When starting to brainstorm a story its good to think about the 3 Act Structure which helps to plan out the story for scriptwriting.
3 Act Structure Explained
Act I comprises the first quarter of the screenplay. (For a two hour movie, Act I would last approximately 30 minutes.)What happens in Act I (Setup)?
Exposition--The part of a story that introduces the characters, shows some of their interrelationships, and places them within a time and place.Act II comprises the next two quarters of the film. (For a two hour movie, Act II would last approximately 60 minutes.)
This part of the story introduces the main character, the dramatic premise, and the dramatic situation.Inciting Incident--an event that sets the plot of the film in motion. It occurs approximately halfway through the first act.
Main character--the person in the story who has a need/objective to fulfill and whose actions drive the story
Dramatic premise--what the story's about
Dramatic situation--the circumstances surrounding the action
The "Plot Point"--According to Field, the three acts are separated by two plot points. A plot point, often called a reversal, is an event that thrusts the plot in a new direction, leading into a new act of the screenplay. Later screenplay gurus have built on Field's theory by stating that Plot Point #1, which leads into Act II, is the moment when the hero takes on the problem.
What happens in Act II (Confrontation)?
Obstacles--In the second act, the main character encounters obstacle after obstacle that prevent him from achieving his dramatic need.Act III comprises the final quarter of the film. (For a two hour movie, Act III would be the final 30 minutes.)
First Culmination--a point just before the halfway point of the film where the main character seems close to achieving his or her goal/objective. Then, everything falls apart, leading to the midpoint.
Midpoint--a point approximately halfway through the film where the main character reaches his/her lowest point and seems farthest from fulfilling the dramatic need or objective.
What happens in Act III (Resolution)?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Climax (Second Culmination)--The point at which the plot reaches its maximum tension and the forces in opposition confront each other at a peak of physical or emotional action.Denouement--The brief period of calm at the end of a film where a state of equilibrium returns.
3 Act Structure Worksheet
ACT 1 The Setup
A) What is the story's setting?
1. What epoch?
2. What class or kind of society are we in?
3. What pressures on the characters does each environment exert?
B) Characters. Who are they and what does each represent?
1. What are their names, characteristics, and relationships?C) Conflict. What opposing forces are at work in the story?
2. Who is most important and why?
3. What does each character represent in the work's design?
4. What is the main character's agenda--what must he or she get, do, or accomplish?
(Consider this for the story as a whole, then define agendas for each scene. Do they add up?)5. Through whose point of view do we mainly experience the story?
(The POV character is the one whose experience we most share. POV can also move from character to character, according to the storyteller's intentions about what the audience should feel.)
1. What minor problem does each main character face?
2. What obstacles prevent them from carrying out their agendas?
3. The main character's conflict is between ________________ and ______________.
(Be careful here that you can name forces in opposition, not just an emotion or tension in the main character.)4. At what point is exposition complete and the audience in possession of all necessary setup information?
ACT II Complications
A) How have the obstacles faced by the main character changed?
B) What adaptations does he or she make while trying to solve each problem?
C) What new factors raise the stakes? (What developments make the main problem harder to solve?)
ACT III Confrontation, Crisis, and Resolution
After Planing out your story you can then start writing the script which will help make the storyboard.A) What drives the situation toward the final crisis point?B) Where do opposing forces come into the final, decisive confrontation?C) How is the apex of the problem resolved, and which of the opposing forces wins?D) Does anyone learn and grow, even minimally, from this resolution, and if so, how?
Screenplay Guidelines
1. go to https://story.adobe.com/en-us/index.html
2. sign in using your adobe id or create an adobe id
3. after you sign in -- story will open -- click Projects on the top -- then go to the plus sign to the upper right and create a new film script.
A screenplay should instantly grab the reader and keep them page turning, use crisp visual writing in simple sentences, in short paragraphs, with dialogue scenes that are short and snappy and with no mention of the camera (unless absolutely necessary) and without directing the actors or usurping the duties of the costume designer, set designer, cinematographer, etc.
Remember, a screenplay is not a literary document. It is a blueprint for a movie. So make it lean and easy to read. If a brilliant script isn't an easy read, it will never make the first cut. The purpose of these basic screenplay formatting principles is so the reader can freely focus on your characters and story without being distracted by unnecessary description, improper format and convoluted dialogue. And always remember to spell check your script!
