MMDSW501 SCRIPT WRITING a Screenplay, Or Script, Is a Written

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MMDSW501 SCRIPT WRITING

A screenplay, or script, is a written work by screenwriters for a film, television program or video game. These screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression and dialogues of the characters are also narrated.

The script the actors use during filming is primarily dialogue with minimal stage direction. This is similar to the 'spec scripts' given to agents and producers to generate interest in the work. The primary focus here is on telling the story, the word and actions that convey the message. What sound effects or lighting effects that are important to the actor's performance are noted. But, anything not directly impacting the performance are generally left out.

The screenplay is the extra layer with everything that was left out of the script. It may very well be the 'shooting script' in most cases, which is less of an actor's tool and more of a director's tool. The screenplay includes those aspects of filming that are outside the actor's purview, things like camera angles and cut or fade instructions, effects that the audience will see but have no effect on the actor's performance while on set. The script, or screenplay, outlines all of the elements (audio, visual, behavior, and dialogue) that are required to tell a story through movies or TV.

A script is almost never the work of a single person. Instead, it will go through revisions and rewrites, and ultimately will be interpreted by the producers, directors, and actors.

Story could be something which is an extension of plot with/without dialogues. It is mostly brief. Whereas in screenplay, you have to take care of camera angles, various shots, cuts, dialogues, expressions, camera movements, and more. You have to be aware of what is on the screen and what is behind the screen.

L U 1 Brainstorm story ideas

L O 1.1 Collect ideas in a mind map

Strategic planning as the central topic

DEFINITION OF MIND MAPPING A mind map is a graphical representation utilized to visually organize information. The process of mind mapping involves penning a central theme and coming up with new and associated ideas that branch out from the central idea.

ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF A MIND MAP Given below are five key characteristics of a mind map: • There is a single key idea, focus, subject or concept graphically represented in the form of a central image. • The key themes associated with the idea, focus, subject or concept radiate from the central picture as branches. • Each branch carries a key word or image printed or drawn on the associated line. • Other branches, shown as twigs are connected to the main branches. The twigs represent concepts of lesser importance. • The branches create a linked nodal structure.

HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN MIND MAP If you are using a mind map to get employees in your business to come up with ideas/solutions, you may give them instructions as follows:

Step 1: Start with the topic Put the topic, central concept or idea in image form, in the center of an empty page. Space on the page should be used wisely and yet freely so that the brain doesn‘t feel unbridled, and there is space to occupy more and more ideas as they come. Beginning in the center provides the brain with freedom to move in all directions and reveal ideas/solutions more naturally and freely. It may be more convenient to position the page in landscape orientation because that makes drawing easier.

Step 2: Define the structure Create the fundamental structure with which you would be organizing your ideas. The structure would include branches radiating out from the central idea and drawn as thick lines. These main branches are termed as Basic Organizing Ideas (BOIs).

Step 3: Define each branch Put down a key image or word for each branch as your ideas come. Allow the ideas to flow freely and quickly (long pauses are not to be encouraged) without judgment on whether they are practical or crazy.

Step 4: Highlight the priorities The concepts of lesser importance can be represented as the twigs and drawn as thinner lines.

Step 5: Extend your mind map by additional ideas As information and ideas keep coming, connect them to the mind map in a suitable manner.

Step 6: Review and revise After the first attempt, allow your mind to settle. Once it has, you may want to revisit what you did. Review it and revise and/or reorder it. Sometimes, a different sheet of paper may be required for this.

How about two mind maps? Another way to mind map and this is for problem-solving, is to create two different mind maps, one each for the problem and solutions. For the problem mind map, the problem would be the main idea represented in the center with causes and aspects of the problem connected by branches. Sub-branches can be used to examine the problem in more detail Suggestions/Tips/Techniques • Use colors for the whole project. Colors give the mind map extra vitality and arouse the brain‘s creative and visual faculties. • Stick to single words or brief meaningful phrases for key words. Too many words would only cause cluttering. • Similar information, if any, can be clustered together. • Capital letters are to be preferred to small caps. • It would be a good idea to make the branches curved instead of straight. Only straight lines in the map may come across as boring to the brain. • Use as many images as possible. Besides being easy to remember, a picture is worth a thousand words. • Use arrows to show connections between ideas. • If the person wishes and if required, he can annotate the mind map. An example would be providing references to other sources, making them identifiable by writing them down in a different color of pen.

• One should feel free to adopt a personal style as this would boost the creative fire. ADVANTAGES OF USING MIND MAPS Mind maps help the user utilize the complete power of the brain, both the left which is more associated with logical and analytical thinking, and the right which is utilized for day dreaming, spatial awareness, color, imagination and a feeling of wholeness. This idea generation technique has several advantages including that it: • Spurs one on to view the bigger picture; • Requires less time to develop; • Consumes less space than notes that are chronologically arranged; • Allows large topics or projects to be broken down into manageable chunks and this broken-down form, therefore, facilitates effective planning and minimizes chances of forgetting key points and being overwhelmed; • Increases concentration; • Helps trigger more associations and ideas by applying radial thinking; • Provides pleasure to the eyes (once completed, the mind map appears like a mini work of art to those who

IDEA A screenwriter can also be approached and offered an assignment. Assignment scripts are generally adaptations of an existing idea or property owned by the hiring company, but can also be original works based on a concept created by the writer or producer.

STORY Most literally and simply, "story writing" that is distinct from screenwriting means having written the story in a form other than the screenplay. Someone wrote a story in novel, short story, treatment, or other form that was not the actual screenplay used to create the movie.

Ideas to burst a mind map with information

Idea sorting Idea sorting and refinement is a simple and effective way to make your ideas more practical and viable, as well as more appealing to those who are funding the innovation project (your stakeholders). After you've generated dozens of ideas for a better battery, do you just throw out the notion of making the battery biodegradable, or can you find some value in this?

Idea expanding The ability to expand a sentence or a short passage into a large paragraph is essential to be a good writer. The expansion of a passage practically amounts to the writing of miniature essays on the subject of the original passage.

Idea focusing is the way you have to focus in other to get a full information to what you want to write for.

L O 1.2 Creating a Powerful Content Brainstorming Dashboard

Brainstorming is another way to automate idea flowing. Cyfer (a secret) allows you to create multiple dashboards with multiple widgets in each to store and quickly access any information you may need.

Ways to Develop Content Ideas

There are ways to force your mind into behaving, so try these ten ways of developing content ideas when you are stuck.

Get Away From the Problem

You might just need a break. For some of us (maybe even all of us), there is only so much that can be taken on before we have to take a couple of days to ourselves. Trying to force yourself to work on a project will just lead to frustration and further stress which then saps you of the energy to form ideas.

Take Some Time To Daydream

Daydreaming is a great way to come up with ideas, and expand on them. It is also an activity we don‘t tend to engage in nearly enough as adults. It should be a regular part of our lives, especially when related to the process of coming up with content.

How can we create anything if we aren‘t taking the time to stretch our imaginations?

Check Out Blogs You Read

Other people‘s content is a gold mine for ideas. You don‘t want to copy them, obviously. But maybe they spoke about something you have your own ideas about and you would like to add your own take. Or you know a related topic that would be interesting to expand on.

Whatever the case, it can be a great starting point. You can even link to the original article and use it to start a dialogue with the other writer.

