Writing Subtext — The Secret to Writing What's Under the Surface

wait I it's Jerry Wade it's Jerry I we gotta talk in movies as in life what we say can be very different than what we really mean I love my job I love my job I love my job this is called subtext the hidden current flowing underneath our daily conversations and actions but what's there tells a story if you read between the lines it is also the key to writing nuanced character behavior and layered dialogue in this video we will uncover the strategies and mechanics of how to ride it welcome to this episode of page

to picture writing subtext and you better get started [Music] we've covered screenwriting topics like the four types of endings and how to write a great villain what topic should we cover next make sure to subscribe and enable notifications to get more videos like this to really examine how subtext works on the page we've imported these scripts into Studio binders screenwriting software pencils out let's get started one of the things that keeps popping up is this about subtext plays novel songs they all have a subtext which I take to mean a hidden message or import of

some kind subtext refers to the motivations and truths beneath our words and actions it is the unspoken meaning beneath the surface of everything we say and do we can trace this idea back to one of the seminal figures in theater Constantine stanislavski who said keep in mind that a person says only 10 of what lies in his head ninety percent remains unspoken in other words subtext is all about what's left unset stanislavsky's lesson is for actors to understand what their character is thinking and feeling but it also applies to writers writers who need to understand

the inner workings of these characters just as much as the actors portraying them [Music] how a subtext created the easiest way to understand this concept is with this simple formula subtext is the sum of two things added together text and context is the words or actions in question it is the spoken dialogue or it is the action performed by themselves these words and actions have meaning I really hate you but there can also be a secondary meaning underneath it the subtext for example in The Princess Bride Wesley uses a specific phrase to hide his true

feelings for buttercup As You Wish as you wish [Music] the text is as you wish but the subtext is I love you you can die too for all I can yes oh my sweet Wesley what have I done oh context is everything around the text the external circumstances or situations that also inform the ultimate meaning of the subtext for example these scenes have the same text drinking tea but since each scene has a different context they have a different subtext like conformity Romance Danger or Rebellion understanding this relationship between text and context is vital when

writing subtext but why is subtext so important if everything is surface level there is no depth to the material nothing to explore or discover how much is it it'll be eighteen dollars go keep the change hi doggy you're my favorite customer thanks a lot bye bye bye subtext creates layered and complicated characters and gives the audience something to decode the chance to read between the lines keeps them engaged with the characters it's the most you've ever lost on a coin toss sir the most you ever lost according toss I don't know I couldn't say now

there are three main ways to create subtext in a screenplay let's start with the most direct dialogue perhaps the best way to illustrate subtext and dialogue is to start without it how are you a little frustrated at the moment also equally depressed and pessimistic about our date tonight sure I'm Anna come on in it's not a rule that all dialogue needs to be layered you're such a dick every day I wake up and I hope you're dead did like it if I can guarantee Henry would be okay I hope you get an illness if it

get hit by a car and die being direct is an equally valid option something writer Martin McDonough knows quite well Dixon you got so I'm in the middle of my God Easter dinner sorry kid we can see this in his script for the Banshees of in a Sharon after a few minutes of Padre guessing why his best friend is acting cold towards him have he been rallying we haven't been around think we've been wrong Colin just comes right out and says it I just don't like you no more you do like me I don't like

me yesterday oh did I yeah I tortured it writers like your ghost lanthamos stripped their dialogue of subtext to create a stylized effect you look like a badger ah in films like the lobster the dialogue is direct and simple if I'm walking too slowly just say and I'll pick up my Pace this paste is fine and the actors stilted an emotionless delivery is perfectly suited to express the film's absurdist satire you need to choose a companion that is a similar type of animal to you a wolf and a penguin could never live together not good

a camel and a hippopotamus that would be absurd think about it this is dialogue with zero subtext but for a vast majority of written dialogue subtext is an essential ingredient I drink your milkshake look at some of the most iconic lines ever written when Don Corleone says this I'm gonna make him an awfully can't refuse the subtext is if he doesn't do what I ask I'll kill him which line is more interesting the one with subtext or the one without it the ending of Chinatown includes this cryptic line forget it Jake it's Chinatown it's an

ambiguous phrase that could mean a few things but one common subtextual reading is justice is futile in a corrupt world it's the ambiguity here that makes us work for the meaning and it becomes perhaps a more profound idea once we figure it out for ourselves writers can add subtext to the words and construction of the dialogue itself you cannot start without me see I start the clock but this can also be done by indicating a specific tone for the intended delivery using the scene description [Music] or with parentheticals and if your answer is no you'll

still be the only thing I ever needed you to be my son okay yeah on page 49 of Damien chazelle's Whiplash a quick scene between Father and Son reveals an unspoken subtext how's it going with the studio man good yeah I think he likes me more now and his opinion means a lot to you doesn't it then a line of description hints at the subtext Jim looks at Andrew almost accusatory a moment yeah Andrew responds with a single word but the Ellipsis tells us that there is more beneath it perhaps he noticed the underlying accusation

behind the question Jim then changes the subject I'm gonna grab the Shakers which confirms our suspicions he is jealous of his son's admiration for Fletcher [Music] like the scene description parentheticals can help Target a specific line for subtext this is Robinson you're trying to seduce me [Music] foreign writers Emily Halpern Sarah Haskins Susanna Fogle and Katie Silverman joined forces on the script for book smart after a quick introduction to our two leads Molly and Amy their interaction with Principal Brown tells us a lot about their reputation at the school that's it signing off go crockets

