Don't waste time at the beginning with formalities or filler talk. (2) Grab 'em by the throat and never let 'em go. Yes, audiences are fickle, but the old axiom is true: Know your audience. If our story has a universal theme with an important lesson or some other contribution then it has a shot at resonating. Even if we are telling "our story," we must think long and hard during preparation how our story is really their story. All we can do is prepare the best we can. What works one night falls flat the next night (ask a comedian). But in the end, audiences are unpredictable. You try to prepare the best you can for an audience. I hope at least some of these tips will stimulate you to find your own applications of the wisdom. After each tip by Wilder (in bold) I offer my own thoughts on how the tip relates to the world of presentations. After all, Wilder is talking about storytelling, and storytelling-that is, telling true stories- is what we are doing. The tips here were for screen writers and filmmakers, but with a little imagination, it's not hard to see how Wilder's advice can help us too. You may not be interested in writing a novel or a screenplay, but the lessons can be applied to the work of anyone who is in the business of story and storytelling, and that certainly includes public speakers and presenters of all types.ġ0 Storytelling/Screen Writing Tips From Billy Wilder "There’s no better film school really than listening to what Billy Wilder says," Crowe said in the 1999 NPR interview. This list has now been shared by thousands over the years. In the back of the book Crowe includes a list of ten screenwriting tips by Wilder. In 1999 Crowe wrote a book called Conversations with Wilder where the legendary and elusive Billy Wilder talks extensively about his life and work. There are many different ways to connect and share your message with an audience, but the storytelling principles noted by Crowe of simplicity, clarity, soulfulness, and humor-backed by authenticity and a respect for your audience-will take you far. What makes Wilder and his films still relevant today, suggest Crowe, are themes of deeply human values and "simple, clear, soulful, funny storytelling." This has relevance beyond writing and fiction, of course. And what is it that makes a guy still relevant after more than 50 years of filmmaking? And what you find are values, you know, that people are going to experience over the holiday when they see a movie like “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which isn’t, of course, Billy Wilder, but it’s simple, clear, soulful, funny storytelling. ".if you talk to many screenwriters or film students, they’re still studying Billy Wilder. It is this bit from Crowe that I find most interesting (emphasis mine): In a 1999 interview with NPR, filmmaker Cameron Crowe talks about his admiration for Wilder's work. Even today Wilder is a hero to many filmmakers both young and old. There's a simplicity, clarity, and naturalness that is above all else engaging and human. There is something quite special about Wilder's films. The film The Apartment (1960) stared Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray and is certainly in my top-10 favorite movies of all time. Billy Wilder (1906–2002) was the first person to win an Academy Award as producer, director and screenwriter for the same film.
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