How to Write a Screenplay
Posted on April 1st, 2009 by RJ
Loading ...
When film critic Roger Ebert watched “Slumdog Millionaire” at the Toronto International Film Festival for the first time, he witnessed a phenomenon. For the popular film expert, the rags-to-riches tale of a Mumbai orphan named Jamal was dramatic proof that a movie is about how it tells itself. He was right: the film garnered many international awards including eight out of 10 Academy Awards it was nominated for.
Indeed, story is king when it comes to filmmaking, but how do you take a simple idea and turn it into a magnificent screenplay? Do you have what it takes to create the next summer blockbuster? If you want to transport your ideas onto the silverscreen, here are a few tips you can try:
Create conflict.
While it is integral to have a main character with a goal in mind, all dramatic storytelling centers on some kind of conflict. Just about every movie or story can be broken down into these three components: the character, goal and conflict.
For instance, in the 2008 hit flick “Taken,” Liam Neeson (character) plays a retired CIA agent who is on a mission to save his teenage daughter (goal) after she is kidnapped by slave traders while vacationing in Europe (conflict). The more difficult the mission is for Neeson, the more the audience is glued to the story. In this thriller, Neeson only has 96 hours to recover his daughter before she disappears forever, courtesy of Albanian sex traffickers.
Master the three-act structure and then forget all about it.
Hollywood movies usually follow a three-act structure. These are the parameters that represent the natural course of the story: beginning (act 1), middle (act2) and end (act 3).
Act one is where the character and his universe is established. The next act shows the character going through all these obstacles in pursuit of his goal. The final act highlights the final conflict that the character needs to go through and the part where the audience gets to know if he achieves or fails in his mission. Films that follow this type of structure are “Citizen Kane,” “Finding Nemo” and “Independence Day.”
Once you have mastered this type of structure, throw it all away and try to experiment. While it is important to have a beginning, middle and end, it doesn’t always have to be that way. Think of some of the films that went against the tide and scored millions in the box office and even got a huge cult following plus tons of awards.
You can do a looping structure like what Quentin Tarantino did in “
Pulp Fiction” or you can do reverse storytelling like in “Memento“. You may want to take this experimenting a little further by doing a film like “Adaptation” by Charlie Kaufman. Learn the basics but don’t stop experimenting with your screenwriting structure.
Learn to show but don’t tell.
Newbies usually try to put everything on paper, even the thoughts of the characters. The secret lies in telling your story visually using images. To master the art of telling the story visually, get a copy of a great film and the corresponding script and observe how the screenwriter creates images to help the director and even the actors involved interpret the story visually.
Take advantage of all the resources out there.
There are many scripts available on the Internet and even in bookshops for you to review and enjoy. See how everything is lined up on the page. For the format of your work, you can download and purchase screenwriting programs that can help you get started like Final Draft and Magic Screenwriter.
Once you have a draft in hand, you can ask your friends or family members to read your script for any feedback. They will be there to offer advice on what needs clarity and focus.
“Writing is rewriting”
Don’t forget to actually write and rewrite. The mark of a great screenwriter is perseverance and dedication. Don’t wait for inspiration and write even if it’s tough. Real moments of inspiration usually come within the process of rewriting. All of a sudden you see new connections and things fall into place. Good luck!
Ask a question
Comments