1. PRE-PRODUCTION• Script Development

• Brainstorm• Decide upon project• Identify the “Who,

What, Where, When and Why”

• Screenwriting & Storyboarding

2. PRODUCTION• Production & Filming

3. POST-PRODUCTION1. Editing2. Exhibit, Review & Reflect

1. WRITE A ONE-PAGE STORY DESCRIBING THE PROPOSED PROJECT

• Describe what you intend to do and why

• Set-up, tension development (conflict/crisis) and resolution

• Used to sell a project (to the teacher) before the script is written

• What characters are in the scene? What do they say? How do they communicate?

• Does the scene make sense?

2. SET LENGTH FOR FINAL PROJECT (30SEC - 5MIN)

3. PRESENT OR “PITCH” THE STORY IDEA TO THE TEACHER FOR COMMENT AND APPROVAL

1. CREATE A SHOOTING SCRIPT FOR THE FILM PROJECT

1. Movies tell stories with visual images and sound.

2. The screenplay provides a detailed roadmap for the director and other members of the filmmaking team

3. The screenplay includes:1. All the words spoken by the

characters2. Stage directions that indicate

all nonverbal actions by characters

3. Elements of setting4. Sound effects5. Design & music

4. All in all --- A screenwriter writes everything intended for an audience to see and hear.

SCR

I PT

FORMATTING

GUIDE

Title Page: Title & screenwriter(s) names in the middle.

Font: Always use 12-point Courier; no bold face or italics.

Page Numbering: Place the page number on every page in the upper right corner, except the cover.

Spacing: Double space between slug line, action line, speaking character, stage directions and dialogue. Single space action lines and lines of dialogue.

The Slug Line: The general or specific location and time of day. Always in ALL CAPS.

Action Line: Sets the scene with a description of characters, places and action single spaced from margin to margin.

Voice Over: Indicated by placing (VO) immediately to the right of the character name.

Off Camera: Indicates that a character is speaking off screen, place (OC) Immediately to the right of the character name.

Stage directions: Written in parenthesis and under the name of the character speaking. Include what the character is doing within the scene.

Sound/Music Effects: Are always capitalized.

SPIES by

Roseanne Perez

1. ”SPIES"

FADE IN:

2 SPACES

EXT. CITY STREET – DAY

2 SPACES

Heat rises from the pavement. A red car

2 SPACES

Pedestrians leap out of the way of the wayward

As the car approaches, we see the driver is

3 SPACES

INT. CITY STREET – NIGHT

MACK(with a smirk)

Try to catch me now, coppers!

He tosses a stack of LOOSE BILLS out of the

Chaos ensues as PEOPLE rush into the street to

(MORE)

SCENE HEADINGSAKA

SLUG LINE(ALWAYS CAPS)

Must Include:•INT OR EXT•LOCATION

•DAY OR NIGHT

TRANSITIONMethod of changing fromone scene to anotherRULE OF THUMB•Every scene will CUT TO: the next if no transition is specified•If necessary to specify one, it appears against the right margin like this. DISSOLVE TO:

SCENE ACTION

•ALWAYS PRESENT TENSE•MIX UPPER AND LOWER CASE TEXTRULE OF THUMB•LIMIT A PARAGRAPH OF SCENE ACTION TO 4-5 LINES•EACH PARAGRAPH IS A BEAT OF ACTION WITHIN YOUR SCENE Scene action should only deal with what is happening on the screen and must never stray into thoughts or back-story.

NOTE

•Description of character must follow his introduction

CHARACTER

•INDENTED AROUND THE MIDDLE BUT NOT CENTERED 2.2INCHES•NAMES SHOULD BE CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT THE SCRIPT

1 inch 2 inches

PARENTHETICALSPECIAL

EMPHASIS

•EXAMPLE(to GRANDMA)

WORDS THAT DESCRIBE

•MUST BE IN CAPS

swerves through traffic.

sedan.

MACK ATTACK (20s), an unwashed cowboy

whose eyes twinkle from lack of sleep.

grab the money.

window.

2.

INT. POLICE STATION/OFFICE – DAY

SARGEANT PAUL GARCIA (55) slams down his

GARCIA

(to his SIDEKICK)

Mack is back.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. POLICE STATION – NIGHT

MACK (O.S.)

I have something to tell you

too, Scott.

I was born an alien.

Looking straight into her eyes. Pam (45), tall

OPERATOR (V.O.)

Station one, we have a reported

murder on Boardwalk and Lee Street.

