Scriptwriting: The Short Formula to Writing Successful Screenplays

1. Intro: Hi, my name is Zoe. I'm a cinematographer and a Professor of Film. One of the courses I love to teach a script writing. And today we're going to talk about how to get started writing your own screenplays. Have you ever watched the film and notice errors in the plot? Or maybe just seeing a movie that you aren't into at all. Most of the time, this has to do with the script writing. Throughout the short-course, I'll be giving you all you need to know to get started writing your own short screenplay, including how to format it, which software to use, and how to structure your script so that you can make the biggest impact. By the end of this course, you should be able to write your own short screenplay in no time. Let's get started. 2. Formatting: Formatting. Let's start by talking about screenplay format. If you're already familiar with format or you're comfortable with the program like Final Draft, feel free to skip ahead. But we'll be using subfields book screenplay as a guide. There are several technical rules that all screenplays must fall in order to be considered properly format. Here's a list of them all. The reason that screenplays follow this specific format is not just to all look the same for the sake of it. It actually has a lot to do with producing. It's commonly understood in the film industry that a single-page of a screenplay equals about one minute of on-screen time in the final cut of the film. So if a producer gets handed a 120 page script, they can quickly figure out that the film will probably be about two hours long. This will allow them to start making their plans and creating the film's budget based on that number. If a script isn't properly formatted, that timing will be much harder for them to estimate. Okay? Once you have your pages properly formatted, it's time to begin reading, right? Almost. Another part of formatting is ensuring that the text itself follows a certain structure. Let's go through an example so I can show you what I mean. In this example, you'll notice that each line has enough. Line. One is called the slug line or the Scene Heading. This line will specify either the general or specific locale, and it's always capitalised. In this case, the scene is set outside, which is specified by EXT for external. The opposite of this would be INT for internal. The general location of the scene is somewhere in the Arizona desert and the scene is set during the day as opposed to at night. This line tells everyone who's reading the script a lot of important information that will help them visualize the scene. It's also extremely useful for cinematographers and gaffers as knowing that it's an external day seen will help us plan for the type of lighting setup will need. And if we're shooting on film, the type of film stock we should have ready for use. Line two is called the action lines. This is a single-space description of the people, places, and action taking place as you're seeing begins with the action line. It's important to write only the essential details. Descriptions of characters are placed. There should only be a few lines long. And when you start describing the action, you should try to contain those thoughts to four lines or less. Line three is an optional element with the word moving, the writer suggesting a shift in camera focus. When writing, you can choose to include these elements for more details, or you can admit them. Just know that the ultimate choice as to how the scene is shot will fall on the director and the cinematographer. Line for another solid line. It's important to note that whenever we change location in a film, we need to include a solid line. And this is a perfect example. Even though we were just outside the vehicle in lines before, we've now switched our perspective and have gone inside the vehicle. A totally different setup. Sometimes seems like these are actually shot inside the studio with a green screen rather than out in the elements were things like audio and lighting are hard to control. This is something a producer would make note of and schedule into the shoot. Additionally, this line gives us instruction as to who the shot should be focusing on. This potentially suggest to the director to reveal the character so the audience in a certain order. In line five, we see that the name Andy is capitalize. When new characters introduced, their names are always capitalize. This is to help the reader know that this person is entering the script for the first time. And for producers, this helps a lot with scheduling. If they know that they can shoot up to line five without the actor who plays. And then they can save money by only calling that actor to set when necessary. Depending on how long it takes the production to get to this point, they may even save a day's worth of pay. A producer's job is to always think about the bottom line and the financial impact of their choices. A well-formatted script can make their jobs much easier. Blind six, the beginning of our first line of dialogue. When you're formatting dialog, the name of the characters that speaking is always capitalize, and it's always in the center of the page. In line seven, we have a stage direction written in parentheses. These are stage directions for the actor that give them a bit of direction with their dialogue. Now it's best practice to only use these in the script when absolutely necessary for the tone of the