REVIEW: LIGHTYEAR

LIGHTYEAR - Pixar usually doesn't miss with screenplay structure, so it was no surprise that the LIGHTYEAR screenplay handled the traditional 3-Act structure well. ​

Like most Disney/Pixar films, it has a lot of heart. If you're not careful, you'll shed a tear in the first 15 minutes. Pixar is great at getting the audience emotionally invested in our protagonist's goal. 

How do they do it? They kill someone our protagonist, and more importantly, we love. 

Even if you're not writing animation, you can learn a lot from Pixar films, especially in Act 2. They have clear steps towards the goal that show progress and regress during the Trial & Error section, the first half of the 2nd Act. Then, they have a huge midpoint. From here our protagonist hits rock bottom, is redirected, and climbs to the climax - usually an action sequence where the protagonist and antagonist go head to head. 

What I enjoy most about Pixar films are the quick resolutions. Films these days tend to drag about in the resolution. There's one thing to share the protagonist's new normal. It's an entirely different thing to almost begin a whole new story. 

Critique: The dialogue was more on the nose than usual and very redundant, even for a family film.

No Spoilers but... Crazy to learn what Zurg actually meant from hearing Buzz mention it in the TOY STORY days. Did you catch it? 👀

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AUTHOR

Shannan E. Johnson is a former creative executive at The Syfy Channel turned CEO + Head Consultant of The Professional Pen, a script consultancy that develops screenwriters from idea to pitch to become more confident storytellers ready for a professional screenwriting career, and consults with scripted development teams at entertainment companies to streamline their notes process to get to pre-production more efficiently.