boom Principal Brown before his response we get a quick succinct parenthetical that simply says kill me let's see how this manifests in principal Brown's dialogue oh hi Molly Amy what's shaking first the exasperated groan and then a shift into forced politeness when writing subtext and dialogue consider these tips what's a bad miracle less is more remember ninety percent of what we think and feel is left unsaid interesting natural sounding dialogue should do the same alright then keep your secrets dialogue isn't the only Outlet to explain what's under the surface use the scene description or parentheticals

to give the actor subtextual Clues to inform their tone and delivery hey wait let's just sit with what we heard are you serious well we don't have to constantly be entertaining ourselves do we but subtext isn't confined to dialogue alone a character's actions and behaviors allow writers to include Nuance in their storytelling as the saying goes actions speak louder than words this is a fitting Mantra when it comes to writing subtext when words don't suffice a character's actions will speak for them let us not resort to our baser instincts and handle this this is you

with you right when Jules takes a bite out of Brett's hamburger the subtext is clear it is a gesture of pure dominance mm-hmm this is a tasty burger Hans politely asks for the computer code as he calmly removes the silencer there is no doubt about the consequences of non-compliance the combination of Han's gentlemanly tone with his homicidal actions is what makes him such a compelling villain it's a very nice suit I'm nakagi to be ashamed to ruin it at the end of The Godfather Kate struggles to understand the man Michael has become don't ask me

about my business King is it true don't ask me about my business and with a simple closing of the door the subtext is that she never will she has literally shut out of his new life [Music] on page 11 of David kep's script for Panic Room Sarah tries to pour herself some more soda but Meg stops her hey enough Sarah sees her mother struggling with her recent divorce and voices her support um down here too I agree for top and then Meg herself pours the soda it's a tiny gesture with subtext that speaks volumes we

are in this together when writing subtext with actions the old screenwriting adage says it all show don't tell ask yourself is there something a character can do that communicates their thoughts and feelings instead of dialogue laughs a similar option is to find actions that contradict their dialogue you stop drinking right now all right make a promise to yourself you're gonna stop and drinking this juxtaposition is the birthplace of Rich subtext using a character's actions to communicate subtext is a fantastic option if we go a level deeper we can see how the actor's performance is also

a common and useful opportunity good actors don't simply recite their lines their performance includes layers of meaning through their body language as Robert McKee notes actors are not marionettes to mind gestures and mouth words they're artists who create with material from the subtext not the text does the character make eye contact or do they avoid it do they fidget slump in their chair or stare into the distance in all cases there is subtext behind those performance choices a rule of thumb in screenwriting is to avoid telling the director how to direct and telling the actor

how to act we didn't come walking on the middle of the scene and say don't do this yes we did we did all right that being said the writer actor and director should all be on the same page with what a character is thinking doing and saying this starts with the screenwriter before being interpreted by the actor and director let's look at an example of how the screenwriters text on the page can be turned into subtext in the performance consider this scene from Moonlight on page 87. black and Kevin haven't seen each other in years

and underneath their reunion is tension and nervousness okay oh man what you doing down here I mean the trauma in Black's life has created a deep insecurity in him notice how screenwriter Barry Jenkins describes this internal conflict when all of his instincts tell black to leave before he gets hurt again Kevin is nowhere to be found there's nothing between black and the door the door that's the text simply written but evocative writers like Jenkins understand how to give the actor just enough to allow their performances to shine now let's see how the subtext manifests in

the performance [Music] this is just a tiny example in a script and film that is all about the emotions under the surface as a writer remember that an actor's performance will communicate much more than what is on the page give the actor clues in the scene description and watch how they bring that underlying material to life now let's look at a scene that puts all these subtext techniques to work the emotional climax in sound of metal written by Darius and Abraham martyr to understand the subtext of this scene we need to understand the context [Music]

Reuben is in a band with his girlfriend Lou Lou has a history of self-harm and a habit of scratching established on page three [Music] remember okay this will become relevant later everything changes when Reuben loses his hearing the hearing that you have lost is not coming back Lou is worried that this will spark a drug relapse for Reuben so he enters a rehab for the Deaf in the process the band and the relationship dissolve but they both grow and change while apart near the end on page 82 they reunite and Reuben notices the positive change

in her they look different oh no scratching huh that's good later Reuben and Lou discuss getting themselves and the band back together we gotta get back into it you know we got to get back on it we got to get back in the in the groove huh don't you think okay like with the tour stuff yeah let's endure everything like we just gotta get back on it you know everything the album the tour you know yeah in the description Reuben notices her scratching her arm in the same spot she used to scratch here the act

of scratching is full of subtext it represents everything negative from Lou's former life noticing this old destructive habit returning Reuben has an epiphany Reuben's eyes take in the truth of Lou now she can't go back with him and he can't stay the Revelation is devastating Reuben understands that getting back together would only set her back ruining the progress she has made and so he lets her go it's okay Lou what's the subtext of this phrase it's okay could mean that Reuben is releasing her of responsibility for his well-being it's okay could mean that he will

be fine and so will she or it could be both of those things and more the Martyr screenplay is full of rich subtexts like this in the dialogue you don't need to fix anything here and woven into the description to inform both character actions and performances [Music] Louis I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship subtext is one of the greatest tools to make dialogue interesting I do wish we could chat longer but I'm having an old friend it also allows the audience to see through the surface level meaning of words and behaviors

to get to the Hidden Truths underneath you look like you're having a rough morning ding ding ding what do we have for Johnny for this process we can understand these characters on a deeper level where empathy is born if you are inspired to dive into the depths of subtext start writing your screenplay with Studio binders screenwriting software until next week remember to read between the lines oh now I really see what's going on here oh what you talking about hey I don't even want to hit it like I'm an animal and I got instincts and

I know that you two are digging on each other I can feel it [Music]