10 Screenwriting Lessons You Can Learn From Star Trek Into Darkness
10. The Running Man
Right from the opening scene, the audience is hooked. Why? Because two people are running for their lives. Why? I dont know but dammit, I want to find out! Its almost so simple that its easy to overlook: if someone is running, we want to know why. If you were walking down the street and someone were to run by you (obviously, not for their health), you would be a bit curious.
This taps into an almost primal instinct within ourselves. Humans are curious creatures and we are naturally drawn to what others are experiencing. When writing a film, if you cut right to the middle of an ongoing chase or even the middle of an argument, the audience will be interested. Then, as the scene goes along, you drop little clues that the viewer gobbles up. Their undivided attention will be given and their mind will constantly try to piece together what is happening.
So take a look at some of your scenes and see if cutting right into the action works better than starting from the very beginning. We have always been taught that scenes should have a Beginning-Middle-end (just like the entire film itself) but maybe you dont need the beginning after all.