Story-telling unit: Research into screenwriting

Screenwriting research

What is a screenplay?

A screenplay is the script and shooting directions of a story ready for the production of the film itself. [Merriam-Webster "Definition of a screenplay"] It often has 90-120 pages that are written in Courier size 12 font, this means that roughly one page is equal to one minute of screen time. 

Hence why a screenplay is between 90-120 pages (90-120 minutes), comedies are generally shorter but a drama should be around 120 pages (2 hours). [Mario O.Moreno and Kay Tuxford "Writer's stores"] 

Our brief is for a 10 minute screenplay of a meeting between two characters, therefore they will be ten pages long and when we come to film it will be the first 2 minuets (2 pages).

Screenplays being used

When on a set the; Producer, Director, Set designer and even the actors will all alter the script to what they can do, what they think will work and what they know is achievable, this is because everyone who works on the set of a film is a creative person themselves and a film is a collaboration of these talents. A screenwriter should be aware of the roles people have as well as their individual strengths and weaknesses, this should be reflected in the script. [Mario O.Moreno and Kay Tuxford "Writer's stores"] "A screenplay can survive a bad director and producer but not a bad actor"- Steve .C

A screenwriter should keep in mind that both film and TV are visual mediums (show don't tell), a long monologue from one character works well in a novel but not a script, people don't talk naturally in more then three sentences usually. 

"The very nature of screenwriting is based on how to show a story on a screen, and pivotal moments

can be conveyed through something as simple as a look on an actor's face."-[Mario O.Moreno and Kay Tuxford "Writer's stores"] 

Structure of a screenplay/elements of a screenplay (the first page)

SCENE HEADING/SLUGLINE: A scene heading is a 1 line description of the location and the time of day the scene takes place, it should always be in caps.

SUBHEADER: When a separate scene heading isn't needed but a distinction needs to be made in the action, a sub-header can be used. *should be used sparingly as a script full of sub-headers is frowned upon. 

When there are a series of quick cuts between two locations you'd use the term INTERCUT and the scene locations.

ACTION (AKA= DIRECTION, VISUAL EXPOSITION, BLACK-STUFF  DESCRIPTION OR SCENE DIRECTION): The narrative description of the events of a scene, this is written in the present tense. *Only things that can be seen and heard should be included in the visual action*

CHARACTER: When a new character is introduced their name should be in capitols within the action. After the character's name is always capped and listed above his lines of dialogue. Minor character however can be listed without names and using their job title instead e.g. "TAXI DRIVER"

DIALOUGE: Lines of speech for each character, the dialogue format is used whenever a character is heard speaking even if off screen or through voice-overs.

PARENTHETICAL: Parenthetical is direction for any character, this can be either attitude or action oriented. *Only used if absolutely necessary* this is because if you need to use one to convey what's happening in the dialogue then it more the likely needs a re-write, it's also the directors job to tell an actor how to deliver their lines.

EXTENSION: An extension is an abbreviated technical after the character's name to indicate how the voice will be heard onscreen, for example if the character is speaking as a voice-over it will appear as *LIAM (V.O.)* 

TRANSITION: Transitions are film editing instructions, they generally only appear in a shooting script. 

Transition words can include:

Cut to

Dissolve to

Smash cut

Quick cut

Fade to

*Should avoid using a transition unless there is no other way to indicate a story element*

SHOT: Shot tells the reader/audience the focal point within a scene has changed. *Like a transition there is rarely a time when a screenwriter should insert shot directions, this is the directors job*

Examples of shots:

Angle on...

Extreme close up...

Pan to...
"Top, bottom and right margins of a screenplay are 1" (1 inch), while the left margin is 1.5" (1.5 inches). 

The extra half-inch on the left allows for the binding of the script.

First item on the first page should be "FADE IN", the first page is also never numbered subsequent page numbers are shown at the upper right hand corner next to the right margin."[Mario O.Moreno and Kay Tuxford "Writer's stores"]

From 'Writer's Stores' I learnt the basic structure of a script, what I should and should not be including in it. I learnt how to introduce a character to the script and how minor characters are introduced differently (through their job title not their name), and script terminology such as "extensions", "subhead", "Slugline".

Screenwriters
Youtube channel: 'Lessons from the screenplay'

"Where story meets style- Moonrise Kingdom Wes Anderson"

Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola have a distinctive way of writing their screen plays, whenever you watch a Wes Anderson film you know it's his through the style and look. His scripts include things like; writing detail that is relevant to the story however overlooked in the screenplay it is gets written in parenthesis, including very little camera directions, having a narrator that breaks the 4th wall, and have visual details such as props and colour palettes included in it. 

As well as this characters are written so that they are going about their daily routines before being pulled into the story/introduced to the audience. An example of this is Becky from 'Moonrise Kingdom' who is first seen by the audience eating a sandwich, she later offers food to the men around her and only Scout Master Ward takes one. This both sets up a link between Becky's character and food as well as providing the building blocks for the love story between her and Scout Master Ward that occurs in the background. This allows the world of 'Moonrise Kingdom' to apear as an actual reality within itself, the movie gives the sense it will continue when it ends.

Adventures in the screenplay (William Goldman)= "Every movie...sets it's own special reality. Once those limits are established, they may not be broken without the risk of fragmenting the entire picture."

The dialogue in the film is direct and lacks emotions, characters speak with intense emotion but at the same time they are blunt with each other, what ever they think they say. This gives the audience a direct insight in what they might be thinking, it creates a dissonance (a lack of agreement/inconsistency between the beliefs a person holds and their actions [Merriam-Webster definition of dissonance])for the audience.

Youtube channel: 'Lessons from the screenplay'

"Don't underestimate the screenwriter- Gone girl Gillian Flynn"

Gillian Flynn is the original author of the book 'Gone Girl', she is also the screenwriter for the film adaption. 

Flynn writes her screenplay with efficient action lines, this sets the tone for the script but also means that if a actor or a director wishes to make a change to a line they can do it in the context of the script making it easier for them to do.

Another thing Flynn does is make the last line the point of the scene.

The anatomy of story (John Truby)= "The beginning of the scene should frame what the whole scene is about. The scene should then funnel down to a single point with the most important word or line of dialogue stated last."

(I found this source very informative, it provided the information I need as well as visual demonstrations of what it was explaining. I learnt that screenwriters often have their own unique way of writing a screenplay especially when people like Wes Anderson who is a very visual creator is writing as they want what's in their head to be reflected exactly.)