TED Talk (Part 7): J.J. Abrams

In 2007, J.J. Abrams (Alias, Lost, Super 8) gave a TED Talk. I’m sure many of you have seen it. However, like many great presentations, much of what could be valuable as a writer drifts away into the ether. So for two weeks, I will be posting the entire transcript of Abrams’ ‘mystery box’ TED Talk.

Part 7: Picks up where Abrams has discussed the importance of “investing in character”.

When you look at a movie like Jaws…

The thing about Jaws is it’s about a guy who’s dealing with his place in the world, about his masculinity, his family, how he’s going to make it work in this new town.

This is one of my favorite scenes ever…

This is a scene you wouldn’t necessarily think of when you think of Jaws, but it’s an amazing scene.

C’mon. “Why?” “Because I need it.” Best scene ever.

That’s an example of scenes that are about investment in character that are really inside the box. That’s why when people do sequels or rip off genre movies, they’re ripping off the wrong thing. You’re not supposed to rip off the shark or the monster, if you’re going to rip something off, rip off the character, rip off the stuff that matters. Look inside yourself and see what is inside you because ultimately the mystery box is all of us.

How about this for takeaway:

• Inside the box: It’s tempting to think what’s inside the box as being the solution to the mystery. What Abrams seems to be suggesting here is yes… and no. At some point, you do get to see the shark in Jaws, you do get to see the shark get blown to holy Hell. So that would be a yes. But at some level — remember the Internal World, the domain of the emotional and psychological journey of the characters — the story has another meaning: In blowing up the shark, Brody overcomes the physicalization of his deepest fears [being ‘devoured’ by failure], thus succeeding as a cop, a husband, and a father. If that layer of meaning isn’t playing out within the mystery box, then the explosion is pretty much nothing more than senseless bombast. A good lesson for all of our stories.

For Part 1 of Abrams’ TED Talk, go here.

For Part 2, go here.

For Part 3, go here.

For Part 4, go here.

For Part 5, go here.

For Part 6, go here.

To watch the entire video, go here.