Screenwriting WorkshopFilm Festival Society

What makes a screenplay a screenplay?

Format

• Courier point 12• Underlining / italics / bold• Structure • Title page

Style

• Opening sequence• Grammar / Vocabulary• The We Problem– To we or not to we

• Dialogue– Should support the narrative

• Parentheticals – Beware of over-directing

• Camera movement• Visual Style

DON‘T PUT TOO MUCH INFORMATION IN DESCRIPTIONS !

Story• Story > Format – Care about it!

• Genre • Emotion and Meaning

Characters

• What should you know about a character?

Character

• Audience knows 20%• Backstory • Desire • Change• Relationships• Characterization is not character

Little Miss Sunshine

• Scene– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQQLLWUp_0U

Little Miss Sunshine

• Desire• Conflict• Emotion• Meaning

Celtx

• Screenwriting Software – FREE• No more worrying about format :D• iPhone / iPad apps• Share it with rest of production crew