Most people familiar with the word "MacGuffin" usually find the best way to define it is through movie examples. They'll tell you it's the unknown contents of the briefcase in Pulp Fiction (1994). Or the letters of transit in Casablanca (1942). Or the "government secrets" in North by Northwest (1959).
According to screenwriter David Mamet a "MacGuffin is that thing which the hero is chasing. The secret documents...the seal of the republic of blah-blas-blah...the delivery of the secret message... We, the audience, never really know what it is."
Of course, Alfred Hitchcock is the most famous for his use of the MacGuffin. His definition compares it to a mythical 'apparatus for trapping lions in the Scottish Highlands'. Which means it could be anything (or nothing) at all--especially when you think about the fact that lions don't normally roam around in Scotland.
So... are we employing this technique in our latest feature film project? Maybe... But we're not telling. We might have to make you sign a non-disclosure agreement!
However, as you sit down and watch some movies over the Christmas holiday, why not see if you can spot some MacGuffins... (And please note, you're not necessarily looking for lions!)
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