LEARN SCREENWRITING: From Start to Adaptation to Pro Advice

By Sally J. Walker

• LEARN SCREENWRITING is about evolving cinematic creativity!

On your own        With a Group        In a Class

Part One’s “Intro to Screenwriting” will answer questions like . . .

• Have you ever had an idea for a movie?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Author Academy Elite
• Release date: Jan 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781640855182

Book preview

LEARN SCREENWRITING:

From Start to Adaptation to Pro Advice

By

Sally J. Walker

Copyright 2019 Sally J. Walker

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Published by Author Academy Elite

P.O. Box 43, Powell, OH 43035

www.AuthorAcademyElite.com

All rights reserved. No parts of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without prior writer permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64085-516-8

Hardback ISBN: 978-1-64085-517-5

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-64085-518-2

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018967590

Other Books by Author:

Nonfiction

A Writer’s Year

Learn Genre Film Secrets

Fiction

Desert Time

Letting Go of Sacred Things

The Seduction of Temperance (a novella)

Bikes and Badges

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedication

Preface

Acknowledgments

PART ONE: Intro to Screenwriting

Intro Chapter 1: Fundamentals of Storytelling & No New Stories

All Stories have Structure

Beginning’s Set-up and Questions, Opening Images

Middle’s Confrontations for Empathy and Involvement

Ending’s Satisfaction and Insights

All Stories have Six Elements

Main Character, Environment, Goal, Opposition, Chain of Events, Unity

There are no new stories!

Essence of Plot Elements per Polti

36 Dramatic Situations

Choosing Conflict

The Classic Five

Character Control

Seeking the Unique Freshness

Your Attitude = Intensity

Your Log Line = Story Essence

Protagonist Role

Defining Characteristic

Circumstance Summary

Challenging Complication

Your Statement of Purpose = Theme

Compare Short Story, Novel, Stage Play and Screenplay

Exercises

Intro Chapter 2: The Movie Paradigm

Syd Field and Aristotle on 3-Act Structure

The Mythic Story Construct of Joseph Campbell and Christopher Vogler

Outline of Beats to Beginning, Middle, Ending

Examples from Witness, Hunt for Red October, Avatar

Paradigm Form

Definitions for Accompanying Paradigm

Ten-Step Paradigm Process

Plot Challenges, Not Melodrama

Real

Relevant

Riveting

Exercises

Intro Chapter 3: Cinematic Characterizations

Profiling Characters

36-Point Character Chart

Birthing Characters

General Background Data

Growth & Development Guidelines (Childhood)

In-Depth Personal Data

Understanding Equals Motivation

Psychological Profiling

Self-Awareness

Social Status

Motivation

Normal Behavior

Abnormal Behavior

Plot-Driven or Character-Driven Stories

Possibilities through What If Lists

Character Arc: Internal Impacting External

21 Personality Types

Plotting Character

Putting Profile to Work

Screenplay Characters are Different

A Characterization Worksheet (Novel vs. Cinematic)

Conclusions

Other Casting Considerations

Archetypes

Alpha Male/Beta Male

Alpha Female/Beta Female

Secondary/Supporting Characters as Contrast

Walk-On/Placeholders as Gems

Juvenile Parts

Comic Character as Dramatic Relief

Complex Cowards as Point Makers

Antagonist with Opposite Values

Exercises

Intro Chapter 4: Cinematic Dialogue Guidelines

Fundamental Concepts

Eleven Rules of Dialogue

Fine-Tuning Dialogue

Avoid the Pit-Falls

Avoid Dumping and Explaining

Problem Solving Dialogue

Open-Ended Conversation that Reveals

Too Revealing or Blatant Leading

Analyze for Insight, Information, Story Progression

Exercises

Intro Chapter 5: Narrative, Action, Scene Structure Guidelines

Industry’s Black Shit

Basic Concepts of Screenplay Narrative

One Page = One Minute

Simple Present Tense

Movie, not a Talkie

Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation Count

Character Introductions

No Micro-Choreography

New Paragraph for Imagined New Shot

Narrative Breaks (3-5 Lines)

Slug Lines of INT. or EXT. then NIGHT or DAY

Can’t be seen, not on the page.

Noting Sound Effects

V.O. and O.S.