Look at old Posts

Old posts are fantastic, as they give you a framework for what your audience is looking for from you. Not sure what will interest your readers? Just look back

5 and see what they commented on or shared the most. Then use those to come up with other topics in the same vein that might catch their interest.

Update Former Content

Maybe a topic you have covered was good, but it could use some sprucing up. Updating old content is a great way to milk more out of still relevant, but changing, topics. Anything that might have occurred differently in the industry is a launching point for a new article. Or just give more examples and expand upon an old article, linking back to it. It has the additional benefit of directing people to an article they may not have read. Conduct an Expert Interview

Interviews (and group interviews) have become ridiculously popular lately. Find someone interesting in your industry and approach them about perhaps having an interview, or even just answering a couple of questions. Use a tool like HARO to create a simple group interview quickly.

Repackage Your Content

Take an old post and turn it into an infographic or a series or slideshow. Repackaging content can both give you a new post, and also attract a new audience through another media form. Some people will even turn blog posts into podcasts or mini videos, so they can use a completely different platform.

Tell a Personal Story

Anecdotes are always appreciated and well received. Having worked your way to where you are now, you are sure to have more under your belt than you realize.

For example, did you ever do something that was really embarrassingly dumb in your professional life? How about a positive story where something worked out better than you had expected? Or an anecdote about someone you know, and their experience? These are all potential articles just waiting to happen.

Let Loose a Rant

Face it, you have some rage in you somewhere. Or at least some nagging annoyance you would love to be able to release. Your content is a good place for it. Rather than wasting your time trying to hold it back and work around it, let it out.

Consider writing a rant (though in a professional manner) that gets tongues wagging. Your readers will love a bit of gossip, and a chance to commiserate with you. After all, they could have faced the same thing, and hated it just as much. Store the idea in a dashboard 6

The way to keep your idea is to store them in a dashboard. Dashboards simplify complex data sets to provide users with at a glance awareness of current performance.

In a dashboard there is some content that are powerful in the creation of it:

• Idea storing: store all idea that you get • Link bookmarking: also you have to store the link from the online idea or from the research • Idea flowing automation: you are required to store the idea from the first to the last one.

Idea dashboard criteria description

• Relevance the script must have quality • Brevity the script writer has to use exact words • Visual component • Flexibility the script has the ability to be easily modified

There is dashboard format or where we can do a dashboard

1. Spreadsheet 2. Google docs

1.3 Create characters‘ profiles

One element I find key while reading a script is a good character description. the mains characters were always introduced with some elements that would give them life and help the reader get them

and well received. Having worked your way to where you are now, you are sure to have more under your belt than you realize.

Let Loose A Rant

-Relevance: the quality or state of being closely connected or appropriate. "this film has contemporary relevance"

-Brevity: The definition of brevity is defined as the quality of being brief. An example of brevity is a point made quickly and clearly. Brevity. is generally considered a stylistic virtue as long as it's not achieved at the expense of clarity

-Visual component: Visual Components is a developer of 3D simulation software for manufacturing. Visual Components software is used for applications including layout planning, production simulation

-Flexibility: The quality of bending easily without breaking.

"players gained improved flexibility in their ankles"How to Create a Detailed Character Profile

A character profile is a detailed description of a fictional character's life and personality. A good character profile helps authors get into the mind of that character and make them come alive for readers. If you're writing a story, all your main characters should have character profiles. Start with the basics. Define your character's age, appearance, job, social class, and mannerisms. Then work out the character's psychology and background. Finally, develop your character's place in the story and the struggles they'll experience throughout it. With all of

8 this figured out, you can write characters that seem like real people for your readers.

Part 1

Envisioning the Character‘s Appearance

1.Start with a simple sentence describing the character. Many writers start off with a very short description of a character before doing a full profile. This quick description usually describes a distinguishing feature and sets the tone for the character‘s role in the story. Before planning a character completely, imagine how you might introduce that character into the story and what you'd want the audience to know about them. Write this out in a short sentence to get started.

When you get the introduction down, use all of the details you provided to build more background and personality for the character.

You might introduce a character as ―tired and looking much older than he really is.‖ This is a great starting point because it gives you plenty to dive into for the character‘s background. Think about why they look older than they really are and what struggles have they faced that wore them down

2.Write down the character‘s basic life statistics. This is general information about the character that helps you create a more detailed profile of their personality. Basic information includes age, birthday, current residence, and job.

Then use this basic information to get more specific. If you decided on a job for the character, think about their income. What social class does this put them in? You don‘t have to fill in every single aspect of the character‘s life. This is more of an exercise to get your creativity working and put you inside the mind of the character you‘re planning

3.Envision the character‘s outward appearance. Physical descriptions are important for main characters. You may have already had an appearance in mind for your character before you started writing the profile, or you may have to develop one. In either case, write down your plan for the character‘s appearance and how you‘ll describe it in the story. Think about what the character‘s appearance means for their personality as you move further.

Start with very basic information like hair and eye color and clothes the character normally wears. Does the character have a beard or not? Is their hair color natural or dyed?

4.Develop mannerisms for the character. Once the physical description is out of the way, get deeper into the character‘s profile by imagining how they would act in everyday life. Developing mannerisms like speech patterns help you truly visualize a character, and also help your audience connect with that character more.

Think about how your character walks into a room. Decide if they are the type of person who would walk in confidently and introduce themselves to everyone there, or sneak in so no one sees and stay out of sign.

Plan out if the character has any other ticks or habits. Perhaps they tend to blink a lot if they lie. This could be a plot point in the story later on. 5.Name your character. Depending on your preferences, the character‘s name could be very important or secondary. If you like putting a lot of symbolism in names, then spend some time thinking about what you‘d like this character‘s name to stand for. Otherwise, focus more on the character description and pick a name that comes to you.

Unless there is symbolic meaning for the character‘s name, don‘t stress too much about coming up with a great name. Focus more on description so your readers connect with the character.

If you don‘t care much about the character‘s name, there are random name generator tools online that will help.Appearance and mannerism:

- Appearance is the way that someone or something looks.

"she checked her appearance in the mirror" and Mannerism is a habitual gesture or way of speaking or behaving.

"learning the great man's speeches and studying his mannerisms"

Part 2

Developing the Character‘s Background

1.Decide on a hometown for the character. If the character isn‘t living in their hometown in the story, plan where the character came from. If the story takes place in New York but the character was born in Atlanta, explain what the character is doing in New York. Plan the rest of the profile using this information.

Establish how long the character lived in their hometown and if they lived there long enough to have the local accent.

Think about why the character left their hometown. Did they just move for work, or did they not get along with their family? Does the character miss their hometown, or were they happy to leave?

2.Plan the character‘s childhood. The background of a character is usually very important for their overall personality. If the character is an adult, think about what their childhood would have been like. Use this information to determine if that character would view their life as successful or not. Develop as many details as you can about the character‘s childhood. Try to come up with their best friend, school, favorite teacher, hobbies, career goals, and favorite foods.

Outline any trauma the character suffered as a child. Perhaps this why they left their hometown, or why they have trouble forming friendships later on.

3.Map out the character‘s personal relationships. How the character interacts with other people is crucial for their role in the story. Decide if they are kind and caring, or manipulative. Figuring out how the character treats other characters helps you plan the rest of the character arc.

Start simple with the character‘s personal relationships. List their parents, siblings, and other close family members. Decide if the character is married or single.

