I love how polarizing this video has been. But to clarify my point - while there is obviously value in a strong concept, it PALES in comparison to things like characters, taste, pacing, voice, etc... in other words, good writing. A great concept has very rarely made me fall in love with a film, but those other things always do. Yet most of us use not having a jaw-dropping, high-concept story idea as an excuse to NEVER write/make a film. In the video I showed that any great film can be boiled down to a simplistic, lame-sounding idea. That simple idea could be all you have right now. But if you get STARTED with the seed of an idea that truly fascinates you, you will develop it into something great.
It's all true. Just like the fact that good audio is more important than cool shots (e.r. visuals). Of course; having it all (great idea/concept AND execution; great audio AND visuals) is chef's kiss- but not key.
Thank you so much, I really needed to hear this! ❤ I think along with your point about execution, is the profound one about one’s personal perspective. I am realising that if we honour and value what makes our individual tastes and perspectives ours, we can then feel entitled to be artists. Whereas I feel it’s far to easy to suffer less from the soul-sucking phenomenon of comparing myself with others, and devaluing my artistry in the process - often called ‘writer’s block’. William Kenower talks a lot about this this phenomenon in ‘Fearless Writing’.
I have an idea that Titles LOOK UP. its kind of bilogical interfaces moving between peopl reaching them identifying. There is alot more to this can you help
Facts. Regardless of whether you're making a movie or building a start-up, great execution always always always beats great idea. So you don't have to be so precious about your ideas either. As a writer pitching your script or as a founder pitching your company, you're not actually trying to get the studio/investor to invest in your idea. You're trying to get them to invest in YOU (and/or your team), because only you can execute the idea.
I agree. Saw about 10 of his videos while doing something small but boring just because he's entertaining me while imparting some commonsense wisdom to his audience who might really be thinking about making films.
there's two kinds of films. a rehashed story done well with A list cast, great cinematography and great music, and then there's the unique idea, Matrix, Star Wars, which you may want to argue aren't truly unique, but they were unique enough that "no one did them before." and an indie film isn't going to have a budget to afford to be rehashed, which means that the screenplay needs to be even better. so I argue that the 'idea' better feel fresh to your investors, because the market is flooded and going viral is harder than ever, but yea, I get your point. I just think its a smaller piece of the puzzle. no one thing makes a great movie. just make sure that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts and tell a great story.
@@Trystero_ in certain aspects, but it also "ripped off" Flash Gordon, Lord of the Rings, King Arthur, and the Hidden Fortress, etc. You see what I'm getting at. Star Wars is an amalgamation of previous pop cultural influences into something new. That's the key to "originality."
Oh, come off it! Matrix has been told million times before , rebirth, and Star Wars = voyage . Imho neither is very good apart from the fact that they have impressive effects. Source 1:08 (personally I prefer more simplified version Dustin Hoffman's character gives in Stranger than Fiction)
Star Wars proves that the originality doesn’t have to come from the overall idea. It’s Jedi (fancy knights), Sith, the force, death stars (fancy dragons), that make Star Wars different. The little details.
Unique doesn't happen in degrees. Something can't be "kinda unique" or "unique enough". Either something is unique or it isn't. It literally means "only one". Your brand of idiocy isn't unique. You share it with thousands of RUclips commenters and creators.
Hey man, I thought this was great! I find myself getting stuck in my head in the concept phase too often, killing myself to come up with something good or "original". But you're totally right, execution is what really matters.
The crowning example of this to me is Moonlight (2016). It's hard to get other people to watch it, because it's hard to describe the "premise" of the film in a concise elevator speech. The most I can say about it is it's about a black man questioning his sexuality, growing up in poverty in Florida as seen at three different periods of his life - sort of an unremarekable description. But it's 99% the execution that makes this movie so special to me, and so beautiful.
This video came just at the right time for me, I'm literally stuck in a writting rut because I've been felling that my ideas aren't good enough, thank you so much for this reminder and wake up call.
I think I’ve seen most of your videos and for some reason never subscribed, so… finally did, I enjoy your content and your humorous way to talk about all this stuff that we love.
Great video for someone who always get their ideas stolen. Ultimately, they are not you. Do yours anyway. Also, it's great to see the seven or so basic stories.
A good example of this is the times similar movies come out of hollywood at the same time, some times even coming from different versions of a single script. White house down vs Olympus has fallen, Deep impact vs Armageddon or Mirror mirror vs Snow white and the huntsman, all tells bascially the same story and was released in the same year as their counterpart, but they are all just so different.
Great video and important advice. I would add that what also makes those films great is theme, 12 Angry Men has that banal-sounding plot but it's really about how one man can make a difference etc. But the only way I've ever found really good themes in my own work is through writing it.
It was in 1975 in Cleveland Heights. I was 12 years old and my then best friend and I would get together in his room in the attic and write stories that came to our minds. Our best idea ever was a science fiction story that involved a boy bored out of his mind because he lived in a boring place with grownups who did not care about his problems. Then one day a pair of robots from another planet fall out of the sky and tell him that he must go on an adventure. One of the robots had a cylinder body with a dome on top and his name was AD-1. The other robot, can’t remember the name but it was also a combination of letters and numbers, was more humanoid in shape and spoke with a British accent. Me and my friend were both Star Trek fans so we tried out a few titles that were all Star Something, but none of them quite seemed to fit so we kept the working title on the project. It was the “AD-1 story”. Eventually, my friend moved to Florida and my family moved back to Japan. The project was never finished. A few years later when Star Wars was released, I was totally furious. I kept saying “How could this be happening?” I learned two valuable lessons from this experience. One is that there is no such thing as an original story. All stories are old. The other is that it never makes any sense to fear that your ideas will be stolen. We all have the same ideas anyway. If I had a dollar for every million dollars ever made by story ideas I can claim to have thought of first, I would be retired by now. It is not the ideas that count, but the quality of the work you put into it.
When I was freelance editing, a lot of people wouldn't have an initial conversation about the film because they were so afraid their idea would get stolen... they always thought their film was very unique and everyone would want to take their idea. It often just ended in stalled conversations and moving onto a different gig. Those films ended up going nowhere and often never got edited. Had they have just focused on the execution, explained what they wanted, their film would have gotten edited and out there. It's definitely better to have a film that's 90% ok but exists as a film, than one that is shelved. Even the best films have goofs, errors, plotholes etc. otherwise what would Cinema Sins do all day. it's not worth getting caught up in it to sacrifice the greater goal.
