✍️Screenwriting I Unit 1 – Introduction to Screenwriting

Key Concepts and Terminology

• Screenplay a written work that forms the basis for a film or television show, includes dialogue, scene descriptions, and character actions
• Treatment a brief summary of a story's main points, characters, and plot, used to pitch an idea before writing a full screenplay
• Logline a concise, one-sentence description of a screenplay's central conflict and main character, hooks the reader's interest
• Protagonist the main character of a story whose journey and goals drive the narrative forward (Luke Skywalker in Star Wars)
  • Often undergoes significant change or growth throughout the story
  • Faces obstacles and conflicts that challenge their beliefs and abilities
• Antagonist the primary character or force that opposes the protagonist and creates conflict (Darth Vader in Star Wars)
  • Can be a person, group, or abstract concept (society, nature, inner demons)
• Three-act structure a common narrative framework dividing a story into setup, confrontation, and resolution
• Inciting incident the event that disrupts the protagonist's status quo and sets the story in motion (Harry Potter receiving his Hogwarts letter)
• Climax the story's turning point where the protagonist faces the ultimate challenge or makes a crucial decision (Neo's final battle with Agent Smith in The Matrix)

Story Structure Basics

• Three-act structure divides a screenplay into setup (Act 1), confrontation (Act 2), and resolution (Act 3)
  • Act 1 introduces characters, setting, and inciting incident
  • Act 2 escalates conflict and challenges the protagonist
  • Act 3 features the climax and resolves the central conflict
• Five key plot points anchor the story and propel it forward
  1. Inciting incident (end of Act 1)
  2. First plot point (beginning of Act 2)
  3. Midpoint (middle of Act 2)
  4. Second plot point (end of Act 2)
  5. Climax (end of Act 3)
• Character arcs trace the protagonist's internal journey and transformation
  • Positive arc protagonist overcomes flaws and becomes a better person (Rick in Casablanca)
  • Negative arc protagonist's flaws lead to their downfall (Michael Corleone in The Godfather)
• Theme the central message or insight about life that the story explores
  • Emerges from the protagonist's journey and the story's events
  • Should be subtly woven into the narrative, not stated outright
• Subplots secondary storylines that intersect with and support the main plot (the romance between Han Solo and Princess Leia in Star Wars)

Character Development

• Backstory a character's history and experiences before the story begins, shapes their personality, motivations, and behavior
• Goal what a character wants to achieve or obtain, drives their actions throughout the story
  • Protagonist's goal should be clear, specific, and emotionally compelling
  • Antagonist's goal should directly oppose the protagonist's
• Motivation the reason behind a character's goal, rooted in their backstory and psychology
• Stakes the consequences of a character failing to achieve their goal, raises tension and audience investment
• Character arc the internal journey a character undergoes, how they change and grow as a result of the story's events
  • Should be closely tied to the story's theme and central conflict
• Flaws a character's weaknesses, blind spots, or negative traits that create obstacles and room for growth (Rick's cynicism and self-interest in Casablanca)
• Contradictions aspects of a character's personality that seem to conflict, adding depth and realism (the Terminator's ruthlessness and growing empathy in Terminator 2)
• Character relationships how characters interact and influence each other, reveals personality traits and creates conflict or alliance

Dialogue Essentials

• Subtext the underlying meaning or emotion beneath the surface of a character's words
  • Conveys a character's true thoughts, feelings, or intentions
  • Creates tension and depth in conversations
• Exposition information about characters, setting, or backstory conveyed through dialogue
  • Should be woven naturally into conversations, not delivered in long monologues
  • Use "show, don't tell" reveal information through character actions and interactions
• Voice how a character's personality, background, and emotional state are reflected in their speech patterns and word choice
  • Varies sentence structure, vocabulary, and rhythm to create distinct voices
  • Ensures dialogue sounds natural and authentic to each character
• Conflict dialogue that creates or escalates tension between characters
  • Arises from differing goals, values, or personalities
  • Reveals character motivations and pushes the story forward
• Subtext techniques ways to convey subtext through dialogue
  • Sarcasm using irony to express the opposite of what is said
  • Evasion answering a question with another question or changing the subject
  • Silence a character's lack of response or abrupt departure speaks volumes
• Dialogue tags words that identify the speaker and describe how they speak ("he said," "she whispered")
  • Use sparingly and vary word choice to avoid repetition
  • Omit when the speaker is clear from context or action
• Dialogue formatting conventions for presenting dialogue in a screenplay
  • Character name appears in all caps centered above their dialogue
  • Parentheticals describe a character's tone or action in (parentheses) next to their name
  • Dialogue appears below the character name with left alignment

