StoryNotesNewsletter

... returns!

With shorter articles.

I have several in reserve,
so we're good to go for a
few weeks.

Sorry for the long absence;
I was working on a few
projects, and kept thinking
I'd be back far sooner than
turned out to be the case.

So without further ado:


ISSUE #19


PREMISES, PREMISES

"Premise" is a much-used term — and one that sometimes
causes confusion. That's because it has multiple meanings.
Since that's the case, it's actually best to refrain from
using this word. You may mean "premise" in the sense of
Definition A, whereas the person listening to you may assume
you mean Definition B or C. The result: miscommunication.

Poor communication can have unfortunate results. When
the message you intend to transmit is not accurately
received, the result is, at best, confusion. At worst: the
other party may question your intelligence.

So abstain from tossing the word "premise" about.
However, since you are bound to hear it used (and to read
it), you must inoculate yourself against confusion. Given
the context in which the word is used, you should be able to
tell what the speaker or writer means — that is, which of
the three definitions are "in play."

Those three definitions are:

1. Concept
2. Log line
3. Theme

PREMISE DEFINITION #1: CONCEPT

"Premise" is most frequently used to be synonymous with
"concept." So if someone asks, "What's the premise?" they
generally mean "What's the concept — what's the core idea?"
Or perhaps, "What's the basic situation?"

The answer might be "Two middle-aged guys have been good
friends for years — one is divorced, and now the other guy's
wife dumps him, and he's a wreck. They wind up becoming
roommates — and in short order, they can't stand each other.
One's a total slob, the other's a neat-freak. They find out
why their wives couldn't stand them, and almost drive each
other insane."

That, of course, is the premise/concept for the play and
movie of THE ODD COUPLE.

Another example: "A traumatized young boy finally
reveals his secret to a child psychiatrist: he can see dead
people — people who died violent deaths, and are in effect
haunting him. The psychiatrist comes to realize the
terrified boy is telling the truth, and helps him to
discover that this is a kind of gift; the dead are asking
for his help, and they will be at peace when he gives it."

So "premise" usually refers to the central idea, or the
core concept of a story. It's the basic situation of the
story.

This brings us to the second definition — related but
somewhat different as well.

PREMISE CONCEPT #2: LOG LINE

For some people, "premise" refers to the story's log
line, or "one-liner." This is clearly related to the
story's central idea or core concept, because a log line
will express that. But there is a difference: a log line
communicates the concept in a very brief and well-crafted
way. It's almost like ad copy. It's designed to clearly
and concisely convey the concept, and worded in a way that
will maximize its appeal. It is meant to make the idea seem
as enticing, fascinating, and compelling as possible.

Log lines are first aimed at producers, agents,
managers, and development executives; they are meant to
express the idea succinctly and in a way that demonstrates
the power of the idea. If the idea is a strong one, and
it's worded well enough that it forcefully indicates the
strength and potential of the idea, and the "flavor" of it,
then the producer, agent, manager, or development executive
may reply, "Sounds good — send the script."

The other target for log lines: the public. If the
script is produced, and the movie is made, some version of
the log line will then become a marketing tool to help
convey the essence of the concept to the public, and in an
alluring way. Later, a shortened version of the log line
will be used for "TV Guide" and "TV Times" type listings,
and in the various books that feature brief descriptions and
ratings of movies available on video.

"TV Guide" type listings are rarely more than 20 words
long. Usually much less. They sometimes capture the
concept, but rarely the "sizzle." The log lines devised for
producers, agents, etc., can be that short, when the idea
can be conveyed that concisely and still retain its power.
But usually they are as much as 25 or 30 words long, even as
much as 50. One or two sentences are preferable; three are
acceptable.

So a log line is a shorter, more carefully worded
version of the concept, designed to entice the reader or
hearer into reading the script (or seeing the movie).

Here is one potential log line version of the earlier
and longer concept statement for THE SIXTH SENSE: "A deeply
disturbed boy finally confides his secret to a child
psychiatrist — he sees dead people, and they are haunting
him. Then the psychiatrist discovers the boy isn't
delusional; it's true."

So if a person asks for the premise of your story, which
do you relate? If you're not sure which he or she means,
play it safe: provide the shorter, catchier log line. If
you are asked to elaborate, then you can do so.

If one writer is talking to another about one of their
scripts or ideas, a request for the premise probably means
just a general statement of the concept, not necessarily a
log line. And if, in a story conference, a story analyst
feels both of you are bogged down in details, he or she may
say, "Wait a minute. Let's be clear on the big picture, the
heart of the movie. Now, what's the premise of this?"
Here, you can give the longer version of the concept, not
the log line, since the log line is a selling tool, not an
analytical tool.

