If done well, exposition should not expose itself. A scene from the classic film “The Wizard of Oz,” based on Frank L. Baum’s children’s novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, serves as an effective analogy for exposition. Nearing the story’s climax, Toto, Dorothy’s dog, pulls the curtain aside and reveals Emerald City’s great and powerful Wizard of Oz frantically working the control panels of his fear-inducing, smoke-and-mirrors image. It’s a glaring exposure. All of the Wizard’s ferocity is reduced to a stammering circus magician. He ingratiates himself to his startled guests, Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. The movie’s pivotal scene, the Wizard’s exposure, can be likened to poorly executed exposition, crumbling away the story’s foundation. The game’s over. Move on! And they did. The Scarecrow with his university degree, the Tin Man with a ticking heart-shaped clock, the Cowardly Lion with a badge of courage, and Dorothy clicking her ruby red shoes back to Kansas.
Exposition is essential to building a story. It’s like mortar to bricks. But if the reveal is too heavy-handed or obvious (think of the Wizard at the control panels) the backstory can mute or overshadow the front story. And where does the writer go from there? It’s a balancing act, no doubt. And to make things even more challenging, both backstory and front story can be covered with exposition!
Basically, a story has two components: backstory and front story. Front story encompasses scenes occurring in the present moment and moving forward. Backstory shows or informs about past events.
Earlier this year, I watched the 1940 film “His Girl Friday” with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. The story is based on the 1928 play, “The Front Page.” Minutes into the movie, Cary Grant, as news editor Walter Burns, engages in a lengthy diatribe with Rosaline Russell, as Hildy, his former wife and investigative reporter. Their tit-for-tat argument chronicles all the beats of their failed marriage. Yet. audiences are now up to speed on their relationship dynamics while moving forward with the front story about an accused murderer awaiting a stay of execution. Their rapid-fire rant, I imagine, is meant to disguise or diminish blatant exposition. I’m not sure how effectively it would work in movies today that lean heavily on “show don’t tell” visuals for administering backstory. Otherwise, the film’s clipped, newsy jargon clocks in at 240 words per minute with actors rivaling any auctioneer at the sellers’ block!
Last month I blogged about a workshop “Dazzling Dialogue” with advice gleaned from Kuros Charney, professor, playwright, and screenwriter. He listed the following points in his insightful regard for exposition: (1) make it active; (2) give it an objective; (3) use an argument to disguise exposition.
In essence, when it comes to exposition, Charney said, “Don’t worry about it, just write your story.” He continued, “Objectives first! Then in the second draft jam in what needs to be said…make it action or an argument to disguise exposition.” Of course, an argument is a good disguise only if it’s warranted in the context of the scene. Otherwise, it can come across as an information dump. But, Charney does caution, “Don’t reminisce. Make it for a good reason…bring up the past for a good reason!” He mentioned, “You can also try putting the exposition in the future,” i.e. something is going to happen but you’re also getting background info.
I delved further into the topic with a blog from studiobinder.com that boiled down exposition into four choices: Disguise, visualize, delay, or withhold. The presentation delineated several ways to communicate backstory exposition, as highlighted below:
- Title – showing the time and place, especially effective for a futuristic world;
- Narration – notably voiceover that establishes story elements, plot points, or main character’s past, present, or both;
- Dialogue – which can be the trickiest exposition to deliver naturally depending on its context within the story;
- Song lyrics – a selective choice based on the movie’s genre;
- Media – also a specific method, especially if the story involves communicating vital information about a local, national, or international threat;
- Mis en Scene – As mentioned in the studiobinder.com blog, “delivered without a single word of text, dialogue or media, but leaves us wanting more.” Backstory is shown through set props and objects that tell the story, so some critics may think it steps over the line of “show don’t tell.” I’ve noticed many movies defer to photos to identify family members and specific periods of their lives essential to the story. For instance, the camera focuses on a high school graduate’s framed picture as an older main character reads a sympathy card. Most likely we’re being “told” that the youthful graduate died.
While in draft mode, consider Charney’s advice about exposition. “Don’t worry about it. Just write your story.” Your second draft and beyond will inform you regarding what needs to be told, the mortar between the bricks! Don’t worry about plot holes until you determine the central plot! And the exposition choices you make? Well, that’s part of building a great story! Happy writing!