WHERE TO START? (WITH `FILM STORY IDEAS’)

Screenwriters can start anywhere, including (but not limited to):

 AN IDEA, possibly featuring a central character and a situation (e.g.

perhaps inspired by: a news story, or a song, or, a dream, or - everyday
life in general - etc.)

 A PREFERRED GENRE – such as thriller, romantic comedy, actionadventure,
sci-phi, crime-thriller

 AN IMAGE (possibly suggesting the story’s main character, or the
antagonist, or the film’s climax, etc)

 A THEME (“There’s No Place Like Home”, “Family”, “Honour Among
Thieves”, “Revenge” etc.)

 AN ADAPTATION- (i.e. a screenplay adapted from a novel, short story,
biography, real-life event, etc.). In these cases it is usually important to
acquire the rights, first.

“Theme” revolves around `having something to say’, or, the overall meaning of the story.

However the Theme that the writer/director/filmmakers intended - and the Theme the
audience interprets may differ. (Results may vary.) This is also known as “the
intentional fallacy”. (How can we ever be sure that, what we think someone meant - is
what they actually meant? However - this particular Philosophical can-o-worms can
stay shut for now.)

As for Theme - screenwriter Paul Schrader (author of Taxi Driver) advises:
“As a novelist, you have to be sure at least 100,000 people
will respond to your work. But - for a screenwriter, you have
to ask yourself: Will at least 3 million people react to this?
Otherwise, you should write poetry.”

On the other hand, Themes which are too explicit/obvious in a script, or `preached’ at
an audience (say, in dialog) are referred to as `on the nose’.
Infamous Golden Age of Hollywood studio boss, Sam Goldwyn is famed for saying `If you
have a message, send it Western Union’. Sam clearly believed movies were for
entertainment only. However it can be argued, most enduring and popular films do have
a clear Theme. (Sometimes, many. )
The Theme is the message of the film. Many believe, in good scripts, it pervades most
scenes.
Some example film Themes:
 The futility of war - Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now, Gallipoli

 `There’s no place like home’ - The Castle, The Wizard of Oz

 Great love defies even death - Moulin Rouge!, Titanic, Romeo + Juliet

 Tell the truth - Breaker Morant, Tootsie, Witness

 Nothing is what it seems - American Beauty, The Matrix, The Usual Suspects

 Loneliness - Proof, Storm Boy, Taxi Driver

 Honour among thieves - Chopper, Reservoir Dogs

 Ruthless ambition leads to its own destruction - The Bank, MacBeth

 Courage to overcome self-doubt leads to self-esteem - Strictly Ballroom, Rocky

 Revenge - Mad Max, Gladiator, Hamlet

 Make Things Happen - Muriel’s Wedding, The Dish, Lorenzo’s Oil

 “You have to be rich to get away with murder” - Chinatown

Note - Lajos Egri’s book THE PRINCIPLES OF DRAMATIC WRITING outlines such Themes
in regard to plays, although Egri refers to them as the play’s `Premise’. Hollywood
screenwriting terminology can also differ - in that - the Premise is often actually the
`dramatic situation’ posed by the film’s set-up.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS

In his 1926 book The Art of Thought, psychologist Graham Wallis identified four stages
of the creative process which are common to most creative enterprises (including
screen, prose, poetry, song writing and painting).
They are:

1) PREPARATION - gaining the necessary knowledge (i.e. craft skills and
adequate research on the story subject)

2) INCUBATION - letting the idea(s) simmer in the subconscious mind...

3) ILLUMINATION - the actual inspiration and `putting forth‟ of the masterpiece
into an available physical reality (i.e. a manuscript)

4) VERIFICATION - editing the raw work into a polished, presentable form
These four steps are useful tools for a writer. If the screenplay isn’t working, or you’re
experiencing “writer’s block”, you may want to check if you’re missing one of these
steps.