In 1954, François Truffaut wrote a famous essay for Cahiers du Cinéma titled "A Certain Tendency of the French Cinema." This was the essay that essentially launched the French New Wave. 

In it, he attacked the "Tradition of Quality" which were movies that were well-made, respectable, and heavily reliant on screenwriters adapting classic novels. He called these "scenarists' films." He argued that these writers were just illustrating plots, not creating cinema. 

He believed a true filmmaker (an auteur) should not just adapt a story; they should confess through it. 

• The Philosophy: The film of tomorrow will resemble the person who made it.

• The Test: Is this script personal to you, or is it just a 'quality' illustration of a plot?

The 5-Point Voice Check

Does Your Script Have a Voice? The “Truffaut Test"

1. Does the opening scene happen to a character, or because of a character?

2. Could this story take place in any other city? (If yes, rewrite).

3. Is the main flaw of the protagonist something you personally struggle with?

4. If you removed the dialogue, is the emotional conflict still clear?

5. Are you writing to impress a producer, or to confess something to the audience?