Then think more deeply about what these personal relationships mean. Choose who the character would talk to if they needed help, or who they would ask for money if they were struggling.

Does this character make a lot of friends easily, or do they just have a lot of acquaintances? If the latter, explain why they have trouble connecting with people.

4.Build the character‘s psychological profile. With the physical and personal descriptions out of the way, get deeper into the character‘s psyche. Develop hopes, dreams, fears, likes, and dislikes for the character. Think about how this psychological profile influences the way they act throughout the story.

Ask a broad question like, ―Is this character happy?‖ If they are, consider if something in the story will ruin their happiness. Or if they start off unhappy, decide what happened in their past that prevents them from feeling happy.

Then work more into how your character reacts to the world and what makes them angry and sad.

Would your character consider themselves accomplished, or would they say they are a failure? Part 3

Defining the Character‘s Role in the Story 1.Decide if this character will experience a life-changing event in the story. This is important because it determines if the character will change or remain the same throughout the story. They may experience a fundamental personality change between the beginning and end of the story. If this happens, plan the event that caused the character‘s transformation. What lessons did they learn or fail to learn?

Think about if the character will experience a life-changing event but doesn‘t change. For example, experiencing the death of one‘s spouse would be a lifechanging event for most people, but if your character is unaffected by this, explain why that is.

2.Plan if this character will be a protagonist or antagonist. A protagonist is a ―good guy‖ and an antagonist is a ―bad guy.‖ With your character details figured out, define which of your characters falls into each category. This way, you build up the cast for your story.

Keep in mind that not all main characters are protagonists. You could flip the perspective by making your main character the antagonist who causes everyone else‘s struggles in the story.

3.Write another profile if the character will age in the story. People change as they get older. The beliefs they held can change over time. Think about the timescale of your story. If it covers years, then some of your characters could change significantly in that time. In this case, build new character profiles for each character at different ages. This helps you work out how the character changes through time.

If the change is only a few months, then new profiles aren‘t necessary unless a character changes completely in that time.

Take the character‘s relative age into account to decide if they need a new character profile. For example, if the character was 10 in one chapter but 15 in another, that‘s a big jump. However, if someone goes from 30 to 35, that‘s not as big of a jump because a 30-year-old has already established their personality.

LU 2. WRITE TREATMENT

Find the title and write a logline

Script titling Marketability So, how do you write that one screenplay that sells? For some people, that "one script" is their first. For others, it is their 20th. It all depends on how fast you gain an understanding of the skills and concepts that make a highly marketable screenplay.

To learn how to write a screenplay that sells, let's discuss what you need to succeed in this business:

1. A solid plan that can produce success. 2. The resources to make that plan happen. 3. The willingness to do what it takes to make the plan happen.

Before you think that I just said "If you have a plan and resources, you can succeed," look back and you'll see more in those three lines.

First, it is a SOLID plan that CAN PRODUCE SUCCESS. That means that it considers the marketplace and what they will buy and it gives you a step-by-step process to produce that quality of screenplay and get it to the buyers.

Second, you need the RESOURCES to MAKE THAT PLAN happen. This means time, effort, and money when necessary. But money is the least of the three, by far. Most importantly, you need to acquire the skills to write at the quality level that Hollywood requires.

Third, you need the willingness to make that plan happen. I am often inspired by screenwriters who continue to take whatever effort is required. When I watch a writer enter my classes at a low level and five months later, send me a screenplay that is written at a professional level, I'm inspired. When I see a writer who has a great script promote it to everyone who could possibly buy it, I'm inspired. When

I hear back from a writer who started only two years ago and yesterday, she had her script optioned, I'm inspired. Before I present the first part of a plan that could work for you, there is one more thing that you must know.

IMPORTANT: To create a truly marketable script, you plan and design it from the very first step in the process. Marketability doesn't just appear after you've written your screenplay. You have to know how to write a screenplay from a marketability perspective in the idea phase.

Three Simple Techniques to Assess Your Screenplay‘s Marketability Technique 1: Determine the genre of your script. First and foremost, take the time to research the kind of film you are writing in terms of genre. The analogy is that when buying a bottle of wine, everyone wants to be able to understand what he or she is buying when they read a screenplay. This is not to say that an action movie can‘t also have a romantic subplot, however, it has to have more action than romance. Straight dramas are the hardest projects to sell, so it helps to have a bit of a specific genre. Technique 2: Use the log line technique to determine if your script is correctly structured. A well-known screenwriter once wrote that what you need to know about screenplay writing is “Structure, structure, structure.” While this is a reductionist approach to describing a story, it will help you cut out all distractions and allow you to judge whether your work is seaworthy. Below is an effective template to use to assess the structure of your script by filling in the blanks with the details of your current screenplay. Please note that this particular template is for story development, not for actually pitching to an agent or producer.

Write your logline below:

When ______is ______(Main character) (Called to adventure)

S/he ______(Must cross the first threshold and enter a new world)

And ______and ______. (The stakes go up) (There‘s a final showdown and consequences)

Here‘s an example from the film, Heartburn: When Rachel, a Washington DC based food writer discovers that her husband is in love with another woman, she leaves him and comes to New York, where her engagement ring is stolen. When he begs her to come back, she reluctantly returns to DC. Her ring is returned and she sells it for survival money. She decides to return to New York for good. If you can fill in all the blanks, the story is probably in good shape. Of course, good structure is not enough to sell a screenplay so our final technique is to write a summary. Technique 3: Write a summary. Writing a summary allows you to put the flesh back on the skeleton of the story you created by completing the log line exercise.

Storytelling Storytelling is how we tell the story. It‘s a process, rather than a formula. Storytelling begins with defining what the story is about as an idea. This is usually called theme, although theme is subtler than an abstract idea. It‘s what we feel about the story, as revealed through the moral dilemma of the main character, in opposition to other characters. For example, if you were writing a story about freedom, an interesting approach would be to create a world where the main character longs for freedom, but is subjected to servitude by his life situation, or imprisoned as a consequence of his actions. Alternately, if you were creating a story with trust at its dramatic center, there would be strong elements of betrayal within the opposing elements and characters of the story.

The second major storytelling decision is defining where the story begins. Most writers take the easy way out. They begin with back story.

The third storytelling decision is choosing the genre that tells the story. Genre tells the audience how they should feel about the story, whether they should laugh, smile, cry, think, scream, or just enjoy the ride. Genre is so crucial to the movie-going experience that some screenwriters begin with a genre, and then create the idea and story concept.

The fourth storytelling task is creating a point-of-view character within the story. This is what distinguishes a great writer from the journeyman writers. The point-

15 of-view character (within the story, not a camera angle!) interacts with the main character throughout the story to help the audience understand what is going on inside the true development of the main character. Interestingly, the point-of- view character also serves as the ―storyteller‖ inside the story through whom, you, as writer, establish yourself. Although this is a difficult task at the onset, frequently we, as writers, make this decision unconsciously during the first draft. Despite our conscious efforts to create a ―point-of-view‖ within the story, the point-of-view character jumps off the page when we least expect it, easily recognizable by readers.

Dual meaning

Protagonist identification and goals A story is only as strong as its protagonist. If your protagonist is weak and passive, your readers won‘t care if s/he succeeds or fails. Knowing the definition of a protagonist is critical to fully understanding how to create a strong main character that will attract A-list actors.

