add to the story, giving it more dimension. The subplot should start after the main plot, inter-
weave, and wrap up close to the main plot. It should remain less important. Getting the two
plots to come together into only one story with nothing extraneous can be the hard part.
Stories with A- and B-plots are too complicated for shorter stories under the half-hour
length. Even some half-hour stories do not deal with subplots. If you’re working with a story
editor on a series, ask if he wants a subplot.
Fourth Method
Prime-time animated shows are written like sitcoms. A sitcom is a comedy based around a
situation. A protagonist still has a goal, develops a game plan that’s opposed, and battles
someone or something for the outcome. But sitcoms have less action. They’re not as visual
and lend themselves less to classic animation techniques. The comedy is centered on the
characters, who may be more realistic. Sitcoms stand out for their clever dialogue and multi-
tude of jokes, one or more on each page. One or two writers may write an initial script, but
somewhere in the process, a whole group of staff writers sits around a table and works
together, punching up the humor and polishing the script. These scripts usually have a
subplot.
Fifth Method
A few animation writers work very differently. They feel that plot tends to get in the way
of the gags and the laughs. Preferring to keep it simple, they work with a basic idea for the
star’s goal and opposition (Coyote wants to catch the Roadrunner, but Roadrunner doesn’t
want to be caught). They add an arena, the necessary characters, and some props. Then they
build the gags toward a big climax, placing the best, wildest, and funniest gag there. The story
is simple with a beginning, middle, and end. Create one escalating conflict with at least one
reversal. Stories over five minutes need multiple obstacles or complications. But funny is
what it’s all about! This style tends to work best in shorter cartoons: thirty seconds to twelve
minutes max. The classic animators worked this way. They worked together often in one
room, developing stories by topping each other with gags. They developed ideas and ani-
mated the stories themselves. Characters developed gradually through gags, dialogue, and
bits over a period of time. They knew and loved their characters, sometimes becoming their
characters as they worked. Imagination, surprise, and exaggeration are very important in
this style. There is not enough plot here to keep the audience’s interest for a longer story or
feature film.
And More!
There are many variations and combinations of these styles. Each feature, each series, and
each story editor is different. One other suggested structure method leapfrogs a plot-
developing or story scene with a gag scene throughout. So you have story scene, gag scene,
story, gag, story...until the end! You can find more details to help you in developing your
structure in the checklist found in the chapter on editing and rewriting.
114 Animation Writing and Development