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SCREENWRITING – WEEK TWO
FORMATTING
SCREENWRITING - WEEK THREE and FOUR
STRUCTURE
1) Determines what happens and when it happens.
a. The sequence of events told in proper order TO ELICIT MAXIMUM
EMOTION.
i. Curiosity – what will happen?
ii. Suspense – will it happen or not?
iii. Tension – when will it happen?
iv. Hope – looking forward to it happening
v. Worry – dreading that it will happen
b. The cities you visit on your cross-country trip.
c. The cup that holds the beverage.
2) Defined by the Hero’s VISIBLE OUTER MOTIVATION.
a. Movie is a journey where the writer knows the destination. Structure is
where the hero needs to be on that journey.
3) Consists of three Acts, Six stages, and five turning points.
a. Gustav Frietag paradigm
b. Michael Hauge’s Plot Structure paradigm
SIX STAGE PLOT STRUCTURE ON BOARD
Watch short films.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD SHORT SCRIPT
Focused and specific
Fresh idea
Characters that engage the audience
Engaging locales
Surprises – twists and turns
SIMPLICITY
Told in one sentence
One main conflict – one incident
Secondary conflict optional
CONFLICT
More than just the seeds of conflict – begin with pre-existing conflict
2
Best characters are strong personalities who oppose each other over the story
problem.
ORIGINALITY
Fresh set of characters dropped into familiar arena
Content based on ideas never explored before in film (Brokeback Mountain)
A new POV toward an old subject (Unforgiven)
Combination of genres (Blazing Saddles)
Murder mystery raised to level of tragedy (Chinatown)
Considering the originality of the idea can save hours of reworking later on. Ask
yourself “WHAT IS NEW AND DIFFERENT ABOUT MY STORY?”
FILMIC QUALITIES
Must be visual, power of images – more than talking heads
Use sound and image to tell story
Fluidity of Movement:
Character action defines who they are
Movement through space and time
DEEPER MEANING
The Theme-the broader subject matter
Theme is underlying, unifying idea concerned with universal concepts
Insures audience will relate to material on a deeper level than just the plot.
Theme is ultimate subject of film.
Themes grow out of who you are and what you believe.
Themes are evident in Character Arc.
Themes made visual and clear in climax.
Watch more shorts and discuss structure, theme, and character development.
THREE PART STRUCTURE OF SHORT SCRIPT
Beginning, Middle, End – same as feature, but can be totally different
ACT I - BEGINNING – THE SETUP.
Needs to happen ALMOST IMMEDIATELY
Inciting Incident can happen even BEFORE the story begins
Set up character wants and needs
Set up Main story Problem – Narrative Question. Will character get _____?
ACT II - MIDDLE – RISING ACTION
The Plan – Hero acts on desires
Rising action requires a variety of escalating conflicts. Not repetitive conflicts.
Like Leadbelly says about the blues…
3
Obstacles: Whatever opposes the protag to achieve goal
The antagonist
Physical obstructions
Inner/psychological or Mystic forces
Complications:
Differ from obstacles. They don’t immediately impose a threat to hero.
Work best when they’re unexpected.
Add tension – What will hero do?
Arrive in the form of: character, circumstance, event, mistake,
misunderstanding, discovery
Reversals – One of the most powerful writing tools
Change of plans is one example
180% shift in direction of action
Crisis – Whenever the hero confronts an obstacle.
Creates conflict, because the outcome is in doubt.
Creates suspense, which necessitates decisions.
Above all… GIVE US THE UNEXPECTED.
ACT III – END – THE RESOLUTION
CLIMAX – highest point of the drama
Conflict resolved… or not
A discovery or realization for characters and audience
Twists, punch lines, reversals, most effective for short
RESOLUTION – Falling action
Unresolved problems are closed here
Best ones have a final insight or new revelation, which puts everything
into context by elucidating the theme. Often included in climax.
CHARACTER
Most short films are character pieces. Show character for who they really
are.
Character drives action.
Best stories are about choices and commitment.
Consequences for taking action and Sacrifices made because of choice.
Story becomes a Test of their commitment and the price they are willing
to pay.
Character Arc. Sometimes characters are agents for change and do not
change themselves. Others around them change.
Develop your Antagonist even more fully than your Protagonist.