Alex McKay

Assistant Director in the Film/TV Industry

[Alex McKay @leckybo]

@sleafordmods Masterful insight.

[Alex McKay @leckybo]

@captainrosa_ @Diggers71 Their official website gave you a presale code if you signed up for it

[Alex McKay @leckybo]

@captainrosa_ @Diggers71 Did you sign up for the presale? They’ve announced a 2nd gig in Glasgow, so hopefully a better chance of getting a ticket on Friday

[Alex McKay @leckybo]

@SeafarerMichael @RangersFC @ScottishFA “Washing machines live longer with Calgon”
Denis Law

[Alex McKay @leckybo]

I don’t post much on this, but have been on it every day since 2012. I loved it. It was an amazing thing that changed how we communicate. I was of the age that I could see the change happening in real time. It has unfortunately turned into an absolute bin fire. Am aff. TTFN

[Alex McKay @leckybo]

@prodnose Absolutely amazing. Another time, another world

[90s Football @90sfootball]

Happy Birthday Henrik Larsson!
https://t.co/79jpmtreLI

[Alex McKay @leckybo]

@quantick

[Alex McKay @leckybo]

@Howard_Goodall The absolute definitive documentary about the making of Sgt Peppers. I watched it constantly when it first aired. So glad it’s back to watch again. As you say in one memorable part of the programme ‘Awesome’

[Nathan Baugh @nathanbaugh27]

In 4 minutes, Kurt Vonnegut explained stories better than anyone I’ve ever heard.

“The shape of the curve is what matters. Not their origins.”

He plots stories on 2 axes:

X: Time
Y: Good fortune / ill fortune

He goes on to say,

“Somebody gets into trouble, then gets out of it again. People love that story. They never get tired of it.”

Point 1:

Stories have defined patterns.

In Joseph Campbell’s Hero of a Thousand Faces, he makes the case for the Hero’s Journey.

Since then, it’s become the most famous storytelling structure in the world.

Vonnegut argued stories could be divided into 8 shapes.

Each story, he said, fit one of the 8.

Point 2:

Vonnegut says,

“Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them — so the reader may see what they're made of.”

To see who your characters really are, you have to make them suffer.

Only then does your audience have someone worth cheering for.

Point 3:

End on a high note.

Vonnegut says, “It’s not accidental that the line ends up higher than where it began. This is encouraging to readers.”

The way a story makes people feel when they finish is how they remember it.

It’s called recency bias.

Lift people up and they will love you.

***

“There are people. There are stories. The people think they shape the stories, but the reverse is often closer to the truth.”

I wrote this with @RobbieCrab. Follow him for lessons on storytelling + fundraising.

And I talk about creative storytelling. Follow @nathanbaugh27 for more like that.

[Jonathan Melville @jon_melville]

This is a good weekend to watch Bill Forsyth films on UK streaming channels. Some are about to leave.

BBC iPlayer has his 1st and 4th features, That Sinking Feeling and Comfort and Joy. Channel 4 has his 3rd, Local Hero. His 2nd, Gregory’s Girl, is on Prime. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🎥

[Filippo Ulivieri @nessuno2001]

[Thread] I’ve noticed something odd happening in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. True, there’s plenty of odd things going on in The Shining, but this is really weird.

🧵 1/50

[Grand Auld Team @GrandAuldTeam_]

GLASGOW CELTIC, THE BEST IN SCOTLAND 👊🍀

[Alex McKay @leckybo]

@GrantMcPheeFilm Or that Hans Zimmer wrote the theme tune to the BBC quiz show ‘Going For Gold’

[Alex McKay @leckybo]

@gregthewellfan @jucojames @Stirling_Albion @greig1297 one for you!

[Alex McKay @leckybo]

@101greatgoals @DelaneyMan

[Scarred for Life @ScarredForLife2]

Happy centenary, Nigel Kneale. A true genius, he changed the face of televisual horror forever. Oh, and he also predicted the rise of reality TV. We salute you.

[Alex McKay @leckybo]

@felicityward Local Hero - masterpiece

[Alex McKay @leckybo]

@DelaneyMan Glaswegian Celtic fan. Going to watch my English team for the first time. Should I keep quiet, or will I be ok? Mon the hammers