Testing your Premise...

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  • Testing your Premise...

    So La Femme had an interesting post a while back on Premise Testing, but I wanted to debate and go deeper to just what makes a solid, commercial, Hollywood premise, and just what we should be thinking of/ ticking off on our Premise Testing List.

    From La Femme's old post on Premise Testing, she says:

    "Here is a worksheet I would recommend using for every premise you come up with. Simply fill it out in pencil and voila, watch the skeleton of your story come together.


    Title:

    Premise line:Genre:Hook:

    Theme:

    World (location/situation):

    Main Character:
    Wants/Needs
    Flaw
    Age/stage of life

    Antagonist:
    motivation/goals:

    Set up or inciting incident:

    1st act break event:

    Midpoint reversal:

    2nd act break event:

    Ticking Clock:

    Showdown or Climactic Scene:

    How does this story fit into the current zeitgeist?

    What age is the audience for this story idea?

    What is universally resonant about this story?

    Approximate Budget:

    List Three Movies which are in ANY way similar:
    When was each released?
    What was the box office?-


    Now, the above is a solid breakdown of your idea. But I wanted to go deeper still and create a Premise Testing List of things writers should/could be thinking about for amping up that Hollywood mainstream idea.

    So I'll start off with...

    1) CASTABLE.

    Are your protag or antag - or even supporting cast members - "castable"? I remember reading GALAHAD, and thinking "Wow, who wouldn't want to play ANY of these characters?". You've got Lancelot. King Arthur. Galahad. And lots and lots of famous and popular characters -- all of these are "castable" roles that I'd imagine any actor would kill to play.

    2) RELATABLE.

    KNOCKED UP is a great premise because we've all (at least most of us) have had a "scare" moment with someone, and KNOCKED UP takes it to its limits and presents the idea of: What if someone you had a one night stand with, you got pregnant? That's a relatable idea. One that I think male and female's alike can relate to easily. Therefore "relatable" in a premise would be a bonus that makes your concept even more attractive to Exec's in Prod. Co. and Studios, right?

    3) OVERSEAS ATTRACTION.

    If THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR isn't a blatant attempt to "cash in" on the ever growing Asian market, I don't know what is. KUNG FU PANDA pi$$ed off the Chinese Government, because they said they should've thought of that premise themselves, not the US. Clearly commercial ideas need to travel well overseas (isn't it something like half the money a project will make in its lifetime - will come from overseas markets?) so clearly it's time to think about ideas that will play out well all around the world.

    4) FRANCHISE.

    Okay, one movie can sum this up nicely. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. Whether you love or hate them (or think Ted & Terry are some of the smartest writers in Hwood) "franchise" is something we should all hope to cash in on (and we'll be laughing to the bank).

    If anyone else has other things to add to this, then let the debate carry on...!

    EJ

  • #2
    Re: Testing your Premise...

    Good list.

    I am wondering about one thing. RELATABLE.

    i personally think this one is up for discussion. I enjoy a movie that I can relate to. But I also like the kind of movie that is something I can't.

    Cloverfield for instance. I can't relate to having any experience with a monster attack, But it puts me in this danger zone that I am not used to being involved in. I get to experience it for a full hour and a half.

    End of the World movies, (Independence Day, Deep Impact, Armageddon, etc) I don't think I can relate to any of these but I get to experience that sense of danger. That scenario that I am not used to being around.

    I guess the whole "Relatable" subject all depends, in my opinion.

    Thoughts?
    We Are Legion.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Testing your Premise...

      My take on it is two things.

      1) From a concept POV - but like you said I can't relate to CLOVERFIELD.

      2) From a THEME POV. The movie WHEN HARRY MET SALLY is a great 'theme' that I think is extremely relatable to almost everyone in the world.

      EJ

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      • #4
        Re: Testing your Premise...

        This is very similar to the Writer's Boot Camp Unity Page.
        Norman Bates
        She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?

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        • #5
          Re: Testing your Premise...

          Do you have anymore info on this mineymole?

          EJ

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          • #6
            Re: Testing your Premise...

            I have a script tip on this - Happy Meals. That is, what are the potential promo tie ins? What's the other merchandise your film can sell - toys, games, etc? Companies are diversified these days - the parent company may own a toy company, and if they don't - they can make money licensing the toys.