scene. As actor should usually be left to interpret their characters for themselves and also to follow the director's vision. Line eight is where the dialogue actually begins. You'll notice that the dialog stays in the middle of the page with a very specific 1.5 inch gap from the left margin. This is again to ensure that the length of the film is easy to estimate because it's also easy to get carried away with something like dialogue. As a general rule in script writing, you should show not tell. Line nine is another example of stage direction. In this case, this is a physical direction that takes the place of a potential line of dialogue. Using a physical rather than a verbal response is encouraged to avoid the entire film just being a bunch of talking heads. In line ten, we see that the word sputters is capitalize. This is true for all sound or music effects, as it helps us sound designers quickly identify where they may need to source a song or record a sound, like stage directions, It's important to note that these are only suggestions. Sometimes an exact sound or song might not be possible to get due to budgetary constraints, but a good sound designer will do their best to get a comparable option. Finally, in line 11, you can optionally choose to indicate the end of the scene. This is not a necessary step, but if it makes you feel that the writing flows better, feel free to add it. You can use phrases like cut to dissolve two or fade out as suggestions for the director and the editor. And that's it. Now you're ready to start typing. So let's go ahead and talk about what software we can use to make our jobs easier. 3. Software: Software. It's important to note that you don't need any type of expensive software to write a screenplay. If you have access to a computer with a basic text editing software like pages or Microsoft Word, you can use what we discussed in the lesson on formatting to get your screenplay formatted perfectly. However, if you do have access to an internet connection or even a few dollars to spend, I'd highly recommend using a screenplay formatting software. One free version that's available online, it's called Celtics. Many of my students use the free version they offer to form either screenplays before they submit their work. However, if you do have around $100 to invest in software, I would highly recommend purchasing a copy of final draft. Final draft is the industry standard screenplay formatting software that will do all of the formatting for you. And at least currently it's not subscription-based. So once you pay for it the first time, you get all the updates free for life. Additionally, if you're a student, they typically offer it to you on a discounted price. In my opinion, final draft is the best option if you're serious about getting started with screenplay writing. 4. Story Structure: Story structure. Now it's time to start writing. But how do we actually make our stories interesting? What elements are necessary to make a screenplay engaging for readers and ultimately viewers? Let's talk about narrative structure. Narrative structure is typically how most screenplays are written and how most movies you've probably seen are structured. There are three main parts of narrative structure. They're pretty basic. The beginning, the middle, and the end. Easy enough, right? But let's break them down a little bit more. In the beginning. The main characters and the main scene, the main location are typically introduced, as well as the conflict that prompts the story to really start, like say an alien invasion or winning the lottery. Okay, that's the beginning. Then there's the middle. This is where the bulk of the film takes place. In this part, the tension in the film is steadily rising as the main character or characters are faced by obstacle after obstacle until they finally reached the climax of the film. Then there's the end or the denouement of the film. This is when the story comes to a conclusion of some sort. It's important to note that the end of the film doesn't necessarily mean the end of the journey for the character. More of a stopping point on our journey for us as an audience. Think about the Harry Potter series for an example. 5. Conflict and Character: Conflict and character. When writing a screenplay, if you forget everything else, there's one really important rule to try and remember. Conflict. To make something dramatically interesting to an audience, there needs to be some level of conflict within every scene. Conflict, no matter how small is what keeps the audience engaged and watching to the next scene. If as you're writing, you find that your script isn't as interesting as you'd expect, try introducing more conflict. It's also important to remember that our stories are driven by our characters or subjects and their own deep wants or desires. Your character desire something strongly enough it will carry through in the writing. Films are generally about a character who wants something but can't have it. And then their subsequent journey to get it punctuated by obstacles they encounter along the way. It's really the character and the journey that we as the audience become invested in, not necessarily the destination. 