No Camera Angles in Spec Script

Using POV

Using INSERT

No music, titling or credits placement suggestions

Describing Character Action

Delivery and Reception

Basics of Body Language

Head-to-Toe Approach

Personal Territory’s Proxemics

Five Steps of Sexual Signaling

Repeat Caution: Actors act, Directors direct, Writers just write

Structure of Scene and its Sequel

Scene’s Unit of Time Goal-Conflict-Disaster

Sequel’s Consequences Reaction-Dilemma-Decision

Series of Scenes/Montage

How to Cut Away to Another Subplot

Concept of Beats

Concepts of Sequencing

Exercises

Intro Chapter 6: Screenplay Formatting & Terminology

Invest in Proper Software

Appropriate Freeware

Read a Lot of Scripts

List of Terms

Common Conventions of a Screenplay

Narrative Pointers

Exercises

Intro Chapter 7: Genre Pointers

Succinct Genre Considerations

Genres by Essence

Genre Plot Types

Mystery

Juvenile

Inspirational

Western

Action-Adventure

Science Fiction

Fantasy

Horror

Humor

Romance

Exercises

Intro Chapter 8: The Art of Revision

Identify Your Own Problem Areas

Sally’s Example

Block Revision of Each Act

Examine Big Paradigm’s Picture

Paradigm Checklist

Eight Final Read-Throughs

An Assessment Checklist for Details

Self-Editing as a Responsibility

Exercises

Intro Chapter 9: Professionalism & Marketing Overview

Synopsis, The Industry’s One-Pager

Four Synopsis Pointers

Beginning’s Paragraph & Signposts

Middle’s 3 Paragraphs & Signposts

Ending’s 2 Paragraphs & Signposts

The Five Scripts Rule

Pitching is Its Own Art Form

Industry Attention through Contests

How are Screenplays Evaluated: Coverage

Query Letters, a Thing of the Past

Writers Guild of America (and other Professional Organizations)

A Dramatist’s Tale: Many Paths to the Hollywood Highway

Screenwriters Need Representation

Finding a Signatory Agent

Preparing to Pitch to an Agent

Personal vs. Correspondence Pitch

Do You Have to Have an Agent?

Growing Your Network Locally

Take an Acting Class

Gather with Other Screenwriters

Commitment to Excellence

Exercises

Intro Chapter 10: Reason for All This Information

Concluding Remarks

PART TWO: Book to Film Adaptation

Adaptation Chapter 1: Identifying Story Fundamentals

Difference between Novel & Film

Facts 1-2-3

Visuals

Exposition

Writer Voice

Dialogue

Collaboration

Individual vs. Group Experience

Character-Driver or Plot-Driven?

Identical Elements but Different Focus

Main Character

Environment

Objective/Goal

Obstacles

Chain of Events

Unity

Structural Differences

Exercises

Adaptation Chapter 2: Format Fundamentals

Story Structure

Page Count of Story Structure

Mythic Story

Beginning

Middle

Ending

Analyzing an ENTIRE Novel

Main Plot vs. Subplots

Identify Main Plot Dramatic Conflict

Essence of Conflict (Formula)

Classic Five Conflicts

Evolution of Subplots

Selecting Subplots for the Adaptation

Attaining Focus in Your Story

Attitude

Log Line

Statement of Purpose

Examples

Exercises

Adaptation Chapter 3: Character-to-Cast Mindset

Main Character

Activist

Character Profile

Hierarchy

Innately Dramatic

Visual Suffering

Some Finer Points on Characterization

Novel’s Character Profile vs. Actor’s

Focus, even if Ensemble

Passe Epic Cast of Thousands

Actors Can’t Save Bad Script

Consider Shooting Schedule

Exercises

Adaptation Chapter 4: Cinematic Narrative & Dialogue

Black Shit Slows, White Space Sells

Collaborators Do Their Own Research

Macro vs. Micro-Choreography

Cinematic Dialogue vs. Novelistic Format

Revised Dialogue

Exercises

Adaptation Chapter 5: Translating Plot & Character to Film

Understanding the Market (IMDb.com)

