Tip #4

Epiphany strikes! I had been thinking about how a character has something happen in their past which affects their decisions in the present moment (in the movie) and it dawned on me that this thing that happens is the "defining moment" in the character's life - it's what forever changes how he approaches life.

Now I've mentioned before that this thing should have a deep emotional meaning to the character. Now I realize it makes or breaks the movie. And in fact it often (and maybe always) is what creates the climax for your film script.

This epiphany came to me when I was writing down a story idea for my next script. As I was trying to work out what made the main character capable of murder I had to find that "defining moment" - it was then that I realized it must be ONE MOMENT not a series of things that add up. Think of it as "the last straw" - no matter how much stuff built up to that point - it's that moment that defines the character - it's what makes him who he is.

See ya next week,
Simon
simonjmichael.com