Draft Zero: a screenwriting podcast

What can Film Noir teach us about character arcs and audience engagement?
In this two part series, Mel and Chas use Noir (the genre) as a lens to interrogate flawed characters. How can characters doing reprehensible things still engage audiences? How can you ensure representation isn't endorsement? And whether these characters undergo transformative arcs, or simply reveal their true natures?
Part 1 focuses on two (now classic) noirs: DOUBLE INDEMNITY and THE LONG GOODBYE.
While Part 2 looks at two more contemporary examples DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESs and WOMAN OF THE HOUR.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

CHAPTERS

00:00:00 - Cold Open
00:00:17 - Flawed Characters and Noir
00:16:40 - Double Indemnity
00:53:38 - The Long Goodbye
01:21:15 - End of Part 1


LINKS

Mel's A Brief History of Queer Coding in Film: Part 1 - https://melkillingsworth.substack.com/p/a-brief-history-of-queer-coding-in-film-part-1 


More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter.

You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

What happens when a group of filmmakers play a ragtag group of filmmakers in a gritty sci-fi horror?

"Ignite the fire within and explore unknown territory" - Werner Herzog.

This episode is unusual, even by Draft Zero standards. It's an "Actual Play Podcast" where Chas, Stu, & Mel are joined by Kim Ho and Luke Clark to play MOTHERSHIP, the sci-fi horror game we talked about in episodes DZ-121 and DZ-122. Stu is the GM while everyone else is a ragtag crew of freelance filmmakers. We debrief the experience (so far) at the end of the episode)

Mel plays Zara, the glamorous face of the operation. Chas plays Winston, the cynical and egoistical "photojournalist". Kim is Cal, the scrappy scrounger and sound recordists, while Luke is Tarsos the steadfast producer of the group. The crew are enlisted to record a sensationalist report on a missing corporate president before the mercenary retrieval team arrives.

And yeah, this means we're soft-launching yet another project that's called 1d0, which looks at how we can use tools from ttrpgs in screenwriting… and vice versa.


To get future episodes go to: http://www.1d-zero.com/


CHAPTERS

00:00:11 - Intro for DZ Listeners
00:01:51 - Meet the Snortin' Betsy
00:06:22 - A Mansion Most Vile (Ep 1)
01:52:32 - Debrief through TOMBS

RELATED EPISODES

DZ-121: Escalating Antagonism 1: Sinners
DZ-122: Escalating Antagonism 2: Rebel Ridge + Meet the Parents

LINKS

Tuesday Knight Games
Joshua Kramer: A Mansion Most Vile
Alewood Games: Arkyvr
Nobody Wake the Bugbear
Campaign Supplies


More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

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

SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack

SUBSCRIBE TO 1DZERO via Substack

ACKNOWLEDGES via our website: https://draft-zero.com/2025/1dz-01/

How can you apply horror ideas to action and comedy?
In this episode Chas, Stu and guest Kim Ho continue their exploration into the power(s) of antagonism and how focusing on them can develop story.
While Part 1 looked at the horror film SINNERS, in Part 2 we venture into genres beyond horror with the action-thriller REBEL RIDGE, and the comedy classic  MEET THE PARENTS.
To both these films we apply the generative story framework TOMBS* (Transgression - Omens - Manifestation - Banishment - Slumber)  and are surprised at just how well it maps. *TOMBS comes from the MOTHERSHIP sci-fi horror table-top role-playing game. Which we love.
We explore how TOMBS, and thinking about antagonism in general, allows writers to deepen their understanding of their characters, their relationship of the heroes with the antagonists, and generate story fuel in a way that escalates the story.
We discuss how thinking of your hero as the horror for your villains helps everything become more dynamic.
Oh, and we talk about launching an actual play podcast. Which is happening. Stay tuned!
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.


