On July 31, 2014 at 4:33 pm So you’ve got a great idea for a short film. If you’re not an experienced writer and you don’t have one on board, here are some tips and advice for turning your premise into a workable script. A great screenplay is a magical thing. It crafts your short film idea into a coherent blueprint that you can use to convey your premise to others and get them excited about your project. It forms the foundation and reference point for most of the key decisions guiding the creation of your film. The key to writing a short film is to keep it simple. Screenwriter and script consultant Kathryn Burnett explains the process of writing, and re-writing, a short film. An effective script would always take into account the visual nature of a film meaning. Cinderalla Play Short Script Example. Very Short Sample Script Writing. Your first script will be crap. But you have to start somewhere. Get it out on paper and don’t stress about making it perfect. “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time — or the tools — to write. Simple as that.” – Stephen King Write a treatment A treatment is an outline of your short film idea; it’s usually not more than a page long, and may be only a few paragraphs. It gives an outline of the story, and provides some of the details about character, setting and tone. It is useful to start with a treatment and share it with others to get some early feedback and see if your premise has legs. It’s also a useful exercise for you to hone in on exactly what it is you want to say. Take the time to visualise the film, and consider how you will tell it economically with a minimum of locations, characters and special effects. Your treatment should also give an indication of the story arc and structure. “The first draft of everything is shit.” – Ernest Hemingway Get the nuts and bolts right When it comes time to write your idea into a script, you can use normal word processing software such as Microsoft Word. Some professional tools can also be useful: these applications can help you keep track of different drafts and format your script to international industry standards. • is the go-to tool for screen writing. This is software you download and install on your computer. • is a complete online workspace where you can write, storyboard, draw camera and lighting setups, break down your script into categories (i.e. Props, cast, locations), schedule your shoot, prepare call sheets and budget. The scripting component is free. The other parts require a subscription fee. • Google Drive is a free cloud-based platform allowing you to store and share text documents and spreadsheets online. This is useful if you are co-writing. The general rule of screenplays is that one page of the script equals one minute on screen. So think about the length of the film you are writing and don’t make your script overly long. Many short film festivals set a maximum length for films of around 20 minutes, and it is often easier to get screenings and distribution for shorter films. Your script should be formatted as follows: • Include a title page with the name of the film and the author • Use 12-point Courier font • Use single line spacing, except for after scene headings and blocks of dialogue, where you should use double spacing. • Number your pages • Print on plain A4 white paper • Punch two holes and insert brass paper fasteners (often called ‘brads’) Remember to use your spell-check. Spelling and grammar mistakes detract from the story and make you seem unprofessional and careless. “Write drunk, edit sober.” – Ernest Hemingway Start writing Dive straight in. What is happening or has just happened at the time your story begins? It better be interesting and capture your audience right away or you can be sure they’ll quickly switch off, check their phone or wonder what to have for dinner. Who is your main character? Most short films centre around a single protagonist. You can write a film with more than one central character, but be aware this may dilute the emotional intensity of the story. Identify the protagonist up front for the audience, and give us a reason to care about them. Is a popular screenwriting trick that introduces us to the main character right away, showing them performing a selfless act and making us like them. Describe your characters not just in terms of their age and appearance. Their mannerisms and demeanour give clues to the audience about their core values. Do they move quietly, have nervous tics or an easy smile? These quirks lend something to our imagination and can signal later plot developments. What’s their problem? Usually your protagonist will face a problem that sets them on a quest (the hero’s journey) and drives the action of the film. The problem can be one that exists between the protagonist and another character, something in their world they have to change or something about themselves that requires personal growth. The satisfaction your audience will experience rests with your ability to take them on a journey with your protagonist as they struggle to overcome obstacles and eventually succeed (or fail) in their quest. Common script problems include central characters who face too few obstacles, are passive or have no clear motivation. What are the stakes? You can make your film more compelling by upping the intensity of the peril you put your characters in on their journey. What will happen if they don’t solve their problem? If the answer is “not much” then the stakes aren’t high enough. How should the story unfold? When you hear people talking about ‘the story arc’, they are referring to the traditional build-up of action that develops over the course of the film. This peaks around ¾ of the way through for feature films, but in short films it often marks the ending. As your action unfolds, make sure the obstacles confronting the character build so the hardest thing the character must do happens at the climax. Beginning (25%) Middle (50%) End (25%) Introduce your protagonist and setting. Put a problem or situation they must deal with in their way. Explain why the problem must be dealt with. Develop the situation, using action and behavioural choices to advance the storyline. Throw in some obstacles for them to deal with. Tie it all together with a clever twist that completes the journey. Surprise endings are worth the time it takes to think them through. Be true to your genre. The reason genres exist is because these are tried-and-tested formulas for telling a story that engages your audience. Be very careful if you plan to mess with that, as this will mess with your audience. Audiences love surprises and having their expectations subverted, but the pay-off will have to be exponentially more rewarding for them. Show us, don’t tell us. Dialogue is notoriously difficult to get right. Remember film is a visual medium and actions speak louder than words. A common mistake is too much dialogue, or a reliance on dialogue to tell the story. Cut the crap. Cut out anything superfluous to your story. Simplify by combining characters. There’s no time for sub-plots and anything that doesn’t drive your story forward in a short film. Don’t try and do the director’s job for them by putting in too much detail; you don’t need to write camera directions. A fascinating film: One rainy midnight Hari Shankar (played by Ashok Kumar) drives up to his palace, enters a rather strange world and finds himself immediately 'bewitched by a woman's wandering soul'. Aanewala, aayega.' Is still popular on radio and tapes/cd. Mahal old movie. No one can help Hari Shankar now as he continues to be drawn deeper and deeper into the dark world of the ghostly apparition. Short Film Script SampleOh, and sorry but you probably can’t afford the helicopter scene or zebra wranglers. “Two things a good writer needs — lots of time and an arsehole-proof fence.” – Nick Ward Learn from the pros. Participants and mentors at the 2012 Short Film Lab If you’re having trouble or want to improve the quality of your writing, get some expert advice. There is plenty of help available, so take a course and find out how to do it right. The following are some training organisations that provide professional development for aspiring short film writers, particularly recommended by Show Me Shorts: •, run jointly by Show Me Shorts and Script to Screen, is a hothouse mentoring scheme for New Zealand writers to workshop fresh new ideas for short films. • is a training organisation for the New Zealand film industry, especially writers. • provides various courses in screen production.
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