Scene Heading
1) Sluglines, also known as Scene Headings. These appear at the beginning of a new scene and tell us the scene's setting. They look like this:
INT. BANK VAULT - NIGHT
Or this:
EXT. FOOTBALL STADIUM - LATE AFTERNOON
Sluglines are made up of these three elements:
Occasionally, you'll need a Sublocation to clarify the Location. That looks like this:
INT. DONALD'S MANSION - BILLIARDS ROOM - NIGHT
Remember, a new scene occurs every time there's a shift in Time, Location, or both. So you'll be writing a lot of Sluglines.
2) Action. This describes what is happening on the screen, and which characters (if any) are involved. It looks like this:
INT. DONALD'S MANSION - BILLIARDS ROOM - NIGHT
Beatrice picks her way through the ransacked room. Cue sticks, books, papers—everything has been searched. She stoops to pick up a photo of a young boy.
With a few exceptions we'll talk about later, Action follows standard rules of capitalization. It's single-spaced and always in present tense. (If the action happened in the past, the Slugline will tell us this. Thanks, Slugline.)
Also, you always need some Action after a Slugline, even it's only a single line. Like this:
EXT. RITZ-CARLTON - DAY
The stretch limousine bursts into flames.
3) DON’T FORGET TO INTRODUCE YOUR CHARACTERS. The first time we meet a character that character should be introduced.
Quick formatting rule: Capitalize the name of any character the first time we meet them. This signals to the reader that they’re meeting someone new. Simple enough.
However, the real challenge with character introductions isn’t the formatting. It’s describing your character just enough so we have a sense for who they are but not so much that we’re bored or pulled out of the story.That’s a fine line to walk, and no two writers walk it the same.
Let’s look at some examples before we cover a few helpful guidelines…
First, from Aaron Sorkin’s script for THE SOCIAL NETWORK:
Two sentences on each character. Note that Sorkin doesn’t just describe what they look like; he presents the dramatic tension at the core of their character.
Here’s another from Frank Darabont’s script for THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION:
Darabont gives us a little more detail than Sorkin. He also does a great job of transitioning from the character description back to the action.
Nora Ephron, on the other hand, tells us little about her leads in WHEN HARRY MET SALLY:
Ephron gives us just enough info to picture the characters but keeps the story moving. (Also, we know from the title that Harry and Sally are the leads, but we could also guess from their having two names while Amanda is stuck with only one. )
One more example. Here’s Judd Apatow’s opening to KNOCKED UP:
Apatow uses even less description than Ephron. And his supporting characters don’t get any. Is any needed? They’re clearly buddies, goofs and slackers.
Grab a piece of paper and write down the names of 20 friends and family members. Then write a character introduction for each.
What descriptors would you use for each friend and family? Is there a particular action they might be doing that would encapsulate their character?
Try several versions for each person: one for a comedy, one for a drama and one for an action movie. Does the genre change the style or content of your introductions?
Character Name. This always appears above Dialogue and tells us which character is speaking. It looks like this:
And sometimes you'll have minor characters that you won't want to name. It's okay to just call them CLERK or PEDESTRIAN or MONKEY WARRIOR. If there are several of the same type of character, add a number: COP #1 or BODY BUILDER #2.
4) Dialogue. The words the character speaks. It looks like this:
Dialogue is single-spaced and follows standard rules of capitalization. (If it's in all caps, you're probably reading a TV script.) Unlike in novels, there are no quotes around Dialogue, unless the character is quoting someone.
Now, here's an example of how all four elements come together on the page:
Presto! You now have the four basic building blocks you need to write a screenplay. Before you continue on to the finer points of variations, margins, and other details, pat yourself on the back.
SLUGLINE VARIATIONS
Now that you've learned how to write a standard Slugline, here are few variations that come up in specific situations:
1) If a scene starts in a general Location, let's say LAUREL'S HOUSE, and continues as the characters move between Sublocations, such as KITCHEN and LIVING ROOM, you don't need to repeat the Location or the Time with each new Slugline. You can do this:
With some help from context, we understand that the two characters are moving around in the same house in continuous time.
2) In the scene above, some writers use "KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS" to emphasize the regular flow of time. But that's not necessary. Instead, CONTINUOUS is best used for stylized scenes where a conversation or action continues right across several Locations. For example:
3) Finally, if a scene occurs in a Location, followed by a scene in the same Location but at a later time, the word LATER can be used in the Slugline.
CUTS:
Once upon a time, it was standard to use the words "CUT TO:" to indicate a change in scene. Nowadays, the cut that comes with a scene change is implied by a new Slugline and CUT TO isn't used as much.