Translating Passion

Actual Adaptation via Outlining

Using the Plot Paradigm

Using the Log Line

Using the Statement of Purpose

Main Plot Focus

Pivotal Subplots

Identifying Character Arc

Pulling from character Profiles

Identifying Repeat Images as Symbols

Pay Attention to Time Line Pacing

Summary

Ten Step Paradigm Process

Exercises

Adaptation Chapter 6: From Log Line to Step Outline/Beat Sheet

Chain of Events

Beat Sheet from Paradigm

Analyzing Microcosm of Scene-and-Sequel

Exercises

Adaptation Chapter 7: Message thru Visuals to Budget

Importance of Quality Visuals

Brush Strokes, not Details

Location Specifics

Economy of Repeat Images

Identify Essential Images (Times Three Rule)

Budget Considerations

Exercises

Adaptation Chapter 8: The Art of Collaboration

Working with Small Indies

When the Pros Handle Production

Taking Notes

Educate Yourself (List of Adaptations)

Changing World

OUTLANDER’S Diana Gabaldon, Author

OUTLANDER’S Ronald D. Moore, Show Runner

Exercises

Adaptation Chapter 9: Concluding Remarks

PART THREE: Comparison, Contrast, & Commentary on the Pro Advice of Blake Snyder and Christopher Vogler

Pro Advice Chapter 1: Semantics of Story Models & You

Essence of Differences, Hollywood Style

Where Story Begins

Why THIS Story

Connecting with the Audience

Exercises

Pro Advice Chapter 2: Use of Story Essence in Log Line

Evolving Your Idea

How to Write a Log Line

Defining Your Market Potential

Training Yourself from the Beginning

Exercises

Pro Advice Chapter 3: Freshness vs. Archetypal Storytelling

Basic Story Structure

What are Genres?

Exercises

Pro Advice Chapter 4: Agreed-upon Archetypal Characters

Main Character Focus

Main Character Motivation

Character-Specific Genre Needs

Nine Character Points

Six Character Types plus Antagonist

From Log Line to Actor Appeal

Rampant Archetypes

Snyder List

Vogler List

Genre Characterization Needs

Alpha-Beta

Exercises

Pro Advice Chapter 5: Creating Signpost vs. Beats

Philosophy of Structure

Snyder’s 15 Parts

Vogler’s Mythic Structure

What is a Beat?

Exercises

Pro Advice Chapter 6: Story that Sells & Audience Satisfaction

Analysis via Storyboarding

Scene & Sequel

How to Break Away in a Subplot

Intensifying Turns

Great Endings = Happy Audience

Exercises

Pro Advice Chapter 7: Hollywood Trenches vs. Intellectual High Road

Storytelling Rule #1 - Care

Storytelling Rule #2 - Be Visual

Storytelling Rule #3 - Clarity

Storytelling Rule #4 - Be Succinct

Storytelling Rule #5 - Be in the Present

Storytelling Rule #6 – Keep It Personal

Exercises

Pro Advice Chapter 8: Targeting Story to Your Market

After-the-Fact Revision

Snyder’s Nine Steps

Twelve Starter Steps

Eight Read-Throughs

Marketing Mindset

Exercises

Pro Advice Chapter 9: Bad to Good

Overcoming Fear

Snyder’s Seven Warning Signs

Focus and Know Yourself

Litany of Wrongs

Problem-Solving the Concept

Sweet Success

Exercises

Pro Advice Chapter 10: Condensing . . . Vividly

Don’t Resis the Magic

Art of Visualization

Spidering, Half-Stepping, Blurry Beats

Building on the Basics

Just How Cool is Conflict

Exercises

Pro Advice Chapter 11: Intensifying Tension

Trnasforming Character and Yourself

Three Worlds and the Bad Guys

B-Story Subplots & Unpredictability

Complicating the Finale

Still Don’t Like It?

Exercises

Pro Advice Chapter 12: Analysis of Spine/Purpose

Note on Titling

Intensifying the Spine

Points #1 & #2 – Defining the Hero Living the Problem

Snyder’s Five Hero Questions

Point #3 – Cut to the Chase & Victory

Points #4 & #5 – Tangible & Spiritual Leads to Arc

Exercises

Pro Advice Chapter 13: Feedback into Revising

Peer Feedback

Coverage

Their Notes and Your Attitude

Recognizing Some Else’s Logic

Common Comments

Objective vs. Subjective Evaluation

Exercises

Pro Advice Chapter 14: Magic of Pitching

Evolve the Pitch

Snyder’s Seven Pitching Points

Agents & Managers

Hollywood Mindset

Film Industry Cycles

Contact Rules

Exercises

Pro Advice Chapter 15: Winning Strategies & Longevity

Tread Softly

Temper Your Heat

Do You Have a Goal?

