December’s Buzz:

NOW WHAT? MOVING BEYOND THE PREMISE
(Copyright 2002)

By
Kathryn McCullough

One of the most common opening lines found on the comments page of a reader’s coverage report is:

“This is a great idea for a romantic comedy (or thriller or action/adventure, etc.) but...”

Developing a premise into a complex, compelling and original screen story is a very difficult task. If it were easy, then producers and studio executives wouldn’t hire writers to develop their in-house ideas into scripts; they’d just write them themselves. It takes more than adding dialogue and description to bring a concept to life. Unless the script is a ten-minute short, the premise should be merely the jumping off point.

Usually the first 30 to 45 pages of a script do simply capitalize on the situation created by the premise. However, by halfway through the script, the plot should begin to evolve beyond the basic concept in order to maintain a reader’s (and later an audience member’s) interest. This can be achieved via an unexpected development in a relationship, a surprise plot complication, or the addition of a new goal and/or obstacle.

Most often this dramatic spin relates to a personal relationship. In WORKING GIRL, Tess, Melanie Griffith’s character, poses as her boss in order to move up the corporate ladder. However, she does not anticipate meeting and falling for Harrison Ford’s character. Their relationship adds a romance subplot to the comedy plot, while also increasing the tension, because Tess now has much more at stake and therefore much more to lose. This makes every step she takes increasingly difficult – and therefore more involving. Similarly, in WITNESS, Harrison Ford’s murder investigation is complicated by his growing affection for the Amish community hiding him and by his romantic attraction to Kelly McGillis.

Another way to expand on the set-up created by the premise is via a reversal in the main character’s situation. In INSOMNIA, Al Pacino’s cop character has fled an Internal Affairs inquiry in order to investigate a murder in Alaska. However, the plot does not simply play out as a routine crime drama with the cop following clues and evading red herrings before finally nailing the killer. After the cop fatally shoots his partner and blames the death on the killer, the killer, played by Robin Williams, reveals himself to the cop and then blackmails the cop into helping him. Although these twists are plot-related, they also expand and deepen the characterizations, as the cop’s personal integrity becomes increasingly tested.

In LAURA, Dana Andrews is a cop called in to investigate the murder of Gene Tierney’s character. His task is complicated by the fact that he begins to fall for Laura, based on the tales about her he hears from her various friends and lovers. Yet another more dramatic complication occurs when Laura turns out not to be dead after all. The cop now not only has to find the would-be murderer, but he must also protect Laura while struggling with his attraction to her.

Sometimes, the protagonist’s initial goal is achieved or defeated by halfway into the story, and this leads to a new goal. In THE LADY EVE, Barbara Stanwyck plays a card sharp out to swindle a millionaire played by Henry Fonda. The plot follows a predictable formula, by having Stanwyck fall for Fonda, but the surprise is that Fonda finds out that she is a con artist early on and dumps her. The second half of the movie then focuses on Stanwyck’s plan to avenge her broken heart, by posing as a rich society woman and wooing Fonda anew, determined to dump him this time.

In BABY BOOM, the story begins as a screwball comedy in which a career woman struggles to take care of a baby. However, Diane Keaton’s character adjusts and accepts the baby about halfway in, after which she moves to a small town to pursue a different kind of life. The plot evolves into a romantic comedy, as Keaton is wooed by Sam Shepherd’s character while also pursuing a new business.

In order to develop your story beyond its initial premise, ask yourself:

1) How can I increase the personal and/or emotional stakes?

2) How can I make things more difficult for the protagonist?

3) What new element can I introduce which will test the protagonist and/or force him to change in some way? Be sure that any complication you add emerges organically from the story and is not a contrived twist that comes out of nowhere.

By adding complexity and depth to your plot, you naturally draw a reader or viewer in, and make your story compelling and exciting rather than one-note and predictable. A good premise provides a solid foundation for a story, but it is the bricks of character and plot development that are built upon it which allow the screenplay to reach its full three-dimensional potential.