Script constellation

Script constellation is a method developed from and rooted in systemic constellation. In 2014 , re-Connect by Vibeke Hastrup started working with this form of script development in Denmark, organizing several workshops. The method explores aspects such as theme, character relations, plot, dialogue, conflicts, secrets, background histories etc.  in connection with scriptwriting.

Script constellation is a creative development method for scriptwriters and directors, amongst others. It provides insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the script, the relationships between characters and/or lack hereof, pushing the story in the right direction.

In Germany, this method has been used for a number of years, for example in developing the two Academy Award-winning films ‘Das Leben der Anderen’ (‘The Lives of Others’) and ‘Quiero Ser’. And also in Denmark, script constellation is now gaining popularity.

In Denmark I have further developed the method, based on my own experience as a systemic family constellation coach and as an actress.

EXAMPLES OF QUESTIONS THAT MAY BE EXPLORED:

• Do the characters have the right relationship to each other?

• Is the plot realistic?

• Is a character strong or weak enough, compared to the other characters?

• Is the story lacking something/someone, or is anything/anyone superfluous?

• What do the characters think of each other and say to each other?

• Do the conflicts need to be turned up or down?

• Does the ending of the film work? For the writer? For the producer? For the audience?

• How do I catch the attention of the audience?

• Does the theme, the characters or the plot need to be explored further?

The method is an effective way of entering into a story and testing its core - and in that way finding out about the unconscious versus the conscious potential inherent in the scriptwriter’s or director’s story. Sometimes a writer or director may be blind to their own strengths and weaknesses and unwittingly stand in the way of the story. Here, a creative script constellation can be of great help.

In reality, the only limit to what can be explored and tested through this method is your imagination. As an example, I have helped a client get rid of a writer’s block, and I have also used the method myself effectively in my work as an actor, in developing characters and in casting situations. 

Writers may be afraid of revealing their story to outside parties. It is therefore important for me to mention that  a group constellation can easily be done without involving others besides me, as the facilitator of the process, in the story. Naturally I have to know a bit about the plot or the characters in order to facilitate the process in the best possible way, but all other people present only need very few facts in order to be part of the process.

Creative script constellation can take place at any time during scriptwriting.

APPROACH AND METHOD:

Preliminary work:

I read the script/synopsis/idea that is at hand.

I talk to the scriptwriter about his or her questions - where he or she might have been stuck; where he or she wants to develop the story further; whether he or she would like to know something about, for instance, the characters’ past history/relations/dialogue/secrets etc. 

We decide what should be explored and whether to go for a group constellation or an individual (1:1) constellation. Both ways are effective.

Group constellation:

Present in the room are the scriptwriter, the facilitator and a suitably-sized group of individuals (representatives) who will represent the various characters or elements in the script when chosen to do so by the scriptwriter. They could either be people selected by the scriptwriter/production team, or they could be a group of outsiders chosen by me who have nothing to do with the project.

If the scriptwriter wishes to explore relations between the characters and their underlying motives, lives and lines, this method is the most suitable.

The scriptwriter now chooses the individual who will represent the characters in the script and/or a specific topic, and we explore the various dynamics, relations, conflicts and dialogue between these. We also explore if there is information that has been hidden to the scriptwriter. The representatives do not act or improvise, but merely provide information based on questions from the facilitator or the writer.

Constellation with the writer 1:1

The preliminary work is the same as described above.

When we get to the constellation itself, I work with the scriptwriter alone instead of having a group of representatives in the room. I use papers and figures, and the scriptwriter can sense the various characters and elements. It may sound complicated, but it isn’t. I have worked with a writer who has tried both ways and who tells me that to her, they are equally effective.

There may be very specific topics that turn out to be of a private nature, such as writer’s block, where working 1:1 may be most suitable.

TESTIMONIALS FROM PREVIOUS PARTICIPANTS:

”It was deeply inspiring, a very true and simple way of creating stories. You have really tapped into a divine source of inspiration, which over time can develop and go hand in hand with the new and exciting progress that has emerged, especially within Danish film.”

Morten Thunbo, Actor

”The method specifically relieved me of a writer’s block and helped open the door to being more playful, sensitiv and courageous.”

Kett Kadays, Scriptwriter