5 yr, 1 yr, 1 month

Projecting Your Writing Goals = Control

Fit Project to Your Life

Collaborative Writing

Changing Agents

Working Outside Hollywood

Exercises

Pro Advice Chapter 16: Inside and Outside Hollywood

So Far, We’ve Covered . . .

Dark Night of the Soul

Discipline, Focus, and Positive Energy

Exercises

Pro Advice Chapter 17: Concluding Remarks

APPENDICES

A. Polti’s 36 Dramatic Situations – Simplified

B. Plot Paradigm Form with Definitions

C. 36-Point Character Profile

D. A Characterization Worksheet

E. Human Growth & Development Chart

F. Cast List – EYES OF THE CAT

G. The Anxiety Curv

H. Scene-Sequel Analysis – On a Cabin’s Eve

I. Scene-Sequel Analysis – EYES OF THE CAT

J. Step Outline/Beat Sheet – Act I, EYES OF THE CAT

K. Analysis – THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS

L. Synopsis – EYES OF THE CAT

M. The Art of Pitching

N. The Fiction Works Assessment Checklist

O. Screenplay Score Sheet

About the Author

PREFACE

I am addicted to writing. I have to write every day. Something, anything. Even e-mails and social networking help to satisfy that urge but not quite. Nope. I have to create stories. I am driven. I think that’s why I am prolific and love it! I have been a storyteller since I was a toddler and a writer since my first short story written in pencil in the first grade, The Wise Mother Pig. I still have it. It is preserved in plastic covers so I can show it to kids when I do my grade school presentations. My first stage play, The Black Saddle, was written in third grade then my first melodramatic western novella in sixth grade.

At age 16 I sent a letter to one of the original Paramount writers of BONANZA, N. B. Stone, Jr. He mentored my first teleplay via correspondence while on the shooting set of RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY, a film written for Sam Peckinpah to direct and now considered one of the top 100 Best Western Films of All Time. That summer birthed my addiction to screenplays. Seven years later during nursing school, I took a creative writing course and, much to the fine arts majors’ dismay, a nursing student won that year’s Fine Arts Honors for a short story. Working full time as an R.N. with a young and growing family, in 1977 I began on a degree in creative writing which I finally earned in 1985. The rest is history as can be viewed on my website at http://www.sallyjwalker.com.

By of the end of 2018, I had penned fourteen novels (two published and four more being released as I finish the polishes), ten children’s books, six stage plays, 33 screenplays with eighteen of those polished to the marketable stage, and hundreds of poems. I wrote 365 mini-essays electronically released February 2011 as the collection A Writer’s Year, a kind of devotional meant to challenge any writer day-by-day and being updated for Second Edition release. Each discipline has provided a different kind of satisfaction, each enhancing my abilities in the others.

Several former students encouraged me to put my classes into book format. This book is among the first three originally contracted by The Fiction Works for release in electronic format through their business division with my Write Now Workshops logo. When picked up by a new publisher, I was encouraged to expand it to include two more of my introductory screenwriting courses. Learn Genre Film Secrets examines eleven genres and more in-depth concepts of cinematic storytelling, as well as walks through the steps of writing a screenplay. The second part of that book, Romantic Screenplays 101, focuses in even more depth on the development of a cinematic romance, my particular area of expertise.

An analysis concept that has been drilled into me and that I devoutly practice is that basic screenwriting, as well as cinematic plotting and characterizing, can be learned from any films be they from the distant past or recent releases. It is faulty thinking to consider only recent releases will depict current expectations and sound cinematic principles. The mental trick is to know what you are looking for and why it works or doesn’t. Essential principles of screenwriting do not change, only technology changes. Consider the difference.

