How do they come up with ideas? Film Studies Ms. Gonzalez

An idea is the seed from which a screenplay grows. There are many ways to produce ideas for a movie. See the following 3 sources of inspiration.  What is a screenplay?  It is the “blueprint” or “instructional manual” of the movie. It is the detailed content of a film numbered into scenes or sequences which contains descriptions of what will happen, technical directions for the camera or editing, and all the dialogue that the actors will say.

See an example of how the dialogue looks in a script. (Click below) The Notebook transcript-mcadams.html Now compare the dialogue with the images. (Click below)

1. Influences and emulation  Have you ever seen a movie and right afterward thought “I’d like to make a movie like that?”  George Lucas’ first Star Wars movie influenced quite a few directors. For example, Kevin Smith, who later spoofed the movie in his own movie “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”.

2. Books  Have you ever read a book that you thought would make a great movie? The idea is already there, so it’s a matter of adapting the prose to a screenplay. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith was made into a movie twice, first as Purple Noon and then as the 1998 movie starring Matt Damon.  Compare both  Purple Noon  The talented Mr. Ripley

There are also numerous movies based on characters from books that are now in the public domain, such as Dracula, Frankenstein, and Sherlock Holmes. In 2008 there were three different movie adaptations of Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth.

3. Real life Have you, or anyone you know, ever had an interesting experience that you thought would make the basis for a great movie, or read about a situation in the newspaper that would lend itself to film?  Examples of movies based on real life range from the Charlize Theron movie Monster to the Stephen King adaptation of Stand By Me.  Click on the following links: Monster Stand by Me

“High Concept vs. Low concept” “High concept” movies can be describe in one sentence and usually have simple characters and predictable situations. They have broad themes that have universal appeal, such as Star Wars. They are easier to pitch. These type of movies usually have star names attached, such as Bruce Willis for the Die Hard movies.

High Concept The aim of a “high concept” idea is to be popular. Movies like King Kong. The movie can be summed up in five words, such as with Eric Red’s The Hitcher, “Never pick up a stranger”, and the concept can also be in the title, such as I Married a Monster from Outer Space.

Low Concept “Low concept” movies cannot be summed up so easily and are more complex and demand more thought and work from the audience. These movies can be anything from a mystery to a character study. If you are looking for a movie with a “plot”, then it is probably “low concept”. Examples of this are The Prestige and any M. Night Shyamalan movie. Check them out:  

It’s best to remember that “high” and “low” concept doesn’t refer to the quality of the idea or the movie; it’s simply a way of succinctly describing the idea.

Mini-Project #1 (25 minutes) Sum it up! Group work Come up with three titles and three ideas for a movie that you can sum up in a few words.  For example: Camelot King Arthur in outer space. Runaway With Elvis- Teen goes on a roadtrip with a burned-out Elvis Presley.

Mini-Project #2 (25 minutes) Writing Summaries Group Work Think of three films you have seen recently that are high concept. Write a one-line summary of each.  For example: Pearl Harbor Soldiers deal with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.