Nothing New
Your idea doesn’t need to be new in order to be successful.
If I asked you to think about the movie Cinderella, what image springs to mind?
- Is it the classic Disney animated version from 1950?
- Perhaps the 1997 Rogers and Hammerstein Cinderella musical is what you thought of.
- I imagine a few of you even thought of the updated “Ever After” version of Cinderella that starred Drew Barrymore in the late 90s.
- And if you’re a contrarian (like me!) you might have gone with a more eclectic version, like the gender-bending Jerry Lewis retelling of the story called “Cinderfella”.
There’s nothing new about Cinderella — it’s been made into a movie more times than any other story.
There’s no arguing that some of those Cinderella movies are going to be better than others, but this fact doesn’t make the story less enjoyable or the characters less-compelling to our senses. I’d hazard a guess that some of you even prefer movies based on the Cinderella story and can’t wait for the next one to premiere!
And while there have been many movies based on the fable of the humble girl turned pursued princess, it doesn’t compare to all the ballets, operas, animation, television shows, and novels that have been based on that core story.
Have you dismissed an idea you had because there was nothing new about it?
It’s easy to find inspiration in old ideas.
Dust off that old concept and see if there is something in the basic formula that can be adapted or applied in a new manner. The core idea can remain as-is, just think of a fresh angle that you can apply to the concept. When you find the right re-mix it will feel like magic and be Bippity-Boppity-Brilliant!
