Life or movie: Which comes first?

Abstract

Life or movie: Which comes first? is a glimpse into an aspiring screenwriter's mind as he tries to figure out the inner workings of high concept movies. The author begins with the premise that there are very easy rules that govern storytelling, rules which are universal and tolerate no exceptions, discarding traditional perspectives of movie analysis one after the other (including Field, Campbell, Jung, Freud), all of which prove to be unfaithful to observable facts. He proposes a new paradigm for storytelling: fiction is like magic; you cannot explain it or it will break the spell, ruin the magic. But when you think about it, there are no two rational ways of making a rabbit appear from a hat.

"Life or movie: which comes first? provides a recipe that will enable future screenwriters to write movies that appeal to the masses, a recipe the entertainment industry wants to keep secret." Philip Lyren, Screenwriter.

Is there a relationship between life and movies? More than most of us realize. This dissertation explores the relationship of what we think of as real and what everyone says is not real at all.

Discarding traditional perspectives of movie analysis one after the other (Field, Campbell, Jung, Freud...), the author takes you to the filmmakers' level, a realm where anything becomes possible.

Writing is an... adventure. As you turn page after page of Life or movie: which comes first?, you'll embark on the journey of an insightful writer which will show you the way to writing a successful screenplay.