Writing is the backbone. Without good writing, it’s not worth watching. The idea is that you want steak for dinner, writing is the steak, filmmaking is the cooking of that steak.
I've heard this from several producers and script readers. I think it's fair to say that you don't need a great idea to make a great script. But I've seen some dumb ideas that made a good script almost impossible. Rather than "Ideas don't matter", I think it's maybe better to say "The skills required to tell a story are more important than the idea of the story". Having tried to sell scripts before, sometimes an Idea can also break you, rather than make you: If your fantastic script with phenomenal characters and amazing dialog is in a genre that's not in favor at the moment (or, God forbid, a genre that's seen as 'played out'), good luck. Also, if you're looking to make a franchise (Star Wars, Predator, James Bond, the MCU, etc.), then your Idea becomes much more important, and needs to be something sustainable. James Bond and the Fast and the Furious series, for example, have paper thin characters with no real growth. Don't get me started on Sharknado, where the idea was literally the only consideration. So, my humble advice is: Work on writing solid characters and dialog. Once you have that, you can take even a simple idea, and turn it into a story people want to watch... :)
Good points!!! I'm writing a comedy about 8 women breaking out of prison. Trying to figure out a logical plan to get them out. To me it's a puzzle. Does this action fit with each other following action and make sense. How to dispose of the guard. Using stealth. Done with weapons. What weapons? Taken hostage? Knocked out? Etc....
I agree with not waiting for a perfect idea to try to do stuff. But I also feel if the idea is not good enough then people will not be drawn to it. Execution is important but it’s not everything. There’s plenty of films that I would say wasn’t executed well that became hits. Many documentaries seem just thrown together but if the information is cohesive than it’s good. So the idea of what your trying to create is more important than execution.
In terms of being a broke indie filmmaker I disagree whole heartedly! Not having a big budget to execute things makes exploring IDEAS Big Hollywood won't/can't touch the SOLE currency for an indie filmmaker to spend.
I think the video is pretty misleading. The basic, one liner idea isn't as important. But, Fight Club wasn't just about a guy who starts a fighting club. The Godfather wasn't just about a mob family passing down power and Shawshank wasn't just about a dude wrongfully imprisoned and breaking out. It's all the other ideas that surrounded those basic ones that made those films classics. I'd say the real idea of a film has nothing to do with those basic plot lines. They're just the vessel for the main idea.
What you said helps me move forward more comfortably with my "unique" franchise of shows. The idea that's haunted me about some corporation or hack stealing my idea has had me progressing tentatively. Truly, my world is fairly unique, but I have been told before "no one can make your shows." Still, I'm going to proceed with a series synopsis to the copyright peeps. I know you can't trademark an idea, but you can copyright characters, names of shows and certain other finite entities...Do you have an episode on that? Specifically, how to write a synopsis for a series to protect some of your franchise? Anyways, your takes are a breath of fresh air and I feel like, in another parallel universe, we made films together as kids before the drudgery of adulthood sunk in. Anyways, I'm out to prove that we can get it all back, and be kids again in this. When I get monetized, I will come back and donate some humble amount as a show of my appreciation. Thanks.
Gives a list of extraordinary story ideas, says: "They don't sound that great on paper." First of all, if you think that little logline you gave is the idea for the film, you don't understand story. Secondly, all of those 'ideas' you listed were original and unique ideas at the time the movie came out.
I think what you meant to say in your pinned comment is, it's not the concept. It's the quality of the story being told( as seen through the writing of the screenplay, direction, and production.)....and you're right. But if you wrote a book about this, you could really flesh out the idea, and provide a really powerful tool for people who want to tell visual stories, but don't really know how to execute on that.
The Godfather is a very old tale. An aging king wants to leave his kingdom to one of his sons. The oldest is strong but very hotheaded, the middle one is very weak, the youngest is perfect but doesn’t want it. Stories like that have been around for thousands of years.
My favorite movies are crime flicks because of the great characters. Every single one of those movies has the exact same plot - protagonist starts small, makes it too big and in the end gets caught and regrets it. But there are so many things about each of my favorite movies from that genre that are so unique, interesting and I can't rewatch them enough, they're just the most entertaining movies for me. One of my all-time favorites is Tarantino, even he says his movies are just the typical "heist gone wrong", "a fighter goes down in the fourth round", "thug falls in love with the boss' wife" story tropes that are never really explored in a fun and satisfying way. Even about Django he says it's about this old TV series that a whipped black slave finally gets his hands on the whip and decides NOT to take revenge on the slaveowner... at which point he says you could hear all of USA TV viewers collectively yell "NOOOOOO" and he says you won't see that in his movies. His movies are all too simple when it comes to the idea of the story, but the execution is unique.
I agree but I think that most of the examples you picked weren't the best to make the point, Drive is a great example, as is 12 angry men and Pulp fiction in some ways but Shawshank, Godfathers and Fight Club were all based on books and/or "idea driven plot or concepts". But it's an interesting topic to go deeper on.
The 7 basic plots is like saying there are only so many genres. It even includes comedy and tragedy lol. I'm surprised the rest aren't just action, drama, romance, horror, and crime or whatever
Yeah, I really like this idea. It's how you tell the story that matters. It's what you do with that 2 hours of screentime. Some people can really fit a lot of content and storytelling into a movie, while some others fall flat. You can tell so much story and have a ton of character development in a single shot, just depends on how you frame it and what you place inside it. I always think about peter jackson's Lord of the Rings as an example of how to jam pack a ton of visual shots of the world and how to really see the environment. He also tells so much story in that movie. It's all about perspective and creativity.
The examples used in this video are bad examples. Shawshank already had millions and millions of fans before they made the film, so the idea didn't matter. They could guarantee fans of the book would come to the cinema. Same with the Godfather. The book wasn't great, but it had fans. Also the examples were of their time. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly didn't need a strong idea because westerns were the 'in' genre. Any western made then brought in millions to the cinema, especially if you used Clint Eastwood. But times have changed. Unless you know people in the industry or have access to vast amounts of money and locations, you need a high concept idea AND execution AND you better have some style to your prose. Something to stand out from the crowd. Without all three a script reader won't even read past page 1. People spend too little time on the idea itself. Your idea is everything. It doesn't have to be original, but it needs to subvert or have a fresh take, and that freshness needs to be obvious in the pitch. Don't believe me? Look at how many scripts are bought in Hollywood from new writers each year. Or don't. It might depress you. In fact, don't. Ignore that last. Saying that, if you're going to make the film yourself then of course none of this matters. But it might matter if you need to raise cash. Tarantino was able to raise cash for his first couple films because of the freshness of them. The ideas weren't original - far, far from it - but they did have a freshness to them and his style shined.
