Screenplay.com Forums

I'm struggling to determine whether to assign my OS to the situation or fixed attitude domains. On the one hand I see a SITUATION in which people with firmly held perspectives/worldviews/belief systems (FIXED ATTITUDES) are in seemingly endless unresolved global conflict -- kinda like the real world. On the other hand I imagine people with a variety of FIXED ATTITUDES engaged in inner struggles to get beyond their own personal limitations for the betterment of mankind (SITUATION) -- a genuine fairytale.

As I understand it either of these approaches to the story can be assigned to the situation or fixed attitude domains. Any suggestions about how to make the assignment and/or the challenges presented by the choice?

Thanks.

If their problem is EXTERNAL and they're stuck, use Situation.

If their problem is INTERNAL and they're stuck, use Fixed Attitude.

Both of your examples seem to be Fixed Attitude problems. The first example has conflict rising from a clash of "firmly held perspectives/worldviews/belief systems." That's an internal problem. External situational problems are like people starving or fighting over territory or stuck on an island or one group at the mercy of another based on race or gender, etc. The source of conflict must be caused by being both external (physical world) AND unchanging (stuck) for it to be a Situation.

Your first example reworked as a Situation might be: "There is unresolved global conflict because of the imbalance of natural resources between countries." A solution to a situation is a process. Therefore, opening trade between countries could resolve that situation.