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Cyber Film School
cyberfilmschool.com › home › screenwriting › premise vs. theme: know the difference–your screenplay depends on it
Premise vs. Theme: Know The Difference | Cyber Film School
December 12, 2024 - The premise becomes evident early in the process as you flesh out the characters, their circumstances and conflicts – the ‘what if…but’? For example, “Jaws” (1975): What if a beach-town cop wants to stop a killer shark at the height of tourist season, but as deaths pile up, the greedy mayor blocks him for the sake of tourist dollars?
Discussions

Premise of a movie | WordReference Forums
Hi Everybody, A textbook states, "An argument has three basic parts which are a premise, the reasoning, and a conclusion. A premise can be stated or unstated, and it is the evidence." Then how would you answer someone's question, "So what is the premise of this movie" at the end? Is the person... More on forum.wordreference.com
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April 14, 2020
What is the best premise for a movie?

Heist movie. Approximately 60% of the movie should be getting the crew together.

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🌐 r/movies
25
2
November 7, 2016
What are some of the best movie premises?

I have 10 for you. All worth a watch.

Rope (1948)

Two young men strangle their "inferior" classmate, hide his body in their apartment, and invite his friends and family to a dinner party as a means to challenge the "perfection" of their crime.

The Wages of Fear (1953)

In the South American jungle supplies of nitroglycerin are needed at a remote oil field. The oil company pays four men to deliver the supplies in two trucks. A tense rivalry develops between the two sets of drivers and on the rough remote roads the slightest jolt can result in death.

The Fire Within (1962)

Alain Leroy, a recovering alcoholic at a rehabilitation clinic in Versailles suffers with a depression. He intends to commit suicide, but first decides to visit his friends in Paris one final time, trying to find a reason to live.

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)

A surreal, virtually plotless series of dreams centered around six middle-class people and their consistently interrupted attempts to have a meal together.

La Soufriere (1977)

Filmmaker Werner Herzog takes a film crew to the island of Guadeloupe when he hears that the volcano on the island is going to erupt.

Fitzcarraldo (1982)

Would-be rubber baron Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, an Irishman known as Fitzcarraldo in Peru, is determined to transport a steamship over a steep hill in order to access a rich rubber territory.

The Cyclist (1987)

Nasim, a poor Afghan refugee in Iran, gives a demonstration in his town's square where he rides his bicycle without stopping for seven days and seven nights, with the aim of raising money for life-saving surgery for his dying wife.

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)

When his murdered best friend's ex-girlfriend announces the pregnancy of their son, a filmmaker decides to interview numerous relatives, friends, and associates of the father and incorporate their loving remembrances into a film that would serve as a cinematic scrapbook for the unborn child who never knew him.

Dogtooth (2009)

A controlling, manipulative father locks his three adult offspring in a state of perpetual childhood by keeping them prisoner within the sprawling family compound. The children are bored to tears in spite of distractions like Christina, an employee of their father's who makes regular visits to sexually service the son. Increasingly curious about the outside world, the older daughter hatches a plan to escape.

The Final Member (2012)

Thirty miles from the Arctic Circle, in the northern Icelandic town of Husavik, stands the Icelandic Phallological Museum - the world's only Penis museum. Over 40 years, the founder and curator has collected every specimen from every mammal except for one elusive penis needed to complete his collection: The Human Specimen. The film follows the curator's incredible, sublimely comic, often shocking quest to complete his eccentric collection, and the two intrepid men who have raised their hands to be the first human donor.

