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Sep 1, 2019 · How to Write a Movie Script Like Professional Screenwriters. By SC Lannom on September 1, 2019. Understanding how to write a movie script, also known as a screenplay, can seem daunting at first, but once you understand script format and structure you can then focus on your creativity.
- Write Your Logline. A logline is a single sentence that answers the question: What is my story about? It should encompass the plot’s major dramatic question—although it’s not always posed as a question.
- Create an Outline. Begin creating an outline by writing down the main events of your script in order. You can do this in a traditional outline format over one or two pages, or if you have the space, you can write your sentences on index cards and post them on a wall to make it easier to view and manipulate the parts.
- Build a Treatment. Consider your treatment a beefed-up prose version of your outline, one that reads more like a short story. If you’re shopping your script around, a treatment is what you might use to gauge interest; it can also be a good exercise to see if the story works the way you’re hoping it does in your head.
- Write Your Screenplay. Happy with your treatment? Here’s where the hard work comes in. Try to remember all the rules you’ve heard before: Show, don’t tell.
Oct 3, 2023 · In this blog, we’ll take you through the process of writing a movie script, from brainstorming ideas to putting the final touches on your finished screenplay. So grab a pen and paper, and let’s get started!
- Lay The Groundwork
- Flesh Out The Story
- Write The Script
- Wrap Things Up
1. Know what a script is
If this is your first time creating movie magic, you might be wondering what a script actually is. Well, it can be an original story, straight from your brain. Or it can be based on a true story, or something that someone else wrote – like a novel, theatre production, or newspaper article. A movie script details all the parts – audio, visual, behaviour, dialogue – that you need to tell a visual story, in a movie or on TV. It's usually a team effort, going through oodles of revisions and rewri...
2. Read some scripts
The first step to stellar screenwriting is to read some great scripts – as many as you can stomach. It’s an especially good idea to read some in the genre that your script is going to be in, so you can get the lay of the land. If you’re writing a comedy, try searching for ‘50 best comedy scripts’ and starting from there. Lots of scripts are available for free online.
3. Read some scriptwriting books
It's also helpful to read books that go into the craft of writing a script. There are tonnes out there, but we've listed a few corkers below to get you started. 1. Your Screenplay Sucks!– William M. Akers 2. The Coffee Break Screenwriter– Pilar Alessandra 3. The 21st Century Screenplay– Linda Aronson 4. The Nutshell Technique– Jill Chamberlain 5. The Art of Dramatic Writing– Lajos Egri 6. Screenplay– Syd Field 7. The Sequence Approach– Paul Joseph Gulino 8. Writing Screenplays That Sell– Mich...
5. Write a logline
You're likely to be pretty jazzed about writing your script after watching all those cinematic classics. But before you dive into writing the script, we've got a little more work to do. First up, you need to write a ‘logline'. It's got nothing to do with trees. Instead, it's a tiny summary of your story – usually one sentence – that describes your protagonist (hero) and their goal, as well as your antagonist (villain) and their conflict. Your logline should set out the basic idea of your stor...
6. Write a treatment
Once your logline's in the bag, it's time to write your treatment. It's a slightly beefier summary that includes your script's title, the logline, a list of your main characters, and a mini synopsis. A treatment is a useful thing to show to producers – they might read it to decide whether they want to invest time in reading your entire script. Most importantly, your treatment needs to include your name and contact details. Your synopsis should give a good picture of your story, including the...
7. Develop your characters
What's the central question of your story? What's it all about? Character development means taking your characters on a transformational journey so that they can answer this question. You might find it helpful to complete a character profile worksheet when you're starting to flesh out your characters (you can find these for free online). Whoever your characters are, the most important thing is that your audience wants to get to know them, and can empathise with them. Even the villain!
9. Know the basics
Before you start cooking up the first draft of your script, it's good to know how to do the basics. Put simply, your script should be a printed document that's: 1. 90-120 pages long 2. Written in 12-point Courier font 3. Printed on 8.5" x 11", white, three-hole-punched paper Font fans might balk at using Courier over their beloved Futura or Comic Sans. However, it's a non-negotiable when you write a script. The film industry's love of Courier isn't purely stylistic – it's functional, too. One...
10. Write the first page
Using script formattingprogrammes means you no longer need to know the industry standard when it comes to margins and indents. That said, it’s good to know how to set up your script in the right way. 1. The top, bottom and right margins of a screenplay are 1" 2. The left margin is 1.5" (the extra half-inch of white space on the left of a script page lets you bind your script with brads, but still makes the document feel balanced in terms of the amount of text on the page) 3. The entire docume...
11. Format your script
Here’s a big ol’ list of items that you’ll need in your script, and how to indent them properly. Your script-writing software will handle this for you, but learning’s fun, right? Scene heading The scene heading is where you include a one-line description of the location and time of day of a scene. This is also called a ‘slugline’. It should always be in caps. Example: ‘EXT. BAKERY - NIGHT’ tells you that the action happens outside the bakery during the nighttime. Subheader When you don’t need...
19. Write final draft
After you've made notes and gathered feedback, it's time to climb back into the weeds and work towards your final draft. Keep making edits until you're happy. If you need to make changes to the story or characters, do those first as they might help fix larger problems in the script. Create each new draft in a new document so you can transfer parts you like from old scripts into the new one. Drill into the details, but don't get so bogged down in small things that you can't finish a draft. And...
20. Presentation and binding
There are rules for everything when writing a script. Even how you bind the thing. Buckle up! 1. The first page is the title page, which should be written in – you guessed it! – 12-point Courier font 2. The title page must include the title of your script, with ‘written by’ and your name in the middle of the page 3. Put your contact information in the lower left-hand or right-hand corner 4. You can also put Registered, WGA or a copyright notification in the lower left-hand or right-hand corne...
- Writing a Screenplay: A Detailed Guide Of How To Write A Film Script. Screenwriting is a fascinating process which, in the end, requires talent, passion, dedication, creativity and technical skills in order to succeed in such a competitive industry.
- Answer Pre-scripting Questions Prior To Writing Your Screenplay. Before you write your screenplay, save yourself months, and even years, of frustration by asking yourself the following questions
- Think in Pictures. Film is a visual medium, so when you are writing a script for a movie, think in pictures. Think in terms of pictures that tell stories through images that linger in our minds and through dialogues that are believable and concise.
- Developing The Perfect Movie Character. Many beginning writers ask questions like, how do I write a movie script with the perfectly flawed character? An unforgettable character like James Bond, for instance?
May 4, 2023 · To write a movie script, start with a scene heading at the top of the page in all capital letters that describes the location and time of day of the scene. Then, include a 3-5 line action paragraph that describes what's happening in the scene using an active voice in the present tense.
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Jun 20, 2021 · A script acts as a blueprint for any movie or TV show. It contains the complete story, describes all the action in the film, and more importantly, provides an account of all the characters. Technical crews will rely on the script for camera direction while the art direction team will look into the script to get an understanding of how a ...
