ABSTRACT
Whether your project is a two-minute chase scene with no dialogue or a complex psychological drama, the fi rst step in any narrative fi lm production is coming up with an idea which is stimulating, engaging, and ripe with visual possibilities. The idea is the DNA of the entire fi lmmaking process-it informs every word written into the script and every shot you take and every choice you make along the way. The better your basic idea is, the better your fi lm will be. But an idea is only the fi rst lightning bolt of inspiration. All ideas have to be developed-fashioned into a story that can be told through the medium of fi lm-this means turning an idea into a story that can be captured and conveyed by that camera you’re dying to get your hands on.
