We all know that conflict is needed to keep viewers engaged, to create

an emotional response, and to ultimately, push the story forward.

Without conflict in a story, the film, show, or novel, may seem a bit,
well, boring. It’s also true that conflict can be defined by all of the
“types” that exist — internal, external, people vs people, people vs
society, etc. And while all of those things are helpful, it’s not a fully
developed definition. This article takes a macro perspective, answering
what is conflict in a story by highlighting why we need it in the first
place. We’ll break down a video to drive this point home.

Let’s jump in and unpack some of this so you can approach writing
conflict in a meaningful and purposeful way.

Denouement is one of the most important aspects of a script, yet it can

easily be confused with other story beats like climaxes or epilogues. So
what is denouement?

In this article, we’re going to define denouement in a clear and simple

way, then look at some key examples from film that show us how
masterclass filmmakers use it to expert effect.

We’re going to cover the various permutations of denouement (explicit

vs. implicit) with some stellar examples from One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest, Return of the Jedi and more. But before all that, let’s
quickly define denouement so we can begin to understand the
foundation of this highly important storytelling element.