A Guide to Feature Film Writing
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A GUIDE TO FEATURE FILM WRITING a screenwriter’s workbook by j.t. velikovsky www.joeteevee.com 2003 This work is intended as a critical review of theory in the field of feature film screenwriting. It is not intended for sale. Wherever possible, please buy and read all the texts referenced within. Guide to Writing Feature Films 1 INTRODUCTION So, Feature Screenwriting: big field. Twenty years ago, there were two books on the subject. Now there are hundreds. Where to start? Right here is a good beginning… First of all, I should say that this workbook is just an Overview of the field. It is intended more as an introduction, than a set of `free tools’ for feature film writers… it is certainly not meant to replace the original texts themselves. - It contains various facts and figures about the Australian and world film industries (all current at the time of writing, Jan 2003), and various `story templates’, but most usefully - it contains summaries of the most important texts on Writing Feature Scripts. This booklet also contains an `Overview’ of all the basic career info you need as a feature screenwriter, ranging from: contact info for the Writer’s Guild, to getting an Agent, and the Funding Bodies URL’s - right through to formatting and binding your feature script. Perhaps most usefully, it also has tables and worksheets, where you can fill out your own film’s plot beats and `character info’… in preparation for writing your masterpiece. But, for the actual nuts-and-bolts of all these writing theories (and let’s face it, that’s all they are - there are no magic formulae, or else all writers would always write perfect scripts. But if there is one formula, it’s this: Learn all the rules, the forget ‘em and write from the heart.) - I implore you, please buy and read the actual original texts themselves. - I don’t wish to deny the likes of Linda Aronsen, Syd Field, Linda Seger, Viki King, John Truby, or Robert McKee their dues. - Lord knows, they all sweated blood for them. (And this also goes for John Lonie, Ron Blair and Helen Carmichael too, from my days at AFTRS. Thank you to a wonderful, hugely-talented, amazingly generous bunch of born teachers.) So. Hopefully this Workbook will be useful for you, whether you’re a new, or an experienced screenwriter. - We need great scripts, and more of them; they make great films, which the world needs most right now… Our film stories are our myths. Our myths are what we live by. And just remember, screenplays are never finished - they are only ever abandoned! But hey, you can sure have a blast in the meantime… ;^) cheerz, j.t. velikovsky screenwriter www.joeteevee.com Guide to Writing Feature Films 2 THE AUSTRALIAN WRITERS GUILD ................................................................................................................... 5 AUSTRALIAN BOX OFFICE HITS........................................................................................................................... 6 TOP TEN AUSTRALIAN FILMS OF ALL TIME IN AUSTRALIA ..................................................................... 6 THE TOP TEN HIGHEST-GROSSING FILMS OF ALL TIME IN AUSTRALIA: (BOX OFFICE GROSS) ............................................................................................................................................................................. 6 TOP 50 FILMS in AUSTRALIA.................................................................................................................................. 7 U.S. BOX OFFICE MEGAHITS.................................................................................................................................. 8 U.S. BOX OFFICE HITS (INFLATION-ADJUSTED)........................................................................................... 9 TOP 100 AUSTRALIAN FILMS AT THE AUST. BOX OFFICE, 1966 TO 11 JULY 2002 .................. 10 AFI WINNERS for BEST SCREENPLAY............................................................................................................... 12 OSCARÒ -WINNING SCREENPLAYS.................................................................................................................. 13 A FEW OTHER FILM CLASSICS........................................................................................................................... 14 ONLINE SOURCES FOR FILM SCREENPLAYS................................................................................................ 15 WHAT IS A SCREENPLAY?..................................................................................................................................... 16 AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS:...................................................................................................................... 17 WHERE TO START?................................................................................................................................................... 18 THEME............................................................................................................................................................................ 19 THE CREATIVE PROCESS....................................................................................................................................... 20 THE GREEK LEGACY: 3-ACT STORY STRUCTURE...................................................................................... 20 THE PREMISE............................................................................................................................................................... 21 CREATE A GREAT CHARACTER......................................................................................................................... 22 SCREENPLAY CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS.................................................................................................. 23 CHARACTER DESCRIPTION TEMPLATE:........................................................................................................ 26 EXAMPLE SYNOPSIS:............................................................................................................................................... 27 THIS FILM’S PREMISE:............................................................................................................................................ 27 THE HOOK – and THE VERBAL PITCH............................................................................................................... 28 ONE-PAGE `PITCH’ CASE STUDY: OMMADAWN......................................................................................... 29 CONFLICT IS DRAMA .............................................................................................................................................. 31 CHARACTER................................................................................................................................................................ 32 ENNEAGRAMS............................................................................................................................................................ 33 THE 4 HIPPOCRATIC HUMOURS......................................................................................................................... 34 PHYSICALITY: SOMATYPES................................................................................................................................. 34 JUNG’S PERSONALITY TYPES ............................................................................................................................. 35 ASTROLOGICAL STAR SIGNS.............................................................................................................................. 36 HERO'S JOURNEY CHARACTER ARCHETYPES ............................................................................................ 38 SYD FIELD'S CHARACTER TEMPLATE............................................................................................................. 39 3-D CHARACTER PROFILE - STRIKING POINTS............................................................................................ 40 CHARACTER ARCS ................................................................................................................................................... 41 STAKES .......................................................................................................................................................................... 42 THE HERO or PROTAGONIST ................................................................................................................................ 43 CHARACTER PROFILE WORKSHEETS.............................................................................................................. 44 CHARACTER INTERVIEW ...................................................................................................................................... 46 CREATE 5 MEMORABLE SCENES ....................................................................................................................... 50 A CHARACTER’S BACKSTORY............................................................................................................................ 51 JOHN CARROLL’S “9 CORE THEMES”............................................................................................................... 52 TOBIAS’ 20 PLOTS ..................................................................................................................................................... 53 POLTI’S `THE 36 DRAMATIC SITUATIONS’...................................................................................................