I can see someone getting paralysis from analysis about coming up with THE concept. I also understand not sitting around so long waiting for it that you end up doing nothing, but I'd argue that a great idea is the gas. (I'm the type to where great ideas inevitably hit me like a ton of bricks eventually, but I digress...) Yes, you can learn a ton by just "hitting the gym" on a regular basis. The muscle of film logistics and creative problem solving can really pull out some self-discovered gems, academically. But I'd also argue that being passionate about a project and the vision you have for it can really push you to put your heart and soul into it, and audiences tend to feel whether or not your heart's in it. But either way if the end result is something you're truly proud of then I call that a win. What's tough is that financial success does lead to more opportunities and creative control, so it's not like you're passion piece can get away with just being for you. So getting into a rhythym for the process - "hitting the gym" even when the idea isn't perfect - has great merits towards knowing how to execute.
I just wish the idea i had would be made into a movie. It's never been done and its unique. It's a sci-fi story that's down to earth kind of like apollo 13. I just can't believe it's never been done before.
David Lynch famously says: "Ideas are everything" What say you to this, sir!? I'm of course just being playful. Because even with Lynch it's like yea i got the idea, but what makes his work effect people the way it does and live on, is his own wholy unique approach to fleshing out his ideas. Through his hyper creative/ at times avant-garde style that we love him for.
You should write a book about this, because although it's a powerful idea, and you did stipulate some very popular holywood movies, there isn't enough meat hanging on it to really bring your point back home. When I sit back and consider what you said, it's not clear what to do next to fill in the blanks, and that's where this video fails, even though the point is spot on. An example of how you lived this concept on one of your works would have really fleshed out your point, and provided a path to implementing your theory in the context of our own ideas. You took the first step, but didn't bring it back home, and I have felt this way about some of your other videos. You have a fine intellect, but you are not reading the minds of your audience and understanding the questions that they are asking after they watch your videos, at least for some of the more abstract topics.
I think instead of a great “idea,” you should think about “what story am I telling and why I am telling it?” “Is this story personal to me?” Because if it’s not a deeply personal story, then why are you even making it? The most crucial thing when choosing to tell a story on film is: “how important and personal to you is your story?”Does the story your telling move you deeply and do you feel absolutely compelled to tell it because it is coming from your heart and soul? If a story is emotionally meaningful (and not just sad but maybe something that fills you with joy or elation) and is important, than you will find a way to make that film. Regardless of budget, gear, etc. You can use the resources around you (what friends do you know? What locations do they have access to?) It’s so important to know what your story means to you and why, don’t get caught up in the thought of “what’s a great film idea?” Not the right approach to making a film in my opinion. A director’s film has got to mean something to them, plain and simple. Thanks for your videos!
“Ideas are not as important as execution”…..”ok so I have a story idea about cavemen, best idea I could hope to come with”….. maybe you should spend a little more time developing your ideas. Contrary to this video I’m confident that ideas are just as important as execution. When you say idea your defining it as the premise but ideas are more than that. They take many different forms.
this is good advice, I would add on to that it's not the movie idea but really the major active theme in the work that will motivate everything after that, including execution. Working with a unified theme that says something (war leads to death, love leads to true happieness, etc etc) that will dictate every choice that comes after
My problem is my ideas require too big a budget, too many actors and too many locations. Limiting the ideas makes my creativity go mad.. it’s like I tell myself go big or go home lol
... okay, man. I agree with you, that good movies are about good execution, not the ideas. But it has nothing to do with how movies are made from a business POV. Now before I go to far into why, lemme explain where my experience comes from. I'm a repped writer, with several projects sold and in development with large studios -- from CBS studios to Disney +. I meet with production companies like Anonymous Content, UCP, and Harpo on a weekly basis. Before I became a working screenwriter, I was an art director for film and TV, including Better Call Saul, TWD, and a dozen other projects. So bearing this in mind -- I want to point a couple things out. Most of those "simple idea" concepts are based on best selling IP, from FightClub, based on a best selling book, to Batman being one of those most successful comic IP of all time. If those ideas weren't based on valuable IP they wouldn't get made, unless done on a micro budget. If you want to sell your own original IP, again unless you are funding everything yourself, the IDEA DOES MATTER. Why? Because studios, don't read scripts. I repeat, they don't read the script until they are already sold on you and the idea. Original scripts are sold through pitch decks, verbal pitches, and story treatments --- and then later, the script. And when your original material is being reviewed, the IDEA and who is attached to the project, is everything (when it's not based off a previously successful IP). Your advice, apart from purely an artistic perspective, or unless you are adapting someone else's IP that's been bought by the studio like Stephen King's The Shaw Shank Redemption, is completely useless if you actually want to work in Hollywood. Novel ideas, well-explained with attachments, are critical to selling original ideas. People who are well established in the industry understand this. If you want to make a good movie, you have to sell them on the idea first.
the movies you have elenced are actually all high concept, they talk about trivial and common desire or need. That what makes a good idea to me, it's not about telling the most fucked up thing but writing about something that's universal and everyone can realte to. "12 angry men" talks about injustice, something that is evrywhere and anywhere. "The good the bad and the ugly" talks about finding a treasure/money? something really understandable. And I can go on with Fight club and the goodfather too
what you're calling ideas are just single sentance plot summaries that seem to intentionally dodge the core conflict. i'd say determining the themes and conflicts of a story definitely counts more as ideation than "execution."
Think of a single word. Now imagine that word is the title of the most impactful movie ever made. (Usually there is some variation of the word that works best) What does it look like? Just something I have been doing to amuse myself.
At 4:45 when he started talking about a horror movie he and his friend tried to make, the cat just stood up.... there is something creepy in your suit beware
While the execution can make up for a basic idea, If you ask me, having a great idea AND executing it perfectly is guaranteed to be a success on not just a filmmaking and storytelling perspective, but also on a business level. There are countless examples of films that take boring or basic ideas and execute into amazing films, while there are films with incredible ideas that turn them into dogs***. A balance must be struck with an idea that’s serviceable (if not the most original), and execute it well so that it can sell!
