yelling a question about the nurse. Do you remember what she did? Is your inability to move her doing? Your eyes close. A cold atmospheric air sharpens its claws to your feet. You’re walking? You see the man from before, he informs you that he’s dead but you’re not. A familiar face yet you know nothing. Who is this man and why is the nurse behind him staring at the two of you conversing?

Can you see what I see? Yes? Well, how about If I asked Do you know what I know? Maybe. What I just gave you, is a glimpse of a plot I created. I began screenwriting back in 2020. I grew obsessed with creating and writing about media that would either correctly represent a culture or knock the socks off of a critic.

Many interviewers ask this one very valid question. How was this, insert narrative, created? In every interview between director and entertainer, the director answers that it started out as a dream, an idea, and then it was created into ‘reality’. Everything begins with a vision and there are many questions about dreams, such as why do we have them? How can dreams become somewhat of reality? There is a lot unknown about dreams and the purpose of dreams is interpreted in many ways. I wanted to understand how psychological film writers play off the minds of others. The art of interpretation is known to many psychological writers and can be witnessed in their works. But why does it matter? How are cultural, psychological, and social aspects implemented in film able to create a successful film?

Movies are storytelling. Myths, Traditions, Ideologies and so much more shape one’s identity in the world but it also can be portrayed through film. From the 1890s to the 1920s a rapid incline of industrialization occurred prompting film and other methods of mass communication to develop. This made an impact on the population, those who viewed these films, in speech, beliefs, behavior etc. as a fashion of imitation occurred. As audiences imitate the behaviors and attitudes of the characters they watch on screen, movies influence cultural attitudes and practices. Filmmakers may employ their works to change societal perceptions of specific social issues. In a modern and growing society, traditions began to decline. A detachment from the old ways, collectivism, and a rise of individualism where one faces much more freedom, creativity, and choice were prominent during the era.

Movies link to culture by presenting stories, characters, and situations that we are familiar with. In a movie, one of the characters might be going through something we have gone through or be dealing with issues that are like our own. With a broader perspective, the story’s general plot may mimic our own civilization and its contemporary problems, such as racism, poverty, war, and other social divisions and issues. Using relatability directors are able to create a movie where it is sure to become a success. But how are directors able to portray such behaviors through their films? Where does it start?

I’ve always loved writing as a child. Growing up in almost every class I’d almost always would ponder on the wonders and the mysteries of the world but, you would never catch me reading a book. I found books too long and overwhelming so, I turned to film. My imagination runs wild and whenever I slept, a new idea sprung and took its course. During the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, I was bored out of my mind. So, you can imagine what a bored teenager would do if they were stuck inside their homes all day. I watched as many films as possible and entertained myself until my eyes felt low. With so many films, I wondered what and how the process of creating these films felt like. What do you even think to make such a film like this? Google helped and after a couple of scrolls, a word blew on the screen: Screenwriting. It’s putting a concept that you’d use in video production in written form. Anyone can write but few can make a good script. What makes a good screenwriter is: “Vision”. You should have the “Dream” and the capacity to visualize your stories in your head before writing a single word. The best writers can see the movie from the audience’s point of view. In history, the writing for a film was always called a “scenario”. I had a bunch of these ‘scenarios’, enough to make an amazing film; but of course, nothing too serious. If you’re an apple user, then I picked up my phone and began writing on the note app, and if you aren’t I picked up the phone and began writing on google docs. Both are true. I began practicing for the next couple of weeks of what felt like rubbish. I began to piece together ideas and low and behold, I had another hobby. On social media, there are many sites and platforms you could share your ideas with. To name a few: TikTok, Instagram, Wattpad, Webtoon, etc. I became part of this community, and it felt awesome. I was able to freely witness the works of others while bettering my own. There were genres I felt the most comfortable with, Twisted Thrillers, Horrors, Mystery, Adventure and Action. These were difficult to portray because it took more preparation to successfully portray the climax and all that stuff. This hobby kept me entertained and happier. Not only was I venting my dreams, imaginations and desires into this, I had full control of the content I placed in these plots and that is what was so important.

 

Sigmund Freud, in the 19th century brought forward the psychoanalytical process in films that are practiced worldwide even today. Even though it is evident that psychoanalysis on the film started in 1930-40 but it was not until the 1970s that psychoanalytical theory started taking shape regarding the effects of cinema in mind. The psychoanalytical theory argued that human behavior was the result of the interaction of three component parts of the mind: the id, ego and superego. ‘Id’ is ruled by the pleasure principle or the “I want” of the mind. (Frued, pg 12) ‘Ego’ is ruled by the reality principle of negotiating with Id until it is satisfied with reality. (Frued, pg 12) ‘SuperEgo’ is ruled by the perfection principle incorporating the values and morals of society for making judgments. (Frued, pg 10) “Psychoanalytic film theory examines the unconsciousness of the film’s director, characters, subjects, and sometimes the film’s audience” (Emmons, Libguides.com ph.1). The psychology of screenwriting includes in many regards psychoanalysis or the screenwriter and characters we make will contain components of ourselves. All writers draw on a blend of their own insight and their creative mind. The sciences and artistic expressions are not as discrete as some accept.

 

How does Sociology connect to Screenwriting?

Relations among social science and film range north of 100 years. The creator’s purpose is to ponder this reality and, accordingly, to introduce their own hypothetical and systemic idea. Creative framing is finished in a valid point of view enhanced with impressions employing distinctive existing matters, legitimate distributions, and the creator’s own examinations. It appears evident, however it’s critical to remember that a Psychological Thriller is about the brain science (psychology) of the main character. There is as much struggle under the surface as there is outside struggle. If there’s a lot of external struggles, it becomes customary. In the event that there’s too much internal struggle, it becomes exhausted.

Characters drive Story, subsequently, journalists must become a lower version of a psychologist while making a narrative and developing and writing characters is fundamentally about psychology. I only took in the plot, emotional transformation, effects and causation, and the basic literary devices you use when creating a narrative. I haven’t even begun to truly consider the significance of psychological and societal aspects to screenwriting. The capacity to interpret differences has been a basic asset, fundamental for human development. Each character we create is here and there is a projection or impression of us. As we work on our own accounts, we are likewise dealing with our self.

The mind can work in tricky little ways, which to be fair there’s so much we don’t know or understand about it, that can really help us in the process of screenwriting. Let’s take director Jordan Peele from the movie “US” in 2019. This movie, and many other of Peele’s works, has a wide range of interpretations but in summary, themes such as Duality, Oppression, Repression, and Unconscious can be found. “US” is a film that invites you to make your own meaning out of striking images and themes – acting as a reflection of your own thoughts. The answer to the question, “What does Us mean?” becomes, essentially, “What does it mean to you?” The longer answer: it can mean a whole lot of different things to different people; that’s why it’s deemed so well. The usage of psychological and sociological interpretation while exhibiting something that to society isn’t in question enough is how director Jordan Peele makes a successful film.