Screenplay

 

 

 

Screenplay is the literary blue print for a film. It is a form of dramatic literature used as an instruction manual for the production of a film. Screenwriting for Narrative and Screenwriting for Non - Narrative's are there.

 

Character Driven Screenplays

 

All action or plot is very real and it flows logically from character needs and desires. The focus is on One character or Multiple character. The entire film motivated by character. Introducing a character and tells what happens to the character. The character will create events. The character grows, character changes from the beginning and at the end. The entire film based upon his / her actions, reactions, emotions etc.  Example :- Titanic

 

Plot Driven Screenplays

 

Plot driven screenplays are more plot oriented and they focused on progression of events with the characters being their to give us some understanding of the scenes played out for us. Concentration of the story based on the events. Character will not change from the beginning to the end. Lot of death will be there. Mostly action films will be plot driven screenplay.  Example :- 2012

 

Three Basic Components of Characters

 

Professional Life

Personal Life

Private Life

 

Two Ways to Approach / Create a Story

 

- Get an " IDEA " create characters, plots, to make it a story.

- Create a " CHARACTER " and let a story emerge out of the character's action.

 

Basics - Screenwriter Job

 

To Create . . .

                        Compelling Characters

                        Engaging Conflicts

                        Convincing Conclusions

 

Tools - Story of Screenplay

 

Description of Time and Space

Action

Dialogues

Narrative Techniques

Visual and Aural Transition & Effects

 

Premise Format

 

Premise

Character

Character Attribute

Conflict

Conclusion

 

Character Attributes

 

Dramatic Need

Point of View

Attitude

Change

 

Dramatic Need

 

Where the character goes and what it is going to achieve. The source of drama is a conflict exposed dialogues.

 

Point of View

 

Point of view is defined as the way a person sees or views the world and that is based on his / her own life experiences. It may be expressed through dialogues or not through dialogues.

 

Example :-

 

                  - Belief in God

                  - Not believing God

                  - Doesn't Know

 

Attitude

 

Attitude is about a manner or opinion. Characters may be conservative, liberal, superior, inferior, optimistic, pessimistic, opportunistic etc. 

 

Change

 

Every good character in a character driven screenplay undergoes a change even though it is not necessary.

 

 

Approximate Structure [ 2 Hours Film ]

 

- One page of a visual screenplay runs 1 minute

- 120 Pages of a visual screenplay runs 2 hours

 

ACT 1 - Beginning - 20 to 30 minutes

ACT 2 - Middle - 60 minutes

ACT 3 - End - 30 minutes

 

 

 

                       1st Half Act 2             2nd Half Act 2

                --------------------------------------------------------------------

                |          30 Pages         |         30 Pages         |

 

        Plot Point 1   Pinch 1   Mid Point    Pinch 2   Plot Point 2

|========|========|========|========|========|========|==Denouement

|                |                                 |                                |                |

|                |-----------------------------    |     ---------------------------|                |

ACT 1                                      ACT 2                                        ACT 3

Beginning                               Middle                                       End

30 Minutes                               60 Minutes                                 30 Minutes

30 Pages                                  60 Pages                                   30 Pages

 

 

 

ACT 1

Establishing - Beginning

Should start within 20 or 30 minutes after the film starts.

 

1st 10 Pages - Establish main character, dramatic premise, dramatic situation.

2nd 10 Pages - Follow focus on the main character.

3rd 10 Pages - Set up two or three scenes that takes to plot point 1.

 

ACT 2

Conflict - Middle

Story ends, climax conclusion begins, that takes to plot point 2.

Full of conflicts, Sub dramatic context for 1st and 2nd half of Act 2.

 

ACT 3

Resolution - End

Just like Act 1 or removing the plot.

 

Plot Point

 

Plot point will be the catalyst to begin the story. Before that it establishes the story.

 

Plot Point 1 - This is the point where beginning Act 1 ends and middle Act 2 starts. The screenplay starts here.

 

Plot Point 2 - This is the point where the story ACT 2 ends and climax, conclusion Act 3 for the story begins.

 

Mid Point - Chain in the dramatic action connects the first half and second half.

 

Pinch - Pinch is a scene or a sequence that keeps the action moving forward to the mid-point or plot point 2. Pinch should be interesting or major events. It should accelerate the story.

 

 

 

Notes

 

 

Back Story

 

Back story is an event that might have happened just before the starting of the film or somewhere in the past life of a character, that will contribute to the drama or act as the justification for the way a character acts for a particular situation.

 

Buttons

 

Buttons are like little  denouement where writer chooses to end the scene with a question or an anticipation that arouses the curiosity that the reader or audience. 

 

Circle of Being

 

It is the event in the character's life that parallels the storyline that usually had occurred at a very young age around 8 to 16 years age of the character.

It could be

 

- Death of a relative

- Physical sexual abuse

 

Denouement

 

It is post climax. It is the final resolution of a main complication of a literary work or a drama or screenplay. It is the actual resolution of the story that finishes of the story perfectly and satisfyingly.

 

Parenthesis / Parenthetical

 

A message or an instruction that deviates from the actual subject to explain and extra information is called parenthesis / parenthetical.

 

Point of Attack

 

Where you begin a given scene is called point of attack.