The best time to use CUT TO is when you really want to emphasize the juxtaposition or shift between two scenes. Like this:
You can use JUMP CUT or SMASH CUT to imply a super-fast, in-your-face editing style. If using BRUCE LEE KARATE CHOP CUT makes you feel like a bad-ass, then go for it; just know that many pros consider it amateurish. Besides, no matter how it's written, a cut always happens in 1/24th of a second - the amount of time it takes to switch from one frame to the next.
ACTION SEQUENCES:
Writing an action sequence can take a little getting used to, as you learn to translate what you envision on the screen into words. It certainly helps to read well-written action scripts such as Raiders of the Lost Ark or The French Connection, to see how it's done.
In general, keep in mind that the way you format action should mimic its pace. The faster the action, the more you'll want to break it up into discreet bits. Feel free to use fragments to keep the pace fast. You can also use capitalization to emphasize and draw attention to elements. Like this:
MORE DETAILS
Parentheticals: These are used within dialogue to describe what a character is simultaneously doing, who she's talking to, or how he is speaking. They look like this:
Parentheticals always live inside parenthesis and on their own line. If they hit their right margin, they wrap around to the next line, like above.
Parentheticals also take up space, slow your pace, and annoy actors, who don't like being told how to say their lines; try to only use parentheticals where not using them would lead to confusion, as demonstrated in the following:
Voice Over (V.O.): Used when a character or narrator can be heard talking from some unknown place (the future, heaven, inside our head). It looks like this:
Off Screen (O.S.): Used when a character in the scene can be heard but isn't actually on the screen. It looks like this:
Capitalization within Action: The very first time a character's name appears in Action, it appears in ALL CAPS.
Some writers also use ALL CAPS when a sound effect appears in Action. Others capitalize important props. This would look like this:
MORTIMER groans and pops a handful of aspirin. The tea kettle WHISTLES. Mortimer pulls out a SUB-PARTICLE SUPER BLASTER and blows the kettle to smithereens.
Camera Directions: These indicate how close the camera is and how it will move, focus, etc. Directions include POV shots, pans, tilts, push ins, pull outs, dolly moves, tracking shots, close ups, wides, etc.
It's incredibly tempting, as a story mastermind, to direct your movie on the page using Camera Directions. Resist this temptation. You aren't the director (yet). Unless there's absolutely no other way to communicate a visual sequence upon which your entire plot hinges, leave Camera Directions out.
Page numbers: These go in the upper right-hand corner. There's no page number on the first page of a screenplay.
Scene numbers: DO NOT put scene numbers on your scenes. These are only for shooting scripts, and are used to help the production crew plan the shooting schedule.
Cover page: Centered on the page is the title of your film in ALL CAPS, then a double space and then "by," another double space, and "your name."
In the lower right-hand corner, put your name, mailing address, telephone number, email, and (if you've decided to register your script with the Writer's Guild) your Writer's Guild registration number.
ADOBE STORY WILL DO THIS FOR YOU:
FONT, MARGINS, AND SPACING
Screenplays live on letter-sized paper (8.5 x 11 inches). They're always written in Courier font, 12 point, 10 pitch. No bold, no italics.
Page Margins:
Left: 1.5 inches
Right: 1 inch
Top: 1 inch
Bottom: 1 inch
Screenplay Element Margins
http://screenwriting.io/how-do-you-format-a-montage-in-a-screenplay/
2. sign in using your adobe id or create an adobe id
3. after you sign in -- story will open -- click Projects on the top -- then go to the plus sign to the upper right and create a new film script.
A screenplay should instantly grab the reader and keep them page turning, use crisp visual writing in simple sentences, in short paragraphs, with dialogue scenes that are short and snappy and with no mention of the camera (unless absolutely necessary) and without directing the actors or usurping the duties of the costume designer, set designer, cinematographer, etc.
Remember, a screenplay is not a literary document. It is a blueprint for a movie. So make it lean and easy to read. If a brilliant script isn't an easy read, it will never make the first cut. The purpose of these basic screenplay formatting principles is so the reader can freely focus on your characters and story without being distracted by unnecessary description, improper format and convoluted dialogue. And always remember to spell check your script!
Scene Heading
1) Sluglines, also known as Scene Headings. These appear at the beginning of a new scene and tell us the scene's setting. They look like this:
INT. BANK VAULT - NIGHT
Or this:
EXT. FOOTBALL STADIUM - LATE AFTERNOON
Sluglines are made up of these three elements:
- 1) INT. or EXT. Short for Interior and Exterior, this tells the production crew whether or not they'll be shooting on a sound stage or on location.
