Next Lesson!!

Premise. You need to know, in the simplest terms, what drives your story. The following is clipped from the internet:

The premise should be the driving force behind every event in your screenplay. A good premise is derived from emotions--love, hate, fear, jealousy, desire, etc.--and revolves around a character, a conflict and a conclusion. For example, the premise of William Shakespeare's Othello is that unchecked jealousy leads to death. Othello is the character, his jealousy of Desdemona is the conflict and death (of both) is the conclusion. In James Cameron's film Titanic (1997), the premise is that love conquers death, physically and spiritually.

Rose's forced engagement are the conflict and the conclusion is that Jack's love helps her beat death and free herself from her fiancé. In Jonathan Demme's film The Silence of the Lambs (1991), the premise is that courage destroys evil. FBI agent Clarice Starling is the character, the conflict is her fear of the serial killer Buffalo Bill and the conclusion is that she overcomes her fears in order to defeat her opponent. As noted by Egri, "A good premise is a thumbnail synopsis of your play."

If your story does not have a clear premise, it will lack focus and drive. For example, if a story is more "illustrative" than dramatic, presenting ideas rather than conflict, it may not maintain an audience's interest.If a story has more than one premise, or if the premise changes along the way, it will confuse and bore the audience. Either way, the script won't work. However, some screenplays, like Steven Gaghan's script for Traffic (2000) and Alan Ball's script for American Beauty (1999), are able to succeed with multiple story lines and points of view. This is because while these movies may seem at first to be without a premise, in fact, each separate storyline has its own clear premise.

Alex

More free stuff from internet!!



If you are an aspiring screenwriter, and are not sure where to get started, there is a simple technique that I have learned in screenwriting class. Ask yourself three questions

Whose story is this?
What does he/she want?
What is in her/his way?

Lo and behold, you have the most fundamental building block a writer needs: Conflict. Once you have figured out these three questions, and you have your protagonist and conflict, you can safely move on to your storyline, outline, first draft and finally, voila, you have a screenplay. Watch any movie, and you will almost always be able to answer these three questions. They are inherent in human drama



Alex

Movie Terms A - Z

ANGLE ON - Directs the camera to focus on a person or thing.

AD LIB - Instructs actors to make up and fill in dialogue in the scene.

CONTINUED - Used at the beginning and end of a screenplay page. However fashion has changed and it isn't used in screenplays anymore.

CRANE SHOT - The camera, fixed to a crane mechanism, is allowed to float through the air (Rather than use this in a screenplay suggest the same shot in another way)

BEAT - A pause written into a character's speech or action. Longer pauses can be written as "two beats", "three beats", etc. Equivalent to the beat of a waltz.

COVER PAGE - The first page of the screenplay. It contains the title, author names, and author address data.

CUT TO - To immediately go to another person or setting

DISSOLVE TO - A film editing technique where one scene "melts" or fades into another scene. Can be used in place of "cut to" to suggest a longer passage of time but not strictly necessary

ESTABLISHING SHOT - Used to give an overall perspective of a scene. This is rarely used now but would be done thus " EXT. ROBIN'S HOUSE - DAY (ESTABLISHING) "

EXT. - Used in the scene heading. Short for exterior.

FADE IN - This is the start of the screenplay. The screenplay always begins with this statement.

FADE OUT - Equivalent to THE END in a novel. The screenplay always ends with this statement.

INT. - Used in the Master Scene Heading. Short for interior.

INSERT - An item that is inserted into the camera view. Usually a note, or picture is inserted so the audience can either read what is on the note, or see the picture.

LOG LINE - A one or two sentence summary of your screenplay which is designed to intrigue someone enough to want to read it.

MASTER SCENE HEADING (SLUG LINE) - Begins each new scene. It consist of three parts: The LOCATION, PLACE, and TIME of the scene. e.g. * EXT. PLAYGROUND - NIGHT or * INT. BEDROOM - DAY

MONTAGE / SERIES OF SHOTS - A number of different scenes shown one after the other. Used to show a number of events passing in a short period of time.

O.S. / O.C. - OFF SCREEN or OFF CAMERA. A character talks, or something happens out of view of the camera.

PARENTHETICAL (WRYLIES) - Direction for the actor in a scene e.g. "wryly" or "sadly" Usually signals an emotional action. Only use when it isn't obvious.

PAN - A camera shot from side to side. (Rather than use this in a screenplay suggest the same shot in another way)

PLOT POINT - A turning point, or transition in the screenplay that propels the screenplay forward.

POV - Point of View. The perspective view of one character as they look at another character, or thing in the scene.

SPEC SCRIPT - A speculative screenplay written while not under studio contract.

