Screenwriting and UX
This week was pretty tough at work.
Update: I ended up rewriting this week's post because I forgot there were so many great nuggets from the new book I am reading, Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need. I've only finished the first chapter because lately, I haven't been in the mindset to read before bed. I finally picked up Save The Cat again last night, and I was reminded how much I wanted to share!
- Logline: A logline is also called a one-line. In as few words as possible, this tells people what the movie is about. This has to be short because the competition for attention has gotten fierce, and you won't be the only one pitching the idea. To me, this sounds a lot like a problem statement. When someone asks, "What are you working on?" you should be able to describe the project in a succinct sentence. Everyone on the team should be able to do this too, and if you can, you ensure everyone's work is funneled and focused on that specific problem.
- Test Marketing: When you have your movie idea and a logline, go out and talk to people that fit the audience demographic for your movie. Yes movies are for everyone but my mother-in-law is not the intended audience for Jackass: Forever. Describe your movie using your logline, and watch to see if people's eyes glaze over. Wait a second? This is user research! Despite what C-suite executives may say, our products aren't for everyone. We are trying to meet the needs of a specific group of people. A movie is no different. My favorite line:
There are a lot more strangers than friends buying tickets to movies. No matter who is encouraging you on the friend side of your life, it's the strangers you really need to impress.
- Generating Ideas: I’ve been collecting a batch of fun, quick ways for individuals or groups of people to generate ideas and get the creative juices flowing. The first chapter of Save The Cat ends with 5 games to generate story ideas. I plan to add a few of these games to my collection.
- Flip Flop: Take a drama or thriller and turn it into a comedy – or turn a comedy into a more serious movie. For example, funny Die Hard might be where John McClane goes all Kevin McCalister, setting booby traps for the terrorists inside the skyscraper.
- FBI Agent Out of Water: Name 5 places a FBI agent has never been sent to solve a crime. This could be serious or funny. For example, a double agent interns as a social media influencer to unmask the kingpin of a hacker group.
- My Blank is a Serial Killer: Another one that could be funny or serious. Pick an usual person, animal, or thing someone might suspect of being a murder. For example, "my financial adviser is a serial killer!" A local investment consultant mysteriously inherits the fortune of a missing businessman.
More learnings from Save The Cat coming next week!
Links
- A Summary of Growth and Fixed Mindsets: I wish I could remember why this came up during the week, but if you haven't yet heard about the difference between a fixed and growth mindset, this blog post summarizes what is in Carol Dweck's book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
- Gifox: Not paid to promote this. I just find myself using the Gifox GIF maker all the time, and it is so much better than trying to make a GIF and get the settings right in Photoshop.
- What Journalism Taught Me About The Web: I was talking to someone this week about my background and path to UX. It reminded me of this article I wrote while at Visionary Services many years ago.