Why This is Good

A recurring problem that new writers face is a boring premise. If the idea you are starting out with is dull, then the characters and events within your story will be too. I often find myself asking the writers I work with why they think that anyone would be interested in watching this movie? Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our story, so in love with the characters, that we are blind to the fact that the actual premise of the story is so dull that it will not sustain the audience’s interest for two hours.

For example, let’s take a look at some of 2009’s box office successes:

Zombieland-the premise of this movie is intriguing, paired with the fact that in this case it’s done in a funny way, the very idea of this movie is interesting.

Take Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, the premise is that a town has food raining down from the sky-that alone is a fascinating idea.

Number one for the year-Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,  is, in my opinion a fluke based on it’s predecessor’s success, and Megan Fox’s draw. It does, however, have a compelling premise that did at least successfully lure people to the box office.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince-again we can argue that this is another part of a successful franchise, but the story’s premise is still something to consider.

Up-the premise of up is cute, quirky, and promises to be entertaining and unique.

The Hangover-the premise of this movie, that a bunch of guys get really drunk in Vegas and lose their friend, if not overly imaginative, gives you the promise that they will have some funny moments, and of course, they did.

Star Trek-Some of the popularity of this film was doubtless due to the popularity of Star Trek as a whole, however the premise of the movie, had it been based on Star Trek characters or a whole new set of unrelated space travelers, is compelling as a stand-alone idea. The story is interesting whether you’re a trekie or not.

All of these movies had a unique, compelling, funny and/or original idea to start out with. While many other things contributed to their success, the loglines alone were enough to make you want to see the movie. A good premise can sell your story, while a dull one can kill it before it even gets a chance. You could have the most amazing character arc and perfect dialogue, but if the there is no story, no compelling premise or interesting idea being examined, no one will be interested enough in the subject matter to want to read-or watch, your story. Sometimes writers take the advice- “write what you know” too literally and end up writing about their own uneventful lives. If all you know is sitting in a cubicle in a dead end job, that won’t make a good movie. Unless, like in Office Space, you take that idea and turn it into a great premise-What if someone refused to go into work and instead rejected the system and lived life on his own terms? In this instance, the writer took what he knew-working in an office-and turned it into something other people would want to watch.

Take a look at your premise, and determine if that idea alone is interesting, and would sell your story on its own merit. If not, ask yourself if your story will appeal to anyone other than yourself. Your premise doesn’t have to appeal to everyone, but it must be compelling enough to garner some audience, even if it’s just a niche subject-like Whip It or Julie and Julia-but if the idea behind your story is so personal or dull that you can’t imagine anyone wanting to see your movie based on the premise alone, it is time to reconsider this idea, or tweak it to widen its appeal.

Just as I suspected, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs has maintained its popularity since it debuted.

Read the Variety article here.

Popularity is often, though certainly not always, a good measure of how well a story is told. Movies are meant to speak to us, to say something about the human condition, and life, in a way that we can all relate to. That is why it is important to get your audience to identify with your hero, so that they will relate to him or her and go through the journey together with the hero. A popular film, gauged by box office success, is one the speaks to the largest number of people, meaning it successfully utilized the elements of storytelling in a way that allowed viewers to simultaneously experience emotion while going through the hero’s journey. An unsuccessful film often fails to build empathy with the hero, or lacks a theme or a universal truth about life that everyone can relate to and accept as true, whether or not they have personally been through the experience the hero has been through.