A good idea for a movie is a rare find, and it takes a lot of work to dig one up. That's why brainstorming ideas, and not leaving the brainstorm phase too soon, is so important.
The longer I brainstorm, the more I start to hone in on a particular set of ideas. I tend to find myself exploring certain ideas in different forms over and over again. When I recognize such a repeat I try to pinpoint what's sparking them. Sometimes it's an emotion, or an interesting character trait, sometimes it's an issue in current events or a biblical theme. Whatever it is, I tend to hunt it down and then hold onto it, because for whatever reason, this idea has a hold of me. If an idea can stir you up, or evoke a strong emotion in you, then chances are it will do the same for an audience. And that, in so many ways, is the big goal: to evoke an emotional response in an audience.
A this point I begin to narrow my direction, and I head toward the next two steps in the process. 3) Defining the theme, and 4) a very basic four beat structure for the film.
3) The Theme
Theme can be defined in many ways, but the way I like to think of it is the way Lajos Egri defines it in The Art of Dramatic Writing, and I like to approach it the way Christopher Vogler suggests in The Writer's Journey. Start with one word that describes what your film is about, for example: Selfless Love, or Absolute Power, or Revenge. Then stretch that word out into a cause and effect sentence. For example: Selfless love overcomes all obstacles, or Absolute power corrupts absolutely, or Revenge is never satisfied. In essence, you're creating a hypothesis that your story is going to prove. Once you have it, write it down and paste it over your desk. This is your compass. Every scene, every character, every line of dialogue needs to deal with this simple sentence. It is the core of your film.
4) Four Beat Structure
The thing that tends to happen along side defining my theme, is coming up with a simple four beat structure. If you aren't familiar with the different types of story structure there are a lot of resources online, simply searching "the hero's journey" is a great place to start. I highly recommend reading the Writers Journey by Christopher Vogler, The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell, Making a Good Script Great by Linda Seger, and Screenplay by Syd Field.
The four beats that I look for when I'm starting are:
- the turning point into act 2
- the midpoint
- the end of act 2
- the climax
I'm usually jumping back and forth between defining my theme, and coming up with these four points. I'll write a theme, and then try out some ideas on how the turning points could go, and how well they underline the theme. The most important of those for me is the end of Act 2. I find that the end of Act 2 is a point where the theme is really challenged, where it seems impossible to prove. If the movie is about Revenge Never Being Satisfied, then the end of Act 2 will have my main character looking very satisfied and his/her revenge very complete. Then everything unravels and we're propelled into Act 3 and the final showdown where my theme is undeniably proven. The other beats are important as well, but for me, if I can see the end of act 2 and my theme, then I can see my movie.
Hope this has been helpful. I'll continue to work at putting more of these together in the coming weeks. Keep checking back for more. Again, if you found this helpful please consider clicking the like button at the top of the page or sharing the page with the social buttons bellow. Happy writing!
MY PROCESS FOR SCREENWRITING: PART 1
MY PROCESS FOR SCREENWRITING: PART 2
MY PROCESS FOR SCREENWRITING: PART 3
MY PROCESS FOR SCREENWRITING: PART 4
MY PROCESS FOR SCREENWRITING: PART 5