The Basics Of Script Writing

The first thing you need to understand is that a screenplay is not a novel. Keep in mind when you’re writing your script that you always want to focus on showing instead of telling. The main difference between writing a novel and a screenplay is that when you write a novel it is very detailed. It has to paint a picture for the reader and it usually does that with a lot of aesthetic details. When you write a screenplay though, you must ask yourself often if the story is visually adaptable to be a film or a movie.  

Before you start to write your screenplay, the first thing you’re going to want to do is come up with a cool idea or concept. The screenplay is going to be the blueprint or the foundation of everything.

Write down in one or two sentences what your movie or your idea is about. Within those one or two sentences, you want to make sure that you define who the hero or protagonist is, what his or her goal is, and who the villain or antagonist or antagonistic force is. Once you finish this you would have essentially created what’s called a logline or an elevator pitch. 

The initial few pages of your screenplay are significant. Most executives or readers will just give you around 10 pages to get them intrigued. That is the reason your screenplay should have an extraordinary start. The secret to making the beginning work is to quickly establish a motivation to root for the primary character.   

This is the thing that your first act should achieve. The first act is crucial as it sets up who your primary characters are, the setting, the time-frame, the subject, state of mind, and the class. It is in this act that we meet the hero and the rival. the first act has to captivate the Hollywood Reader’s attention in the first 10 pages.   

In your screenwriting endeavors, make sure to utilize Archetypes. They are not to be mistaken for generalizations, which are one-dimensional characters we’ve seen in a large number of motion pictures. Archetypes address components of our characters on a profound level – the mother, father, craftsman, educator, ruler, and so forth. They contact us on an inner mind level. The Archetype can be the skeleton whereupon you construct a real three-dimensional character.   

There is no need for unnecessary descriptive sentences because that is the job of the director or art director.   

Screenplays follow a specific format. The principal thing a Hollywood Reader does is check the format of the script. If it is even slightly wrong, the script is discarded.  

Adding too many dialogues is not advised. Films are essentially a visual medium. There ought to be a decent equilibrium of dialogue exchange and action, preferring action. Action doesn’t always mean firearm battles and vehicle stunts, it implies the characters are accomplishing something.