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Screenplay
Writing 101
by Fred Allan Robbins
Last issue, I pretty much gave you my opinion on some of the little intricacies any artist might come across while pursuing his or her goals as a writer or actor. Today, I would like to be a little more factual for all you writers who are now duly inspired and ready to be the next first time director for Project Greenlight, which I heartily recommend. It is a truly fascinating look at how a project gets magically transformed into a film, while at the same time, taking you deep inside the private discussions, arguments, and panic attacks that are all part of the process we call filmmaking.
Writing is basically simple. The hard part, is getting your words into a good story, and into the proper format for Hollywood executives to even consider reading in the first place. So, with that in mind, here are a few simple terms you might want to consider as part of your every-day writers vocabulary. I will call this chapter, SCREENPLAY WRITING 101
Action line: The lline in a script that explains the action that's going on.
Back Story (and you have to have them):
important events in the characters' lives
that took place before the film starts.(audience doesnt need to know
these)
CHARACTER ARC: the signicant change
the main character undergoes during the
story.
EXPOSITION: Important events which
the audience needs to know that took
place before the story starts.
High Concept: A type of storyline that can be summed up in a quick catchphrase
Inciting Incident: The incident that drives or makes the story happen( by page 10)
Log Line: One sentence description
of a storyline
( i.e. Speed is die hard on a bus)
Midpoint: Important incident that takes
place halfway through the story.
The main character should be at lowest point( by page 60)
Plot: Storyline of the film.
Plot Point: A relatively important event that takes place during the story.
Rewrites: Revisions to any previous versions of the screenplay.
Sequence: A series of scenes with its
own beginning, middle, and end.
Spec Script: Script written without guarantee of payment.
Thru Line: Storyline of a screenplay
Turning Point: A major event that changes the direction of the story.
Well gang, there you have it. A short and simple first day of class working
vocabulary for filmwriters. Now get to work.
For comments write to: nutsandbolts@hollywoodnewsnetwork.com
