Concept testing is the last of the last three methods I want to mention. In short, concept testing is whereby you test out your concept statements by gauging people’s reactions. Just remember that almost every good concept starts off with some initial skepticism so do not let that stop you; but, be malleable enough to change you idea as you mention it to your friends, your relatives, even the people in line at Starbucks. Though the concept may be obvious to you, to the listener your idea is filtered through their own beliefs, experiences and emotions. Also, as most movie producers are not the brightest individuals in the world making your idea concise and understandable by anyone you meet will help. Think about ideas like this-they have to meet the Uncle George Rule. That is, if Uncle George from Palestine (that is pronounced Pal – is – steen), Indiana can understand the story idea than most producers, or agents, or directors, will also.
Just do not get caught up in a cycle of constantly mutating
or continually defending your idea. Take
people’s suggestions and move on. If you
like the suggestion, keep it. If you do
not like the suggestion, thank the person and move on. Debating the issue is not worth the time or
effort.
There are three actions you should take about developing
ideas:
- Develop Your Own Style
- Keep the Idea Clear and Concise
- Have Emphasis and Associations
There is one more thing about idea development that you, as
a writer, need to remember. The idea is
not a macguffin. What is a macguffin? A macguffin (sometimes written mcguffin) is
"a plot element that catches the viewers' attention or drives the plot of
a work of fiction.” The specific nature
of the macguffin is not important to the plot.
The macguffin can be ambiguous, completely undefined, generic, or left
open to interpretation.
A macguffin is common in films, particularly science fiction
films. The macguffin can be the zombie,
or the spaceship, or the raygun, or the cross-eyed, double-tailed
watchamacallit. Ideas, and by derivation
plots, are about people, not things. To
have a plot that has a spaceship doing this and doing that makes your entire
story about the macguffin, not the people.
People hearing your idea do not want to hear about how you move the
interrossitor control 18 degrees to the left.
They want to hear about what people emotionally do.
The bottom line here is always, always, always write your
ideas about people and what they do with each other not how they respond to
your clever tool that you thought moves the story along. Bogie did not care about whether the Maltese
Falcon was a statue or a blue-footed boobie.
He was trying to find out who killed his partner and set him up. CLOVERFIELD was not about the monster, the
movie was about the people and their struggles.
Below are some sample
ideas:
Earth is invaded and
nearly destroyed by a super-powerful alien force, but saved by a simple man and
his love for his children.
A circus clown has a
mid-life crisis and decides to become a mailman.
A six-year-old
American boy is separated from his parents and finds himself lost in post-war
Japan.
An autistic gardener
is put out on the street when his boss dies, but manages to survive by making
friends and impressing people with his “wisdom”.
A 20-year-old suicidal
boy falls in love with an 80-year-old woman who loves life.
A group of rag-tag
losers with various incredible kung fu abilities come together to form a
ludicrous-but-incredible soccer team.
A Danish prince is
very unhappy when his mother decides to marry the brother of her murdered
husband, especially since uncle is the guy who did the murdering.
A beautiful princess
runs away and hides with a bunch of extra-short guys when her jealous
stepmother tries to kill her.
A brave toaster
tries to save his fellow appliances from being destroyed when somebody else
takes over the store.
Attribute – Love of Reading
Good writers all love to read. They read voraciously, anything they could
get their hands on: adventure stories, science fiction, mysteries, classics,
comic books. Really good writers have
vast libraries, full collections from Shakespeare volumes to back issues of
"Swamp Thing." Good writers
can't pass a bookstore without going inside.
Good screenwriters read screenplays.
Lot’s of screenplays.
Why are you reading this?
Go write!
John still practices screenwriting
in King County, WA along with a small rat dog, a mortgage, and a great view of
the valley.
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