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🌐 r/movies
11
5
December 31, 2012
[Premise] Reddit: The Movie - The Reddit Film Project has chosen this as its concept. I'd love to get your feedback.
Not a fan of the treatment at all. An inspirational movie about reddit just seems kind of cringeworthy. Best of luck either way. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/Screenwriting
47
16
January 15, 2018
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No Film School
nofilmschool.com › premise-of-a-movie
How Do You Define the Premise of a Movie or TV Show? | No Film School
In our Beat Sheet, we explain that the premise must define why anyone would ever want to read or watch your work. "Why would butts be in seats to watch your movie? What are those trailer moments that draw the crowds? This is where it shines! But I think we do need a series of scenes that really give people those trailer moments.
Published   October 6, 2024
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NPR
npr.org › 2025 › 06 › 28 › nx-s1-5436125 › what-makes-a-great-movie-premise-that-sticks-with-you
What makes a great movie premise that sticks with you? : NPR
June 28, 2025 - For this week's movie segment, my colleague Andrew Limbong spoke with two NPR producers about how important the setup is of a movie storyline. ANDREW LIMBONG, BYLINE: Every story has a premise, an idea that sets it into motion. Some narratives, ...
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StudioBinder
studiobinder.com › scriptwriting › what is the premise of a story — definition and examples
What is the Premise of a Story — Definition and Examples
May 28, 2025 - You get into an elevator and see a well known movie producer. You chat, you say you’re a screenwriter, and they ask if you have anything you’re working on. You have three more floors to pitch your story idea. What do you say? This is where having a clear and precise premise is necessary.
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John August
johnaugust.com › home › qanda › story and plot › the premise, or what’s the point?
What is a premise, anyway?
February 8, 2016 - In Hollywood, premise commonly means “what the movie is about.” It’s a very short pitch, basically interchangeable with logline. The premise of Die Hard is that a cop has to stop a band of robbers by himself in an office tower.
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Scriptwriting Tips
scriptwritingtips.com › home › what is a premise in writing and how to find it
What Is a Premise in Writing And How To Find It - Scriptwriting Tips
August 10, 2021 - While you’re writing your own screenplay try to think what is the most interesting, the most attracting thing in your idea; what is the most unique element of your idea that you don’t see it often in other films. After you find it, try to highlight it and to use it to lure people and producers to love your story. Make this your premise in your writing.
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Script Magazine
scriptmag.com › features › script-notes-where-story-begins-premise
SCRIPT NOTES: Where Story Begins - Premise - Script Magazine
January 8, 2016 - And then there was light. Premise is the origin of all the ideas hurdling through space. You're going to laugh, but my take on this all stems back to my mother. Every single time she took us kids to a movie, without fail, she would ask us tikes, "What was the moral of that story?"
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Simple Book Publishing
ncstate.pressbooks.pub › screenwriting › chapter › chapter-2-the-premise
From Idea to Premise – From Idea to Screen: The Basics of Screenwriting
May 2, 2024 - The premise for a movie often starts with something like “What if…” or “Wouldn’t it be cool…” or “It would be exciting if…” or “It would be heartbreaking if…” Generally, it starts with something that simple.
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WVIA Public Media
wvia.org › 2025-06-28 › what-makes-a-great-movie-premise-that-sticks-with-you
What makes a great movie premise that sticks with you?
June 28, 2025 - Often when we see a movie, we talk ... how important the setup is of a movie storyline. ANDREW LIMBONG, BYLINE: Every story has a premise, an idea that sets it into motion....
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Filmmaking Stuff
filmmakingstuff.com › story-just-movie-premise
Do you have a story... Or just a movie premise?
The movie premise usually identifies your protagonist. In our example, it’s the guy who goes back in time, the soldier who sees his friend about to be captured, and the band member who decides to organize the reunion (this one will be an ensemble piece but it’s still better to have one character who is at the center of all the action).
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Aalto
elokuvantaju.aalto.fi › english › study_material › screenplay › premissi.jsp
CinemaSense: Premise
The crucial contents of the film are squeezed into one statement or sentence.
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Menulisfilm
menulisfilm.com › beranda › screenwritting › mastering movie premises: a step-by-step guide with examples
Mastering Movie Premises: A Step-by-Step Guide with Examples
July 17, 2023 - The first formula for creating a movie premise is: character + conflict + stakes + setting + hook. This formula allows you to introduce the main character, describe the conflict they are facing, add the stakes of the story, describe the setting, ...
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Tame Your Book
tameyourbook.com › home › 11 tips on how to create your story premise before you write
11 Tips on How to Create Your Story Premise BEFORE You Write
August 15, 2025 - It sold primarily because my co-writer, David Stephens, and I delivered on the premise, but the pitch can’t be denied. And though it took time to hone it down to this, it never fails. So if I ever find myself in an elevator with Jerry Bruckheimer and he asks about my latest film, I won’t hesitate, I’ll say: ‘Granny is a PG-13 horror movie. It’s about a senior serial killer who kills teenagers who violate the rules of etiquette.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Premise_(narrative)
Premise (narrative) - Wikipedia
January 7, 2026 - Wikipedia does not have an article on "premise (narrative)", but its sister project Wiktionary does:
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Medium
medium.com › @zimsights › pick-a-premise-a-list-for-screenwriters-53e9389cf1b6
Pick a Premise: A List for Screenwriters | by Andrew Zimmerman | Medium
July 16, 2023 - If you’re interested in writing screenplays and telling stories through film, you’ll need to get your head around the premise. If you’re formally in film school or have otherwise already begun your screenwriting journey, the premise is likely something you’ve already been thinking about. I like to think of it as the statement that, through your film, you’re proving to be true.
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Stage 32
stage32.com › lounge › screenwriting › Is-Trubys-premise-the-same-as-the-logline
Now Trending! Stage 32 Screenwriting Lounge: Is Truby's "premise" the same as the logline?
The logline is short, usually one sentence summary of your movie. A premise is the idea for your movie. Something like, A man goes back in time to prevent an assassin from killing Lincoln.
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WordReference
forum.wordreference.com › english only › english only
Premise of a movie | WordReference Forums
April 14, 2020 - It is not the same meaning as that in the question about the movie, and there is no reason to assume that the movie is trying to teach anything. For example, you might say about a slapstick comedy that the premise (= something assumed or taken for granted, presupposition) of the movie is that audiences are amused by seeing people falling into mud puddles, or being hit in the face with custard pies.
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Quora
quora.com › Whats-the-best-example-of-a-film-that-has-a-really-terrible-premise-but-actually-has-a-really-great-script
What's the best example of a film that has a really terrible premise but actually has a really great script? - Quora
Answer (1 of 20): Adaptation, written by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman Movies about writers are typically fairly boring because there isn't anything cinematic about watching writers at work. There's only one thing worse than watching a writer working, which is watching a writer NOT working,...