From Idea to Script to Sale
Movies from the Heart—The Devil Wears Prada - 2
We’re really stuck in 2006, aren’t we? And though I focused on it a couple of weeks ago, I have a few more thoughts about The Devil Wears Prada, by Aline Brosh McKenna,that I want to share.
This film was a HUGE success when it came out. Of course, Hollywood measures success by how much a film makes. Doubling the budget is considered a success. As I mentioned in my earlier blog, The Devil Wears Prada brought in over $350 million—ten times its budget.
Everyone went to this movie.
So why? What was it about the film that made moviegoers flock to it? Take a look at the trailer for the film.
The film is your typical fish-out-of-water story about a girl who knows zilch about fashion and who is thrown into a job set in the world of fashion.
Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can get hold of various drafts of a screenplay. And I’ve seen one of the original drafts for this one. It began with Andy heading out for a job interview, getting in the New York subway, and heading to an address on a street—let’s say 54th—on the east side—so E. 54th Street in NYC street parlance. But when she gets to the address it’s definitely NOT Elias Clarke publishing, which is the company she’s supposed to be interviewing with. Panicking, she looks at her appointment info and realizes she’s gone to the EAST side when it should have been the WEST. So the address is actually on W. 54th Street. So then begins the mad dash across town to try and make it to the appointment because with this mistake, she’s definitely going to be great. So fabulous, right? Showing up late for a job interview.
OK, not a horrible opening. We see her, we feel her panic, could be fast-moving.
But it doesn’t hold a candle to the rewritten opening. Take a look as it is in the film.
Let’s start by looking at this opening shot by shot.
First shot—Andy brushing her teeth; second shot—the NYC skyline; third shot—a woman putting on her lacy, sexy bra as she looks out at NYC from her apartment.
Then follow many, many shots of very glamorous women getting ready for work, interspersed with shots of Andy getting ready for work. The glamorous women think about every element of their wardrobe—comparing earrings, dresses, etc., before deciding what to wear. And Andy puts on a sweater with little thought.
The glamorous women count out 10 almonds for breakfast, Andy chows down on a huge bagel.
The glamorous women take taxis to work, Andy hits the subway.
So within a couple of minutes we get it. Andy is heading to a world where she SO doesn’t belong. So rewriting that beginning? Totally worth the work for the writer!
Remember how important that first page is—you need to absolutely GRAB your audience with that opening—so do all you can to do just that.
Next week we head from NYC to Barcelona in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Copyright © Diane Lake
15Sep24
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