How To Know If You Have A Great Movie Idea - Christian Elder

Christian Elder is a screenwriter, playwright and filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California. He has been a finalist for Tribeca All Access, a semi-finalist for the International Thomas Wolfe Playwriting Award, a quarterfinalist for the ScreenCraft Play contest and a quarterfinalist for the Academy Awards Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting. His work written for the stage has been recently developed at the Billie Holiday Theatre through the Frank Silvera Writers’ Workshop and Urban Stages, both in New York. He has written and directed two short films and is the creator and executive producer of the new crime fiction anthology podcast Hell, California.
Elder's Hell, California, is a hardboiled crime fiction podcast anthology series (co-produced by Jeremy Foley). It takes place in a mysterious, mythical California border town called Hell. Each episode is an original standalone noir story, often about greed, lust and murder. In March 2020, Elder, Foley and a team of six writers formed an online TV writers’ room during the pandemic, resulting in this series.
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[@filmcourage]

Here's the time code for the simple test - 11:55

[@georgeofhamilton]

Thank you for this comment.

[@seanpurdy8230]

To me, this guy sounds like a key writer on a lot of what’s caused so many shows/films to fail recently. Characters don’t all have to be on the fringe of society. If you have to make characters interesting because of their gender, sexuality, or appearance… you may be a weak writer. What goes on in your character’s mind and the translation of that in their on-screen actions is what is most important.

[@jemhoare2105]

He's suggesting a method to avoid overused genre tropes so as to create something original. What causes stuff to fail isn't a supporting character who is a drag performer, it's a main character that has no flaws due to a producer's interference, choosing the wrong director for a project, not planning out a trilogy of movies with an overarching plot, making blockbuster tent-pole movies to impress the critics rather than the paying public, etc. Also people on the fringes of society usually have more interesting stories to tell precisely because they are on the fringes of society.

[@manuelbang2086]

If you are a movies watcher you are a potential film writer. Anyone can judge between a boring film and an interesting one. So if you can write something that YOURSELF can sit down, watch and find it interesting enough, bang!!! You already have a good story idea

[@nkanyisoinnocentkhwane3752]

I never get bored of listening to artists speak

[@filmcourage]

Cheers Nkanyiso!

[@giniemery8022]

That's funny, this "test" he's talking about is basically why I started writing.

[@aaronharper444]

That Michelangelo connection was golden

[@kit888]

00:01 Writing challenge - How to clean up a story idea and make it better, tell it better? 03:10 Shorten the idea into a logline or premise , one or two sentences - Has a snap, a hook that pulls you in - Find that in the story 07:20 Supporting characters - who can the protagonist bounce ideas off? - Ask - who is the protagonist, why is he, what motivates him? - Avoid cliches/tropes - subvert them, go down an idiosyncratic road and come up with something original - Have something visual 11:50 Write what you want to see Something you haven't seen before 13:30 As long as the events are organic to the character 14:15 Since we started with character, we can now see how things can play out - Character is prescient, it strings the audience along. It's not going to go the way you think it is, but in a way it always will. - Character gives you breadcrumbs - the audience knows know where it is going, but then it doesn't, but then it does. - You set up audience expectations based on the character's behavior 15:50 Works with telling the story in the cut, loading up exposition between cuts - Example - Manchester by the Sea. If someone goes into a bar and gets into a brawl, you know that whenever he goes into a bar he will get into a brawl. You don't have to show it again. - That's what you can do with character that is fun, and rich. 17:15 Protagonist is too flat, surrounded by interesting characters - His parents' problems would affect themselves, and affect the protagonist, giving him interesting hang-ups - Use irony - something that looks positive is negative when taken to the extreme. Example: Mosquito Coast (Harrison Ford). - Parent can be a good parent but also a loser 21:15 Crazy ideas - Make the story appear to be about one character, then have it turn into a story about another character. Example: Coen Brothers. - Beginner writers shouldn't try difficult ideas. - But if you're writing and having fun and in the zone, don't limit yourself if the story wants to go there, is organic. 23:15 Revised story example 24:25 After the first draft is finished, the whole world changes - You can look at the script with new eyes, which will affect the protagonist - Your original idea/outline will not magically crystalize into the exact thing you want - You start with a vision, along the way the vision changes. Towards the end it starts to dovetail into the original vision but not in the way you expected. That's how you know it is organic. - New writers need to learn to make the Sophie's Choice between what you want to do and what's best for the script - where your characters and story want to go. Keep on going until it all falls into place. 28:30 Hemingway quote Every first draft is rubbish 29:30 There's no such thing as a finished screenplay It is finished when the director calls Action Always be ready to make it better The director can ask you to rewrite the day before a scene is shot

