Revenge of the Sith: creativity and structure
The common belief is that lack of structure and randomness enhances creative output, while in reality creativity increases when it is organized, systematic, and based on highly structured processes. This article will use Episode III of the Star Wars trilogy, Revenge of the Sith, to demonstrate that point.
First, some basics.
a) We can measure creativity by observing the number of ideas produced, their novelty and diversity, and the frequency of production. This allows us to measure which of the two methods listed above produces more results. Using it, we can tell, for example, whether a structured approach with incremental deadlines and goals produces more of a script than a “do your best approach.” Graham Green, the famous English writer, insisted that his success was due to his writing, without fail, 500 words a day. Similar examples of incremental goal setting, the experience of people who regularly have to brainstorm (for example, advertising creatives), and experimentation reveal that incremental deadlines actually help us complete that script much faster.
b) Creative production versus applied creative production. Creative production is enhanced to some extent by unstructured and random thinking. This is the essence of lateral thinking, where ideas are generated for i) the fact of generating them, ii) without direction, iii) without evaluation, iv) using random stimuli to open paths, etc. However, applied creativity is the result of i) the use of frameworks that relate to the problem and ii) critical thinking: reducing the set of ideas to feasible ideas. Indeed, there are three stages, first creative thinking, which is a combination of lateral and logical idea generation, and second, critical thinking.
c) Structures and formal processes trigger an attitude of seeking and solving problems and induce the goal state. This sets boundaries, consistency, focuses creative energy, and is an important source of motivation. It is commonly observed that people appear to be creative when they are limited to a certain extent.
d) Prolific production. Structures like incremental goals force production and lead to prolific production, increasing the likelihood of quality. It can be stated with great certainty that quality is positively correlated with quantity. The best creative product appears at that point in the career when the creator is being most prolific.
e) Incubation. Incremental goals can be short-term and long-term. Short-term goals increase production. Longer-term goals allow problems to incubate at various cognitive levels and lead to richer insights.
So with the above in mind, how did George Lucas write the script for Revenge of the Sith? He didn’t just sit there and wait for the muse to strike. I had a deadline, a budget was involved, and the distributors and marketers had expectations. So he used the structure.
As screenwriters know, the modern script has evolved from a three- and four-act structure. Modern dividers are known as plot points 1 and 2 and the midpoint, which divide the script into four thirty-page parts. On page 30, George knew he had to prepare the characters and Anakin had to go on a journey, triggered by a series of events. A cataclysmic event had to occur around page 60, triggering the meat of the Trial and a significant change, and on page 90, the stage is set for the final confrontation between the Jedi and the Dark Side. In effect, each section boils down to a set of problem-finding and problem-solving exercises.
Going even further, the classic story structure (on which the original Star Wars is based) divides a movie into 19 parts and many of today’s hit movies are framed around it. The parts are: Ordinary world, the call, the rejection, the supernatural help, the first threshold, the belly of the whale, the trials, the encounter with the goddess, the tempting woman, the atonement, the apotheosis, the blessing, the rejection of the return, the magical flight, the rescue from within, Crossing the threshold, return, master of two worlds, freedom to live (Campbell, 1968). Therefore, even four acts are too random. Screenwriters need a 19-stage structure of problem identification and idea generation to maximize their creativity in terms of speed and results.
The 19-stage structure above can legitimately be expanded to around 40 stages and there are theories that allow up to 240 micro stages.
In conclusion, creativity can be measured by the frequency, speed, novelty, diversity, quantity and applicability of production. Significant research and practical experience indicate that organized, systematic, and highly structured processes increase creativity, so if you want to help George write Star Wars Episode VII, don’t take a random, structure-free approach (commonly known as waiting inspiration): use the right structures and move on.
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These and other topics are covered in depth in the MBA thesis on Managing Creativity and Innovation, which can be purchased at http://www.managing-creativity.com
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