THIS BOOK

I have taught the material of Part One many times both on-site classroom style and all three Parts on-line. In fall of 2017 I was recruited as an Adjunct Professor to present the Intro material regularly to students at Omaha’s Metropolitan Community College. In that junior college’s eleven week terms my students cover the Intro to Screenwriting material and finish a full-length feature screenplay. Know ye that I am not one of those people who talks the talk, but can’t walk the walk. Periodically, I write a new screenplay of my own as my credit students march through theirs. I use the principles I am about to explain every time I sit down to write a screenplay, adapt any story to film, or expand my awareness by listening to other professional screenwriters. Fundamentals never get outdated. They are what they are: Essential to any writing process.

You may be wondering how I evolved the concepts you will find here. Way back when I was 16 working with the Paramount writer’s encouragement, I discovered something deep inside me that was satisfied writing screenplays, but I also knew I was ignorant of the how’s and why’s of that kind of writing. Even before my BFA studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, I searched and read every text I could on the subject of creative writing in general and screenwriting in particular. There weren’t that many back then. Over the years I have found an ever-growing number of resources that continue to feed my voracious hunger for more knowledge, more insight. That means I am constantly refining my fundamental concepts, just as any devout writer should be doing.

Learn Screenwriting presents my approach to simplifying the screenwriting process with the understanding there is no single right way. I am explaining my way and, yes, it incorporates (and credits) bits and pieces of how others write screenplays and teach screenwriting, as well as incorporates other forms of fictional storytelling and literary analysis.

I have found a lot of people out there who do not have access to film schools. They identified their own desire to try cinematic storytelling then wanted to grow their knowledge without spending their life-savings in the process. For several years I have taught this material on-site to adult learners and even free to teens in the Omaha area just before the annual Omaha Film Festival. Why free to teens? Because N.B. Stone Jr. started me on the journey when I was 16, and I feel the need to pay-it-forward and keep the creativity going.

One profound belief I practice and preach is A multi-disciplinary approach to writing makes all my creative efforts better. Any poet can enhance their appreciation of the world by learning the craft of dramatic writing, just as every novelist can broaden the scope of their fiction and hone their dialogue skills by working in the dramatic forms for stage and screen.

We will begin the journey with storytelling fundamentals you may or may not already know. I have recognized that well-told cinematic stories incorporate literary fundamentals that apply to any and all fictional stories. I will build on and refer to these as the book moves forward. Part Two will apply the principles to evolving a screenplay adapted from other material. Then Part Three will reflect how the concepts have been interpreted by representative screenwriting professionals. You may find some concepts repeated, perhaps in a different way, but the fundamentally same. Essentially I did that because I have found people sometimes pick specific areas to read rather than study the whole. I repeat myself for them. I also address some of the same concepts in different ways in the three parts for those who choose to study one part as a separate course.

Everyone needs to be on the same page. If you find yourself saying I already know that, I challenge you to deliberately walk through the steps as they apply to a script you want to write this moment. Doing the work makes it more meaningful than simply reading about it. You will find exercises at the end of each chapter to jump-start your application process.

If you need more elucidation, here are some of the best books on screenwriting I have read so far in my career. They are presented in a suggested order of progressive reading (from fundamental to advanced concepts). My book on advanced screenwriting concepts (and romance in particular) is included at the end of the list.

The Idiot’s Guide to Screenwriting, Skip Press

(A fundamentals-type text with lots of insider questions answered)

The Writer’s Journey, Christopher Vogler

(A storytelling construct applying Joseph Campbell’s concepts)

Screenplay, Foundations of Screenwriting, Syd Field

(Another fundamentals-type textbook)

The Screenwriter’s Workbook, Syd Field

(An applications-type textbook)

The Art of Dramatic Writing, Lajos Egri

(A fundamentals concept book for stage and film writers)

The 1-3-5 Story Structure System, Donna Michelle Anderson

(A little handbook written by a studio reader-turned-producer applying basics)

Others (in progressively more complex-concept order):

Screenwriting 434, Lew Hunter

Save the Cat, Blake Snyder

Save the Cat Strikes Back, Blake Snyder

Making the Good Script Great, Linda Seger (And any other Seger books...)

Stealing Fire from the Gods, James Bonnet

Writing Screenplays That Sell, Michael Hauge

Story, Robert McKee

The Anatomy of Story, John Truby

Writing for Emotional Impact, Karl Iglesias

Which Lie did I Tell? William Goldman

Screenwriting is Rewriting, Jack Epps, Jr.

