EMBARKING ON YOUR FIRST DRAFTADVENTURES IN SCREENWRITING

HOW TO WRITE

WHAT TO WRITE

SCREENWRITING TECHNIQUESHOW, DON’T TELL

SHOW, DON’T TELL

All good screenplays are written in an active voice.

Strong action verbs.

Immediate sentence structure.

Lively conveyance of story.

Makes you feel like you’re in the story, watching it unfold.

SHOW, DON’T TELL

Katniss was disappointed and upset that her little sister Prim had been selected to be a competitor in the Hunger Games. She would most certainly face death, being so young. Indignant, Katniss walked out among the crowd, raised her hand and volunteered herself in her sister’s place.

PASSIVE VOICE

SHOW, DON’T TELL

Katniss was disappointed and upset that her little sister Prim had been selected to be a competitor in the Hunger Games. She would most certainly face death, being so young. Indignant, Katniss walked out among the crowd, raised her hand and volunteered herself in her sister’s place.

GIST OF THE SCENE:

- Katniss’ is disappointed and upset

- This disappointment turns into indignance

- Katniss volunteers for the Hunger Games

SHOW, DON’T TELL

Tears forming in her eyes, Katniss steps forward, ignoring the guards’ protests and screams out, “I volunteer myself as tribute”.

ACTIVE VOICE

SHOW, DON’T TELL

Tears forming in her eyes, Katniss steps forward, ignoring the guards’ protests and screams out, “I volunteer myself as tribute”.

DISAPPOINTED&

UPSET

INDIGNANCE

VOLUNTEERS

SHOW, DON’T TELL

SCREENPLAY FORMATWHY WRITE IN THIS WAY?

SCREENPLAY FORMAT

This is what a script looks like ...

SCREENPLAY FORMAT

Why do we need a special format for scripts?

The ultimate goal is to make the script easy to read.

The script is the blueprint for production - every department head is expected to look at it and make sense of it to do their job.

The format has been designed such that the flow is uninterrupted by extraneous details on the page.

SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGYDECODING THE SCRIPT

SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY

SLUG LINE or

SCENE HEADING

•INT / EXT. LOCATION - TIME•ALL IN UPPERCASE

SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY

DESCRIPTION

•DESCRIBES WHAT CAN BE SEEN•SHOW, DON’T TELL

SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY

Description is always written in third person, present tense

“Katniss stands among the crowd, looking confidently to the stage as the tributes are being selected.”

“Gravely, Katniss steps forward with purpose and conviction, ignoring the stunned guards.”

“Prim screams in protest as she’s carried away from the square on Gale’s shoulder.”

SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY

Katniss stands among the crowd, looking confidently to the stage as the tributes are being selected.

SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY

Gravely, Katniss steps forward with purpose and conviction, ignoring the stunned guards.

SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY

Prim screams in protest as she’s carried away from the square on Gale’s shoulder.

SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY

CHARACTER

•FIRST APPEARANCE IS IN UPPERCASE•ALL OTHER APPEARANCES IN NORMAL FORMATTING

SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY

DIALOGUE

•WHAT THE CHARACTER SAYS ON SCREEN•NAME OF CHARACTER MUST BE IN UPPERCASE

SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY

PARENTHESES

•TO GIVE SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF MOVEMENT, GESTURE OR METHOD OF DELIVERY

SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY

TRANSITION

•TO DESCRIBE HOW A SCENE CHANGES FROM ONE TO THE NEXT•CAN BE A “CUT TO”, “FLASH TO”, “DISSOLVE TO”, “FADE OUT”, ETC.

SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGYSLUGLINE /

SCENE HEADING

SCENE DESCRIPTION

DIALOGUEPARENTHESES

TRANSITION

SCREENWRITING SOFTWARE

Final Draft

Movie Magic Screenwriter

Celtx - FREE! (www.celtx.com)

SCREENPLAY STRUCTURELAY IT OUT TO PLAY IT OUT

SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE

Story is NOT Plot

Plot is the arrangement of incidents

Screenplay structure is how these incidents are arranged

SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE

ACT ONE

INTRODUCTION.

A goal-oriented protagonist is introduced at a point of crisis meeting roadblocks produced by the plot and the antagonist

SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE

ACT TWO

CONFRONTATION.

The action intensifies and an event happens that forces the character to make a choice.

SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE

ACT THREE

RESOLUTION.

The level of effort rises to new heights and both plot and character are resolved. The main character either achieves or does not achieve his goal.

SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE

I. We are introduced to Katniss Everdeen and the concept of the Hunger Games. Her little sister Prim gets selected and to save her, she volunteers to go in her stead.

II. Katniss trains and plots to get out of the Hunger Games but only starts to really fight back against the state when she witnesses Rue’s death - a girl who reminds her of her sister.

III.Katniss overcomes the odds and defies the state by not only winning but also saving her partner Peeta.

WRITING FOR AN AUDIENCEWHAT DO WE WRITE?

CONFLICT

Conflict is the central feature of the screenplay.

Man vs Man

Man vs Self

Man vs Environment

People watch a film or TV show to see CONFLICT.

CONFLICT

Conflict is the opposition of persons or forces.

It is the interaction of opposing ideas, interests or wills.

It creates the plot.

As your characters attempt to reach their goals, they come into conflict with each other.

The end of the story nears when the protagonist and antagonist approach their goals and the conflict rises to generate maximum suspense and excitement.

WRITING CONFLICT

Setting: Primary School

Characters: Two primary six students, best friends

WRITE:

Three short paragraphs outlining the plot for your story, keeping in mind 3-act structure (Introduction / Confrontation / Resolution).

One key scene - in screenplay format - where the characters come into conflict with each other.

WRITING CONFLICT

AUTOGRAPH BOOK (2003)Dir: Wee Li Lin

AUTOGRAPH BOOKI. We are introduced to Su Min and Tessa, two friends on the cusp of

leaving Primary School. Su Min mistakenly thinks Tessa has let someone else sign the first page of her autograph book and begins a cold war with her.

II. Su Min’s relationship with Tessa is strained even more when she thinks Tessa has reported her vandalism to the teacher. Armed with a marker, Su Min chances upon a sleeping Tessa and her autograph book in the library.

III.Su Min chooses to NOT deface Tessa’s autograph book but instead, covers her with her cardigan, showing contrition and maturity - she’s changed.

SCREENWRITING ADVICEAND THEN YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN (MOSTLY).

ON SCRIPTS ...

• What is the main conflict?

• Is the story visual?

• Does the story begin late and end early?

• Is the script roughly 75% action and 25% dialogue?

• Can the main character’s goals be harder to reach?

• What is the single most powerful emotion the story leaves with the audience?

ON WRITING ...

• If you have a work in progress, never stop for the night. Sleeping on problems is a myth. Solve it and then go to sleep.

• If you can’t get started, write anyway. It doesn’t matter what you write, you’ll soon begin to think and move in your own rhythm and pace

• Procrastination is your biggest enemy. Just start - there’s never a good time.

leslietan@np.edu.sg