premise vs. counter vs. controlling ideas

[yeehi]

Looking at the Robert McKee seminar here, there was a distinction made between premise, counter and controlling ideas.

Would somebody like to elaborate?

Archplot, Miniplot, Antiplot are some other concepts I would like to hear people discuss.

What does he say about the "principles of antagonism"?

[Stephen Wegmann]

Re: premise vs. counter vs. controlling ideas

Looking at the Robert McKee seminar here, there was a distinction made between premise, counter and controlling ideas.

Would somebody like to elaborate?

Archplot, Miniplot, Antiplot are some other concepts I would like to hear people discuss.

What does he say about the "principles of antagonism"?

What the hell are counter and controlling ideas? What happened to just writing a freakin script. (I have STORY but don't remeber seeing any such things...)

[Marine66]

Re: premise vs. counter vs. controlling ideas

Read the McKee profile in The New Yorker, which is available online. Then try to rent one of his movies.

[Cyfress]

Re: premise vs. counter vs. controlling ideas

I never heard of counter.

Premise = the interesting situation that's the epicenter of your plot.

A NYC cop is trapped in an LA high rise that's been hijacked by terrorists.

Controlling idea = Theme. Does Love conquer all? Does greed kill?

[BottomlessCup]

Re: premise vs. counter vs. controlling ideas

I think McKee's principles are better for analysis than for writing a script.

Also, I think he's a blowhard and wrong more than he's right.

[Angeloworx]

Re: premise vs. counter vs. controlling ideas

I sat in in one of his seminars and found him hilarious. He a grumpy old man that knows and can reference all the rules he's laid out. Unfortunately, he finds problems instead of giving answers.

[wcmartell]

Re: premise vs. counter vs. controlling ideas

What Cyfress said.

I was comped into the McKee Class once and spent at least part the time confused by his terms for things that there were already perfectly good terms for.

- Bill