Your Screenplay Sucks, William M. Akers

And my own:

Learn Genre Film Secrets, Sally J. Walker

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to especially thank the following individuals (in alphabetical order) for professional and creative information shared over the years in interviews, Q & A sessions, and countless articles: Linda Edelstein, Diana Gabaldon, Joel Gotler (former manager), Manfred Lopez Gremm, Michael Hauge, Film Editor Mike Hill, Linda Howard, Ray Hoy (former Fiction Works publisher), Lew Hunter (special mentor/UCLA faculty), Ty Jones, Wayne Keeley (entertainment attorney), New Zealander Andrew McKenzie, Ronald D. Moore, Stephanie Palmer, Terry Porter (former agent), Brick Price, Laurie Richards, (NE Film Commissioner), Linda Seger, Christopher Vogler, Dori Walker (daughter/literary assistant), and Joe Wallenstein (mentor/USC faculty), numerous members of the Romance Writers of America and Western Writers of America, as well as my peers at the Nebraska Film Association, the organizers of the Omaha Film Festival, and Editor-in-Chief Eric Lilleor and his staff of the former Screentalk/Moviescope Magazine. For their encouragement, I humbly thank the members of the Nebraska Writers Workshop. For their inspiration and example, I thank my seminar, classroom, and on-line students of all ages.

Quoted Resource Books:

Good in a Room by Stephanie Palmer®

Crown Busines (March 11, 2008)

Random House LLC

Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434 by Lew Hunter®

Tarcher Perigee; Revised edition (May 4, 2004)

Penguin Group (USA) LLC

Save the Cat by Blake Snyder®

Originally published by Michael Wiese Productions (May 25, 2005)

www.mwp.com

Save the Cat Strikes Back by Blake Snyder®

Originally published by Save the Cat Press (November 23, 2009)

Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd Field®

Delta; Revised edition (December 18, 2007)

Random House LLC

The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler®

Originally published by Michael Wiese Productions; Third edition (November 1, 2007)

www.mwp.com

Writer’s Guide to Character Traits by Linda Edelstein, PhD®

Originally published by Writer’s Digest Books; Second Edition (August 9, 2006)

Writing Screenplays That Sell by Michael Hauge®

CollinsRef;Revised Edition(1991-08-16)

DEDICATION

I wish to dedicate the expanded version of this book again to my ever patient and supportive husband and soul mate, Lyle J. Walker. He has always done a lot of head shaking—occasionally nodding--and even more loving to keep me reality-bound when my creative side tried to dominate my life.

And to my fellow members of the Nebraska Writers Workshop, a group that has been my safe zone of creative sanity every Wednesday around the calendar since 1985.

Finally, I dedicate the creative desire woven throughout this book to all the bright-eyed and hopeful screenwriters of ALL ages I have interacted with over the years. Your enthusiasm and excitement have energized me to learn more then make my own screenplays better and better. The cinematic storytelling process is addictive. I appreciate sharing that hunger with each and every one of you.

LEARN SCREENWRITING

PART ONE

Intro

To

Screenwriting

INTRO CHAPTER 1

Fundamentals of Storytelling and No New Stories

Novels are written in words the reader can thought-associate, thus free the imagination to vicariously live the experience with the characters. Movies are much more immediate and visceral, since they are the visual experience of characters living now on that screen. Screenplays are written in words, but every sentence, every speech has to have visual power. Whoever reads the script must mentally see the story unfolding in the mind’s eye just as if a camera is rolling.

Visual wording is essential to a credible screenplay. The people who evaluate the scripts are searching for the material they want to translate from page to screen. That could be a studio reader who wants to find the one gem for the employer, the agent who wants to see dollar signs, or the industry professional who wants to showcase their own talent and provide creative opportunities for others they think would be interested. All are looking for the next great blockbuster or award-winning script. Wanting to find it, they are willing to kiss a lot of frogs. Each will have his or her own standards, expectations, and tastes. One reader’s rejection will be another’s rare diamond-find. All of that is good for new writers who charge ahead with fresh concepts and their innovative take on tried themes.

