The One Secret Of An Unforgettable Story
Recognize any of these images?
- Boys walking along a railroad track
- A giant gorilla perched on a skyscraper
- A ferocious shark emerging from the sea
- A man and a woman on a fog-strewn airfield, with a plane about
to depart
These movie images are so well-known that they've been
remembered, imitated and spoofed for decades. But for
filmmakers, finding one essential image can make the difference
between a plodding, unfocussed film and a piece of iconic cinema.
Artist Saul Bass was commissioned to create posters for some of
the world's greatest filmmakers, including Otto Preminger and
Alfred Hitchcock.
His work on The Man with the Golden Arm was incorporated into
the opening credits, but no matter how complex his designs
became, he still liked to concentrate on one core image.
For that movie, it was a crooked, grasping arm.
For Vertigo, he depicted a silhouetted, faceless man caught in a
swirling spiral.
Two dancers on a fire escape summed up West Side Story.
Bass was appealing to something primal in his audience. He knew
the emotional and psychological effect a straightforward
illustration could have, and he also took the disparate elements
of a movie, stripped away the inessentials and found a focus.
If your story doesn't have a core image, find one.
Conjure an image in your mind, a glimpse of a scene - two people
arguing, a boxing match, a romantic boat ride, anything that
sums up your movie in one simple vignette. It could be a goal
that your character dreams of, works towards and fights for.
Try to create that image faithfully on the page, and you'll be
able to build on it, scene by scene.
By going through Bass' process of simplification and focus,
you'll remind yourself of what really drives your script.
What's your image?
If you see a hero, then your screenplay's probably
character-driven.
If you see a narrative twist, then maybe it's story-driven.
If you see a place, then maybe the setting has a life of its
own, like a character unto itself.
Whatever your image, stick with it, use it and consider its
meaning. No matter how innocuous it might seem, it will help to
anchor your story, rooting it in a reality that you create.