Cracking Concepts #1: What if
Big ideas for film and TV pose the question, “What if … ?”, and invite us to speculate on the dramatic or comedic possibilities of an original yet relatable scenario.
We all know that tomorrow will be another day, but in Groundhog Day it wasn’t. What if you were stuck in the same day over and over again?
What if …
… a guardian angel could let you see the world if you hadn’t existed? (It’s a Wonderful Life)
… a mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher was forced to start cooking crystal meth? (Breaking Bad)
… toys had feelings, and a boy’s revered old favourite was usurped by a deluded, alpha male interloper? (Toy Story)
… a decorated soldier returned from captivity to a hero’s welcome only for an intelligence officer to suspect he had released to carry out a terrorist mission? (Homeland)
… you travelled back in time … and stopped your parents meeting? (Back to the Future)
… for a year, a guy decided to yes to any offer put to him? (Yes Man)
Idea Starters:
What if the world didn’t do what it normally does?
What if something that always happens, didn’t?
What if something that never happens, did?
What if someone did something that they normally wouldn’t do, not in a million years?
What if an unbreakable rule was broken?
What if someone was displaced from their comfort zone by time, location or circumstances?
What if someone revered was suddenly reviled?
What if a zero suddenly had the chance to be a hero?