- 2) Location. Where the scene takes place. These should be short: LIBRARY CIRCULATION DESK or TRAILER PARK or AL'S BRAIN.
- 3) Time. Usually just DAY or NIGHT but can be as specific as 4:59 A.M. (if, say the bomb is set to go off at 5:00.)
Occasionally, you'll need a Sublocation to clarify the Location. That looks like this:
INT. DONALD'S MANSION - BILLIARDS ROOM - NIGHT
Remember, a new scene occurs every time there's a shift in Time, Location, or both. So you'll be writing a lot of Sluglines.
2) Action. This describes what is happening on the screen, and which characters (if any) are involved. It looks like this:
INT. DONALD'S MANSION - BILLIARDS ROOM - NIGHT
Beatrice picks her way through the ransacked room. Cue sticks, books, papers—everything has been searched. She stoops to pick up a photo of a young boy.
With a few exceptions we'll talk about later, Action follows standard rules of capitalization. It's single-spaced and always in present tense. (If the action happened in the past, the Slugline will tell us this. Thanks, Slugline.)
Also, you always need some Action after a Slugline, even it's only a single line. Like this:
EXT. RITZ-CARLTON - DAY
The stretch limousine bursts into flames.
3) DON’T FORGET TO INTRODUCE YOUR CHARACTERS. The first time we meet a character that character should be introduced.
Quick formatting rule: Capitalize the name of any character the first time we meet them. This signals to the reader that they’re meeting someone new. Simple enough.
However, the real challenge with character introductions isn’t the formatting. It’s describing your character just enough so we have a sense for who they are but not so much that we’re bored or pulled out of the story.That’s a fine line to walk, and no two writers walk it the same.
Let’s look at some examples before we cover a few helpful guidelines…
First, from Aaron Sorkin’s script for THE SOCIAL NETWORK:
Here’s another from Frank Darabont’s script for THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION:
Nora Ephron, on the other hand, tells us little about her leads in WHEN HARRY MET SALLY:
One more example. Here’s Judd Apatow’s opening to KNOCKED UP:
7 RULES FOR INTRODUCING CHARACTERS
You’ve seen the masters at work. Let’s boil this down into a few handy rules you can use in your own screenplays.- Capitalize their names the first time we meet them.
- Tell us their age. It could be a specific age (43) or a general age (early-twenties).
- Make sure we know their gender. Chances are if the name doesn’t give it away, a nearby pronoun will.
- Bring them to life with a few telling details.
- Be concise. We don’t need to know everything. Just give quick sense of who they are.
- Avoid describing bit players. If they’re not important, let their role serve as their name (i.e. JANITOR or TEACHER).
- Give minor characters a descriptive name if you want a little description or need to differentiate between two people (i.e. NERVOUS BOY and ALOOF BOY). You can also use numbers (i.e. PILOT 1 and PILOT 2).
Grab a piece of paper and write down the names of 20 friends and family members. Then write a character introduction for each.
What descriptors would you use for each friend and family? Is there a particular action they might be doing that would encapsulate their character?
Try several versions for each person: one for a comedy, one for a drama and one for an action movie. Does the genre change the style or content of your introductions?
Character Name. This always appears above Dialogue and tells us which character is speaking. It looks like this:
- VERONICA
- TALKING YO-YO
And sometimes you'll have minor characters that you won't want to name. It's okay to just call them CLERK or PEDESTRIAN or MONKEY WARRIOR. If there are several of the same type of character, add a number: COP #1 or BODY BUILDER #2.
4) Dialogue. The words the character speaks. It looks like this:
Dialogue is single-spaced and follows standard rules of capitalization. (If it's in all caps, you're probably reading a TV script.) Unlike in novels, there are no quotes around Dialogue, unless the character is quoting someone.
Now, here's an example of how all four elements come together on the page:
Presto! You now have the four basic building blocks you need to write a screenplay. Before you continue on to the finer points of variations, margins, and other details, pat yourself on the back.
SLUGLINE VARIATIONS
Now that you've learned how to write a standard Slugline, here are few variations that come up in specific situations:
1) If a scene starts in a general Location, let's say LAUREL'S HOUSE, and continues as the characters move between Sublocations, such as KITCHEN and LIVING ROOM, you don't need to repeat the Location or the Time with each new Slugline. You can do this:
With some help from context, we understand that the two characters are moving around in the same house in continuous time.
2) In the scene above, some writers use "KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS" to emphasize the regular flow of time. But that's not necessary. Instead, CONTINUOUS is best used for stylized scenes where a conversation or action continues right across several Locations. For example:
3) Finally, if a scene occurs in a Location, followed by a scene in the same Location but at a later time, the word LATER can be used in the Slugline.