SPLIT SCREEN - The location of the scene is divided in to two, or more, sections. (Rather than use this in a screenplay consider how bloody stupid the technique looks and decide not to)

SUBLIM - A shot lasting less than a second. (A very brief flashback)

SUPER - A superimposition. One image merged into another image.

TREATMENT - A detailed, third person, present tense, narrative summary of a script.

V.O. - Voice Over. Usually used by a narrator of a scene. The character doing the VO is usually not in the same location as the scene.

ZOOM - A camera focus upon something in the scene. (Rather than use this in a screenplay suggest the same shot in another way)

What do you capitalize in the action part of the script?

If you're mentioning an alien spaceship for the first time do you say:
An ALIEN SPACESHIP is streaking through space.
or
An ALIEN SPACESHIP is STREAKING through space.

Here's another one. Do you say:
a dozen CUSTOMERS
or A DOZEN CUSTOMERS

Here's another one. Do you say:
The SOUND of a RACE CAR roars by.
or
The sound of a RACE CAR ROARS by.

Thanks!

Wow. Alex, Thank you so much. I really appreiciate you taking the time to give me such great advice! I know so much more after reading all you posted. I have a question, though. When do you instruct the actors to ad lib?
Also, is there anything that pertains to writing a comedy screenplay?
~Emma

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Are DISSOLVE TO: and CUT TO: and SMASH CUT: etc. in between scenes
>necessary or can they be left out?


Never use "CUT TO:" simply because that's the normal way to move from one scene to another. As for "SMASH CUT:" I've yet to figure out what
one of those critters is! To splice a strip of film from one scene onto a strip of film that is another scene is a standard "cut." I
don't know how to smash it.

On the other hand, there may be times when a writer wants to show or do something specific with the transition. In this particular case I
used the dissolve as a point of illustration because this is a "teaching" script. There may be a time and reasons why a writer wants
to move from one scene to the next with a "MATCH CUT:" or even a "MATCH DISSOLVE TO:" For example, in "TITANIC" when
(writer/director) James Cameron wanted to move backward in time, he did an ECU (extreme close up) with a "MATCH CUT:" of old Rose's eye,
and voila! When the camera pulled back, we moved back from young Rose's eye and into her youth. Match cuts are excellent ways of
moving in time and/or moving to another location. It can be done by focusing on a plate, a candle flame, a gum wrapper on the floor, whatever works.


A "DISSOLVE:" or "DISSOLVE TO:" or "FADE" or "FADE TO BLACK:" (never ever use "FADE OUT." anywhere except at the end of a script) can be
used to show specific things such as passage of time, possibly in the same location, or a fade might be used when a character has been hit
over the head to illustrate the character sinking into unconsciousness. It's all up to the writer's imagination.


Alex

Emma
I am one of the not-american screenwriters on this forum. Ik have a website about screenwriting in dutch. Ik startyed toi make an english version but have not yet completed it. If you would like to go a bit deeper into the things that Alex posted I can upload all I have and give you the adress to visit the english version. I do get a lot of positive reactions from Dutch readers.
It is not easy to help someone wrting a script if there is no direct question. Screenwriting has so many rules and aspects that you can write a book about and some people did.

Alex, hank you again for all those tips.
Mr Wendal,I would love to have the web address for the english version.
and heres a direct question:
When your writing a screenplay how often do you give the cameras directions, or is that the directors job?
Also, should a screenplay have blocking for the actors in it?
thank you!
~Emma~

Also, what are shooting scripts and spec scripts?
Whats the difference?

quote:

What do you capitalize in the action part of the script?

I limit capitalization to the introduction of a character, objects that ought to have attention drawn to the them and the rare camera direction included. Here's an example:

***

INT. CHINESE RESTAURANT - DAY

A CLOSE-UP of a raw slab of steak. Scott’s nose hovers an inch from it. He sniffs several times.

ZOOM OUT reveals a busy restaurant kitchen. Scott wears a suit and has a HEALTH INSPECTOR BADGE clipped to his lapel. JOE CHEN (28) stands next to him, holding a box.

quote:

Also, what are shooting scripts and spec scripts?
Whats the difference?

Shooting script is one that is ready for production. Contains director notes and some camera instruction.

Spec script is a script written "on speculation" meaning it is an original piece designed to draw the interest of a studio or indie producer. These are void of camera instruction and director notes. So unless you are writing something that is already funded and ready for production, you're writing a spec script.

quote:

As for "SMASH CUT:" I've yet to figure out what
one of those critters is!

LOL! I've always wondered the same thing.

I don't use "CUT TO:". It unnescessarily lengthens your script.

