Learn 8 important aspects of scriptwriting

🗔October 15, 2021
🖉Ipsha Mohanty
🗁
- Content Writing

A terrific script is a fundamental motto for a blockbuster film on the big screen. However, while a solid cast, music, and director are all significant, they are secondary. If you’re good at script writing, you’ll be able to tell your narrative effectively.

The scriptwriting process can be intimidating at first since there is so much to think about. However, once you’ve learned about the factors to consider, the formats to use, and the various components to consider, you can quickly begin working on your own.

Have a movie story in mind, but don’t know how to put it into a document? To work in the profession of scriptwriting, you must first learn what it takes to master the craft. But first, what exactly is scriptwriting? This blog will walk you through all of the essentials for learning to write scripts. After you’ve read it, you’ll be able to turn your brilliant movie idea into a professional script.

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Table of Contents

What is scriptwriting ?

Delving in for the first time can make you nervous, and it’s obvious. Before we dive deep into the process of scriptwriting, let’s get the basics clear.

Definition of a script

The definition of a script is a manuscript or written text of a stage play, screenplay, or broadcast. A movie script, also known as a screenplay, is a 70-180 page document. The average length of a movie script is roughly 110 pages, but there are other elements that influence this.

Now let’s get back to the previous question, what is scriptwriting? Scriptwriting is a very different affair than writing in any other format.

The practice of generating stories for the screenplay medium is known as scriptwriting (or screenwriting). Scriptwriting is the process of recording the characters’ movements, actions, expressions, and dialogue in a screenplay format.

Creating a novel, a poem, or an essay is a very different experience from writing a script. Specific formatting strategies are essential to successfully express yourself on the screen. The screenplay structure is utilized to graphically represent the tale.

Scriptwriters or screenwriters create material for movies, television, video games, and, increasingly, online web series. Scriptwriting can be done for pay or on the side with the aim of selling or finding an agency for their screenplay.

How to write a script ?

By knowing the definition of a script and what is scriptwriting, we know what we are working on. Scriptwriting, often known as screenwriting, is a simple task once you’ve learned everything there is to know about it.

Scripts bring stories to life. It takes dedication, time, and effort to make an amazing script. Following are the ways on how to write a script with a few script writing examples ahead. Let’s dive in.

Read more here: Scriptwriting 101: The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Script by industrialscripts

Read other’s work

Refer script writing examples that contain well-written dialogues, characters, and storylines. Observe how professional scriptwriters make captivating scripts. Understand the procedure. Practice without making the final draft using a script writing template.

You can get a script writing template online for free. Additionally, you can also go for writing workshops to polish your skills. However, reading scripts doesn’t mean that you copy others’ ideas. Understand the procedure, adapt the style, and put your own creativity.

Know your story

Before your audience, you should be clear about what your story is! Know your story inside out, every minute detail, and then pen those down. Though you don’t have to mention the exact date and timings, you have to keep that within you. Mention the weather, hot or cold, and how it affects your characters.

Decide on the genre of your story and also the theme of the story. Be clear that you want to leave them thinking or end happily.

Create characters

Decide your main lead and focus on their strengths, weaknesses, goals, and obstacles stopping them.

Mention your other characters and how they revolve around the protagonist. Also, highlight the antagonist or antagonists.

Keep in mind while you prepare your antagonist that what do they want from the main character? Why is it stopping your protagonist to achieve his goal?

Use a prologue to organize your story

A synopsis/prologue is a summarization of the story in the order in which it will be seen by your audience. The following are typical stages in a story:

Introduction- The main character and their world.
An incident that propels the plot forward.
The first major turning point, when the main lead faces challenges.
Your primary character’s goal will be established at this moment.
A scenario in which the protagonist either loses everything or takes a chance on the situation.
The point at which everything goes wrong and the lead must rebound from the crisis.
The second turning point,where the main lead redeems himself and the stakes become higher.
And finally, the climax when the story comes to a resolution.

