Aarrgghh!!

So You Want to Make a Movie... PART 3

An Idea

Okay, you've resolved to endure some shame and go down the path. Now you need to come up with something for your movie to be about. Why? Because invariably some one will ask you "What's your movie about?" It will also be helpful in selling it to your actors, making people want to see it, and oh yeah it helps in coming up with the story. Without an idea, you have no story, without a story, you have no script, without a script you will have a painful period of time recorded on film, and people will ask you for a temporal refund after they watch it.

So what's an idea? What makes it different from a story? An idea can usually be expressed in one sentence. It usually introduces the world in which your movie will take place, and the hook. It usually doesn't include details about the characters. A story, on the other hand usually needs more than one sentence to explain, contains cause and effect and usually has a linear structure. "This happens, so the hero does that, so the villian does this, and the hero has to choose..." More about story later.

What does an idea look like?

1. A man has to come to face the truth that he is a superhero, and being capable of more, he is responsible to do more.
2. We will live entirely in virtual reality, but we won't know it.
3. A young man tries to move on with his life in the subculture of acting-wannabes in L.A.

Of course, I have to ask "Can you guess which idea is what story? As we go down the list, we see the ideas get more specific and more identifiable. Is specific better? I say it depends on your style.

If you have trouble getting started with the whole creative process than absolutely start specific, and this will give you strong momentum. But don't be afraid to deviate if you get a good idea along the way.

If you don't like being creatively limited, then go with the more general ideas. However, don't let yourself meander and not get anything done.

As a cautionary note, I would stay away from mentioning other titles unless the other story is critical to explaining yours. A parody of another story needs to mention it. Otherwise, don't do it .

Bad:

Seven meets Blind Fury in a tale about a blind samaurai master who kills people according to the seven deadly sins.

Ok:

A modern adaptation of A Christmas Carol, set in an office, dealing with a holiday party.

Now, you have an idea, you can start brainstorming about what actually happens in your work, and that's the story.

Here's what movies I thought these ideas referred to.

1. Spiderman, Superman 2, Unbreakable
2. Matrix, Existenz
3. Swingers

January 5, 2005 Posted by Terrence Ryan at 1:08 AM

Entertainment, Film,

Comments

Why thank you. I forgot that I had said that. Maybe we can get it catch on.

Posted by: Terrence Ryan at January 7, 2005 10:35 AM

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