The one edit note I do use is "JUMP CUT" to illustrate a shift in time within the same scene. For example:

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

Roger empties a jigsaw puzzle onto the coffee table. After sifting through the pieces, he begins to assemble the puzzle.

JUMP CUT:

LATER.

Roger sits on the couch, admiring the finished puzzle.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: edsas,

ok, I get it. Thanks edsas

Well Emma (and others)the link below will take you straight to the english version of my website or homepage. It is rather new and there might be some type errors of others but I will look at it as soon as I got time.
I hope you like it and it is useful. Hollywood can use some more great writers.
http://home.tele2.nl/scenariohandboek/Index%20enlish.html

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mr Wendal,

cool site!

when writing a screenplay, is there a rule about how long to make the dialogue?
Can the dialogue be to long, or to short?

There is probably a more technical definition for a Smash Cut, but I understand it to be a dramatic, even jarring, cut.
... maybe it's a memory hit.
... maybe it's something that happens very quickly and suddenly.

...It definately is something you never need to put in a screenplay!

...If you use nothing but CUT TO (which, like Edsas notes, is assumed and artificially adds length and detracts from the story), you'll be just fine. Try to avoid everything else (even dissolves unless absolutely needed... Let the expert editors worry about that.

Also, there is no real "ad lib" in screenwriting. You are the writer. This is your job! The only thing that's reasonable acceptable is if character are doing something as the scene starts or ends (or in the background). If 2 characters are bickering at the end of a scene, you may be able to get away with that in the action line (otherwise, you might have to write out: "You want a piece of me?" "Oh yeah? You want a piece of ME?"... and that, like eliminating the CUT TO's are a knowing nod to the reader that you don't want to waste any of his/her valuable reading time.

But ultimately screenplays are descriptions of pictures and dialogue and nothing else.

And if they cast Robin Williams or Jim Carrey to star in your script, trust me, they will ad lib where they see fit. But in case the actors are stuck with the script, they'd better have some actual dialogue to fall back on.

How long to make dialogue... there's no rule (except that novices generally make it too long). Basically try to keep dialogue to 1 thought per side (side being 1 character's turn to speak) - and about 7 sides per conversation. Yes, this is WAY too over-restrictive, but it's pretty accurate... and it keeps scene short and to-the-point (as they ought to be). Overall, keep dialogue to a minimum. Try to avoid having anyone say what the audience has already seen, or will see, or have already heard.

Do whatever you can to keep your story moving forward.

How thorough do interior explinations need to be?

Every wall and piece of furniture, or a general style, such as ''the room is large and made up in a fluffy French style.

A

Hi there everyone, i just wanted to introduce myself. i'm new to this forum, and i saw the word "newbie" and came running. i'm currently working out the story for a script idea. i'm very interested in screenwriting, and most other aspects of film. thought i'd just stop by and introduce myself.

hope to speak to you all in the future.

Greets fellow writers!

I too am a noob. A little back story, I've been writing (technically) since I was eleven. Of course, nothing that would make me money, but regardless, I've always loved writing and have always wanted to be a writer.

Well, life happened, and I am a horrible procrastinator. A huge flaw I really need to work on, especially in this field. I am married now, with an almost 11 month old baby girl. We are trying to work on me being a SAHM (stay at home mom) and I just got back into writing. Back in '98 I wrote my first screenplay. A sci-fi/fantasy. It's my baby....and I've redrafted it a million times. I have Movie Magic Screenwriter (I think that's the name) v 2000 !!! I should update it, but -- well, as I said earlier, I recently had a kid which equals no cash! Hah!

I wrote my second screenplay in 2000. It is more of a drama / romantic comedy. It unfortunately had ended up 140-something pages (I know I know, too long). But was written in five "friggin" days. A huge accomplishment on my part, and it only happened because I had quit all my jobs and thrown myself into my office and stayed there for that amount of time. of course the story itself had been cooking up in my head for atleast a year.

So anyhow, that is my history. I am still learning about loglines, query letters, and all that mumbo jumbo. I have bought books, read the net on information, and am about to get back into my script writing software to freshen up. I decided to find a message board for help on things like the previously mentioned. I am honestly a little leery at sharing my work (who wouldn't be though, right?) on the internet. So it may take some time if ever, before I go that far with this board. I'm happy with first base...possibly second. ;)

I am also going to take a dab at magazine writing, television writing (researching it anyway) and eventually, novel writing (and childrens books)...I am one of those people that can't be satisfied doing one thing, and consider myself pretty decent at learning how to do something the way the industry wants it done. I just like writing, so any kind that I can eventually get paid for is the kind I will do. =D

-CC

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sunshine13,