Just think of a concept and go from there. Recently was inspired by doodlebob and started the idea quite basic- someone finds a pencil on the floor and can bring stuff to life - moving on a few weeks and it's turning more into a comedy adventure about the mishaps of an imbecile and a book as they learn to get along. Still not much but slowly getting closer to a full idea. Obviously can't put whole thing here though
I fundamentally disagree with you. While the execution of an idea is sometimes more important than the idea itself, that does not preclude the importance of continually striving to look for better and greater ideas, especially in film. Put it this way, a person can execute a very average/reused/inspiring/boring idea very well on film through various methods (talent, actors, clever writing, direction, effects, music etc) and potentially elevate the end product. But when a truly great idea is given the same treatment as stated above, the product will be most certainly even better. This does not mean we should stop looking for good ideas and just settle for executing ok ones. Yes, nearly all stories told are hardly original. They are variations upon variations of the same tales that touch the human condition and soul. But new ideas are still possible because time is living and so long as we move forward in time we will encounter new experiences that have the potential to change the way we see ourselves and the world. An old story with a new twist is still a clever new idea and it happens all the time. Execution of the idea is supremely important, but so is the drive to look for the new and the better. The birthplace of new ideas is change and friction. So we must always be on the look out for new ideas. We need to always strive for greater heights in life even if we never achieve it. But thanks for sharing your opinion.
I would argue that many people pervert the definition of "a great movie idea" for "a high-concept movie idea". In reality, most great films (to me at least) are not very high concept. For example, Drive is a basic genre film, and would be incredibly forgettable if not for Nick Refn and his team's creative choices. I think it behooves filmmakers to develop the ideas they are most fascinated/excited by, even if that core idea has been done many times before. By focusing on execution, you can imbue your unique taste into a tired idea and give it new life. A much more practical approach than waiting for the perfect idea to pop out of the clouds.
@@StandardStoryCo @Standard Story Company I agree with you. My point is that I don't agree that you should say one is more important than the other. If you are blessed with the genius to think of that "high concept movie idea" as you say and can make it work, the effect would be tremendous. All "great ideas" were once nothing until someone came along to execute it. But why didn't everyone think of these ideas? Because most people aren't blessed with anything truly special or extraordinary or genius. When a high concept is achieved, it also loses its novelty because now everyone trying to exploit its popularity will copy the idea. But does this matter? No because the great ideas are still celebrated because they change the way we think about this, the way we look at things. I'm not suggesting that this is possible for most people, so your video has merit and value as an educational tool. I just think the standard is always the higher the better. Whether we can get there is never guaranteed but we need to try forever, otherwise, where is the progress?
One thing we both agree on is that you have to focus on execution of your own ideas to the best of your ability and never ever wait for the perfect one to fall into your lap because it will almost never happen that way. Great ideas are rare diamonds among the haystack of average to bad ideas, if you stop working the hay you will never even have the chance to execute that truly great idea should fate present itself and put it into your mind.
I think we can both agree that you are better off fleshing out a "lesser" idea while you wait for divine inspiration of an amazing idea to strike. Otherwise you may be twiddling your thumbs forever. And the lesser idea may turn out to be an amazing movie, it just needed more digging and discoveries than the fully-formed idea.
@@StandardStoryCo Yes that was the point I was trying to make with my second follow up post. Most of us will probably never have a revolutionary new idea, those come along once a century or more, just make sure the ideas we do have are executed to the best of our abilities and we have done what we can do to our potential. Then its just hoping the audience accepts it and it can make money if you are trying to sell the film.
This is not the idea. The main theme of the film is --hope and the human will to remain steadfast even in the darkest of times---. The central message or the idea of the film is that --even in hopeless situations, the power of humanity and the belief in a better future enable us to overcome our own prisons---. In other words the central lmessage/idea could be expressed like this: With hardship there is ease! The film shows how friendship, compassion and the ability to forgive can make a difference even in a harsh and unjust environment like prison. It is a story that reminds us that even in the most difficult moments of life, we can make our own choices and that it is never too late to find our way and gain our freedom - be it physical or emotional. So as you see, the idea of a film DOES MATTER! The execution is also a big part of a film production, I mean this is what film is, the execution of an film idea!
Ideas are not important because what truly made all the movies you mentionned was themes. This is the theme that can launch in production a movie that we seen 100 times before, because themes are seen by everyone of us differently. So yeah, plot can be not original, but theme must be intriguing to productors and spectators.
I love how polarizing this video has been. But to clarify my point - while there is obviously value in a strong concept, it PALES in comparison to things like characters, taste, pacing, voice, etc... in other words, good writing. A great concept has very rarely made me fall in love with a film, but those other things always do. Yet most of us use not having a jaw-dropping, high-concept story idea as an excuse to NEVER write/make a film. In the video I showed that any great film can be boiled down to a simplistic, lame-sounding idea. That simple idea could be all you have right now. But if you get STARTED with the seed of an idea that truly fascinates you, you will develop it into something great.
Bruh....
It's all true. Just like the fact that good audio is more important than cool shots (e.r. visuals).
Of course; having it all (great idea/concept AND execution; great audio AND visuals) is chef's kiss- but not key.
As i see it, everything you listed is included in that great concept.
Thank you so much, I really needed to hear this! ❤ I think along with your point about execution, is the profound one about one’s personal perspective. I am realising that if we honour and value what makes our individual tastes and perspectives ours, we can then feel entitled to be artists. Whereas I feel it’s far to easy to suffer less from the soul-sucking phenomenon of comparing myself with others, and devaluing my artistry in the process - often called ‘writer’s block’. William Kenower talks a lot about this this phenomenon in ‘Fearless Writing’.
I have an idea that Titles LOOK UP. its kind of bilogical interfaces moving between peopl reaching them identifying. There is alot more to this can you help
"idea is not as important as execution" is literally applied to everything not just film.
I say this all the time. Tons of people have great ideas. Few people can execute logistically, let alone creatively
Facts. Regardless of whether you're making a movie or building a start-up, great execution always always always beats great idea. So you don't have to be so precious about your ideas either. As a writer pitching your script or as a founder pitching your company, you're not actually trying to get the studio/investor to invest in your idea. You're trying to get them to invest in YOU (and/or your team), because only you can execute the idea.
I don't think you understood what he was actually saying..
I agree. Saw about 10 of his videos while doing something small but boring just because he's entertaining me while imparting some commonsense wisdom to his audience who might really be thinking about making films.