So it depends on the context. If selling is the
priority, use the log line. If analysis or in-depth
discussion is the context, give a fuller, more casual
statement of the concept (Definition #1). If in doubt, play
it safe, and give the more concise, carefully crafted log
line.

There's still one more definition. And this one relates
to concept only indirectly.

PREMISE DEFINITION #3: THEMATIC STATEMENT

The third and less-frequently used meaning for "premise"
was popularized by Lajos Egri in his book _The Art of
Dramatic Writing_. For Egri, "premise" means a statement of
theme, worded in a particular way. For instance,
"Misdirected goals lead to waste" would be the premise of
DEATH OF A SALESMAN, and "Great love defies even death"
might be the premise of ROMEO AND JULIET.

Not many people in Hollywood use "premise" in this
sense. But some do, since Egri's book is widely known and
studied. First published in 1942 (and aimed at playwriting
as opposed to screenwriting), it enjoys periodic resurgences
of popularity and influence.

Theme is important to many writers, although few try to
make their thematic statements conform to Egri's specific
paradigm. Egri liked theme to be expressed briefly, and in
three parts. The first part is a dominant trait or
character-based issue that can be seen early in the play —
if not from the beginning, then by the End of Act 1 — and
which is important to much of what happens throughout. Such
character-related traits, issues, or conditions might be
things like "misdirected goals" or "great love," as seen
earlier, or others like "honesty," "revenge," "ruthless
ambition," "materialism," "poor communication,"
"selfishness," etc.

This trait or condition is followed by a verb such as
"leads to," "results in," "defeats," "destroys," etc. These
indicate conflict and direction — a change process. The
final part of the Egri premise is the result. It's the
conclusion, the end-trait or new state of affairs. This
might be "death," "waste," "loss of friendship,"
"humiliation," "crime," "self-destruction," or others that
might be a bit wordier, depending on the final state of
affairs.

Most of his examples are aimed at tragedies or dark
dramas. Since most Hollywood movies end on a more positive
note, an "unless" can be added — and then the way that the
negative state of affairs is avoided would be noted. Or
there could be two premises, one that applies to an
antagonist, and a more positive one to the protagonist. Or
one that applies to the "unenlightened" protagonist, and
another to the protagonist after he or she has grown wiser,
stronger, or better.

A standard Egri-like premise might read "Ruthless
ambition creates misery and destruction." If the ending is
a happy one, however, and the main character narrowly
escapes that fate, the premise might then read "Ruthless
ambition creates misery and destruction, but giving up such
a life leads to contentment." Or perhaps "Ruthless ambition
creates misery and destruction, but ambition moderately and
morally pursued leads to fulfillment and achievement."

So if you're discussing your script with a development
executive and the concept has already been clearly
articulated, if you are then asked "All right, then what's
the premise?" this person may be asking for an Egri-like
statement of theme.

CONCLUSION

"Premise" has multiple meanings. It can refer to
concept, log line (a concise, market-oriented statement of
concept), or a particular kind of thematic statement.

Given this cornucopia of definitions, it is best to
avoid risking confusion. Knowing the three meanings, and
weighing the context in which the word is used, you will
usually be able to tell which meaning the speaker or writer
intended. But as for yourself: when you want "premise" to
mean "concept," just say ... concept. Or maybe "basic
situation." When you intend it to mean "log line," just say
(you guessed it) "log line." And if you mean it as a
particular type of thematic statement, say "statement of
theme" or even "Egri-style thematic statement."

And not so incidentally ... knowing your premise — all
three of them — is quite important.

Obviously, you should be clear on your central concept,
your basic situation, before writing it. Otherwise, you
will write something that lacks focus and which tends to
meander. Also: by articulating the premise, you can judge
better as to whether the idea seems dramatically viable. Is
this something that lends itself to dramatization? Will
there be an audience that would be interested in seeing
this?

It's also wise to go the extra step, before writing, and
to craft an actual log line. If you can't ... perhaps
you're not sure about what you are writing yet. Or perhaps
you don't yet understand the essence of your concept yet.
Or maybe it's just not a concept that many people will ask
to read once it's in screenplay form. Or to see, should it
get made into a movie. Crafting a log line prior to writing
the script helps you to achieve clarity and focus, and to
test the potential of the idea.

Finally, before writing, it's good to consider the
thematic potential of your material. Many stories will have
several compatible themes, but usually one will be
predominant. Ascertaining the theme or themes in advance
will add focus and significance to your story, and may well
aid in the development of the plot, since some plot
incidents will illustrate your theme.

So keep premise in mind when developing your story — in
all three senses of the word.

But don't use the word yourself. Why add to the
confusion? You'll get by nicely with "concept" or "basic
situation," "log line," and "theme."

# # #

Copyright 2002 by Jeff Newman
All Rights Reserved

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