Protagonist Definition

The definition of protagonist is, quite simply, the main or lead character in a story, often called a ―hero.‖ The story must revolve around this character and the overall goal of the story must be something the protagonist can and does actively pursue.

What is a protagonist in a story?

Creating a strong protagonist is critical for developing a solid story. Different terms are often used in the protagonist definition such as hero, central character, main character, etc. Bottomline: S/he has to be the main focus of your screenplay. The overall story must revolve around your hero.

Some essentials for having a strong protagonist:

For a reader to want to follow the protagonist character through their journey, it‘s typically necessary the hero be likable, but not always. More than likable, they need to be relatable to the reader.

In order to reach their story goal, they must evolve in some way to make that final step toward success. Usually, the final evolution of the protagonist happens in the climax of the story.

Since the protagonist is the main focus of the story, her/his goals and evolution are paramount. Achieving those goals only happens because the protagonist takes direct action.

Drawing the audience in emotionally helps keep the reader engaged. By making the protagonist relatable, the reader wants to see them succeed.

What Is an Antagonist?

It‘s easy to think of antagonists are just the ―bad guy‖ in lots of movies, but really what they‘re there to do is apply pressure to the protagonists. Antagonists are an opposing force.

They‘re not just the famous female villains and famous male villains, they‘re usually the whole reason the story happens.

And sometimes they even win!

Antagonist Definition

The word antagonist comes from the Greek word, ―antagonists.‖ That roughly translates into ―opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, rival.‖

Consider how those words aren't all unfriendly. A competitor or rival can simply push you to be better than you are.

For the most part, the antagonist is the person or obstacle standing in the way of the protagonist.

Conflict is the driving force behind any great screenplay — but what is cinematic conflict and how do screenwriters conjure enough of it to keep readers and audiences invested in their stories and characters?

Cinematic conflict differs from story and character conflict found in the literary platform with novels, novellas, and short stories.

Cinematic conflict is something that all screenwriters need to master. We need to see it. We need to see a lot of it. We need new and evolving conflict and obstacles every few pages. And this applies to each and every type of screenplay you write — whether it‘s a big action spectacle or small indie drama.

What is a narrative arc?

In the broadest terms, the narrative arc is shaped by the beginning, middle, and end of a story. You may already be familiar with one classic example of the story arc: boy meets girl, boy fails girl, boy gets girl again. This may sound oversimplified, and it is. Adding complexity to a basic story arc is part of what differentiates one story from another, even when they‘re ostensibly dealing with the same ideas.

It‘s sometimes useful to think about the story arc as though you‘re setting up a simple dramatic play. Ultimately, you‘ve got three acts to tell your story.

In Act One, you set the scene and introduce your audience to the characters, the setting, and the seeds of conflict. In Act Two, your characters grow and change in response to conflicts and circumstances. They set about trying to resolve the Big Problem. Usually, the conflict will escalate to a climax.

In Act Three, characters resolve the Big Problem and the story ends.

What‘s the difference between a narrative arc and a plot?

While the plot is comprised of the individual events that make up your story, your story arc is the sequence of those events. Imagine every scene of your novel summarized on notecards: the entire stack of cards is your plot, but the order in which you lay them out is your story arc.

Thinking about your arc is essential around this point. What if your Scene 1 notecard actually belongs in the denouement? What if you have too many scenes based on internal conflict in a row (leaving the external conflict to wither)? Carefully ordering your plot into a cohesive story arc helps readers navigate your story, and sets expectations that you can either satisfy or disrupt.

If the plot is the skeleton of your story, the narrative arc is the spine. It‘s the central through-line marking the plot‘s progress from beginning to end.

How about the character arc?

The narrative arc is to the story what the character arc is to a character. It involves the plot on a grand scale, and a character arc charts the inner journey of a character over the course of the plot.

Another straightforward distinction: while the story arc is external, the character arc is internal, and each main (and sometimes secondary) character will go through an individual arc

Exposition

The de-facto introduction to your book, the exposition is Act One of the story arc. You‘re setting the table in the exposition: starting the story, bringing out your characters, setting up the seeds of conflict, and imparting just enough background information to keep the reader clued in on what‘s occurring in the story.

Here‘s a brief overview of what else the reader should be able to extract from the exposition of your story (which, incidentally, ties neatly into the 5 Ws):

The characters. Who‘s in the cast of characters? How can you differentiate among them? The setting. Where does your story take place? Don‘t forget that setting includes time — when does your story take place? What time period?

The mood. How will you set the tone of the novel in the exposition? A romance that suddenly goes sideways due to an alien invasion is going to confuse readers and cloud your book's genre classification.

2.2: Write a synopsis and wrap up

A synopsis is really nothing more than a short description of your screenplay. The typical synopsis consists of a plot summary of the screenplay on one side of a sheet of paper and usually contains no more than 400 words. It highlights your main characters and what they go through during your story. A good synopsis will focus a lot of attention to conflict and resolution.

Many synopses are written after completion of the screenplay but it's often a good idea to write out a synopsis before you even begin with FADE IN on your screenplay especially if you're trying to sell an idea to a producer ahead of time.

A good synopsis a very good tool to help writers develop an idea for a screenplay and eventual movie. A synopsis does not try to tell the whole story... Rather, it focuses on a few characters and the most important parts of the story. A good synopsis makes the person who reads it want to see the movie.

Elements to be aware of when writing a good synopsis...

• Limit your synopsis to one page or less.

• Include a sentence or two about your beginning scenes.

• Describe where the story happens and at least the major character.

• Other characters can be introduced, but don‘t make the synopsis too detailed.

• Include the most important conflict or events in the story.

• Use the present tense except for events that come before the story.

• Link synopsis paragraphs to one another in a logical way – so they flow.

• Write your synopsis paragraphs so anyone can understand your story.

• Try to convince your reader that your story is interesting and would make a great movie.

• Include a sentence or two about your ending scenes.

• Let your voice or style come through in your synopsis.

• Always proofread your synopsis for correct style, grammar, and usage.

The test your synopsis, ask yourself the following questions...

• Does my synopsis give a producer an accurate view of my story?

• Based on my synopsis, could a producer easily pitch my screenplay to others?

• Can my synopsis be easily understood or is it too complicated of a read?

• Is my synopsis bogged down with too many unimportant or unnecessary details?

If your synopsis does not answer each of the above questions with a definitive ―Yes,‖ then it is very likely your synopsis needs more work. Always consider having your synopsis critiqued by the same people you share your script with before going out with it. Get feedback and tweak as necessary.

Begin your synopsis by expanding on your logline and actually turning it into a three-act story. In other words, tell it as a story and follow the same order as your screenplay if you've already written it. If you're using a synopsis as a screenplay development tool, it would be handy to have your outline at this point – assuming you use one.

If so, use your outline to begin telling your story as defined above. If you're using this synopsis as a way to get people in the business to request your screenplay, stay focused on that aspect as your write it out.

You obviously want your synopsis to demonstrate your mastery of the craft. Give the person reading it a clear idea about what your story is about by providing them with clearly defined characters and a solid story that contains a beginning, middle, and end.

2.3 Create the treatment layout and treatment structure 22

A treatment is a summary of a script, which is meant to explain the main points of the plot. It also gives good description of the main characters involved in the story. Treatments have no strict page limit, but shorter is usually better. Treatments are a tool of development for the writer, and they act as an extended pitch to a filmmaker.