What is a diamond-find script? It is a story that captures a reader’s imagination and ignites the collaborative creative fires of that producer (who races to think of who can be brought on board the production team), the director (who thinks in cinematic frames, locations, actors, and the challenge of controlling the production), the actor (who sees the demanding, dynamic character portrayal on their resume as a high-point credit), and so on. The screenwriter merely draws the blueprint for all these creative artists who will use their expertise to transfer the words on the page to images on the screen. The screenplay is the foundation of the story. Everyone else builds upward from there toward the pinnacle, a finished film. The writer’s creative spark is necessary for the lengthy, convoluted, complex business of making a film

ALL STORIES HAVE STRUCTURE

A cinematic story has essential elements like any other form of storytelling. Even around the caveman’s fire, the storyteller had to begin the tale, keep the listeners enthralled with a series of events, and end his rendering. If the telling was not interesting and believable, do you think the caveman got any attention when he wanted to tell another? Aristotle of ancient Greece explained the original concepts of Beginning, Middle, and Ending in his Poetics. If you haven’t read the essay, find a copy and do so as part of your fundamental education. Here is an explanation in relation to film that will provide the foundation for all that is to follow.

Beginning’s Set-up and Questions

Approximately one-fourth of any story is the Set-up of the Ordinary Life the main character is living. In that set-up, you must establish your ability to ignite curiosity and tell a credible tale with characters the audience can care about. Your credibility relies on the vigorous quality of your language skills--your command of vocabulary and proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Those are the tools of your craft. You may have a dynamic story to tell but if you lack the skill to communicate succinctly and accurately, who will care?

In your story’s first pages, you have to establish the five W’s of:

Who the story is about,

Where the story is taking place,

When the story is happening,

What is happening to the main character and

Why that What is important to the main character.

The audience must immediately be asking questions they want answered. The writer enters into an implied contract with the audience to answer those questions in the story to follow.

The opening sentence of a novel acts as the hook to capture the reader’s interest demanding the rest of the book be read. A movie’s hook is the very first image on the screen that sets the mood for a film. Consider the uplifting sense of the carefree girl singing in an Alpine meadow of THE SOUND OF MUSIC. The impact must be immediate and visual. It helps to have it paired with sound effects and music to hit as many of the senses as possible, but those are not the screenwriter’s area of expertise. Again, the screenplay is merely a blueprint. (Yes, you will be reminded of this repeatedly to drive it deep into your awareness.)

On an intentionally subtle level, the first image of the film represents the essential theme or concept that will be woven throughout the story. Look back at the three examples just stated. MUSIC = a young woman joyfully discovering the world.

Opening Scene Pointers

The opening image is vital to popping the subliminal message of your story, introducing or summarizing the theme of the subsequent story. Right after FADE IN comes your first SLUG LINE and first narrative paragraph. You want it to be a doozey, something iconic that represents all that is to follow. Unless you have the money and professional influence to direct this story, you do not dictate music or credits at this point. Your main concern is how you will visually impact the audience, creating questions while establishing the feel of your film. Whatever that first image is, it must represent everything that is to follow.

Here are some Spec script examples. SHOOTING starts with the shooter invading the apartment, SAVING ONE ANOTHER starts with the racing car into head-on collision, and PAYING THE PIPER starts with Jess putting on his piper’s regalia

SHOOTING = defying the bad guys of the world

SAVING ONE ANOTHER = about taking risks for other people

PAYING THE PIPER = about integrity of heritage despite violence

Sometimes it takes several revisions to get a script right. Each revision may focus on a different Statement of Purpose and theme. One of my scripts had four starts. The first-drafted THE RAPE ended up re-titled HONOR AND CONSEQUENCES. The first draft I deleted because it just didn’t feel right. The original opening image was of gym workout confrontation of high school senior boys, a focus on young testosterone posturing. The second version my young hero’s hand slaps down the counselor’s annoying tapping of a pencil. Subliminal concept = dominance over thoughtless actions. The third opening image was a lighted billboard advertising the Marine Corps need for a FEW GOOD MEN then a muscle car pulls off the road and behind the sign. Headlights blink out, a hulking high school senior (who is actually a sociopath) wearing a letter jacket climbs out of the driver’s door. He opens the back passenger door and drags out an unconscious girl wearing a cheerleader’s uniform of a different school . . .

