Tips on how to start writing your screenplay now.

1. EMBARKING ON YOUR FIRST DRAFT
ADVENTURES IN SCREENWRITING

2. HOW TO WRITE
WHAT TO WRITE

3. SCREENWRITING TECHNIQUE
SHOW, DON’T TELL

4. SHOW, DON’T TELL
All good screenplays are written in an active voice.
Strong action verbs.
Immediate sentence structure.
Lively conveyance of story.
Makes you feel like you’re in the story, watching it unfold.

5. SHOW, DON’T TELL
Katniss was disappointed and upset that her little sister Prim had been
selected to be a competitor in the Hunger Games. She would most certainly
face death, being so young. Indignant, Katniss walked out among the
crowd, raised her hand and volunteered herself in her sister’s place.
PASSIVE VOICE

6. SHOW, DON’T TELL
GIST OF THE SCENE:
Katniss was disappointed and upset that her little sister Prim had been
- Katniss’ is disappointedGames.upset most certainly
and She would
selected to be a competitor in the Hunger
face death, being so young. Indignant, Katniss walked out among the
- raised her hand and volunteered herselfinto indignance
This disappointment turns in her sister’s place.
crowd,
- Katniss volunteers for the Hunger Games

7. SHOW, DON’T TELL
Tears forming in her eyes, Katniss steps forward, ignoring the guards’
protests and screams out, “I volunteer myself as tribute”.
ACTIVE VOICE

8. SHOW, DON’T TELL
INDIGNANCE
DISAPPOINTED
&
UPSET
Tears forming in her eyes, Katniss steps forward, ignoring the guards’
protests and screams out, “I volunteer myself as tribute”.
VOLUNTEERS

9. SHOW, DON’T TELL

10. SCREENPLAY FORMAT
WHY WRITE IN THIS WAY?

11. SCREENPLAY FORMAT
This is what
a script
looks like ...

12. SCREENPLAY FORMAT
Why do we need a special format for scripts?
The ultimate goal is to make the script easy to read.
The script is the blueprint for production - every department head is
expected to look at it and make sense of it to do their job.
The format has been designed such that the flow is uninterrupted by
extraneous details on the page.

13. SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY
DECODING THE SCRIPT

14. SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY
SLUG LINE
or
SCENE HEADING
•INT / EXT. LOCATION - TIME
•ALL IN UPPERCASE

15. SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY
DESCRIPTION
•DESCRIBES WHAT CAN BE SEEN
•SHOW, DON’T TELL

16. SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY
Description is always written in third person, present tense
“Katniss stands among the crowd, looking confidently to the stage as the
tributes are being selected.”
“Gravely, Katniss steps forward with purpose and conviction, ignoring the
stunned guards.”
“Prim screams in protest as she’s carried away from the square on Gale’s
shoulder.”

17. SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY
Katniss stands among the crowd, looking confidently to the stage as the
tributes are being selected.

18. SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY
Gravely, Katniss steps forward with purpose and conviction, ignoring the
stunned guards.

19. SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY
Prim screams in protest as she’s carried away from the square on Gale’s
shoulder.

20. SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY
CHARACTER
•FIRST APPEARANCE IS IN UPPERCASE
•ALL OTHER APPEARANCES IN NORMAL FORMATTING

21. SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY
DIALOGUE
•WHAT THE CHARACTER SAYS ON SCREEN
•NAME OF CHARACTER MUST BE IN UPPERCASE

22. SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY
PARENTHESES
•TO GIVE SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF MOVEMENT, GESTURE OR
METHOD OF DELIVERY

23. SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY
TRANSITION
•TO DESCRIBE HOW A SCENE CHANGES FROM ONE TO THE NEXT
•CAN BE A “CUT TO”, “FLASH TO”, “DISSOLVE TO”, “FADE OUT”, ETC.

24. SCREENPLAY TERMINOLOGY
SLUGLINE /
SCENE HEADING
SCENE
DESCRIPTION
DIALOGUE
PARENTHESES
TRANSITION

25. SCREENWRITING SOFTWARE
Final Draft
Movie Magic Screenwriter
Celtx - FREE! (www.celtx.com)

26. SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE
LAY IT OUT TO PLAY IT OUT

27. SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE
Story is NOT Plot
Plot is the arrangement of incidents
Screenplay structure is how these incidents are arranged

28. SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE
ACT ONE
INTRODUCTION.
A goal-oriented protagonist is introduced at a point of crisis meeting
roadblocks produced by the plot and the antagonist

29. SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE
ACT TWO
CONFRONTATION.
The action intensifies and an event happens that forces the character to
make a choice.

30. SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE
ACT THREE
RESOLUTION.
The level of effort rises to new heights and both plot and character are
resolved. The main character either achieves or does not achieve his
goal.

31. SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE
I. We are introduced to Katniss Everdeen and the concept of the Hunger
Games. Her little sister Prim gets selected and to save her, she volunteers
to go in her stead.
II. Katniss trains and plots to get out of the Hunger Games but only starts to
really fight back against the state when she witnesses Rue’s death - a girl
who reminds her of her sister.
III.Katniss overcomes the odds and defies the state by not only winning but
also saving her partner Peeta.

32. WRITING FOR AN AUDIENCE
WHAT DO WE WRITE?

33. CONFLICT
Conflict is the central feature of the screenplay.
Man vs Man
Man vs Self
Man vs Environment
People watch a film or TV show to see CONFLICT.

34. CONFLICT
Conflict is the opposition of persons or forces.
It is the interaction of opposing ideas, interests or wills.
It creates the plot.
As your characters attempt to reach their goals, they come into conflict with
each other.
The end of the story nears when the protagonist and antagonist approach
their goals and the conflict rises to generate maximum suspense and
excitement.

35. WRITING CONFLICT
Setting: Primary School
Characters: Two primary six students, best friends
WRITE:
Three short paragraphs outlining the plot for your story, keeping in mind
3-act structure (Introduction / Confrontation / Resolution).
One key scene - in screenplay format - where the characters come into
conflict with each other.

36. WRITING CONFLICT
AUTOGRAPH BOOK (2003)
Dir: Wee Li Lin

38. AUTOGRAPH BOOK
I. We are introduced to Su Min and Tessa, two friends on the cusp of
leaving Primary School. Su Min mistakenly thinks Tessa has let someone
else sign the first page of her autograph book and begins a cold war with
her.
II. Su Min’s relationship with Tessa is strained even more when she thinks
Tessa has reported her vandalism to the teacher. Armed with a marker,
Su Min chances upon a sleeping Tessa and her autograph book in the
library.
III.Su Min chooses to NOT deface Tessa’s autograph book but instead,
covers her with her cardigan, showing contrition and maturity - she’s
changed.

39. SCREENWRITING ADVICE
AND THEN YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN (MOSTLY).

40. ON SCRIPTS ...
•
What is the main conflict?
•
Is the story visual?
•
Does the story begin late and end early?
•
Is the script roughly 75% action and 25% dialogue?
•
Can the main character’s goals be harder to reach?
•
What is the single most powerful emotion the story leaves with the
audience?

41. ON WRITING ...
•
•
•
If you have a work in progress, never stop for the night. Sleeping on
problems is a myth. Solve it and then go to sleep.
If you can’t get started, write anyway. It doesn’t matter what you write,
you’ll soon begin to think and move in your own rhythm and pace
Procrastination is your biggest enemy. Just start - there’s never a good
time.

42. leslietan@np.edu.sg