Writing a treatment is a skill that can help any screenwriter succeed, at any point in the creative process.

There are at least three parts of getting a screenplay sold or financed. Learning to write a treatment can jumpstart a writer's career because it allows a screenwriter to communicate his or her screenplay idea in a brief but compelling way. It also can be a powerful diagnostic and creative tool.

What Should Be in the Treatment?

1. A Working title 2. The writer's name and contact information 3. WGA Registration number 4. A short logline 5. Introduction to key characters 6. Who, what, when, why and where. 7. Act 1 in one to three paragraphs. Set the scene, dramatize the main conflicts. 8. Act 2 in two to six paragraphs. Should dramatize how the conflicts introduced in Act 1 lead to a crisis.

9. Act 3 in one to three paragraphs. Dramatize the final conflict and resolution.

L.U 3 COMPOSE A FLASH DRAFT

This is the fun part, your first real draft, and the same guidelines apply here as to your fiction writing:

• Write quickly

• Don‘t think too hard • Don‘t edit Wilder told me his goal was to write the entire first draft of a screenplay, about 120 pages, in three days. If you‘ve done the hard work of structuring your story in your outline, this should be easy. By the way, if you‘re not sure how to format your screenplay. Screenwriting software can save you a lot of time with formatting, too. Final Draft is the industry standard, which is what I use to write books, has helpful screenwriting tools, too.

Edit As with books, I recommend doing at least three drafts. After you finish your first draft, read it through once without editing (you can take notes though). In your second draft, you can focus on major structural changes, including filling gaping holes, deepening characters, removing characters who don‘t move the story forward, and even rewriting entire scenes from scratch. In your third draft, you can focus on polishing, specifically, on making your dialogue pop. Once your script is complete, it‘s time to get feedback and begin sending it to studios.

3.1: Identify the idea through looping process

Idea concept

Every screenplay begins with an idea, known in the business as "the concept." It is well-known that the script that "sells" best is one that can be pitched in two sentences or less, i.e., summed up in simple, visceral terms that appeal to people with short attention spans. This form of mental short-hand may be rooted in the marketplace, but it is also based on the fact that movies, to have mass appeal,

24 must be aimed at the senses rather than the intellect (though the best movies satisfy both).

A scriptwriter's challenge is to tell a story in images. The most polished and perfect script is only a blueprint, a departure point, the acorn from which an oak may (or may not) grow. Its only value is in its potential. A screenplay is a work in progress; if it reads like a finished product, it is likely to stay that way.

In idea concept there is three ways that you may look for

Strategies and steps

Here are some strategies that you might choose to include to get you to your goal:

• Research the Great Depression

• Set up a writing space

• Create a writing schedule

• Join a writer‘s critique group

• Write one draft of script a week

These are all strategic points that will move you forward toward your goal, but they won‘t happen by themselves. You have to assess each strategy and create specific action steps to make it happen.

Imagination guiding

Target audience

Script Format: Scene Headings

A scene heading always consists of at least two elements: 1) an interior or exterior indicator, and 2) a location or setting. Unless the scene is part of a continuous sequence, the heading also includes a time of day.

A scene in a screenplay differs from a scene in a cutting room. To an editor, a scene and a shot are the same. A sequence in a film may consist of several scenes cut together. In a screenplay, a sequence and a scene are often the same thing. A screenwriter can, however, build a sequence using slug lines. Always use complete scene headings, beginning with the abbreviation ―EXT.‖ or ―INT.‖ It is neither necessary nor acceptable to spell out ―EXTERIOR‖ or 25

―INTERIOR.‖ When cutting to a different room or area in the same setting, ―INT.‖ or ―EXT.‖ is still required.

―INT.‖ and ―EXT.‖ are abbreviations. As such, they must each end in a period. The exception is when they are joined together as ―INT/EXT.‖

Where the scene heading prefix ―INT.‖ or ―EXT.‖ is concerned, standard screenplay format calls for only one space, not two, after the period.

It‘s customary to separate the elements in a scene heading with a single dash (or hyphen) flanked by single spaces. Do not use a period, as if each element in the heading were a sentence.

If some action takes place in the same setting as the one preceding it, only later in the day, it's necessary to break out the new scene with its own heading. It‘s not enough to just insert the slug line ―LATER.‖ (More about ―LATER‖ later.) This new heading must include a time of day.

A new scene heading is also needed whenever we cut from one interior setting to another (e.g. one room to another), and when we cut to a different spot outside the line of sight in the same exterior setting.

There are just two acceptable times of day: ―DAY‖ and ―NIGHT.‖ Unacceptable times include ―THE NEXT DAY,‖ ―LATER THAT MORNING,‖ and ―THAT SAME MOMENT.‖ No matter when one scene takes place relative to another, all that‘s evident on screen is whether it‘s day or night.

A time-of-day modifier, such as ―DAWN,‖ ―DUSK,‖ and ―LATER,‖ may be added, if necessary, in parentheses:

The modifier ―LATER‖ is used only when a scene takes place in the very same location as the previous one. In such cases, the headings would be identical, were it not for the modifier. Adding it avoids confusion as to why both scenes could not be merged into one.

One of the more common mistakes is to use the term ―CONTINUOUS‖ as a time of day. This is redundant, for unless the master location changes we may assume each successive scene is part of a continuous sequence. What‘s more, when the production manager breaks the script down for scheduling purposes, the term ―CONTINUOUS‖ would be meaningless, as it does not inform us as to whether the scene is day or night. The one format that does use ―CONTINUOUS‖ is multicamera television. (Their scripts also break down the characters for each scene under that scene‘s heading.) Unless you are writing a television sitcom or a soap opera, you should not use ―CONTINUOUS‖ as a time of day.

If it‘s important to note the locale (such as a city) in the scene heading, so as to avoid confusion, then a modifier may be added in parentheses:

When adding the locale to a scene heading, it‘s needed only in the first instance. Once the locale of a particular setting has been established, it‘s not necessary to remind us of it.

A specific place or room should be separated from the master setting in which it resides by a slash:

It is also acceptable to separate the specific setting from the master with a hyphen. However, a slash is preferred, as it keeps the setting grouped, making it easier to distinguish from other elements in the heading.

As illustrated above, the master setting comes first. Whenever we cut from an exterior to an interior, or vice versa, we must include the master setting. It can‘t

27 just be ―MORTY‘S BEDROOM,‖ for example. It must be ―GRANDMA JENKINS‘ HOUSE/MORTY‘S BEDROOM.‖

The master setting need not be repeated in subsequent scene headings if those scenes occur as part of an uninterrupted sequence. To continue from the above example, if we follow a character from the living room of the apartment to the kitchen, the new scene heading would be just this:

As illustrated in the above example, the time of day is optional when a new scene is part of a continuous sequence confined to either an interior or an exterior.

Enclose the proper name for an establishment or a vehicle within quotes:

Whenever the action moves from interior to exterior (or vice versa), a new scene heading is required. This heading must include a time of day. The exception is when the camera tracks with the characters, in which case the term ― – TRACKING‖ should be appended to the scene heading.

If the intention is to move the camera from interior to exterior (or vice versa) in a single, uninterrupted shot, this may be noted in the scene heading. The correct prefix is ―INT/EXT.‖ (with no period before the slash), not ―I/E.‖ This is often a tracking shot. If so, it should also be designated as such in the scene heading:

A slash cannot designate multiple settings, as only one setting can be visible at a time (the exception being split-screen presentations). Each change of setting must have a separate scene heading.