What is the message of the image of the billboard?

When the subsequent scene alludes to a rape, what will the audience think is the theme?

The fourth (and final) opening had the main character viewing a sports trophy engraved with his name in the glass case of a busy high school then walking by a wall display of pictures of former students serving in the military.

Is the subliminal message one of achieving excellence flowing into the message of serving one’s country?

Yes, it is as simple as that.

Other Opening Scene Images

(From Learn Genre Film Secrets 22 analyzed films)

Mystery

WITNESS = Farm field’s waving wheat = Theme of serenity of pastoral lifestyle threatened by city life’s corruption

LETHAL WEAPON = Aerial view of nighttime Los Angeles sprawl = Complex city life provides cover for lurking evil

Science Fiction

STAR WARS = After the scrolling prologue, a ship in the black of space being chased by a much larger vessel = Small vs. Big

STAR TREK = Exterior of SS Kelvin moving through space under attack = Sophisticated military vs. enemies in space

Fantasy

LADYHAWKE = To V.O. Nothing is impossible, Lord. as a hole is dug through a mud-encrusted wall = Triumph of Goodness

HARRY POTTER & SORCERER’S STONE = Owl flying at night = Symbol of magic confronting darkness

Humor

MRS. DOUBTFIRE = Cartoon and Voice Over = Separation of make-believe and reality

CHRISTMAS VACATION = Family car driving along snowy highway with Christmas music playing = Ordinary vs. chaos

Juvenile

THE LION KING = Sunrise on the African plain as animals gather = Perennial order of animal life

SHREK = Fairy Tale book with V.O. about Love’s First Kiss = Even in make-believe, the world needs love

Horror

LAST BREATH = Disheveled masculine figure approaching building at night = Nightmares come in all forms to awaken us

THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS = Tall grasses of Tsavo = Nature’s nightmares lurk

Romance

AVATAR = Aerial flight over lush trees = Life’s challenges of freedom await in exotic places

ROMANCING THE STONE = Fantasy western bad guy breaking into heroine’s cabin = Imagination leaves us vulnerable to possibilities

Westerns

THE COWBOYS = Rounding up a lot of horses into breaking them = Frontier life is about controlling animals and nature

THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER = Running horses in the high country = Frontier life is about controlling animals and nature

Historical

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS = Aerial view of huge range of forested, misty mountains = Life needs to be carved out of the wilderness

BRAVEHEART = Aerial view of ruggedly beautiful Scottish Highlands = Humans will bond with and defend their mother land.

Action-Adventure

GLADIATOR = A man’s hands brushing tops of golden wheat as he walks the field = Humans will fight for what they cherish

THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER = Computer words overlay a military map of the North Atlantic = Technology facing modern warfare

Inspirational

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN = Medieval riders pass a cross marker on a country road = Religious beliefs demand willingness to fight

SMOKE SIGNALS = Stark vista of rural Idaho’s Couer d’Alene Indian Reservation = Modern life calls for ancient values

Introducing Your Protagonist

Of course, the main character or Protagonist--the Who of the story--is introduced early, in a situation that depicts his or her fundamental personality (his driving Essence) in the midst of life’s complications. The audience sees how this person routinely copes with life in his Role or Identity to the world. The scene must showcase the dominant characteristic that will be vital to the evolution of the story. Yes, it can be underdeveloped or even immature, but implication plants the seed of expectation in the audience. Both Ferris Bueller (FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF) and Marty McFly (BACK TO THE FUTURE) are youthful, rather arrogant risk-takers, so you know the stories are not going to be somber and edgy like THE DARK KNIGHT.

Ultimately, at the end of Beginning’s sequence, the Ordinary World must be abandoned by the main character who is forced to go questing in a New World and prove worthy of 1) the living of the journey and 2) seeking a goal.

Middle’s Confrontations for Empathy and Involvement

Half of any story will be the Middle where the main character encounters confrontations and problems. The Middle’s purpose is to depict the character testing, learning, and growing in order to triumph over the negative forces working against him or her. Brainstorming anything and everything that could cause stress, stress, stress can easily give You-the-Writer a series of obstacles that must be overcome on the character’s journey. The challenge of an enthralling Middle is to be unpredictable yet logical in the