I must admit I am not an expert in writing a screenplay, but I have produced one which did get fully released into a short film. So that certainly gives me a bit of a starting point, but don’t expect this post to tell you how to make the perfect script. Because the perfect script doesn’t exist!
Every screenplay has two major components; character and story. The story is broken up into a three-act structure, which is the general rule of thumb. But while writing I try not to think of the story as a three-act structure, this is because you are at risk of having a generic and linear story. Instead, you want surprises, and you want to subvert expectations with the audience. So when it comes to story, just think about how the story evolves naturally and don’t force certain events to happen. The characters are smart enough to know what’s going on, and so the audience will as well.
Character is quite possibly the most important part of writing a screenplay. You need to write the main character as if they’re three-dimensional so they come alive off the page. For an audience to invest in a character they need to have qualities that we can relate to. For example, they could be a father, they might have lost a parent, or they might work in an everyday environment. You must remember less is more. Write about what the character says and needs to be doing. The actors will do the rest and they will flesh out the character. But the actors do need a starting point.
So you’ve got your characters and a story. You might want to grab some sticky notes and plan out the story from start to finish, or you could write it up section-by-section and plan the screenplay on a laptop before actually sinking into it. There are many ways to plan out a screenplay, just think of the best way for you to do it. When it comes down to it, this is your story you’re telling, your characters and only you will know them until you write them down and share them.
It’s not an easy process, it can take many days, even weeks, to finish writing a screenplay. Then you might have to change scenes around, add bits in and take bits out. The final draft will be very different from the first draft, but you will know when it feels like it’s ready to be made because you’ll read it and think...yes, this the story I want to tell.
So go out there and start writing.
Thank you for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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