The heading for a scene that takes place inside a moving vehicle should have the word ―TRAVELING‖ appended to it, separated from the time-of-day by a dash:

―MOVING‖ is also acceptable, but less common.

Dates and transitional information such as ―THREE WEEKS LATER‖ should not appear in a scene heading. If it‘s vital that the audience know the date or the exact period of time that has passed, then it may be conveyed by means of a legend.

If the time period helps to define the setting, then enclose it in parentheses as part of the master setting:

Indicate a scene is stock footage with a dash and the word ―STOCK‖ in parentheses at the end of the heading.

Be consistent with scene headings. If the setting is ―JOSEPH‘S HOUSE‖ in one scene, example, don‘t make it just ―HOUSE‖ in another. function-

If the setting has a proper name, as in the case of a restaurant or a ship, it should be enclosed within quotes.

Scene headings are numbered only in shooting scripts, so as to provide a reference for prod personnel. It‘s not necessary to number the scenes in a screenplay intended for submission. In speculative scripts, scene numbers only clutter the page and distract the reader.

Do not bold or underscore scene headings. Francis Ford Coppola underscores his scene headings, but he‘s Francis Ford Coppola. Such idiosyncrasies should be avoided in a speculative script.

Triple-space (making two blank lines) before each scene heading. It‘s acceptable to double space, but triple spacing is standard. It separates the scenes more distinctly. Double-space (one blank line) between the heading and the action or description that follows it

Script Format: Slug Lines

A slug line is different from a scene heading. Slug lines direct our attention to what's important within a scene. They add punch, and can be used to heighten the pacing. That being said, they can become annoying if used excessively. Camera angles written as slug lines, such as ―REVERSE SHOT,‖ are usually superfluous. Even close-ups are to be avoided, unless they reveal some detail that is vital to the story.

Slug lines cannot be used to change the location or the time of day. It‘s possible to bridge a small gap in time within a scene through the use of a slug line, but it must focus on some character or detail. As discussed in the section onscene headings, it‘s not enough to simply write ―LATER.‖ Written in ALL CAPS, the slug line may consist of just the character or characters we see in the

shot:

This actually reads better than writing it as a camera direction, such as ―ANGLE ON PARKER.‖

Each slug line is its own element. Action or description cannot appear next to it on the same line, but must follow the slug line in a new paragraph.

While scene headings usually have two blank lines above them, slug lines always have xz\just one.

If we wish to cut to a character named Ned in the bleachers of a football game, for example, we‘d insert ―NED‖ (without the quotes) as a shot element or slug line. In this particular instance, it would also be acceptable to break the sequence into separate scenes, using ―BLEACHERS‖ in the scene heading.

When a shot originates from a particular character‘s point-of-view, it‘s customary to break it out with its own slug line. This slug line must state the character by name and refer to what the character sees. It‘s not enough to simply write ―SHAMUS‘ P.O.V.,‖ for example (using periods because it‘s an abbreviation), without also specifying in the slug line what Shamus sees:

After describing the insert, we again return to the scene by means of the slug line ―BACK TO SCENE.‖

The use of split screen (often designated by means of a slug line) should be left to the discretion of the director. A split screen in a script often just leads to confusion, especially when the slug lines refer to left or right screen instead of a setting. After describing a p.o.v. shot, we usually return to the scene (to get the character‘s reaction) by means of the slug line ―BACK TO SCENE.‖

If an entire scene is viewed from a particular character‘s perspective, this can be indicated by means of a separatescene heading appended with the modifier ―SUBJECTIVE CAMERA‖:

Point-of-view shots and subjective camera shots are usually reserved only for principal characters, as they tend to generate empathy.

If the point-of-view is through a camera viewfinder, a telescope, or a set of binoculars, it‘s usually processed in post-production with an overlay. This should be designated by means of a matte:

One type of slug line is an insert, a detail shot in which no recognizable actor appears. As with all slug lines, an insert is written in ALL CAPS. It must also reference the detail within the slug line:

Script Format: Description A well-written script creates in the mind of the reader the experience of watching a movie. To that end, you must describe images, sounds, actions, and speech in such a way that the scenes unspool as they would on a screen.

In the movies, unlike in a novel, we are limited to the physical senses of sight and sound. Refrain from describing what would not be visible or audible to us as we‘re watching the movie. For example, don‘t describe a character in terms of their occupation, as this usually isn‘t evident from their appearance. Employ props and clothing to give us visual clues, or reveal a character‘s identity subtly in dialogue.

Before you tell us what takes place, it‘s a good idea to set the stage. The first time we see a particular setting, describe it briefly. Insert a blank line to separate this description from the action that follows.

Make the description kinetic and visual, but succinct and specific. Replace passive verbs (e.g. ―is‖) with active verbs to make the action more dynamic. Don‘t editorialize by using adjectives or adverbs that express a personal reaction, such as ―hideous,‖ ―amazing,‖ or ―incredible.‖

Strip your description of any clichés and generic phrases that contribute nothing to our understanding of the characters or situation. Don‘t just write that a character is standing in a room, for example, or sitting at a desk. Give them some business that indicates their personality or attitude. Open each scene with them already engaged in some action that relates to the story.

Such directions as ―PAN TO,‖ ―DOLLY IN,‖ and ―CRANE UP‖ should be used sparingly. No director wants the writer to tell him how to move the camera. It‘s possible to convey the shot you envision simply by describing the scene in a manner that leads the mind‘s eye of the reader.

It‘s not necessary to describe minor gestures and reactions. Nor is it necessary to slug out a different camera angle (e.g. ―BACK TO JONATHAN‖). Such overwritten description tends to distract rather than enhance, especially when it interrupts an exchange of dialogue. Leave it to the actors and the director to interpret the lines and block out the scene. Do not abbreviate ―SUPERIMPOSE‖ as ―SUPER.‖ Do not place the legend above the scene heading or immediately below the scene heading, but within the scene itself. In other words, it should come after at least one sentence of description. The term ―TITLE:‖ would be incorrect. Titles appear only at the beginning of a movie. The term ―TITLE CARD:‖ designates a separate graphic element, a card that is not superimposed over the scene. Title cards were common in silent films, but are seldom used today.

In action and description, a character‘s name should be written in ALL CAPS only when that character first appears in the script. After that, the name should appear in Title Case. This holds true even for bit parts, such as Medical Examiner.

Always employ the number symbol (#) when referring to numbered characters, such as Girl #1 and Girl #2.

A character‘s age should be written as numerals, set off by commas, not enclosed in parentheses.

Be consistent in naming your characters. If you introduce an Armed Man, for example, always call him the Armed Man. Don‘t call him Thug for the sake of variety. That can be confusing.

To minimize any possibility of confusion (and to make the script easier to read), avoid naming two principal characters with the same initial letter (e.g. Albert and Anderson).

Refrain from using ALL CAPS just for emphasis. There are just three situations when it‘s permissible to use ALL CAPS in description: 1) when introducing a

34 character, 2) to denote camera direction, and 3) to draw attention to sound effects. The main reason for using ALL CAPS is to aid the production manager in breaking down the script.