(MORE)

SLUG LINEW/SUBLOCATION

SCENE ACTION

NOTE

•Sometimes it may be necessary to hear characters when we cant actually see them

O.S.

•OFF SCREEN MEANS THE CHARACTER IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT WITHIN THE SCENE, BUT CAN ONLY BE HEARD(they are speaking from another room)

PARENTHETICAL

phone.

V.O.

•VOICEOVER IS USED WHEN THE CHARACTER IS NOT PRESENT WITHIN THE SCENE, BUT CAN BE HEARD VIA A MECHANICAL DEVICE SUCH AS A PHONE/RADIO.•ALSO USED WHEN CHARACTER NARRATES THE STORY.

blonde secretary, started CRYING.

3.

INTERCUT - INT. POLICE STATION/HOME – DAY

GARCIA

(into phone)

What happened?

MACK

(into phone)

I cant believe

this crime scene.

FADE TO:

EXT./INT. POLICE STATION – DAY

PROFESSOR

(EXCITEDLY) Let me guess!

Revolutionaries? (LEANING IN CLOSER) Intent on

stealing my life’s work?

FADE OUT.

THE END

SLUG LINEScene Heading will look like

this when its necessaryto CUT back and forth between locations in

the same scene

NOTE

•IF YOU HAVE A SCENE WHERE THE ACTION IS CONTINUOSLY MOVING BETWEEN THE INT AND EXT OF THE SAME LOCATION, DO YOUR SCENE HEADING LIKE THIS•BUT USE INTERCUT FOR CUTTING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN TWO SEPARATE PIECES OF ACTION INSIDE AND OUTSIDE.

NOTE

•SIGN-OFF A FILM SCRIPT WITH THE END CENTERED ON THE PAGE,PRECEDED BY FADE OUT

CREATE A SET OF STORYBOARDS THAT ACCURATELY VISUALLY DESCRIBE THE FILM PROJECT

• A visual script created by a series of pictures that conveys the essential shots of a scene.

• With simple artwork, even stick figures, the storyboard artist quickly and simply communicates to the entire team the visual components— broken down into individual shots—of the script.

• The director should be able to determine the position of actors and the direction of their movements, and the type and framing of the shot (close-up, long shot, etc.).

Things to think about: • Does your storyboard show the important shots

that you want in your film? • Does it show how the film sequence will be

paced? • Does the storyboard show the action that is

happening? • Could someone else outside of your group clearly

understand what it is communicating?

1. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE SHOOT

As a team, decide what roles each of you will play to produce the scene that you have scripted and storyboarded.

Things to think about:• Who will manage the production from start to finish?• Who will direct? Who will shoot the film?• How will you create believable characters? Locations?

Situations?

2. SHOOTING FROM THE STORYBOARDSBased on the storyboards you created, film the shots required to completely tell the story described in your script and storyboards.

Things to Think About:• What is your job and what are your responsibilities for

the shoot?• Are you recording sound you don’t want?• How will you light the scene to achieve your dramatic

intent?• How will you create mood? • Do you have all the props and costumes you need on

the day(s) you are shooting?

Editing is to filmmaking as rewriting is to writing.

1. Storyboards are the outline.2. Shooting is the first draft. And, like most

first drafts, cut out the bad sentence structure/misspellings, and subtract and reconstruct to tell the story better!

3. The editor takes the jumbled pieces of film that come out of production, and, in consultation with the director and producer, transforms them into a coherent and well-paced story.

During the post-production step of the process, teams will perform the following tasks:

• Import video elements shot during the production step of the process.

• Use music, transitions and other effects to produce a finished final edit of the project.

1. EXHIBIT - VIEW VIDEO ON SCHOOLTUBE

2. REVIEW - WRITE REVIEW ON CLASSROOM BLOG (EDMODO).Remember: Convince the reader that you have something interesting to say about the film - the plot is trivial, the hero is not really a hero, the plot and characters are fine but the camera work is needlessly tricky, or whatever else you decide your main point be. Any opinion must be supported by examples.Things to Think About:

Here are some basic, starting questions to ask yourself when writing your review:

– Is the story original, how fresh or innovative is it?– Are the characters believable? What is the theme of the film?– Is the setting appropriate and effective?– Does the film make certain use of color, lighting, etc., to

enhance the theme, mood and setting?– Is the sound track effective? Are camera angles used

effectively?– Are there special effects in the film? If so, are they essential

to the plot?

3. REFLECT After reading the individual reviews’, group members will reflect and reply to the classroom blog.