Russian cosmonauts & butt-hidden watches in storytelling.
B is for BOLD
Storytelling is all about collecting little stories and building your own.
You gather the atoms, create the molecules, and ride your creatures into the sunset.
Many creators do this type of “smaller story inside the bigger story,” and you don't see it. That's a good thing.
The less you notice the weaving of the stories, the better.
But sometimes, you want to tell a story within a story to make a point.
Do you know who does this a lot?
Filmmakers.
I love this one from “Another Earth”.
Play the video and read the transcript below.
It was also used in ODESZA’S album intro.
ODESZA: Sue me.
Do you know that story of the Russian cosmonaut?
So, he goes up in this big spaceship
And he's got this portal window
And he's looking out of it
And he sees the curvature of the Earth for the first time
And all of a sudden, this strange ticking
Begins coming out of the dashboard (Okay, yeah)
But he can't find it, he can't stop it, it keeps going
A few hours into this, it begins to feel like torture
What's he gonna do? He's up in space!
So the cosmonaut decides
The only way to save his sanity
Is to fall in love with this sound
☝️ Original scene. Written by Brit Marling and Mike Cahill.
So, how many mini-atomic-stories are used to tell the bigger ones?
Well, many.
It’s a brilliant storytelling device.
They act as your own gang of Trojan horses.
Who wouldn't want a gang of horses?
Or sheep (go Lil’ Oliver!)
Think of the “asking for a friend” that other people use on Facebook or Reddit.
They’re stories to ask about sloppy tax declarations or sketchy-looking spots on your wee-wee. As I've been told.
One more example. You probably know this one.
This watch.
This watch was on your Daddy's wrist when he was shot down over Hanoi.
He was captured and put in a Vietnamese prison camp. Now he knew if the gooks ever saw the watch it'd be confiscated.
The way your Daddy looked at it, that watch was your birthright.
And he'd be damned if any slopeheads were gonna put their greasy yella hands on his boy's birthright.
So he hid it in the one place he knew he could hide somethin'. His ass.
Five long years, he wore this watch up his ass. Then when he died of dysentery, he gave me the watch.
I hid this uncomfortable hunk of metal up my ass for two years.
Then, after seven years, I was sent home to my family.
And now, little man, I give the watch to you.
What I love about this technique is that it de-fangs the fear of coming up with an epic story from the get-go.
It proves that big stories are clusters of atoms you find along the way.
Now go collect yours.
See you on Friday!
Matias.
P.S.: Mr. ODESZA, please don’t sue me. I said it to sound cool in front of my friends. I’m not opening a door to legal opposition. I simply can’t afford it. Much love. Keep it up making very occasional bangers.
Like, sub, share? :)