How A Writer Can Turn An Ordinary Idea Into A Great One - Corey Mandell

Corey Mandell is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter who has written projects for Ridley Scott, Wolfgang Petersen, Harrison Ford, John Travolta, Warner Brothers, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Fox 2000, Fox Family, Working Title, Paramount, Live Planet, Beacon Films, Touchstone, Trilogy, Radiant and Walt Disney Pictures.

Corey teaches screenwriting via private online classes using video conferencing to allow participants to see and hear each other in real time. His highly popular classes draw students from across the US, Europe and Australia.

His students have gone on to sell or option scripts to Warner Brothers, Paramount, Sony Pictures, Disney, Fox, Fox 2000, MGM, Universal, USA Network and Lifetime. Others have gained admission to the USC Graduate Screenwriting Program, the AFI Conservatory Screenwriting Program and Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab.

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[departmentofdreams]

His Shakespeare analogy is pushing it. People know about theater for thousands of years dating back to ancient Athens.

[AnnaMaledonPictureBookAuthor]

I don't write screenplays or novels, but this was very interesting. Loved it. Take some problem or struggle most can relate to but make it extreme. One movie that comes to mind is Pursuit of Happyness with Will Smith as the guy who struggles with money and his marriage. His marriage collapses, he has no money, he is homeless, goes to jail for parking tickets and has a little son as well.

[inder]

Simple ideas often have the most profound impact. Loved this

[jayingram]

I've been a successful writer for fifty years and this is the best thing I've ever heard. Thank you.

[abstraktfilms]

Been stuck writing a pilot for a psych-thriller for a very long time now- definitely something you could call high concept. Listening to this gave me a spark that drove me to course-correct in just ten minutes. I'm not abandoning the "high concept" aspects but rather finding ways to make the more ordinary parts of the characters more heightened yet relatable and using the bigger plot as a vehicle to have the character continue pursuing her more personal journey. Seems like such an obvious choice to make now that I'm looking at it that way, but sometimes the simplest advice is gold. Thanks!

[MaxwellWurme]

“The way Shakespeare did it.” What an opening line!

[kermitfrog]

Well said. Most of us have not sold crystal meth like Walter White but probably fantasized about it (or worse). I guess the key to extra-ordinary writing is recording the fantasies we have when in the throes of a real life circumstance.

[palootto]

Thank you sir for emphasizing the Courage in Film Courage, which is what we need to get off the launching pad. Thank you for the very good questions and for the inspiring responses.

[kermitfrog]

I got stuck writing a high concept story. Finished a detailed outline, which took some time and I really worked at it. But when it came down to writing actual scenes, giving voice to my characters, I realized i just didn't know these people, or their world, in any intimate detail. I'm writing something much more simple and relatable now.

[jimcoyle]

This Mandell guy has a great way of explaining things. I'm a teacher and I can recognize he is a good teacher. I don't know whether or not he is an authority or accurate on Shakespeare and his audience, and frankly I don't really care. What I do care about is how he uses that reference and his writing technique and how it relates to modern day shows, a couple of which I am familiar with. I never had the concept of heightened drama explained and how it relates to building a premise of a show that becomes a hit. That's insider information that just became available. To me. Thanks!

[brothermichael]

What a brilliant idea! Take the ordinary and heighten it to get the extraordinary. Genius!

[chris]

Five minutes in, and this guy has *already* helped me with my screenplay. Thank you!

[electricdreamer]

Trick is telling extraordinary stories of ordinary people. And "ordinary" is a trick to get you to relate to the character. But it doesn't have to be ordinary. Just something that the audience can understand.

[RyaninD]

He took 12 minutes to say "take a relatable aspect/trait of a character and exxagerate it." Simple. It's one of the oldest techniques. Your protagonist is stubborn? Make him really stubborn to the point it negatively affects his relationships, but also protects him from harm. Etc etc

[ronreidjr]

Thank you Karen and team. Corey Mandell hits another home run with his analogies from Shakespeare to Tina Fey to THE BEAR to BREAKING BAD. I hope I will use this to impact my writing and pitches this week and next.

[cindermountain]

Here’s some advice: “Brevity is the soul of wit.”

[StayFractalesque]

You and your guests give me courage.. ..to express myself, take risks, push my self imposed boundaries out (at least a little further away) ..youre a saint for using your connections in the industry and bring them in front of those who care enough to search it out of the noise and grifters.. ..i think yall a selfless channel, both giving voice to those others wont, and bringing those voices to those without the same access.. ..i dunno, i just really appreciate every video, i have new thoughts every time, and new tools for self actualization.. thank you..

[colinsims]

I’m not sure why, but this guy is absurdly engaging. So basically, tell your story the way this guy talks.

[starwing]

I've been struggling lately to understand writing characters. It's easy to get swept in the fantasy aspects and sci-fi aspects, that take me away from the character journey.
This has been very enlightening!!!! I get it now!!!

[Maazzzo]

Corey was very interesting! Please bring him back for more.