6. Three or Four?: Three acts, but maybe four. If you did some research on screenplays before taking this course, you may have heard of the three-act structure. This is a structure that follows the form and I just discussed with a beginning, middle, and end, and x 123 corresponding accordingly. Since we're talking specifically about writing shorts today, films that are technically under 40 minutes long, but more typically around the 10-minute mark. The three-act structure is still present, but occasionally involves a bit of a twist. So we'll discuss that. For this part of the lesson. We're gonna be taking cues from Claudia hunter Johnson's book, crafting short screenplays that connect. So today we're actually going to talk about the three, maybe four X structure that you should be using when writing short screenplays. 7. Act I: Act one. Act one, as we've talked about, we're introduced to our character, their life and their world. However, somewhere along the way, everything shifts and our story begins. This moment is the discovery. The discovery is a watershed moment in our character's life. A moment that causes their path to shift entirely. It's at this moment that the conflict in our story begins to rise and we take off on our journey with our main character. 8. Act II: Act two. Act two, we are faced with at least one, but possibly multiple decisions that our character has to make depending on the length of the screenplay. These are additional turning points in our store. And the choices that our character makes determines their growth to them. Worldview, the boundary. Typically there's only time for one major decision in a ten minute short film, but it is possible that the two or more. 9. Act III: Act three. And at three, we may not necessarily reached the end of our film as we would with a typical act three. Instead, we may get to a point called the boxing match. As we discussed earlier, all good films need conflict, and this is the most important point of conflict in the film, the climax. By the time we reached the boxing match, we should be clearly aware of what our character needs and wants in this film. This act in the film is about them facing the biggest obstacle as we're renting them from getting that. This obstacle could be anything from another character to society, to the character's own fears and doubts, the boxing matches about their battle against whatever that is. 10. Act IV: Optional act for the improbable connection. Finally, there's this optional app for the extra Act that sometimes short films include. This act is called the improbable connection, falling the result of the boxing match. There's sometimes a bit of a twist that we, as the audience didn't see coming. This is what we call them probable connection. It could be where two characters who seem to be polar opposites find something that they both share a common ground on, or an unexpected discovery that our main character makes just as the film is wrapping up. This connection can take place in a few lines, but it's an essential step in concluding our characters and the stories aren't, as well as showing their growth along the way. Like the typical F3 will find that the story comes to some sort of natural conclusion at the end of this session. 11. Connecting the Dots: Connecting the dots. So we have everything we need to go out and right Excellent Award winning screenplays. Now it's just about doing it. The most important thing with any new endeavor is to just get started and to go easy on yourself. Try to set small, achievable goals like writing a single scene a day and going from there. If you set it like this, you'll have your first draft finished and no times. But also remember that writing is rewriting. And the first draft that you write probably isn't going to win any Oscars. Even professional screenwriters will write several drafts with their films before it's time to begin shooting the movie. If you have someone whose opinion you trust, have them read your first draft and get some feedback. It can also be really useful to hear your script read out loud. So if you can try and get a few people together to do a staged reading. Sometimes words we typed don't exactly sound natural when they're said. You may find yourself having to revise a certain characters dialog to align better with their intended personality. As a final exercise for this course, let's take a couple of minutes and brainstorm a few ideas for your screenplay. Set a timer for one minute, and just write down everything and every story you think you want to write about right now, characters include it. There are no rules are restrictions on content just right, and keep writing until that minute is up. Feel free to pause the video for that minute. Okay, Next, choose one of those ideas. Set the timer again and ask yourself, what is the main character in the story look like? Who are they and what do they want? Write down these answers. Finally, set the timer one last time and ask yourself this, what standing in the way of that character, getting what they want, what obstacles may face on their journey. Write down all of those answers. Hopefully that Brainstorm was helpful for you. Feel free to do it again with a new or different idea until you find something that inspires you. 12. Conclusion: We've talked about a lot in this video, from screenplay formatting to story structure, to the different softwares to use. I hope that some, if not all of it will be useful to you as you start writing your scripts. I have a few other videos on how to work with camera equipment and lighting. So be sure to check those out too. As always, let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns about anything I shared today and I'd be happy to address them.