The Haystack Game: Shane Black on reversals (transcript)
"I think reversals in a story are so important. The example I use is called The Haystack Game. What it is, is this: a guy is in an airplane and you're telling a story about him to a friend.
So you say, well, he fell off the plane. And the friend says, oh my God, that's bad. And you say, no: that's good. Because he had a parachute. Your friend says, oh, well that's good. And you say, no that's bad: because the parachute didn't open. He goes: Oh my God, that is terrible! -No, no, no, that's good! Because he had a reserve chute! -Oh, well that's goo-- No, that's bad! The reserve chute didn't open either! -Oh, my God! That's bad! -No it's good, because he saw a haystack! Right underneath him, right where he was gonna fall. -Well, that's good. -No, cause there was a pitchfork, sticking up right out of the haystack. With the tines pointing straight up. -Oh my God, that's bad! -No, that's good: he missed the pitchfork. -Oh, thank God, that's good. -No that's bad: he missed the haystack!
The point is, every time you give something you take it away. And you twist things constantly. And you go, oh my God they're save-- oh, oh, they're not save. Oh, but they are gonna make it, no they're not gonna make it. And the more that you can do that, throughout a story . . . To me that's, giving people a surprise and keeping them jumping. And not knowing that they're safe to just sit back and expect what's coming next. I think that's important."
