Last week I had one of the best breakthroughs on a script that I’ve ever experienced – and it’s all thanks to one trick which I will share below.

For context, I’ve been workshopping a new feature film concept for months now.  It’s a very “high concept” genre feature that has so much potential, but could also be executed in many different ways.

Earlier this year I wrote a full draft of the screenplay, but then put it in a drawer while in post for my two upcoming short films.

When I came back to it, I still loved the idea, but felt like there was another level to it that I hadn’t yet unlocked.

The existing version of the script was already quite strong. And I could have easily just taken it and ran. But I really wanted to push myself to re-imagine the idea and see if there was an even better version out there.

I spent days thinking about the characters, backstories, themes and structure. I imagined versions that took place over a week, a month, and a year. I considered what it would be like if it was partially told from the antagonist’s point of view.

My goal was to break out of my pre-conceived notion of what the film was supposed to be. To challenge the original idea with as many alternate versions I could think of.

After many iterations, I kept coming back to the original concept.

But right before I was ready to commit to the existing version, I had one more idea to try…

What if I set the film in a completely different location?

For some reason, I kept imagining the film taking place in a small rural town. Even though the current draft was written to take place in downtown Los Angeles.

So I decided to play it out in my mind. If I kept the core hook of the film, but set it in a completely different place – would the story actually change, or just the set dressing?

To my surprise, it took on a whole new life.

As soon as I listened to my gut instinct and set the film in this rural town, everything else clicked.

New characters came to mind that better complimented the story. The opening scene became far more dynamic. And the timeline of the film (which is what I was wrestling with the most) became crystal clear.

Not to mention, the process led to a shift in the concept that made it 1000x more original. Something that, at least as far as I know, has never been done on any film.

With these insights, I quickly re-wrote the entire treatment and sent it to some trusted friends and colleagues for feedback. The response was incredibly positive and now I’m already well into the first draft.

The whole experience was a great reminder of the importance of seeing your work through different prisms.

And that (for me at least), locations tend to be a very potent source of creativity. I can’t tell you exactly why, or whether this is a universal thing – But whenever I get really specific about where my film is taking place, so many of the other creative elements start to align. 

For you, it might be another variable that unlocks the story… But I think the underlying lesson is the same –

Much like a cinematographer will test different angles to find the best shot, writers need to do the same with their concepts.

So if you’ve found yourself stuck on an idea or script, consider what it would feel like if it were set against a different backdrop. Or set in a different time period, or across a different duration.

Those constraints force you to unlock new ideas. And that process either confirms your original concept was best, or (more likely) leads to something much better.

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