@@juju10683 Very, very few people have great ideas. That's apparent if you've read enough wannabe screenplays.
there's two kinds of films. a rehashed story done well with A list cast, great cinematography and great music, and then there's the unique idea, Matrix, Star Wars, which you may want to argue aren't truly unique, but they were unique enough that "no one did them before." and an indie film isn't going to have a budget to afford to be rehashed, which means that the screenplay needs to be even better. so I argue that the 'idea' better feel fresh to your investors, because the market is flooded and going viral is harder than ever, but yea, I get your point. I just think its a smaller piece of the puzzle. no one thing makes a great movie. just make sure that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts and tell a great story.
star wars kinda ripped of dune.
@@Trystero_ in certain aspects, but it also "ripped off" Flash Gordon, Lord of the Rings, King Arthur, and the Hidden Fortress, etc. You see what I'm getting at. Star Wars is an amalgamation of previous pop cultural influences into something new. That's the key to "originality."
Oh, come off it! Matrix has been told million times before , rebirth, and Star Wars = voyage . Imho neither is very good apart from the fact that they have impressive effects.
Source 1:08 (personally I prefer more simplified version Dustin Hoffman's character gives in Stranger than Fiction)
Star Wars proves that the originality doesn’t have to come from the overall idea. It’s Jedi (fancy knights), Sith, the force, death stars (fancy dragons), that make Star Wars different. The little details.
Unique doesn't happen in degrees.
Something can't be "kinda unique" or "unique enough".
Either something is unique or it isn't.
It literally means "only one".
Your brand of idiocy isn't unique. You share it with thousands of RUclips commenters and creators.
I went to RUclips trying to find an idea for my other channel that makes short films but then I found this video
Thank you Kent Lamm
Hey man, I thought this was great! I find myself getting stuck in my head in the concept phase too often, killing myself to come up with something good or "original". But you're totally right, execution is what really matters.
Same here, been looking through old ideas lately and seeing all the potential that was there all along
The crowning example of this to me is Moonlight (2016). It's hard to get other people to watch it, because it's hard to describe the "premise" of the film in a concise elevator speech. The most I can say about it is it's about a black man questioning his sexuality, growing up in poverty in Florida as seen at three different periods of his life - sort of an unremarekable description. But it's 99% the execution that makes this movie so special to me, and so beautiful.
Finally I found a youtube filmmaker thats an actual a filmmaker with good advice. Thanks for this subbed!
This video came just at the right time for me, I'm literally stuck in a writting rut because I've been felling that my ideas aren't good enough, thank you so much for this reminder and wake up call.
I think I’ve seen most of your videos and for some reason never subscribed, so… finally did, I enjoy your content and your humorous way to talk about all this stuff that we love.
I've been binging all your videos. As an aspiring filmmaker I find all these updates invaluable.
Good advice, same thing with painting, countless portraits were painted but how these portraits paintings were excuted.
Probably the best explanation of how to look at an idea for a movie before deciding on whether or not you will make it. Thanks so much.
Great video for someone who always get their ideas stolen. Ultimately, they are not you. Do yours anyway. Also, it's great to see the seven or so basic stories.
A good example of this is the times similar movies come out of hollywood at the same time, some times even coming from different versions of a single script. White house down vs Olympus has fallen, Deep impact vs Armageddon or Mirror mirror vs Snow white and the huntsman, all tells bascially the same story and was released in the same year as their counterpart, but they are all just so different.
it seems as though your cat is receiving a download from the mothership.
Great video and important advice. I would add that what also makes those films great is theme, 12 Angry Men has that banal-sounding plot but it's really about how one man can make a difference etc. But the only way I've ever found really good themes in my own work is through writing it.
5:12 the cat slowly getting up is so cuteeeeeee
It was in 1975 in Cleveland Heights. I was 12 years old and my then best friend and I would get together in his room in the attic and write stories that came to our minds. Our best idea ever was a science fiction story that involved a boy bored out of his mind because he lived in a boring place with grownups who did not care about his problems. Then one day a pair of robots from another planet fall out of the sky and tell him that he must go on an adventure. One of the robots had a cylinder body with a dome on top and his name was AD-1. The other robot, can’t remember the name but it was also a combination of letters and numbers, was more humanoid in shape and spoke with a British accent. Me and my friend were both Star Trek fans so we tried out a few titles that were all Star Something, but none of them quite seemed to fit so we kept the working title on the project. It was the “AD-1 story”. Eventually, my friend moved to Florida and my family moved back to Japan. The project was never finished.
A few years later when Star Wars was released, I was totally furious. I kept saying “How could this be happening?” I learned two valuable lessons from this experience. One is that there is no such thing as an original story. All stories are old. The other is that it never makes any sense to fear that your ideas will be stolen. We all have the same ideas anyway. If I had a dollar for every million dollars ever made by story ideas I can claim to have thought of first, I would be retired by now. It is not the ideas that count, but the quality of the work you put into it.
When I was freelance editing, a lot of people wouldn't have an initial conversation about the film because they were so afraid their idea would get stolen... they always thought their film was very unique and everyone would want to take their idea. It often just ended in stalled conversations and moving onto a different gig. Those films ended up going nowhere and often never got edited.
Had they have just focused on the execution, explained what they wanted, their film would have gotten edited and out there.
It's definitely better to have a film that's 90% ok but exists as a film, than one that is shelved. Even the best films have goofs, errors, plotholes etc. otherwise what would Cinema Sins do all day. it's not worth getting caught up in it to sacrifice the greater goal.
How do you get into freelance editing, I'm an editor but don't know how to apply for gigs
Sorry to hear about your idea being stolen man. The silver lining is this is a very important and insightful video that will help other writers!
The raw talent factor should not be underestimated. Keep up the good work!
Writing is the backbone. Without good writing, it’s not worth watching. The idea is that you want steak for dinner, writing is the steak, filmmaking is the cooking of that steak.
I've heard this from several producers and script readers. I think it's fair to say that you don't need a great idea to make a great script. But I've seen some dumb ideas that made a good script almost impossible. Rather than "Ideas don't matter", I think it's maybe better to say "The skills required to tell a story are more important than the idea of the story".
Having tried to sell scripts before, sometimes an Idea can also break you, rather than make you: If your fantastic script with phenomenal characters and amazing dialog is in a genre that's not in favor at the moment (or, God forbid, a genre that's seen as 'played out'), good luck.
Also, if you're looking to make a franchise (Star Wars, Predator, James Bond, the MCU, etc.), then your Idea becomes much more important, and needs to be something sustainable. James Bond and the Fast and the Furious series, for example, have paper thin characters with no real growth. Don't get me started on Sharknado, where the idea was literally the only consideration.
