A common error made by film makers is to make a movie based in reality but with fantasy elements. Let me explain.

You set your movie here in the really real world (Tell me where I got that expression and I will be quite impressed) but you ask the audience to suspend disbelief with some of the things that take place in your movie.

Let’s look at how it is done the right way. In The Matrix they drew a clear line between the real world and the fantasy world. In the real world you were bound by the laws of physics. In the fantasy world you were limited by only your imagination.

In the real work the machines of course whooped our butts and continue to whoop our butts. However when you get into the fantasy land that is the Matrix you can beat the machine as a machine is limited by programming and a the human mind can unlearn programming and make it up as it goes along.

Now my production partner, also our writer, called me the other night with an idea for a movie. I am not going to give much away. His idea led us along the border of fantasy and reality to a certain extent. I think I may have come up with an idea that will help him in writing the script to help suspend disbelief and get the audience into the story.

How many movies have you seen that open with text giving you a brief back story or explanation for what you are about to see. Think about the opening of every Star Wars movie. Now you do not need your text opening to be that drawn out but it gives you and idea of what I am talking about.

It is often the simplest things that give you the most impact and help you set up your story. Laying the right ground work for your movie is essential in getting your audience to follow you down the rabbit hole.