Writing the screenplay may be the easiest part; how do screenwriters come up with story ideas?

One semester, Marc Norman came to talk to USC students in the Master of Professional Writing program. He told a charming story about how his children, when they were little, sensed that their daddy's job as a screenwriter wasn't stable or continuous. He said they were convinced that when one writing job ended, there might not be another for awhile.

So over the diner table they would try to help him, coming up with wild ideas for stories--"Daddy, write about a monster that attacks the city..."

And then Marc's son grew up and called him from college, excited. "Dad, why not write about the young Shakespeare." He did, and when Shakespeare in Love won the Academy Award, Marc presented his son with a handsome thank-you check.

Marc told our class of screenwriting students, playwrights, and novelists that it was so challenging for him to think up story ideas, that he had worked for someone else for most of his screenwriting career.

Nia Vardalos also spoke to our Master of Professional Writing class. Petite and charming, she graciously answered every question. She told us that when she crossed the border and entered California, that she would be given her own sitcom; a year or so later, her agent fired her. Because no one would hire her as an actress, she wrote a play that she would star in about what she knew best--her extended family. She said the lines in the film that people remember best were taken from conversations she'd had with family members. I'll write more about this later, but she and her husband scraped together the funds, rented a hall, staged the play, and overextended themselves financially spending retirement savings as I remember, buying an ad in the LA TIMES. Rita Wilson eventually saw the play, her husband, Tom, became involved...well there's much more to the story, enough for another post.

So how do you come up with a compelling idea for a story? Last semester in The Industry class we learned that Disney will not consider making a movie unless it can be made into a theme park ride. Mark Ross from Paradigm advised our small group that visited with him to do what he does--watch every movie that is released, see how they do in the trades (one week out; two weeks...what are audiences interested in); he told us that if we want to be artists, that to survive we should always be working on two projects, one for ourselves and one for the market.

The playwright Martin McDonagh wrote the story for In Bruges, which we studied in class this week, after he vacationed in Bruges, Belgium. He was enchanted by the town--for a few hours. And then he became bored. He thought it would be interesting to separate those feelings into two characters who are forced to stay in the town for two weeks. He had a fun challenge--why would they be stuck there? And he began to weave the story with the inciting incident, theme, tension, humor, and imagery.

Yes, this will be a life changing semester. I can hardly wait.

1st class: Adv Motion Picture Script Analysis (Donald Bohlinger), USC SCA

Movie: In Bruges, written and directed by Martin McDonagh

Terms:

• Element of the Future or "Advertising." When Ray meets Chloe; after small talk he promises to tell her what he is over dinner; she walks away and then drops her card with her phone number. The audience anticipates their next meeting, with tension/romantic interaction.
• Defining scene: Reveals the main problem.
• Cinematic moment: Reveals who the character is, creates empathy for the character, and bonds us to them.
• Planting: a character, location, prop, an image that appears in the story; it can be subtle. It will be given meaning--become important--later in the story, or "paid off." In Bruges has many planted items (the person selling tickets to the tower won't take Ken's change as he is a few cents short and then the coins are later dropped from the tower, alerting Ray that there is danger, in the final act; also, the camera focuses at the top of the highest tower in the town, then drops quickly--moving too fast to let the audience see details of the tower, stopping on Ken and Ray at the bottom of the tower; they're sightseeing. The camera's movement is the same speed as a body falling from the tower, which happens in the final act. There are many items "planted" in the film "In Bruges."
• Dramatic Irony: The audience knows something the characters don't. Examples: After Harry calls Ken, the audience knows that he has been ordered to kill Ray. When Ray returns, he doesn't know this at first; the dramatic irony increases the tension. Another example: Ray and Chloe are kissing as Ken and Harry walk past. The audience knows that Harry has come to town to kill Ray; and that Ken is not cooperating. Will Ken be able to save himself and Ray?
• Complication: A problem for the main character. Example: at Chloe's place, an old boyfriend shows up, becomes jealous and aims a gun at Ray.
• Discrepancy: A technique often used to create humor. When Ken tells Harry that an American chain pizza place in the U.K. is also in Bruges and says, "That's globalization." "Comedy loves discrepancy."
• Scene of preparation: Ray getting ready for his date, looking in the mirror while Ken watches (a father figure); later Ken dresses in a suit and tie while looking in the same mirror, carefully preparing for his death.
• Each character has a POV/point of view: Their greatest need/desire, what is it and why?

Hints and additional information:

• To make the experience enjoyable for the audience, provide exposition a little at a time, with a dropper (not with a bucket). From the book, "Tools of Screenwriting"
• Martin McDonagh is a playwright; his dialogue is playful, with repetitive phrases.
• Location and props reveal inner thoughts of the character.
• A painting by Bosch, The Last Judgement," reveals the movie's theme, guilt. As the characters visit the art museum the theme of art, death, and guilt are revealed.
• Thought ad care are put into each character. Ray's suicidal thoughts are hinted at, which set up a character arc.
• Preparation: Scorsese studies every western film before directing a western. What works? What makes it work?
• Finding something visual that tells the audience about the character: "That's what we do." When the magic happens, the writer can take the rest of the day off!
• Editors are writers

Movies consist of eight chapters (originates from the old-time reels); also known as sequences.

Each sequence should tell the audience something about the character, advance the plot.

Terms to be discussed in the next class session: Recapitulation, first culmination, point of highest tension, new tension.