Chapter 2: The Premise

A Premise is your story narrowed down to just one or two sentences. Once you establish this, you can set out to develop your plot. Being able to narrow your story down to its bare bones is challenging but essential when telling your story. It’s also great practice for the “elevator pitch” when you only have one minute to impress someone with your amazing screenplay idea.

Your premise should include the following, and leave out the subplots and complications:

1. Name the hero/protagonist
2. What does the hero want?
3. What prevents/tries to prevent the hero from getting it?
4. How does it end/wrap up?

Here’s an example from the movie ET (1982) by writer Melissa Mathison and director Stephen Spielberg:

A boy discovers a visitor from outer space who misses his spaceship home. He enlists the help of his siblings who befriend the alien and help him escape before he dies.

This can be broken down into the following four premise points:

1. Name the hero/protagonist – A boy who discovers a visitor from outer space
2. What does the hero want? – to help the alien go home
3. What prevents/tries to prevent the hero from getting it? – the alien misses his spaceship and is dying, and authorities try to intervene
4. How does it end/wrap up? – the children help him escape

Another example from Creed (2015) by writers Ryan Coogler, Aaron Covington with characters from the Rocky series by Slyvester Stallone and director Ryan Coogler:

A young man follows in his father’s footsteps to become a boxing champion and seeks out his father’s former opponent and eventual friend to coach him. But after discovering that his mentor has cancer and he loses his girl, he is forced to overcome his own doubts and limitations in order to succeed and prove himself worthy of his father’s name.

1. Name the hero/protagonist – A young man (Adonis Creed)
2. What does the hero want? – He wants to be a boxing champion and live up to his father’s name
3. What prevents/tries to prevent the hero from getting it? – He loses a fight, doubts himself, his mentor gets cancer, he loses his girlfriend
4. How does it end/wrap up? – He proves himself worthy

And an example from Get Out (2017) by writer/director Jordan Peele:

An African American man travels with his caucasion girlfriend to meet her parents for the first time. What starts out as an awkward attempt to impress her parents and fit in, turns into a fight for his life against racism, family secrets and sinister motives.

1. Name the hero/protagonist – An African American man (Chris Washington)
2. What does the hero want? – He wants to be accepted by his girlfriend’s parents
3. What prevents/tries to prevent the hero from getting it? – Racism and the family’s secrets and sinister motives
4. How does it end/wrap up? – He fights for his life

One more example from Wonder Woman (2017) by writer Allan Heinberg and director Patty Jenkins:

A trained Amazon warrior princess is called to action to save the world from a devastating world war along with the help of an American pilot, and in doing so, she discovers her true powers and destiny.

1. Name the hero/protagonist – A trained Amazon warrior princess (Diana)
2. What does the hero want? – To save the world
3. What prevents/tries to prevent the hero from getting it? – A devastating world war
4. How does it end/wrap up? – She discovers her true powers and destiny