CHAPTERS

00:00:12 - Escalating Antagonism Part 2
00:03:29 - Rebel Ridge
00:45:30 - Meet the Parents
01:30:29 - Key Learnings & Wrap Up
01:41:38 - Thanks to our Patreons

RELATED EPISODES

DZ-121: Escalating Antagonism
DZ-49: Antagonists! (Part 1) - vs Humans

LINKS

Kim Ho on IMBD
Mothership
The Philosophy of Final Destination by the Morbid Zoo
The Philosophy of Horror by Noel Carroll
GinnyDI: "This Game used 5 steps to scare the crap out of me" - https://youtube.com/watch?v=AUXc8hjaBQw


More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

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


SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack

How do the antagonistic forces in your story escalate distinctly from the protagonists' journey?
We often struggle to develop the middle stages of a story. Could this be because we focus  on our protagonists' journeys and plot structure more than on how the antagonistic powers are awakened, wronged, discovered, gathering strength and revealing themselves?
In this episode, Chas and Stu are joined by professional screenwriter and playwright Kim Ho to explore how a generative story cycle (from tabletop role-playing game MOTHERSHIP) can be used to develop stories, not just write them better. This cycle is TOMBS: Transgression - Omens - Manifestation - Banishment - Slumber. Kim also contrasts this cycle with the Onset, Discovery, Confirmation, Confrontation cycle identified by horror philosopher Noel Carroll, as well as the philosophy of the FINAL DESTINATION franchise as analysed by The Morbid Zoo.
By applying the TOMBS cycle to Ryan Coogler's amazing 2025 original feature SINNERS, we discover how focusing on the rising power of the various sources of antagonism can generate narrative fuel (and make your second Act sing); force your protagonists to Survive, Solve or Save (pick one); and how this escalation in antagonism can be mapped quite separately from your protagonists' character arcs. 
To prove that TOMBS does not just work for horror stories, we polled our patreons for which other genres to explore. Stay turned for our next episode where we apply the TOMBS cycle to thriller REBEL RIDGE and comedy classic MEET THE PARENTS.
As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.
CHAPTERS
00:00:18 – What is TOMBS?
00:31:04 – SINNERS
01:17:51 – Key learnings & wrap up
01:23:51 – Patreon thanks
RELATED EPISODES
DZ-49: Antagonists! (Part 1) - vs Humans
LINKS
Kim Ho on IMBD
Mothership
The Philosophy of Final Destination by the Morbid Zoo
The Philosophy of Horror by Noel Carroll
More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.
Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.
We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.
SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack

Or, how focusing on good drama will result in good subtext.

We often hear how subtext is important for good screenwriting. We're here to tell you it isn't. Good subtext is a result of good drama, and your focus should be on creating that good drama. But how?

In this episode, Chas Fisher and Stu Willis are joined by screenwriter+teacher, Tom Vaughn (Winchester) to delve into the world of subtext. 

We kick off the discussion by talking through Tom's article "Why Subtext is Overrated" and break down his core idea that subtext is a byproduct of character goals, tactics and fears. 

We explore this further through close examination of "the other way" scene from MICHAEL CLAYTON, "the strudel" scene INGLORIOUS BASTARDS (both known for their subtext) and the "new years" sequence from THE SUBSTANCE.

Inevitably discussion also terms to the relationship of subtext to emotional truth, theme, symbolism, dramatic irony and filmmakers subtext (?!).

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


CHAPTERS

00:00:20 - Intro: What is Subtext?
00:00:21 - Cold Open
00:18:59 - Michael Clayton
00:42:59 - Inglorious Basterds
01:13:48 - The Substance
01:46:13 - Wrap up & Key Learnings

RELATED EPISODES

DZ-40: Tactics and Scenes
DZ-108: The Emotional Event with Judith Weston
DZ-119: Final character choices & great endings

LINKS

The New Literalism Plaguing Today's Biggest Movies: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/critics-notebook/the-new-literalism-plaguing-todays-biggest-movies
Emotional Truth Over Subtext: Unlocking Compelling Scenes in Your Screenwriting: https://blog.storyandplot.com/why-subtext-is-overrated-8502a501aff8
Story and Plot - https://storyandplot.com/
Raising the Stakes - "What is subtext?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-jILeLdfEw


More Draft Zero is brought to you more often by our awesome Patreons. Especially Lily, Paulo, Alexandre, Malay, Jennifer, Thomas, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, and Khrob.

Please considering rating or subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts or sharing us on the Social Medias! We like finding new listeners.

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

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SUBSCRIBE TO SHOT ZERO via Substack