When indicating a sound effect, only one word should appear in ALL CAPS. For example, you might write ―the SOUND of silverware hitting the floor‖ or ―the sound of silverware HITTING the floor.‖

When wrapping lines, do not insert hyphens to break words.

Do not justify the margins. A fully justified script may appear neater, but it‘s more difficult to read than a script with paragraphs that are ―ragged right.‖

There is no need to lead into some dialogue by describing that a particular character says something, as this purpose is served by the character cue.

If possible, refrain from interrupting a passage of dialogue with tiny bits of direction written as description. Such direction, if necessary, would be more economically presented as a parenthetical.

An ellipsis consists of three periods. No more, no less. There should be a space between an ellipsis and the text that follows it, but no leading space. An ellipsis does not have any spaces between the periods. Make sure you‘re not using an ellipsis symbol (usually the result of writing in Microsoft® Word® with its ―AutoCorrect‖ feature), as this symbol places the periods too close together for a screenplay.

Text that is visible onscreen, such as a newspaper headline, words on a sign or on a computer monitor, should be set off in quotes.

Song titles in description should also be enclosed in quotes.

The titles of books and publications should be underscored when they appear in description.

If an action element describes something that occurs off-screen, then the term ―off- screen‖ should be abbreviated as ―o.s.‖

The abbreviations for background (b.g.) and foreground (f.g.) are written in lower case. The same applies to the abbreviation for point-of-view (p.o.v.), without sound (m.o.s.), voice-over (v.o.), and off-screen (o.s.) when used in description.

It‘s not necessary in the body of a scene to inform us as to the setting, the time of day, or whether it‘s an interior or exterior, as this is already known from the scene heading.

If a legend, such as a locale or a date, is to be superimposed upon a scene, then standard format dictates it be placed within quotes and preceded by the word ―SUPERIMPOSE:‖ (in ALL CAPS with a colon):

Do not abbreviate ―SUPERIMPOSE‖ as ―SUPER.‖ Do not place the legend above the scene heading or immediately below the scene heading, but within the scene itself. In other words, it should come after at least one sentence of description. The term ―TITLE:‖ would be incorrect. Titles appear only at the beginning of a movie. The term ―TITLE CARD:‖ designates a separate graphic element, a card that is not superimposed over the scene. Title cards were common in silent films, but are seldom used today.

Always employ the number symbol (#) when referring to numbered characters, such as Girl #1 and Girl #2.

A character‘s age should be written as numerals, set off by commas, not enclosed in parentheses.

Be consistent in naming your characters. If you introduce an Armed Man, for example, always call him the Armed Man. Don‘t call him Thug for the sake of variety. That can be confusing.

To minimize any possibility of confusion (and to make the script easier to read), avoid naming two principal characters with the same initial letter (e.g. Albert and Anderson).

Refrain from using ALL CAPS just for emphasis. There are just three situations when it‘s permissible to use ALL CAPS in description: 1) when introducing a character, 2) to denote camera direction, and 3) to draw attention to sound effects. The main reason for using ALL CAPS is to aid the production manager in breaking down the script.

When wrapping lines, do not insert hyphens to break words.

Do not justify the margins. A fully justified script may appear neater, but it‘s more difficult to read than a script with paragraphs that are ―ragged right.‖

There is no need to lead into some dialogue by describing that a particular character says something, as this purpose is served by the character cue.

If possible, refrain from interrupting a passage of dialogue with tiny bits of direction written as description. Such direction, if necessary, would be more economically presented as a parenthetical.

Text that is visible onscreen, such as a newspaper headline, words on a sign or on a computer monitor, should be set off in quotes.

Song titles in description should also be enclosed in quotes.

The titles of books and publications should be underscored when they appear in description.

If an action element describes something that occurs off-screen, then the term ―off-screen‖ should be abbreviated as ―o.s.‖

The abbreviations for background (b.g.) and foreground (f.g.) are written in lower case. The same applies to the abbreviation for point-of-view (p.o.v.), without sound (m.o.s.), voice- over (v.o.), and off-screen (o.s.) when used in description.

Script Format: Character Cues Each block of dialogue must be preceded by a cue line, identifying the character who is speaking. This character cue is always written in ALL CAPS. Don‘t center the character cues. It may look cool, but it actually makes the script harder to read. Each character cue should begin at the same column on the page (4.2 inches from the left edge being standard).

Don‘t place a colon after a character cue. While some published stage plays may have colons after their cues, this is incorrect in screenplays.

It‘s not necessary to use both the first and last names. Leads generally go by their first names.

When a character‘s name changes, it‘s customary to remind the reader of the original name by placing it in parentheses the very next time a speech is cued using the new name. In other words, if we‘ve been referring to a character as DOMINATRIX, but discover her real name is MIRANDA, then the next cue for her would read:

All subsequent speeches for Miranda would be cued with just her name alone.

Never use an anonymous character cue such as ―MAN‘S VOICE.‖ Instead, identify the character by name, even if the speech originates off-screen from a character who has not yet appeared. In some situations this may spoil the surprise, but all speeches must be assigned to an actor.

Any speech from a character who is not visible should be designated as either off- screen or voice-over. Such designation is abbreviated as ―O.S.‖ or ―V.O.‖ written in ALL CAPS as an extension to the character cue. In other words, it should be enclosed in parentheses one space after the cue and on the same line as the cue:

All subsequent speeches for Miranda would be cued with just her name alone.

Any speech from a character who is not visible should be designated as either off-screen or voice-over. Such designation is abbreviated as ―O.S.‖ or ―V.O.‖ written in ALL CAPS as an extension to the character cue. In other words, it should be enclosed in parentheses one space after the cue and on the same line as the cue:

When the speech comes from a character in the same setting (such as inside a closet), then ―O.S.‖ would be used. When the character is located elsewhere (such as being heard over a telephone receiver, then ―V.O.‖ would be used. The term off-camera (―O.C.‖) is not used in screenplays, but only in three-camera television shows.

Character cues with multiple names, indicating the same line is being spoken simultaneously by more than one character, should have a slash (/) separating each name. Keep the cue as short as possible, and don‘t allow it to wrap. Each cue must be limited to just one line.

Script Format: Dialogue Dialogue should convey information and move the story forward, while at the same time help us understand the characters. Spice it up with slang and colloquialisms appropriate to their background. The relative sophistication of a character‘s vocabulary, along with the phrasing and cadences of their speech, can provide clues to their education, upbringing and attitudes.

One mark of a mediocre script is that the characters confide what's on their minds or in their hearts. In the vernacular of the trade, this is called being ―on the nose.‖ The subtext, or what a character leaves unsaid, is often more significant than what he or she says. If your characters keep their true thoughts and feelings hidden, your story will have greater tension and emotional resonance. If one character addresses another by name, epithet, or title, that name should be set off with a comma. (―Master Weston, how cruelly you save yourself for the tennis court.‖) This is an elementary rule of punctuation.

Spell out numbers when they appear in dialogue. Avoid using symbols and abbreviations in dialogue. This is partly a timing issue, to preserve the page-per-minute estimate in screenplays.

If a passage of dialogue includes some text that a character is reading out loud, this should be indicated with the word ―reading‖ as personal direction. The text being read should be enclosed within quotation marks.

When a character recites poetry or song lyrics, enclose the lines in quotes. You may indicate the end of a line by means of a slash (―/‖). This is preferable to ending each line with a hard return, as it does not alter the dialogue margins.

