Help - need short story idea right away!

[Alex]

Today (Tuesday) was the first day of film class and my assignment is to come up with a short story idea that will take the rest of the semester to film.

The story idea is due Thursday afternoon - that's right, I have to have an idea ready in less than two days.

Can anyone suggest any good ideas? I don't need a script, just some good ideas. For example, one of the best from last year was the story where one person spreads a rumor that gets twisted and transformed in the most humorous ways.

[edit] I didn't realize there was another thread for this until after I made this post. I would would appreciate any ideas!

Alex

[Ares2907]

How about a story about a person who is devoid of creative talent who tries to find inspiration vicariously through the members of an internet forum?

Sound sort of like a suggestion we had in a thread earlier in the week, but I'm sure you'll be able to modify to suit.

[Alex]

No need to be nasty.

I have a very short time to come up with my story, so it's not unreasonable to ask others for suggestions.

[Ares2907]

It is unreasonable to expect others to do your work for you.
Ideas are very very easy to come up with. Maybe if you'd posted a couple of things you'd come up with all by your self and asked for opinions, that might have elicited a slightly less caustic response.

[quickmart2]

Seriously. If people have not intention of helping you then all they have to do is not post. They don't need to be condescending.

Anyways. What about a story about a group of closely knit hobos. Thats firly ambiguous and it wouldn't be too hard to find locations.

[Ares2907]

I was helping, just not with the subject requested.

[Cyd V]

Why are you in film school?

You don't seem too inspired to make your 'own' movies...

[Alex]

Ares,

It is a semester long project - asking for suggestions is hardly asking someone to do my work for me.

Cyd V:

Not everyone goes to school to become a writer. Many are there to learn cinematography and other aspects of the filmmaking process.

________________________

quickmart2:

Thanks. That's good, plus it would be fun for the student actors and there's no wardrobe requirements.

How about something like a spoof of Joe Millionaire. Eg:
A fraternity comes up with the ultimate prank, setting up one of the sorority girls on a blind date with their new "pledge," Joe, the campus hobo. Fraternity must frantically transform this unhygenic, wine-guzzling loser into a passable date or lose some kind of bet. Something like Pygmalion blended with animal house. Not exactly high art - but could yield good material for a 10 minute film!

[Ares2907]

You're moving the goalposts.
You said 'I have task X to be done by deadline Y' please do my work for me.
You're complaining now that my comments were in relation to task A to be done by deadline B. Sorry, intelligent arguments don't work that way.

[Kastman]

Here's an idea...

A bank robbery goes horribly wrong, hilarity ensues...



Now run with it.... RUN

[Tuukka]

Originally posted by Alex
I would would appreciate any ideas!

Alex

RE:

How is this for an idea:

A guy is given at school an assignment to come up with a short script in 24 hours. The clock starts ticking. The guy can't come up with anything. His head is empty.

So he decides that he steals the idea from someone else instead. He goes for this mission and finds out that nobody wants to help him. Everyone just says that he should come up with this own idea.

In search of his idea he also meets a girl, falls in love, get's chased by gangsters who mistake him for a wrong person and he nearly get's killed. In the process he finds himself and ends up realizing that he should draw ideas from his own life, not steal them from others.

So when he finally get's home the following morning, exhausted and dirty, he decides to write a story about himself, about a guy who was given an assigment to write down a short script, but who chose to steal it from somewhere else instead. And so the adventure began, full of danger and romance.

[Rated R]

Yep, I'm sure Alex is gonna be gung ho to come back to these boards after the lambasting of negativity thrown his way. He was only asking for a little help. Jesus, you guys treated him so insensitively. What is the point of insulting him? Treat your fellow schmoe with respect it's in the rules!

[Tuukka]

Just to point out, I wasn't being sarcastic, even if it might seem so. With some polishing I think my script idea could become decent enough.

[TheDeadWalk]

He could always take the "Jay and Silent Bob" route with his story and have his character turn mothafuckas on lock down after he wins the lottery and hunts down his internet opposers.

[Rated R]

Originally posted by Tuukka
Just to point out, I wasn't being sarcastic, even if it might seem so. With some polishing I think my script idea could become decent enough.

Sorry if it seemed like I was calling you out there Tuukka. I know how you post and I've never seen anything you have posted be offensive or derogatory and I didn't think you were being so here. I was just talking about Ares and Cyd who were being particularly rude to Alex, not cool guys.

[Alex]

Rated R,

Thanks, your post made my day. Just when I think all the good forums have been taken over by trolls, you come by and redeem it.

Tuukka,

When you asked for commentary on your Sci-Fi feature, I gave you the longest response - one typed page.
http://www.joblo.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=64184


Anyway, I have my story finished and it's similar to the one I posted earlier. I came up with a workable ending so I'm ready to submit it tomorrow. Thanks to those who helped me.

[XvoorheesX]

I haven't said anything yet, because my opinion is summed up perfectly in the first response. If you have trouble coming up with just simple ideas for a story, I don't know why you want to be a director. Directors tell stories. That's what they do.

And if you think people here are being mean, wait until you get into the "real/reel" world (whatever that is). People could've been a lot meaner, and justly so. If you want help, realize what kind of help it is that you need, so when people do give realistic advice, you can accept it.

[Backstabba]

How about Ghandi Comes back from the past to kick Shaqs ass in a game of basketball,a game of field hockey, and Hot dog eating contest........seriously thats a kick ass idea.

[Kastman]

If you have trouble coming up with just simple ideas for a story, I don't know why you want to be a director. Directors tell stories. That's what they do.

First off, I'm not trying to get ito a film-making knowledge duel here, but directors don't always think up their stories to tell, don't they get a script and make that into a movie? So if he is planning on being a director rather than a screenwriter, then getting help for getting the idea shoudln't be much of a problem, or couldn't i have been more wrong?

[fu2zi]

if you're really stuck, go to imdb.com and do a search by plot. Type in a couple of random words like "vampire cowboy" and read through what's been done before. It might give you some inspiration, it might not.