What is Theme — 5 Ways to Layer Theme into a Screenplay

What is the theme of a story? Theme in storytelling is one of the most important yet difficult-to-grasp concepts. In this video, we’ll break it down as simply as possible, along with the five ways to help writers how to write the theme of a story.

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Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to Theme
00:52 - Definition & History
04:44 - Characters & Dialogue
06:13 - John Truby's Character Web
08:01 - Theme & Setting
10:46 - Motifs & Symbols
12:48 - Themes in Nope
18:11 - Takeaways

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WHAT IS THE THEME OF A STORY

Theme in storytelling in an inextricable element that all writers deal with. It’s also a difficult concept to grasp, let alone work with. Our goal in this video on theme is to break down this complex and allusive element to make it as simple, digestible and applicable as possible. Along the way, we’ll dive into five different elements in writing where the theme of a story can be constructed.

WHAT’S A THEME?

Theme is the central and unifying idea or principle in a story. In the simplest terms, “plot” is what happens in a story and “theme” is what that story is actually about at its core. For example, the plot for Jurassic Park focuses on people surviving on an island with dinosaurs. But the theme is focused on what happens when humans try to play god.

HOW TO WRITE THEME IN A SCREENPLAY

There are five main ways writers can work with theme: characters, dialogue, setting, motifs, and symbols. Once you’ve identified the theme, one of the first things you might want to do is find the characters that would best represent it. For example, a major theme in The Dark Knight is order vs. chaos, and each of the main characters represents one side or the other. Harvey Dent, Gordon, the Mayor represent justice and order. On the other side of the coin, the Joker and the rest of the Gotham underworld are representatives of chaos. Much of the dialogue then is ideally suited to discuss this theme and its balance for the citizens of Gotham.

Setting is also a more visual way to express theme in storytelling. First, there is the general time and place of the story. In Parasite, the major themes revolve around the divide between rich and poor, and the illusion of upward mobility. One way the setting expresses these themes is through the set design of both the Park and Kim family homes. One is a near-subterranean hovel, while the other is an elevated and expansive home, making the difference between “upper” and “lower” classes a literal representation.

Finally, there are motifs and symbols. A motif is anything we can assign meaning to because of its repetition. A symbol is anything meant to represent something else. In Everything Everywhere All at Once, the theme is the dichotomy between kindness and empathy vs. nihilism and despair, both of which have their own symbol. The googly eyes and the everything bagel, to be exact, and their designs become an interesting “yin and yang” to represent the balance between them that Evelyn is striving for.

What is the theme of a story? That might be the hardest question for any writer to answer. But once you do, there are many ways to weave that idea into your work.


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♬ SONGS USED:

"Somewhere" - Daniele Musto
"Assembly Line Dreams" - Ostin Drais
"Yes I Am" - Zach Sorgen
"To Burn" - Man With Roses
"La Javanaise" - Madeleine Peyroux
"The Undertake" - Borrtex
"Becoming One of 'The People'" - James Horner
"Fratres (Version for Cello & Piano)" - Avro Pärt
"Still Need Syndrome" - Yarin Primak
"State Lines" - Aaron Kellim
"Glass" - Claudio Laucci
"The Winner Is" - DeVotchKa
"Aggressive Expansion" - Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard
"Introduce a Little Anarchy"
"Like a Dog Chasing Cars"
"The Ferries"
"Mauretania" - Sam Barsh
"Opening" - Jung Jae Il
"The Belt of Faith"
"Zappaguri"
"Conciliation I"
"Staring Into The Abyss" - 2050
"Evelyn Everywhere" - Son Lux
"Come Recover"
"Specks Of Time"
"Amber" - Makeup and Vanity Set
"Oscillating Form" - Charlie Ryan
"Jupiter's Claim" - Michael Abels
"Haywood Ranch"
"The Run (Urban Legends)"
"Abduction"
"Brother Sister Walk"
"Nope"
"Last But Not Least" - Chelsea McGough
"Sunglasses At Night" - Corey Hart

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