I think most scriptwriters are familiar with the principle of Chekhov's gun. In case some are not, here it is in a nutshell
"Chekhov’s gun is a dramatic principle that suggests that details within a story or play will contribute to the overall narrative. This encourages writers to not make false promises in their narrative by including extemporaneous details that will not ultimately pay off by the last act, chapter, or conclusion."
Over the years, audiences have grown more sophisticated, and while this technique has always been effective, I think it's become far more transparent. Every time I see a close up shot of a screwdriver laying on a counter, I already know that someone is getting stabbed with that screwdriver later in the film. I wonder how writers in the future can learn to riff on the classic technique to remove the predictability that this rule creates.
It seems like a somewhat difficult problem to solve, simply because of the logistics of film, and because there's an excellent reason for the rule in the first place. Still, I can't escape the feeling that the plot is being telegraphed to the audience, now that the average viewer is experienced enough to understand this screenwriting principle.
I've thought of using it for misdirection, a more subtle red herring, but I'm not convinced that it would be effective. Keep showing closeup shots of thee knife holder in the kitchen during a domestic argument, and then have the roof collapse and kill both people? I'm just trying to think through the possibilities, and how writers could start subverting this core principle of screenwriting in a way that would be surprising and entertaining for audiences.
"Chekhov’s gun is a dramatic principle that suggests that details within a story or play will contribute to the overall narrative. This encourages writers to not make false promises in their narrative by including extemporaneous details that will not ultimately pay off by the last act, chapter, or conclusion."
Over the years, audiences have grown more sophisticated, and while this technique has always been effective, I think it's become far more transparent. Every time I see a close up shot of a screwdriver laying on a counter, I already know that someone is getting stabbed with that screwdriver later in the film. I wonder how writers in the future can learn to riff on the classic technique to remove the predictability that this rule creates.
It seems like a somewhat difficult problem to solve, simply because of the logistics of film, and because there's an excellent reason for the rule in the first place. Still, I can't escape the feeling that the plot is being telegraphed to the audience, now that the average viewer is experienced enough to understand this screenwriting principle.
I've thought of using it for misdirection, a more subtle red herring, but I'm not convinced that it would be effective. Keep showing closeup shots of thee knife holder in the kitchen during a domestic argument, and then have the roof collapse and kill both people? I'm just trying to think through the possibilities, and how writers could start subverting this core principle of screenwriting in a way that would be surprising and entertaining for audiences.
... Essentially its a comedy about an elderly man who runs a vegetable stand in a Calcutta street market who is robbed while sleeping in his chair. His wife arrives to find all their merchandise stolen along with all the money that was stashed under their empty table. Beyond angry, she curses her irresponsible husband as they will not be able to pay their debts to the farmers the next day. He suggests they try to get some money from the bank. As they drive through the busy roads trying desperately to reach the bank before it closes, they run out of gas just a short walk away from their destination (again, thieves have siphoned their gas). The elderly couple, quite defeated at this point, sit in the car, quite resigned and give up all hope. The old man peers out his window and sees a large billboard above a travel agency. It is of two vacationers enjoying drinks by an ocean resort. The poster reads "Paradise Resort, let your troubles melt away" ... The man begins to daydream and tells his wife "That should be us up there!". His wife looks up and scolds him once more "Have you not done enough dreaming already!" The man finally snaps and says "And why not? we have worked like dogs and for what? A small vacation is not much to ask!" Right at that moment, a policeman comes along and demands they move their jalopy as it is blocking traffic. When they tell the cop somebody stole their gas, he demands they go get some petrol .... They grab something from the back seat and walk away from the stalled car towards the bank....Angry drivers honking at them as they walk away .... they enter a dark alley and remove ski masks and a replica gun inside the plastic bag and they are about to enter the bank...before they do the man notices the same poster in a window beside the bank...the old man nods and grabs the bank door handle as they disappear into the bank 