So, my humble advice is: Work on writing solid characters and dialog. Once you have that, you can take even a simple idea, and turn it into a story people want to watch... :)
i would say the idea is just as important as the execution. it also depends on what you mean by execution.
This is exactly what i needed thanks for bringing me back to reality
Thanks for this video of all we need was one small idea to start I gave me lot of confidence to build a film
This was amazingly helpful. Thank you.
U don’t know whether you know it or not but what u said is brilliant words it helps me a lot
Good points!!! I'm writing a comedy about 8 women breaking out of prison. Trying to figure out a logical plan to get them out. To me it's a puzzle. Does this action fit with each other following action and make sense. How to dispose of the guard. Using stealth. Done with weapons. What weapons? Taken hostage? Knocked out? Etc....
You’re right … in fact, that’s right.
It’s all about the execution of the idea.
I agree with not waiting for a perfect idea to try to do stuff. But I also feel if the idea is not good enough then people will not be drawn to it. Execution is important but it’s not everything. There’s plenty of films that I would say wasn’t executed well that became hits. Many documentaries seem just thrown together but if the information is cohesive than it’s good. So the idea of what your trying to create is more important than execution.
In terms of being a broke indie filmmaker I disagree whole heartedly! Not having a big budget to execute things makes exploring IDEAS Big Hollywood won't/can't touch the SOLE currency for an indie filmmaker to spend.
You don't need to have money, just creativity
@@AndrewPRoberts Sure dude, forget about lightning, good audio and video quality, and props (and totally forget about having at least decent CGI).
I think the video is pretty misleading. The basic, one liner idea isn't as important. But, Fight Club wasn't just about a guy who starts a fighting club. The Godfather wasn't just about a mob family passing down power and Shawshank wasn't just about a dude wrongfully imprisoned and breaking out. It's all the other ideas that surrounded those basic ones that made those films classics. I'd say the real idea of a film has nothing to do with those basic plot lines. They're just the vessel for the main idea.
I actually agree.
@@namonty4 in other words… what he was saying in the video
omg!!!! this had me rethink my whole life!!! wow
Thank you! This is some of the best film making advice I have ever heard!
What you said helps me move forward more comfortably with my "unique" franchise of shows. The idea that's haunted me about some corporation or hack stealing my idea has had me progressing tentatively. Truly, my world is fairly unique, but I have been told before "no one can make your shows." Still, I'm going to proceed with a series synopsis to the copyright peeps. I know you can't trademark an idea, but you can copyright characters, names of shows and certain other finite entities...Do you have an episode on that? Specifically, how to write a synopsis for a series to protect some of your franchise? Anyways, your takes are a breath of fresh air and I feel like, in another parallel universe, we made films together as kids before the drudgery of adulthood sunk in. Anyways, I'm out to prove that we can get it all back, and be kids again in this. When I get monetized, I will come back and donate some humble amount as a show of my appreciation. Thanks.
Gives a list of extraordinary story ideas, says: "They don't sound that great on paper." First of all, if you think that little logline you gave is the idea for the film, you don't understand story. Secondly, all of those 'ideas' you listed were original and unique ideas at the time the movie came out.
I think what you meant to say in your pinned comment is, it's not the concept. It's the quality of the story being told( as seen through the writing of the screenplay, direction, and production.)....and you're right. But if you wrote a book about this, you could really flesh out the idea, and provide a really powerful tool for people who want to tell visual stories, but don't really know how to execute on that.
This is the most mind opener thing I’ve heard in years!
This is great man! The key to creativity is to already be working so when it hits you have the skill set to use it
After watching half this video, I have learned that ideas for movies are indeed very important.
Such powerful wisdom =) thank you brother, I really appreciate this channel/your work 💛
The Godfather is a very old tale. An aging king wants to leave his kingdom to one of his sons. The oldest is strong but very hotheaded, the middle one is very weak, the youngest is perfect but doesn’t want it. Stories like that have been around for thousands of years.
High concept is fun or interesting but it won’t matter without everything else in place.
My favorite movies are crime flicks because of the great characters. Every single one of those movies has the exact same plot - protagonist starts small, makes it too big and in the end gets caught and regrets it.
But there are so many things about each of my favorite movies from that genre that are so unique, interesting and I can't rewatch them enough, they're just the most entertaining movies for me.
One of my all-time favorites is Tarantino, even he says his movies are just the typical "heist gone wrong", "a fighter goes down in the fourth round", "thug falls in love with the boss' wife" story tropes that are never really explored in a fun and satisfying way. Even about Django he says it's about this old TV series that a whipped black slave finally gets his hands on the whip and decides NOT to take revenge on the slaveowner... at which point he says you could hear all of USA TV viewers collectively yell "NOOOOOO" and he says you won't see that in his movies.
His movies are all too simple when it comes to the idea of the story, but the execution is unique.
Thank u so much , is what i really needed to hear , u nailed it,THANK U!
I agree but I think that most of the examples you picked weren't the best to make the point, Drive is a great example, as is 12 angry men and Pulp fiction in some ways but Shawshank, Godfathers and Fight Club were all based on books and/or "idea driven plot or concepts". But it's an interesting topic to go deeper on.
Pulp Fiction is a very unique idea that includes making a new spin on 3 of the most common crime stories ever told and done so none-chronologically.
You're right . It's all about the execution of the idea .
Great stuff! Your content is really inspiring and helpful.
Look at his lil cat in the background I love him
Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.
The 7 basic plots is like saying there are only so many genres. It even includes comedy and tragedy lol. I'm surprised the rest aren't just action, drama, romance, horror, and crime or whatever
Yeah, I really like this idea. It's how you tell the story that matters. It's what you do with that 2 hours of screentime. Some people can really fit a lot of content and storytelling into a movie, while some others fall flat. You can tell so much story and have a ton of character development in a single shot, just depends on how you frame it and what you place inside it. I always think about peter jackson's Lord of the Rings as an example of how to jam pack a ton of visual shots of the world and how to really see the environment. He also tells so much story in that movie. It's all about perspective and creativity.
I couldn't help but stare at your cat because it was sitting so eerily still for almost 5 minutes
Yes, but a good idea with good execution will always be better than a bad idea with good execution. Therefore, the idea does have value.
Facts
The examples used in this video are bad examples. Shawshank already had millions and millions of fans before they made the film, so the idea didn't matter. They could guarantee fans of the book would come to the cinema. Same with the Godfather. The book wasn't great, but it had fans.