CUTS:
Once upon a time, it was standard to use the words "CUT TO:" to indicate a change in scene. Nowadays, the cut that comes with a scene change is implied by a new Slugline and CUT TO isn't used as much.
The best time to use CUT TO is when you really want to emphasize the juxtaposition or shift between two scenes. Like this:
You can use JUMP CUT or SMASH CUT to imply a super-fast, in-your-face editing style. If using BRUCE LEE KARATE CHOP CUT makes you feel like a bad-ass, then go for it; just know that many pros consider it amateurish. Besides, no matter how it's written, a cut always happens in 1/24th of a second - the amount of time it takes to switch from one frame to the next.
ACTION SEQUENCES:
Writing an action sequence can take a little getting used to, as you learn to translate what you envision on the screen into words. It certainly helps to read well-written action scripts such as Raiders of the Lost Ark or The French Connection, to see how it's done.
In general, keep in mind that the way you format action should mimic its pace. The faster the action, the more you'll want to break it up into discreet bits. Feel free to use fragments to keep the pace fast. You can also use capitalization to emphasize and draw attention to elements. Like this:
MORE DETAILS
Parentheticals: These are used within dialogue to describe what a character is simultaneously doing, who she's talking to, or how he is speaking. They look like this:
Parentheticals always live inside parenthesis and on their own line. If they hit their right margin, they wrap around to the next line, like above.
Parentheticals also take up space, slow your pace, and annoy actors, who don't like being told how to say their lines; try to only use parentheticals where not using them would lead to confusion, as demonstrated in the following:
Voice Over (V.O.): Used when a character or narrator can be heard talking from some unknown place (the future, heaven, inside our head). It looks like this:
Off Screen (O.S.): Used when a character in the scene can be heard but isn't actually on the screen. It looks like this:
Capitalization within Action: The very first time a character's name appears in Action, it appears in ALL CAPS.
Some writers also use ALL CAPS when a sound effect appears in Action. Others capitalize important props. This would look like this:
MORTIMER groans and pops a handful of aspirin. The tea kettle WHISTLES. Mortimer pulls out a SUB-PARTICLE SUPER BLASTER and blows the kettle to smithereens.
Camera Directions: These indicate how close the camera is and how it will move, focus, etc. Directions include POV shots, pans, tilts, push ins, pull outs, dolly moves, tracking shots, close ups, wides, etc.
It's incredibly tempting, as a story mastermind, to direct your movie on the page using Camera Directions. Resist this temptation. You aren't the director (yet). Unless there's absolutely no other way to communicate a visual sequence upon which your entire plot hinges, leave Camera Directions out.
Page numbers: These go in the upper right-hand corner. There's no page number on the first page of a screenplay.
Scene numbers: DO NOT put scene numbers on your scenes. These are only for shooting scripts, and are used to help the production crew plan the shooting schedule.
Cover page: Centered on the page is the title of your film in ALL CAPS, then a double space and then "by," another double space, and "your name."
In the lower right-hand corner, put your name, mailing address, telephone number, email, and (if you've decided to register your script with the Writer's Guild) your Writer's Guild registration number.
ADOBE STORY WILL DO THIS FOR YOU:
FONT, MARGINS, AND SPACING
Screenplays live on letter-sized paper (8.5 x 11 inches). They're always written in Courier font, 12 point, 10 pitch. No bold, no italics.
Page Margins:
Left: 1.5 inches
Right: 1 inch
Top: 1 inch
Bottom: 1 inch
Screenplay Element Margins
- Slugline: left margin 1.5 inches
- Action: left margin 1.5 inches
- Character name: left margin 3.7 inches
- Dialog: left margin 2.5 inches, right margin 2.5 inches (or 6 inches from left edge of page)
- Parentheticals: left margin 3.1 inches, right margin 2.9 inches
- Between Slugline and Action: double space
- Between Action and more Action: double space
- Between Action and Character Name: double space
- Between Character Name and Dialogue: single space
- Between Dialogue and the next Character Name: double space
- Between Dialogue and Action: double space
- Between Character Name and Parentheticals: single space
- Between Parentheticals and Dialogue: single space
- Between Action and Slugline: double space
- Between Dialogue and Slugline: double space
http://screenwriting.io/how-do-you-format-a-montage-in-a-screenplay/
Tips for Storyboarding
The Cold Sting of Anatidae from Karl Hadrika on Vimeo.
Storyboard Artist Karl Hadrika
