Screenplay seminar

How important is the screenplay?

“ If you have a great script, you can almost shoot the damn thing on gaffer tape, it doesn't matter.” - Gale Tattersall, Director of Photography, House M.D.

Your screenplay should:
Tell a great story
Be a “page turner”
Excite others about your project

Screenplay Do’s
Keep it interesting (rule #1)
Describe things that can be seen
Use active voice
Proper screenplay format

Screenplay No-No’s
Camera angles
“ We see”
Passive voice
Large blocks of description
Trivial action

“ I think part of being a good screenwriter is being concise as possible.” -Eric Roth, Forrest Gump screenwriter

Screenplay Format
12-point Courier font
Slug line (INT/EXT., location, time of day)
Action (what is happening)
Dialogue (what is being said)
Parenthetical (special dialogue note)
Mini slug (location – keeps action flowing)

Describe in 3
Describe a new location or character in no more than three sentences.
Be creative and clever
Get all pertinent information across quickly (what do you want the reader to know?)
Dialogue also describes character

Let’s practice! In three sentences or less, fully describe your instructor.

Let’s practice! In three sentences or less, describe the room you are sitting in.

Three Act Structure

The Matrix (1999)

“The Hook”
Grab reader at beginning of story
Doesn’t have to be action
5-10 pages to succeed
Less time on shorter scripts (1 page?)
Probably 5-10 seconds on YouTube

“ The Taser”
Put barbs into reader at beginning
Make sure barbs stay put
Zap them for entire screenplay

Homework!
Write 5-page hook (start of any script)
Print out copies for all characters (including screen direction)
Bring to class, assign parts
Read out loud
Share opinions
If using profanity, check with reader first

Free Screenwriting Software Celtx www.celtx.com

Screenplay Archives
Simply Scripts (simplyscripts.com)
Internet Movie Script Database (IMSDB.com)
Horror Screenplay Archive (horrorscreenplay.blogspot.com)
Public/University library

Books on Screenwriting
Syd Field’s Screenplay
Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat!
Robert Mckee’s Story
David Trottier’s The Screenwriter’s Bible (here at the CWC)

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Screenplay seminar

by retrofilms on Jul 12, 2011

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Screenplay seminar — Presentation Transcript