[@filmcourage]

Thank you, Kit!

[@edparry4640]

Thank you for taking the time to do that

[@wedontexist369]

Thank you so much man, you’re amazing :)

[@Bronx_Nate]

He's spot on about several things. Especially the character taking it to the extreme. Many antagonists tend to represent the same ideas as the protagonist but usually are the extreme of that idea.

[@jacendress7190]

How awesome is this guy. He really made me rethink my writing. Thank you so much for bringing these amazing talents to us. ❤

[@CraigHighberger]

Absolutely brilliant, great teaching, thanks!

[@filmcourage]

How do you know you have a great movie idea?

[@cherirose6660]

Wrote my first screenplay 30 years ago and sent out 15 queries. I received 7 positive replies. At this time I’m writing a novel from that screenplay hoping to get published. Also it’s encouraging to have writers in my writer’s group seeing my work as a movie idea. So I will continue to follow the dream…..❤

[@XxSEETH3RxX]

I ask people, but not friends.

[@ScaryStoriesNYC]

This feels more like asking him to write your script than asking him for advice. He told you to write the exciting thing you want to see that nobody has done, then you went back to asking him to write your story. He already told you everything you need to know.

[@ssssssstssssssss]

Isn’t it just an exercise? I think it’s helpful to listen to his thought process if that’s the case.

[@seanpurdy8230]

This is an interview. The questions asked are to get the person being interviewed to teach you their process and methods. Relax.

[@5Gburn]

​@@seanpurdy8230Right. This is for us, not her.

[@TheWorld_2099]

This interview perfectly illustrates my whole experience of working on being a writer: I have nothing but questions. Where do I start the story, how much backstory, what does my main character want, how do I achieve a realistic inciting incident, where do I put my various incidents? It’s a lot of sitting with myself and thinking these things through.

[@user-zd1jh5zz9n]

Thanks Film Courage-- Go Christian.. Your one very nice rare " Listening" Kind of man.. I loved this video.. The producer who did- Pulp Fiction said that.. Make the movie you want to see.. Amen.. I get pleasure out of writing them and putting them in contests. I give them to two ladies who ride the bus where I live and they give me feed back. It is so cool to talk with someone who read your project.. Non by odds will ever make the screen but just doing something you get feedback on is Awesome.. It may take 20 more projects to get one in there but it's worth it to me..

[@kit888]

If the protagonist is not as interesting as the supporting characters, maybe one of them should be the protagonist instead. It's about a guy who sees his friend being exploited but his friend doesn't see it. It's about how he tries to help his friend but fails or succeeds. Maybe he is being exploited too, but can't see it himself the way he can see it for his friend. So, instead of working off a situation, work off a concept that you want to explore. It's about people exploiting people. How we notice it or don't. How we can help people or not. How we can get out of it or not. How we exploit other people in turn or don't. How we justify being exploited or exploiting people. Then tailor the story events accordingly. Useful video but I think the title us misleading. The video is bigger than one idea. It's an example of multiple steps to develop an idea, not just test if it is good.

