The Power of The First Image

The Power of the First Image
Show Notes
Write Your Screenplay Podcast
Hosted by: Jacob Krueger

In an age where people make instantaneous decisions about the entertainment they consume, do you know what makes a reader, producer, or star swipe left or right on your script? It’s all based on the very first image they read on the page.

“Remember, your first image is the first moment of your audition.”

Your first image is that powerful, which is why choosing the right image to open with is so important. Every person who encounters your script is going to decide how invested they’ll become in your story based on that first image. Even whether your audience chooses to set down the remote or change the channel hinges on the opening scene of your show or movie. Your first image should accomplish three main goals right from the get-go:

It’s something your audience hasn’t seen presented in exactly this way before.
It’s the beginning of your main character’s journey.
It sets the tone and feel you want your audience to experience.

“That first image never goes away...that first image of your script becomes a window through which every other thing that happens is experienced.”

In screenwriting, you have to hook your audience immediately and give them a reason to stick around for the rest of your story. But a powerful first image is much more than a trick to lure in your audience:

It’s a structural building block you can keep coming back to and exploring.
It creates a blueprint informing everything that follows.
It piques your audience’s curiosity, which allows you the time and space to develop your story.

“The way you structure your January as a screenwriter is your opportunity to show yourself that you are a genuine writer. This is your first image, the place you’re starting from, and the way you want to build your life.”

The concept behind using a powerful first image in your script can also bring powerful change to your writing career. How do you see yourself as a writer? If you’d like to start the new year with a new attitude toward yourself and your writing, put the power of the first image to work and begin to see yourself in a new light by:

Setting small, consistent writing goals you know you can achieve.
Noticing how you feel when you meet those goals.
Celebrating your successes!

As you meet and celebrate each goal, you’ll see yourself more and more as a real writer. You’ll find more and more time to write begin building a writing lifestyle you love because, just like a captivated audience, you can’t wait to see what happens next.

If you’d like a full transcript of this podcast or information on our screenwriting classes available in New York City and online as well as any of the other wonderful community events happening at Jacob Krueger Studio, please visit our website at www.writeyourscreenplay.com.