Also the examples were of their time. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly didn't need a strong idea because westerns were the 'in' genre. Any western made then brought in millions to the cinema, especially if you used Clint Eastwood.
But times have changed. Unless you know people in the industry or have access to vast amounts of money and locations, you need a high concept idea AND execution AND you better have some style to your prose. Something to stand out from the crowd.
Without all three a script reader won't even read past page 1.
People spend too little time on the idea itself. Your idea is everything. It doesn't have to be original, but it needs to subvert or have a fresh take, and that freshness needs to be obvious in the pitch.
Don't believe me? Look at how many scripts are bought in Hollywood from new writers each year. Or don't. It might depress you. In fact, don't. Ignore that last.
Saying that, if you're going to make the film yourself then of course none of this matters. But it might matter if you need to raise cash.
Tarantino was able to raise cash for his first couple films because of the freshness of them. The ideas weren't original - far, far from it - but they did have a freshness to them and his style shined.
Besides, even if you have the greatest idea, if the execution is shit, the end result won't be different
I needed this
I had to watch this video twice because the first time I was just waiting for your car to move to see if it was real.
I can see someone getting paralysis from analysis about coming up with THE concept. I also understand not sitting around so long waiting for it that you end up doing nothing, but I'd argue that a great idea is the gas. (I'm the type to where great ideas inevitably hit me like a ton of bricks eventually, but I digress...)
Yes, you can learn a ton by just "hitting the gym" on a regular basis. The muscle of film logistics and creative problem solving can really pull out some self-discovered gems, academically.
But I'd also argue that being passionate about a project and the vision you have for it can really push you to put your heart and soul into it, and audiences tend to feel whether or not your heart's in it. But either way if the end result is something you're truly proud of then I call that a win.
What's tough is that financial success does lead to more opportunities and creative control, so it's not like you're passion piece can get away with just being for you. So getting into a rhythym for the process - "hitting the gym" even when the idea isn't perfect - has great merits towards knowing how to execute.
Wow. Great perspective to looking at it. Thany
I just wish the idea i had would be made into a movie. It's never been done and its unique. It's a sci-fi story that's down to earth kind of like apollo 13. I just can't believe it's never been done before.
David Lynch famously says: "Ideas are everything"
What say you to this, sir!?
I'm of course just being playful. Because even with Lynch it's like yea i got the idea, but what makes his work effect people the way it does and live on, is his own wholy unique approach to fleshing out his ideas. Through his hyper creative/ at times avant-garde style that we love him for.
You should write a book about this, because although it's a powerful idea, and you did stipulate some very popular holywood movies, there isn't enough meat hanging on it to really bring your point back home. When I sit back and consider what you said, it's not clear what to do next to fill in the blanks, and that's where this video fails, even though the point is spot on. An example of how you lived this concept on one of your works would have really fleshed out your point, and provided a path to implementing your theory in the context of our own ideas. You took the first step, but didn't bring it back home, and I have felt this way about some of your other videos. You have a fine intellect, but you are not reading the minds of your audience and understanding the questions that they are asking after they watch your videos, at least for some of the more abstract topics.
Quest for a fire script 🔥 👏
I agree . I'm hip .
Great perspective!
That cat is your boss? 😅❤️ Great video, thanks!!
I think instead of a great “idea,” you should think about “what story am I telling and why I am telling it?” “Is this story personal to me?” Because if it’s not a deeply personal story, then why are you even making it? The most crucial thing when choosing to tell a story on film is: “how important and personal to you is your story?”Does the story your telling move you deeply and do you feel absolutely compelled to tell it because it is coming from your heart and soul? If a story is emotionally meaningful (and not just sad but maybe something that fills you with joy or elation) and is important, than you will find a way to make that film. Regardless of budget, gear, etc. You can use the resources around you (what friends do you know? What locations do they have access to?) It’s so important to know what your story means to you and why, don’t get caught up in the thought of “what’s a great film idea?” Not the right approach to making a film in my opinion. A director’s film has got to mean something to them, plain and simple. Thanks for your videos!
“Ideas are not as important as execution”…..”ok so I have a story idea about cavemen, best idea I could hope to come with”….. maybe you should spend a little more time developing your ideas. Contrary to this video I’m confident that ideas are just as important as execution. When you say idea your defining it as the premise but ideas are more than that. They take many different forms.
your neighbor is an absolute savage lmao, that dude is a menace to society lol
this is good advice, I would add on to that it's not the movie idea but really the major active theme in the work that will motivate everything after that, including execution. Working with a unified theme that says something (war leads to death, love leads to true happieness, etc etc) that will dictate every choice that comes after
Fight Club sounds amazing on paper.
My problem is my ideas require too big a budget, too many actors and too many locations. Limiting the ideas makes my creativity go mad.. it’s like I tell myself go big or go home lol
I feel you. Coming up with filmable ideas are tough
... okay, man. I agree with you, that good movies are about good execution, not the ideas. But it has nothing to do with how movies are made from a business POV. Now before I go to far into why, lemme explain where my experience comes from. I'm a repped writer, with several projects sold and in development with large studios -- from CBS studios to Disney +. I meet with production companies like Anonymous Content, UCP, and Harpo on a weekly basis. Before I became a working screenwriter, I was an art director for film and TV, including Better Call Saul, TWD, and a dozen other projects. So bearing this in mind -- I want to point a couple things out. Most of those "simple idea" concepts are based on best selling IP, from FightClub, based on a best selling book, to Batman being one of those most successful comic IP of all time. If those ideas weren't based on valuable IP they wouldn't get made, unless done on a micro budget. If you want to sell your own original IP, again unless you are funding everything yourself, the IDEA DOES MATTER. Why? Because studios, don't read scripts. I repeat, they don't read the script until they are already sold on you and the idea. Original scripts are sold through pitch decks, verbal pitches, and story treatments --- and then later, the script. And when your original material is being reviewed, the IDEA and who is attached to the project, is everything (when it's not based off a previously successful IP). Your advice, apart from purely an artistic perspective, or unless you are adapting someone else's IP that's been bought by the studio like Stephen King's The Shaw Shank Redemption, is completely useless if you actually want to work in Hollywood. Novel ideas, well-explained with attachments, are critical to selling original ideas. People who are well established in the industry understand this. If you want to make a good movie, you have to sell them on the idea first.
the movies you have elenced are actually all high concept, they talk about trivial and common desire or need. That what makes a good idea to me, it's not about telling the most fucked up thing but writing about something that's universal and everyone can realte to. "12 angry men" talks about injustice, something that is evrywhere and anywhere. "The good the bad and the ugly" talks about finding a treasure/money? something really understandable. And I can go on with Fight club and the goodfather too
I agree that execution is essential and it counts more than the idea per se. But if yuo have already some good material to start with it's way easier.