[@ram2862]

Hi Listening to Dear Bro Christian Elder, I could reduce my BP level partly because of his open laughter occasionally during his talk and partly because of his cool pace of talk enriched with idea, content and useful tips Great many thanks to Film courage for this cool interview

[@samphelps856]

Thank you

[@moonsofmadness8850]

29:20 My favorite quote was that one from Hemingway's. On a sticky note at my desk.

[@jakec5]

Just cause it's never been done doesn't mean it will be good

[@manuelbang2086]

I don't really get the game that's being played in this interview. You can make a story out of anything and you can make it take any direction. The important thing is to come up with a good hook and be able to pull emotions out of your audience as much as you can. KEY!

[@kathrinphone0815]

time code 2:05 => made my day! 🙂

[@p.w.riversstories2riversmakesm]

Joe is an Innocent(archetype) at the start, so when Joe decides to go to LA to fulfill his goal to be a successful writer in one year, Joe is now in a potentially very good Fish out of Water story. In LA, Joe could find plenty of fellow innocents and former innocents, to spot check his values, fears, goals as Joe is increasingly mistreated by the Antagonist to the point of no return. So by the 3rd Act, Joe has to figure out what he really "needs" because his "want" did not work out (the way he wanted). ?Would your intended audience want to see Joe fail and live under a bridge, go home to the love he left behind, or persevere, find a better mentor and extend the time limit to achieve his goal?

[@filmcourage]

Thank you for the question, it's great food for thought. Has me thinking as I don't have the answer yet, which shows this hypothetical story needs more work. Most likely Joe would experience a period of a downward spiral, possibly even sleeping in his car along with a series of bad luck events brought on by his naïveté and negative mental state. In the end, the goal is to have Joe prosper and not resort to a back-climbing race to his own success. Not sure this is something an audience would want to see? Joe would not have to become vengeful and slippery in a sea of sharks, however, maybe this is boring? In the end, is Joe successful because he was a good guy (possibly a dull outcome and lacking in reality) or did he develop a backbone and fight using whatever means (think Charles Atlas ads)? Maybe a darker twist is more interesting for the viewer but the writer feels unfuflilled by having Joe resort to the same tactics that took him down? Again, good question to think about nonetheless. Thanks for watching!

[@allankilic]

If I may make a small contribution to the character building, I think there is an important part missing. Why does the main character WANT to become a writer and to work in movies in Hollywood. There might be reasons behind his motivations. And those reasons could explain his past, his way of thinking... and why he would accept such a shitty situation where he'd become enslave to an abusive producer.

[@filmcourage]

Good point. Thank you for the contribution!

[@Butiguessilovememore]

Rule #1. Is it woke?

[@slightlyaboveaveragegaming4973]

Is the script about the holocaust?

[@Butiguessilovememore]

@@slightlyaboveaveragegaming4973 is it about a bipoc they/them but also a girl boss that is strong tho? Won't sell otherwise

[@jumpsurfer]

@@Butiguessilovememore top gun did well this year. Typical white straight guy in the lead Other "woke" movies did well. Go woke go broke isn't a real thing. Continue being soft elsewhere

[@thereccher8746]

Woke isn't real. A boogie-man invented by grifters.

[@jammiebooker6489]

I like seeing how charaters and story elements evolve in the formulation of the big idea. Like watching a lava lamp. 20:02 Maybe Joe and his dad have bonded over football his whole life and Joe is knowledgeable (fantasy football, former player, etc). He doesn't know about his dad's gambling problem though, but his dad's problem has been extreme lately and run up a big tab. His dad has a plan for one last bet to get out of debt with the bookies. Joe's dad asks him something specific about a game out of charater for the dad due to the addiction ("Do you think Brady can beat The Saints by 2 touchdowns this Sunday?"). Saints come from behind and dad has to come clean about the gambling problem and tell him the dreams he had about the college earlier in the setup are dashed because of his dad's addiction. Stick the knife in a little more if the dad somehow blames Joe for his prediction...