 

Set Up & Pay Off

 

Set up's and pay off's are narrative devices commonly used in screenplays. A set up introduces a bit of action or activity or idea in the earlier part of the screenplay that will become significant later on and lead to a pay off.

 

Sub Dramatic Context

 

1st half motivation in the middle and 2nd half motivation in the middle is called sub dramatic context.

 

Treatment

 

The treatment is usually a document that extends from 20 to 30 pages for a 2 hours film. It explains what happens in each scene in a paragraph with a heading.

 

Voice Over

 

Voice over is the voice of unseen commentator or a character who is not necessarily present in the scene or if he is present there in the scene it will convey a different message that he is not mouthing.

 

 

Slug Line

A slug line is unique to the screenplay and states numerous things about a scene. Often called a Master Scene Heading, it occurs at the start of every scene, and is usually made up of three parts.

Part one

Part one states if the scene is set inside (interior) or outside (exterior). The abbreviations INT. and EXT. are used. A period always follows each abbreviation.

Sometimes the action may move from interior to exterior several times within a scene. In the interest of brevity, the writer may choose to use INT./EXT. or EXT./INT.

Part two

Part two states the location of the scene, such as JERRY'S APARTMENT, PRIDE ROCK or BATHROOM. If the location needs to be more specific, then a space hyphen space can occur, followed by the more specific place. For example: SARAH'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN. Finally another space hyphen space separates part two from part three.

Part three

Part three refers to the time of the scene. Day or Night are normally used, but Dusk, Dawn, Late Night, Early Morning and others can be used if necessary. For example, if a particular scene requires a sunrise, Dawn can be used.

If a character starts inside, and then walks outside during a scene, a new slug line will be needed, but in this slug line, 'Continuous' will be written instead.

'Later' can be used to indicate the passage of time.

Examples

Here are some examples of slug lines, and shows how all the parts fit together.

INT. JERRY'S APARTMENT - DAY
EXT. PARK - NIGHT
INT. SARAH'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - NIGHT
EXT. BEACH - DAWN
INT./EXT. TOOL SHED - DAY

Variations

Variations do occur to this. One slug line used in the pilot for Arrested Development reads

HEADSHOT

of Tobias in newspaper.

The slug line in this instance is merely HEADSHOT, which leads into the action line (which is the 'of Tobias in newspaper' part). These variations are used only when they are needed, such as when photos are shown, and sometimes when computer or television screens are shown.

Another variation occurs when a scene takes place in an unusual location. For example, 'Space' can be used in place of the time of day if the scene doesn't take place on a planet:

EXT. FEDERATION BATTLESHIP - HANGAR BAY - SPACE

Secondary Headings

These offshoots of slug lines allow the writer to shift the action without the waste of space of a full heading. The master scene heading can give the general location:

INT. CONOR'S HOUSE - DAY

Then a secondary heading can be used to indicate that the action is moving to a new location within the house, such as

JIM'S BEDROOM

or

KITCHEN

Scene numbering

Each slug line begins a new scene. In a shooting script, the slug lines are numbered consecutively. These scene numbers serve as mile-post markers in a script. This allows any part of the script to be referred to by scene number. Do not confuse these scenes with shooting sequences.

Accepted Practices

Formatting variations are generally accepted as long as the intent is clear, but a few rules do exist:

Any change of time or location requires a new slug line.
All slug lines are on their own lines, flush with the left margin, and typed in all capital letters.
Master scene heading can not be the last item on a page. It must be followed by at least one line of description or dialogue.
The writer may double or triple space before the slug line, but should always double space afterward.

 

Breaking down the script

The process of breaking down the script occurs after the producer reads through the screenplay once. Then he or she goes back and marks certain elements that need to be taken care of before production, or even before pre-production can begin.

 

Marking 1/8's

Each scene, as per slug line, is measured into 1/8's of a page by its number of inches. Most pages of a screenplay are eight inches, so each inch is an 1/8, even if a page exceeds eight inches. The number of 1/8's is then marked in the top left corner of the scene, and circled. If a scene lasts longer than eight 1/8's, it is converted to 1. So, a scene lasting twelve 1/8's is marked 1 4/8.

 

Marking elements

To ease future production, an assistant director marks the elements found in each scene. This process repeats for each new scene. By the end, the producer will be able to see which scenes need which elements, and can begin to schedule accordingly. The film industry has a standard for color coding:

 

Element color codes

 

Element	Shape or  Colour	Description
Cast	Red	Actor
Extra  (Atmosphere)	Green	Extra
Extra (Silent Bits)	Yellow	Extra performs  without lines.
Stunts	Orange	Stunt,  Stunt co-ordinator
Special Effects	Blue	Special effects  required
Props	Purple	Objects
Vehicles / Animals	Pink	Vehicles, Animals
Sound Effects / Music	Brown	Sounds or music  requiring on set
Wardrobe	Circle	Costumes
Make up / Hair	Asterisk	Make-up, Hair, Scars,  Blood
Special Equipment	Box	Uncommon  equipment, Crane,  Underwater Camera
Production Notes	Underline	Questions about  how a  scene will go

 

 

More Notes

 

 

Defective Premise

Dialogue

Fade In

Fade Out

Monologue

Multiple Plot Points

Multiple Premise

Pitching Premise

Scene Description

Scene Visualization

Screen Story

 

 

 

 

 

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