A question I frequently get asked is: “What if someone steals my idea?” The fact is, you cannot protect an idea. You can only protect the expression of the idea. Your unique expression or individual point of view is what makes any of your script ideas valuable or protect-able.
Wall-E – Getting to the Essence of Things
In a few seconds the audience (or executive in a pitch session) should be able to get the essential core of your story and character. One of my favorite quotes is by Albert Einstein: “If you can’t say it simply and briefly you probably don’t understand it well enough.”
Brett Favre – The Power of Truth
Power of Truth characters value loyalty and commitment very highly, but they can be very unsettled and indecisive. They can become self-doubting and suspicious to the point of paralysis. At that point, they no longer trust their own instincts.
The Dark Knight & Emotional Content
The Dark Knight is a classic example of the Emotional Toolbox premise that– “In the battle between reason (plot) and emotion (connection), emotion ALWAYS wins.”
The Dark Knight & The Power of Truth
In a Power of Truth film things are never what they seem. None of the major characters in The Dark Knight are what they seem at first glance. The tangled undergrowth of human duplicity catches and pulls at every character in the film.
The Dark Knight – Alfred & The Power of Love
A character driven by the Power of Love is often someone who tirelessly pushes another forward in a story. These characters— often soft-spoken, gentle and compliant on the outside— are made of strong, even steely, stuff on the inside. They believe the best place to be is the “power behind the throne.” All these qualities are very evident with Alfred.
The Dark Knight – Two Face & the Power of Conscience
Harvey Dent’s moral condemnation of crime fuels him to clean up Gotham and make it safe for ordinary citizens. He is a vigilant prosecutor of evil. After he is burned and Rachel dies, Dent moves toward his Dark Side and becomes Two Face, a twisted vigilante and self-appointed judge, jury and executioner.
#ThinkpieceThursday – Mamma Mia: We Need To Laugh!
#ThinkpieceThursday – This might be an ideal time to sell a comedy.
Relativity and Human Personality
“Einstein, in the special theory of relativity, proved that different observers, in different states of motion, see different realities.” That universal statement of the laws of physics and humanity is at the essence of the Nine Character Types.
Make the Strongest Choice
Always ask yourself– What would make the situation more impossible? What would torture your character more intensely. Then make the strongest choice. Ramp up the conflict. Make it more personal. The higher the stakes for the character the more the audience cares about what happens next.