God that was so good, thank you 🙏
What if my problem isn't that i don't have an idea, but that i don't know how to execute my idea in a way that gets people on board
I have this idea and needs making it a story can you help
1917 is just a guy who has to find a group before they walk into a trap, but the way it unfolds and the way it’s shot is what keeps you in.
Thanks alot
Thank you sir
Is that cat real? Bro is LOCKED IN
Your cat is abbbbbbbbbsolutely gorgeous.
what you're calling ideas are just single sentance plot summaries that seem to intentionally dodge the core conflict. i'd say determining the themes and conflicts of a story definitely counts more as ideation than "execution."
Think of a single word. Now imagine that word is the title of the most impactful movie ever made. (Usually there is some variation of the word that works best) What does it look like? Just something I have been doing to amuse myself.
"Ideas are not important"
Nolan: Excuse you
At 4:45 when he started talking about a horror movie he and his friend tried to make, the cat just stood up.... there is something creepy in your suit beware
thanks dude
Screenplay is the key.
Yes i notice how you don't understand the plots of these great movies at all.
Concept does not equal plot
Btw... you got an amazing voice!
While the execution can make up for a basic idea, If you ask me, having a great idea AND executing it perfectly is guaranteed to be a success on not just a filmmaking and storytelling perspective, but also on a business level. There are countless examples of films that take boring or basic ideas and execute into amazing films, while there are films with incredible ideas that turn them into dogs***. A balance must be struck with an idea that’s serviceable (if not the most original), and execute it well so that it can sell!
Just think of a concept and go from there. Recently was inspired by doodlebob and started the idea quite basic- someone finds a pencil on the floor and can bring stuff to life - moving on a few weeks and it's turning more into a comedy adventure about the mishaps of an imbecile and a book as they learn to get along. Still not much but slowly getting closer to a full idea. Obviously can't put whole thing here though
I fundamentally disagree with you. While the execution of an idea is sometimes more important than the idea itself, that does not preclude the importance of continually striving to look for better and greater ideas, especially in film. Put it this way, a person can execute a very average/reused/inspiring/boring idea very well on film through various methods (talent, actors, clever writing, direction, effects, music etc) and potentially elevate the end product. But when a truly great idea is given the same treatment as stated above, the product will be most certainly even better. This does not mean we should stop looking for good ideas and just settle for executing ok ones. Yes, nearly all stories told are hardly original. They are variations upon variations of the same tales that touch the human condition and soul. But new ideas are still possible because time is living and so long as we move forward in time we will encounter new experiences that have the potential to change the way we see ourselves and the world. An old story with a new twist is still a clever new idea and it happens all the time. Execution of the idea is supremely important, but so is the drive to look for the new and the better. The birthplace of new ideas is change and friction. So we must always be on the look out for new ideas. We need to always strive for greater heights in life even if we never achieve it. But thanks for sharing your opinion.
I would argue that many people pervert the definition of "a great movie idea" for "a high-concept movie idea". In reality, most great films (to me at least) are not very high concept. For example, Drive is a basic genre film, and would be incredibly forgettable if not for Nick Refn and his team's creative choices. I think it behooves filmmakers to develop the ideas they are most fascinated/excited by, even if that core idea has been done many times before. By focusing on execution, you can imbue your unique taste into a tired idea and give it new life. A much more practical approach than waiting for the perfect idea to pop out of the clouds.
@@StandardStoryCo @Standard Story Company I agree with you. My point is that I don't agree that you should say one is more important than the other. If you are blessed with the genius to think of that "high concept movie idea" as you say and can make it work, the effect would be tremendous. All "great ideas"
were once nothing until someone came along to execute it. But why didn't everyone think of these ideas? Because most people aren't blessed with anything truly special or extraordinary or genius. When a high concept is achieved, it also loses its novelty because now everyone trying to exploit its popularity will copy the idea. But does this matter? No because the great ideas are still celebrated because they change the way we think about this, the way we look at things. I'm not suggesting that this is possible for most people, so your video has merit and value as an educational tool. I just think the standard is always the higher the better. Whether we can get there is never guaranteed but we need to try forever, otherwise, where is the progress?
One thing we both agree on is that you have to focus on execution of your own ideas to the best of your ability and never ever wait for the perfect one to fall into your lap because it will almost never happen that way. Great ideas are rare diamonds among the haystack of average to bad ideas, if you stop working the hay you will never even have the chance to execute that truly great idea should fate present itself and put it into your mind.
I think we can both agree that you are better off fleshing out a "lesser" idea while you wait for divine inspiration of an amazing idea to strike. Otherwise you may be twiddling your thumbs forever. And the lesser idea may turn out to be an amazing movie, it just needed more digging and discoveries than the fully-formed idea.
@@StandardStoryCo Yes that was the point I was trying to make with my second follow up post. Most of us will probably never have a revolutionary new idea, those come along once a century or more, just make sure the ideas we do have are executed to the best of our abilities and we have done what we can do to our potential. Then its just hoping the audience accepts it and it can make money if you are trying to sell the film.
what movie is the thumbnail?
It’s called “high concept.” The idea should instantly resonate on a primal level. Read Save the Cat.
This is not the idea.
The main theme of the film is --hope and the human will to remain steadfast even in the darkest of times---.
The central message or the idea of the film is that --even in hopeless situations, the power of humanity and the belief in a better future enable us to overcome our own prisons---. In other words the central lmessage/idea could be expressed like this: With hardship there is ease!
The film shows how friendship, compassion and the ability to forgive can make a difference even in a harsh and unjust environment like prison.
It is a story that reminds us that even in the most difficult moments of life, we can make our own choices and that it is never too late to find our way and gain our freedom - be it physical or emotional.
So as you see, the idea of a film DOES MATTER! The execution is also a big part of a film production, I mean this is what film is, the execution of an film idea!
great video, but why is your cat frozen??? 🤣
Ideas are not important because what truly made all the movies you mentionned was themes. This is the theme that can launch in production a movie that we seen 100 times before, because themes are seen by everyone of us differently. So yeah, plot can be not original, but theme must be intriguing to productors and spectators.
Thanks