In my years of attending workshops, pitch fests, master classes, and a month-long screenwriting program, I’ve collected words of wisdom from luminaries in the film industry.
Now, I’m wondering if old notes from movie business seminars still apply! One session, in particular, conducted by Michael Hauge, entitled “Sell Your Story in 60 Seconds,” taken from his book of the same title, beckons me to reread what I jotted down on a Saturday afternoon, June 3, 2007. Mr. Hauge continues to work as a story consultant, coach, speaker, and author. He’s world renowned in the movie industry and serves on the board of the American Screenwriters Association and the Advisory Board for Scriptwriter Magazine in London.
So, I offer the words of advice from a lecture I sat through nearly 17 years ago. In that respect, I offer advice given to me by a chemical engineer. “Take what you want and leave the rest behind.” (Note: At the time, my concern was allowing others to influence my writing. For instance, one professor recommended I make my story’s protagonist a woman because I couldn’t really be inside a man’s thoughts!)
I’ll present these notes as written, with little to no alterations!
The session with Michael Hauge initially focused on two central questions regarding your story:
(1) Who is the hero?
(2) Why would we empathize with your hero?
Good questions, right? He followed up with the next one: What is our emotional connection to the hero? Okay, now the lesson as follows:
Five ways to create empathy!
- Create sympathy, i.e. undeserved misfortune;
- Put your character in jeopardy, i.e. in danger of losing something is vitally important. (Note: Could be life-threatening or smaller, as in threatening divorce or losing a job.
- Make the character likeable, i.e. empathize with people who are good-hearted and likeable;
- Make your character funny, i.e. great way to show empathy in a screenplay but NOT in a pitch.
- IF the character is good at what he or she does (also creates empathy).
Here’s a very important point: You must establish empathy BEFORE you realize the character’s weaknesses!
Now we’re back to the central questions!
(3) Where is the person in the story BEFORE the script begins?
(4) What opportunity is presented to the character at the 10% part of the story?
(5) What is your hero’s outer motivation? (Note: Outer motivation is the visible finish line that the character is striving for, as in—what are we routing for? An example in Shrek is that he wants to rescue the princess and deliver her back to her kingdom. Or is it get the bad guy?)
As the writer, your ultimate goal is: Shape 60 seconds to tell a story!!
Here’s another question to ponder: What are we routing for [with] the characters that is visible by the end?
At 90%, we are at the same outer motivation with one of the following:
- To win – love of another, a competition;
- To escape – get away from a bad situation;
- To retrieve – go out and find something and bring it back;
- To stop – something from happening, i.e. crime, whodunit?
Okay, back to the questions:
(6) What makes that desire impossible to achieve? Emotion grows out of conflict! You can’t have conflict if you don’t have a goal. For instance, in a Rom Com, what keeps the two lovers apart?
(7) What is your hero’s arc? Basically, the character’s journey from fear to courage. What’s the inner growth they need to experience?
(8) What deeper issues does the movie explore?
(9) What are the antecedents to your story?
– Name at least two feature films that show your idea can make money;
– Show your idea can make money
– – Tell me a couple of movies that it’s like
Note: Hollywood wants to replicate success. Have movie stars in mind to play the star.
(10) What is your passion for this project? Need to identify all the answers to these questions.
In conclusion, it’s best to explore the answers to these vital questions before moving on to the next part of Michael Hauge’s master class, which he referred to as “Next Steps.” The key is to choosing anything from these items that fits into your pitch!
I’m grateful for Mr. Hauge’s age-old questions about story! Some things never change, even with streaming, smartphones, and, yes, AI in our world driven by technology!