Silver Screen Universe for Writers
A treasure trove of Ideas and Inspiration
Movies have always inspired me as a writer. Growing up, my parents would always take the family to see the latest movie at the weekend. The only time we would not go to see a movie, was when there were no movies suitable for children showing or when the tickets sold out because everyone wanted to see the movie for the buzz the movie trailers had created.
As a teenager, going to the movies was just what I enjoyed doing, apart from going to the book and comic store. I enjoyed the movie-poster artwork, which just drew you into the scene and onto the story. Immediately your curiosity was aroused, and you would want to know what the movie was going to be about.
The large movie posters, with life-sized images, were captivating for a young mind. My Dad would take me to watch movies, at a very young age. He loves watching movies, and it was something that was introduced to him by his Grandmother. Watching movies is a family tradition.
“Watch movies because you can always learn something from them,” my Dad would often tell me. The movie was not just about moving pictures and voices, it was so much more. Movies were a way for us to watch stories unfolding with all the beauty of a story well told, by a Master Storyteller.
As an author, I personally feel that movies, which have now progressed from the silver-screen to about any device with a digital screen are a gift to humanity. We need to appreciate the fact that millions of dollars are spent on producing movies, which is a big industry in itself. There are so many aspects of movie-making, from the scripts, the scenes, the photography, the choreography, the music and the most important are the people who live that story on the silver screen, the actors.
Movies are a treasure trove of ideas, stories, experiences, with all the essential elements of a great storytelling experience. It begins with the plot, which leads onto the hero or heroine embarking on a journey, the world they live in is displayed in glorious technicolor. Next, is the conflict of the story, the love interest, the villains, or the natural or psychic forces against which the Hero or heroine must save their world. We wait with bated breath for the grand finale and victory of the hero or heroine, which is masterfully crafted on camera for the silver screen.
Movies we know are not all real unless it is a documentary on a person, place, or a situation. Though movies are just fancifully told stories, we must appreciate them for what they offer us as writers. Movies are most often presented in a way that will blow your mind. Who can forget movies like the Matrix trilogy, Seven Samurai, the Lion King, Inception, or the Lord of the Rings fantasy movies?
The Film industry survives and grows due to the multi-million and the multi-billion, dollar movies which they produce. The Producers for all those epic movies, like Jurassic Park, Gladiator, Thin Red Line, Ben-Hur, Ten Commandments, Brave Heart, Blade Runner, the Star Wars saga, The Godfather, the Titanic, the Terminator, the Dark Knight trilogy, X-Men series, Toy Story and so many other movies produced those movies with the intention of making a billion-dollar profit.
We, as writers need to appreciate the fact that all those movies made for the silver screen have a lot of human creativity invested into them. There are scriptwriting teams and script-writers who are called in to write the best scripts, in order to make blockbusters for the film industry. Those creative individuals, put their best ideas into scripts. The best scripts are selected after the features of the script are discussed. Only the best script is selected which will ensure the success of the movie.
The best script will have all the essential elements for a blockbuster movie. The chosen script will have the best storylines, the best dialogue, the best plots, the most memorable conflicts, the most suitable Hero or Heroine saving the day, the most ruthless antagonist, the best special effects, and the most appropriate movie score mentioned. All this is done in order to make certain that the movie is an overwhelming success worldwide.
What does all this mean to us as writers? When we watch a movie, which is a cinematic success, we are getting all the elements of a grand story, presented to us in a visual extravaganza. It is said that stories are everywhere waiting to be told. If you re-watch the movies, you enjoy, you will notice, that there are sprinkles of the gems of the story wherever you look in the movie. It is up to you to take those sprinkles of ideas and transform them into a sparkling story of your own, for your literary success. You will see the elements of the story, which you had never noticed before. this will make you realize that you can see so much more of the living writing craft, now that the veil of illusion in the film has been lifted. You are now viewing the story of one person’s creative mind or a team’s work, come to life on the silver screen for your entertainment and enjoyment.
You find those special elements of the story in a great movie and you can go on to create a masterpiece of a story yourself. The silver screen movies are an ideas universe for writers.
Movies are so entertaining, inspirational, imaginative, and visually satisfying, that it is a pity if you do not enjoy and learn from them. The next good movie, television series, or documentary which you watch could have so many ideas for exceptional stories waiting for you to tell them, in your own special way.
Whether it is a wild west movie, a war movie, a comedy, a thriller, an action, a horror, a murder, a mystery, and an adventure film, you can gain so much from it, if you enjoy it and learn from it. Someday, if you decide to become a scriptwriter or your novel is optioned for a film, you could find your story being told on the silver screen or on your tablet, i-pad or i-phone, in all its visual glory.