Scene Writing Techniques

• Scene heading (slugline) information at the start of a scene indicating location, time, and whether it is interior or exterior (EXT. CENTRAL PARK - DAY)
• Action (description) brief, vivid descriptions of what is happening in a scene
  • Uses present tense and active voice
  • Focuses on what can be seen or heard on screen
  • Avoids unfilmable elements like character thoughts or backstory
• Transitions words or phrases that indicate how one scene flows into the next (CUT TO:, DISSOLVE TO:, MATCH CUT:)
• Pacing the speed and rhythm at which a scene unfolds
  • Varies sentence length and structure to control tempo
  • Uses white space and scene length to create a sense of urgency or leisure
• Show, don't tell conveying information through character actions, dialogue, and visuals rather than direct exposition
  • Trusts the audience to infer meaning and emotion
  • Creates a more engaging and immersive experience
• Visual storytelling using images and actions to convey story, character, and theme
  • Incorporates symbolic or metaphorical elements (the spinning top in Inception)
  • Uses mise-en-scène (composition, lighting, costuming) to create meaning
• Scene purpose ensuring each scene advances the plot, reveals character, or explores theme
  • Avoids unnecessary or redundant scenes
  • Ends scenes on a high note, creating anticipation for what comes next
• Setups and payoffs introducing story elements that gain significance later in the narrative
  • Plants clues, motifs, or foreshadowing in early scenes
  • Provides satisfying resolution or plot twists in later scenes

Formatting and Industry Standards

• Font and margins standard screenplay format uses 12-point Courier font and 1-inch margins on all sides
• Page length one page of a screenplay equals approximately one minute of screen time
  • Feature films typically range from 90-120 pages
  • TV scripts vary by genre and network (30 pages for a sitcom, 60 pages for an hour-long drama)
• Scene headings (sluglines) identify the location and time of a scene
  • Begin with INT. (interior) or EXT. (exterior)
  • Include the specific location and time of day (DAY or NIGHT)
  • Appear in all caps (INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY)
• Character introductions when a character first appears, their name appears in all caps followed by their age and brief description (SARAH (30s), a no-nonsense lawyer)
• Dialogue format character names appear in all caps centered above their dialogue
  • Parentheticals indicate tone or action in (parentheses) next to the character name
  • Dialogue appears in sentence case below the character name, left-aligned
• Transitions indicate how one scene flows into the next
  • Appear in all caps and are right-aligned (CUT TO:, DISSOLVE TO:)
  • Used sparingly to maintain visual flow and pacing
• Shot descriptions technical instructions for camera angles, movements, or framing
  • Used sparingly, as directors and cinematographers typically determine shots
  • Appear in all caps and are left-aligned (CLOSE ON:, PAN TO:)
• Proper terminology using industry-standard terms and abbreviations
  • POV (point of view), O.S. (off-screen), V.O. (voice-over)
  • b.g. (background), f.g. (foreground)

Analyzing Successful Screenplays

• Reading widely exposing yourself to a variety of genres, styles, and eras of screenwriting
  • Identifies common techniques and conventions
  • Sparks inspiration and ideas for your own writing
• Breaking down structure examining how a screenplay's plot, characters, and themes are developed and revealed over the course of the narrative
  • Identifies key plot points and how they are set up and paid off
  • Traces character arcs and how they intersect with the main storyline
• Analyzing dialogue examining how characters' speech patterns, word choice, and subtext reveal their personalities, relationships, and motivations
  • Identifies techniques for creating distinct voices and conveying subtext
  • Explores how dialogue advances plot, reveals character, and creates conflict
• Examining visual storytelling looking at how a screenplay uses images, actions, and mise-en-scène to convey meaning and emotion
  • Identifies symbolic or metaphorical elements and how they relate to theme
  • Explores how description and action are used to create tone and atmosphere
• Identifying theme and message considering what central insight or argument a screenplay is making about its subject matter
  • Examines how theme emerges from character actions and story events
  • Explores how theme is developed and refined over the course of the narrative
• Comparing and contrasting looking at how different screenplays approach similar genres, themes, or story structures
  • Identifies unique or innovative techniques and how they impact the viewer's experience
  • Considers how context (historical, cultural, industrial) shapes a screenplay's content and style
• Applying lessons to your own writing reflecting on what you've learned from your analysis and how you can incorporate those techniques or insights into your own screenplays
  • Experiment with new approaches to structure, character, or dialogue
  • Adapt successful techniques to suit your own voice and vision

Practical Exercises and Assignments

• Freewriting setting a timer and writing continuously without stopping to edit or censor yourself
  • Helps overcome writer's block and generate new ideas
  • Allows you to explore characters, scenes, or themes without pressure
• Character profiles creating detailed descriptions of your characters' backstories, personalities, goals, and motivations
  • Helps you develop consistent and compelling character arcs
  • Provides a foundation for writing authentic dialogue and actions
• Scene rewrites taking a scene from an existing screenplay and rewriting it in your own style
  • Practices adapting structure, dialogue, and description techniques
  • Explores how changes in approach can affect tone, pacing, and meaning
• Dialogue transcription listening to a conversation from a film or TV show and transcribing it word-for-word
  • Helps develop an ear for natural speech patterns and rhythms
  • Identifies techniques for conveying subtext and creating distinct voices
• Storyboarding sketching out the key visual moments of a scene or sequence
  • Practices visual storytelling and shot composition
  • Helps plan pacing and transitions between scenes
• Logline and treatment writing condensing your story idea into a concise logline and expanded treatment
  • Practices distilling your story's core conflict and characters
  • Provides a roadmap for drafting and revising your full screenplay
• Peer feedback and workshopping sharing your writing with classmates or a writing group for constructive criticism and suggestions
  • Helps identify strengths and weaknesses in your writing
  • Provides fresh perspectives and ideas for revision
• Rewriting and polishing taking feedback and your own analysis to revise and refine your screenplay
  • Tightens dialogue, description, and pacing
  • Ensures consistency and clarity of theme, character, and structure