Begin with your first draft

While writing the first draft, follow the prologue and start building your story. Create incidents that challenge the protagonist and how they overcome it. Your first draft should be your best possible idea ever. However, you can come back to it and see whether they work out well with the plot.

As Terry Pratchett said: “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.”

Consider crafting a 1-2 sentence logline that explains your script’s plot so that anyone may comprehend the story’s essential points.

A logline is a sentence that answers the question- ‘ What is the subject of my story?’

Create an outline in which all your main events will be in order. It should not exceed more than 2-3 pages.

Script format

Below is a list of screenplay elements that make up the script format. Even though scriptwriting software can automatically format all of these, a scriptwriter should be familiar with all of them.

Scene heading

Also known as slugline, it shows the location and time of the day. INT for interior spaces and EXT for exterior spaces. It should be written in CAPS. Example- EXT. MARY’S CAFE- EVENING

Subheader

When a new scene heading isn’t required but differentiation in the action is required, a subheader might be used. However, keep in mind that a script with a lot of subheaders is often frowned upon. You would use the word INTERCUT and the scene locations when there are a series of fast cuts between two locations.

Action

Always in the present tense, include descriptions of actions/events occurring in the scene. Only things that can be seen and heard are included in the action part of the script format.

Characters and their dialogues

To identify the individual speaking, the names of your characters should be in uppercase letters and centered. Place the character’s lines in the script behind their name, which should also be centered.

Parenthetical

Include a parenthetical sentence after a character’s name, above the line, if they have a distinctive mood or action while speaking. For example, you may write “(grumpy face)” to convey a character’s irritation/annoyance.

Extension

This is a parenthetical instruction used for off-screen character speaking. Use “(O.S.)” for characters who are in the scene but speaking off-screen. Use “(V.O.)” for a voice-over for character dialogue that only the audience hears.

More and Continued

This is included between pages in the script format to show that the same character is speaking. It is written as (MORE), (CONT’D)

Transition

Transitions are film editing instructions and are a part of how to write a movie script format.

Transitions include: CUT TO, DISSOLVE TO, SMASH CUT, QUICK CUT, FADE TO

Shot

The last part of a script format is the shots that will take place while shooting. Used when the scene is changed, mostly a part of how to write a movie script format.

Examples: ANGLE ON, EXTREME CLOSE UP, PAN TO, POV

Go through your first draft again

Reread your script and chuck out the points that seem irrelevant to the entire story. Remove or work on irrelevant dialogues and weak plot point that affects the main lead negatively. Clarify the confusing scenes. Do more research on facts or information provided. Cut short long monologues.

Rewrite your script

Like any other form of writing, script format needs few revisions to come out with a flawless one. Each action in your script should carry forward the story. Don’t stop until you are satisfied with the flow.

Remove inconsistencies from your story. See to it that everything a character says or does is reasonable and fits their personality. Revision is cutting and adding elements to make it a better piece. So, cut scenes you find unnecessary and add scenes that will be impactful.

How to write a movie script

By now you can answer, what is scriptwriting, the definition of the script, how to write a script and you are quite familiar with the script format as well. However, if you are opting for a movie script, the script might differ from writing a short story script and writing a play script.

Though, the screenplay format will not be totally different for a movie- few elements like shots, transitions are not included while writing a play script. Courier 12pt is the screenplay typeface used to write movie scripts. The top, bottom, and right side margins of a professional movie script are all 1″. Punch hole space is 1.5″ on the left margin.

Referring to scriptwriting examples can make it easier for you to understand how to write a movie script. There are multiple websites that provide script writing examples and script writing template.

Read this Blog

Conclusion

With a brief understanding of what is scriptwriting, how to write a script, how to write a movie script, and the script format, we conclude here. After reading this, you can immediately switch to scriptwriting examples and observe every element.

Scriptwriting now looks a bit better and easy, right? Achieve great accomplishments in the craft of scriptwriting by grasping the smallest details about the process.

Crack the first script of your career and maybe the next best scriptwriter award is waiting for you!

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