If one character interrupts another, then end the first character‘s speech with an M-dash (a space followed by two hyphens), not with a period. Do not add an M- dash to the start of the second character‘s speech. If the first character‘s speech trails off, then end that speech with an ellipsis. If the second character finishes the first character‘s sentence, then start the second character‘s speech with an ellipsis.

When writing dialogue in two columns to indicate simultaneous speeches, the left margin of the first dialogue column must be inset slightly. It must not start in the same column as the action or description margin.

An acronym such as F.B.I. would be presented in dialogue as F – B – I, omitting the periods and using a hyphen flanked by spaces to separate each letter. This makes it clear that each letter should be spoken.

Never use ALL CAPS, bold, or italics in dialogue. Instead, underscore the word or phrase you wish to emphasize.

There is no standard way to indicate some passage of dialogue is in a foreign language. However, the most common way is to write the lines in English and 41 enclose them in square brackets. When the first speech in a foreign language appears in the script, it‘s generally accompanied by a note in parentheses:

Don‘t center the dialogue. Each line should begin at the same column on the page (2.9 inches from the left edge being standard).

Screenplays have their own unique rules for breaking a page, rules your average word-processing software doesn‘t follow. Those rules dictate that, among other things, dialogue may be broken only between sentences, not in mid-sentence. While there tends to be more flexibility when it comes to breaking description, the standard practice is to follow the same end-of-sentence rule.

When breaking a page in the middle of dialogue, it‘s customary to add the word ―MORE‖ (in ALL CAPS and parentheses, but without the quotes) after the speech at the bottom of the page. This ―(MORE)‖ appears on its own line at the same margin as the character cue:

To indicate the speech is continuing, insert the modifier ―cont‘d‖ (in lower case and enclosed within parentheses, but without the quotes) at the top of the next page , one space to the right of the character cue:

If one character addresses another by name, epithet, or title, that name should be set off with a comma. (―Master Weston, how cruelly you save yourself for the tennis court.‖) This is an elementary rule of punctuation.

Spell out numbers when they appear in dialogue. Avoid using symbols and abbreviations in dialogue. This is partly a timing issue, to preserve the page-per-minute estimate in screenplays.

If one character interrupts another, then end the first character‘s speech with an M-dash (a space followed by two hyphens), not with a period. Do not add an M-dash to the start of the second character‘s speech. If the first character‘s speech trails off, then end that speech with an ellipsis. If the second character finishes the first character‘s sentence, then start the second character‘s speech with an ellipsis.

Never use ALL CAPS, bold, or italics in dialogue. Instead, underscore the word or phrase you wish to emphasize.

There is no standard way to indicate some passage of dialogue is in a foreign language. However, the most common way is to write the lines in English and enclose them in square brackets. When the first speech in a foreign language appears in the script, it‘s generally accompanied by a note in parentheses:

If there are only a few lines in a foreign language, it may be simpler just to use personal direction with the words ―in Spanish,‖ for example.

How to write a script treatment?

WHAT is a script treatment? A script treatment tells the events of your film/episode, in the order they will appear on screen. Roughly, each paragraph should represent a scene.

Make sure to include these 3 key elements, it‘s easy to remember them as THE 3 C‘s:

1. Character Objective. 2. Conflict. 3. Change.

Character Objective – “What does the character want”. Conflict – “Why can’t the character GET it?” What is keeping our character from getting what she wants or need? Is there another character at play here that doesn‘t want our character to get her way? That is conflict, and without it, there is no scene, no drama, no story. Change – “How did our character do? Did she Succeed or fail?” What is the outcome of the scene, that will lead to what has to happen next? The answer to that question will be found in the next scene…

HINT

Try not to write any dialogue. You‘ll want to, but fight that urge.

What should go in a script treatment? A screenplay treatment generally consists of the following:

• A working title

• The writer’s name and contact information

• A logline

• Introduction to key characters • The story in prose form, including all three acts and major turning points 45

Act I: Setup

The setup involves introduction of the characters, their story world, and some kind of ‗‘inciting incident,‖ typically a conflict that propels us into the second act. It‘s usually the first 20-30 minutes of a film.

Act II: Confrontation or Build

The middle of your story should raise the stakes, you want the audience to keep watching. This is the main chunk of the story and often leads us to the worst possible thing that can happen to the character.

Act III: Resolution or Payoff

And the end should bring some kind of catharsis or resolution, (regardless if the ending is happy or sad).

So, we know what a treatment is (not scary at all, is it?) but –

WHY do we need it? We need a treatment for 2 main reasons:

1. It will save time while writing the episode.

2. It will expose failures in our plot and character motivation.

If the treatment is boring so will be the episode, and no dialogue, no matter how funny or brilliant can save it.

That‘s why you have to try NOT TO write dialogue while working on your treatment. The dialogue will only hide the cracks in the script that the treatment is designed to expose.

Now that we covered the WHAT as well as the WHY, let‘s go to the HOW.

How to write an episode treatment that works? We can break this down to 3 steps.

STEP ONE – main building blocks. In every episode, film, and story, you will find:

• Inciting incident

• 1st turning point

• Mid-point

• 2nd turning point

• Climax – (Resolution or Complication)

In a TV episode, one of the plots may find a resolution, but the main plot will usually not.

The episode‘s inciting incident – what happened that the protagonist cannot ignore and has to act?

STEP TWO – write down every scene in a few short lines. Make sure to keep asking yourself – what does your character wants and what keeps him from getting it.

You should have something like this: 1. Donna gets extra work at the office, at 2 in the morning she sneaks out to get a shower and a change of clothes.

2. Inciting incident- Donna is in her apartment and surprises a guy who broke in. She is trying to escape, but he won‘t let her.

3. At the office – Donna‘s colleague is trying to steal her project since she is not there.

4. Continue to do this all the way to the very last scene of your episode….

Keep in mind:

• You will rewrite it many times, don‘t obsess. The first draft of a treatment is a huge win. Write!

• Remember the 3 C‘s: Character Objective, Conflict, Change.

Let’s recap the 3 steps of building a treatment:

Step 1 – Get the episode‘s main building blocks in place. Step 2 – Write down every scene in a few short lines. Now you have a page or two that tells the story.

Step 3 – Elaborate on every scene. Bring your unique tone and voice to the show.

Exercises

1. Donna sits at her cubical. The whole floor is empty and dark but for a small light coming from a cubical near the window. Donna is looking at a massive pile of paper in front of her, holding a red pen. She‘s tired and has a ton of work to finish… She looks tired, her hair is a mess, there is a stain on her blouse. She‘s had it, she stands up and walks to the cubical. When she gets there, she gets a cold look from Gene who is there in front of a pile of paper just as big. Gene tells her immediately not to go anywhere if they don‘t finish it by morning their boss will kill them. Donna asks Gene if she wants coffee. Gene declines, not kindly, and adds – be quick about it. Donna nods casually and walks down the hall. The second she‘s out of Gene‘s sight she sprints out to the street.

The 3 C‘s are on this scene are:

Character Objective –Donna wants to go home and freshen up.

Conflict – Donna wants to go, Gene wants her to stay.

Change – Donna lies and leaves.

2. choose a script of a show you know and love. Read it and find the episode building blocks: Inciting incident, 1st turning point, Mid-point, 2nd turning point, Climax – (resolution or complication)