THE IDEA

EVERY ONE HAS ONE GREAT STORY

1. YOUR LIFE IS INTERESTING
a. WE’VE ALL LIVED
2. FIRST TIME SCREENWRITERS
a. CLERKS
b. GOOD WILL HUNTING
c. MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING
d. GARDEN STATE
e. NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE
f. SWINGERS
g. DAZED AND CONFUSED
h. AMERICAN GRAFFETTI
i. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
j. SUPER BAD


FIRST SCRIPT SHOULD BE A PERSONAL STORY

1. CHARACTER
a. DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO IS LARGER THAN LIFE?
b. COMBINE CHARACTERS
c. DIALOGUE NATURAL
i. BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE LANGUAGE
2. WORLD
a. KNOW IT
b. WILL BE VERY SPECIFIC
i. ALL THE FIRST TIME WRITERS ABOVE WROTE ABOUT WORLDS THEY LIVED IN AND KNEW

c. NO RESEARCH NECESSARY IF WRITE IN A WORLD YOU LIVED IN
d. IF NOT KNOW THE RULES
i. DEFINE RULES

WRITE A HIGH CONCEPT SCRIPT ONCE YOU’VE MASTERED STUCTURE

DOES YOUR IDEA PROMISE CONFLICT?
1. NO CONFLICT NO SCREENPLAY

LOVE STORY A GOOD PLACE TO START
1. BOY MEETS GIRL
a. WE ALL WANT LOVE
b. WE ALL HAVE LOVED

FAMILY SECRETS
1. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID TO WRITE?

COMING OF AGE STORIES
1. WHEN DID YOU BECOME A “REAL ADULT?”
2. SEE SOMEONE ELSE?
3. MOST PERSONAL STORIES LIKE THAT
a. GOOD WILL HUNTING
b. BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING
c. SWINGERS

THE BUDDY FILM/ ESEMBLE FILM
1. YOUNG PEOPLE RUN AROUND IN PACKE
a. BREAKFAST CLUB
b. ANIMAL HOUSE
c. ANY ROAD TRIP FILM

BUT LIE – CHANGE AND REARRANGE

CHARACTER VS. PLOT?
1. A SCREENPLAY IS A CHARACTER IN ACTION
2. HARD TO SEPARATE
3. EXTREMES
a. ACTION FILMS
b. SLAPSTICK COMEDY