The MacGuffin
We've been working out plot details, trying to get a script out on paper, and there has been a lot of discussion about the focus of the piece and the style of action movies.
Today I was doing my usual reading of the tech and design blog Signal vs. Noise from 37 Signals (also the developers on Backpack, which we use for internal communication at NWA). I found this very interesting little piece that talks about how several film makers go about the same process - with the concept of the MacGuffin - the object everyone is after that drives the action.
Keep it simple - and even vague - but always important. Let the audience fill in the details. I like it.