            But after hearing a million pitches from people, I think just having a great idea is usually the most important thing... most don't have enough imagination.

            On Relatable: You want to relate to the characters and their emotional problems... in a world that is a major escape from reality. Emotional problem = relatable, plot problem = escape, fantasy. So SUPERBAD has characters we can relate to involved in this crazy quest where things get more and more out of control.

            - Bill
            Free Script Tips:
            http://www.scriptsecrets.net

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            • #7
              Re: Testing your Premise...

              Originally posted by EJ Pennypacker View Post
              ...I can't relate to CLOVERFIELD.
              Of course nobody can directly relate to being attacked by a gigantic creature from space, but we can all relate to the idea of saving a loved one from harm, whether it has happened to us or not.

              There are several people that I know, that I'm such good friends with, that I'd run into a burning building to save them if I had to. Cloverfield connects with me in that kind of way. I know that I will never be in a situation like the one in the film, but there might be a time in reality where I am in a situation where someone I love and care about is in immediate, life-threatening danger. I just hope that never happens.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Testing your Premise...

                Good way at looking at it. I agree with you all. I guess I was looking at the scenario rather than the characters emotional voyage...
                We Are Legion.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Testing your Premise...

                  Originally posted by Biohazard View Post
                  Of course nobody can directly relate to being attacked by a gigantic creature from space.
                  I can. It's called Marriage.
                  @TerranceMulloy

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                  • #10
                    Re: Testing your Premise...

                    Overseas Attraction definitely falls into a more complicated and deeper consideration. I think this issue falls into the RELATABLE(using the definition that Bill mentioned) category. Have themes resonate in the most humanistic level. Mummy and KungFu are fantastical stories... very simple, universal themes. The history and/or characters you exploit also indicate the audience it potentially attracts. Is it really necessary to consider if the movie is to be distributed internationally when writers or any creative player does not have any control over marketing or distribution?
                    I think the franchise idea could be instrumental in pitches more so than in the actual script. Then again, I haven't done many pitches.
                    Last edited by Angeloworx; 10-03-2008, 05:01 AM.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Testing your Premise...

                      Okay, so to add to the list, as per Bill M. suggestion, I'm gonna throw in:

                      5) HAPPY MEALS.

                      That is, what are the potential promo tie ins? What's the other merchandise your film can sell - toys, games, etc? Companies are diversified these days - the parent company may own a toy company, and if they don't - they can make money licensing the toys.

                      I'm also going to add:

                      6) EXPLOITING THE CONCEPT.

                      If your movie is about aliens invading Earth and destroying it, then we'd better see aliens invading Earth and destroying it. And those set-pieces should be big in scale and support your concept to the max. "Exploting the Concept" is something someone can probably explain better than me, but it's something people often overlook when they come up with a solid Hwood idea, but fail to cash-in on the original idea and exploit it to the max. because they get sidetracked easily within the plot.

                      EJ

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                      • #12
                        Re: Testing your Premise...

                        You can divide your "premise testing" in half-- one part for story potential & development, the other for comercial viability. Some stories might be less commercial but still worth pursuing.

                        But if your primary goal is to sell it, you would definately put the commercial potential of the concept first & foremost.

                        "Trust your stuff." -- Dave Righetti, Pitching Coach

                        ( Formerly "stvnlra" )

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                        • #13
                          Re: Testing your Premise...

                          You have to be joking with this list and examples
                          But this wily god never discloses even to the skillful questioner the whole content of his wisdom.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Testing your Premise...

                            Originally posted by reddery View Post
                            You have to be joking with this list and examples
                            I'm not joking. Just trying to put together a list that maybe helpful to people who want to think along mainstream, commerical and Hollywood ideas. In the spirit of debate and conversation, I thought it would prove interesting to talk about it and form one.

                            Is thinking commerical and mainstream a joke to you, reddery? Or the idea of "forming a list" that helps create one? I dont see any harm in either.

                            EJ
                            Last edited by EJ Pennypacker; 10-03-2008, 10:39 AM.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Testing your Premise...

                              Adding a seventh idea from an old posted check list from CE...

                              7) CONFLICT.

                              Does the premise instantly present conflict or the notion of one?

                              EJ

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