Please note that this post was written quite some time ago (in the year 2008). Since then my habits for screenwriting have changed a whole lot. Back then i tried to squeeze as much creative process into a structure that – for a huge part – just complicated the whole screenwriting and story developing progress.

I thought i´ll leave this post public anyway, probably you may find something useful in it…

Developing a screenplay is a process that isn´t accomplished in a month, mostly it takes several years from the first idea to the finished script. After the first draft of the script it needs loads of reworking, many people even say the the first draft is only the beginning.

You have to check the characters and their behaviour, how they act and react in different situations, switch differents scenes and their position in the script, rework most of the scenes in terms of structure, plot, dialogue, and so many other things. Not only the details of a script have to be checked and reworked, especially the screenplay as whole with regard to plot points, exposition, introduction of the characters, the overall structure and so on.

So there are lots of steps to take after the first draft, but another hard process is to develop an idea into a first draft, and that´s what this article is about, my very own approach from idea to script (please note that this is just my procedure, probably every screenwriter out there has got a different idea of it).

This first part of the article covers the most basic rules and habits of structuring a story, the second part will go into my very own approach of developing an idea into a first draft of a screenplay.

Any bum can tell you a story

As i already mentioned in a previous post which is based on a quote from 1000dollarfilm.com “Any bum can tell you a story…”, lots of people think that it´s done with the idea for a story, “you just have to write it down and the script is finished”, that would be too easy.

So when you have got a great idea for a story and are really convinced about it it´s time to work on a structure for the script. And this is my approach:

The Premise

Every movie should have a basic premise of what it is about, you could also call it “the theme of a movie”. This premise should not change during the movie, it could for example be a sentence like “A movie about real friendship, and the fact that not every friend is a friend.

All My Characters

As i already made clear in previous articles in my opinion the very basis of every good story are strong characters, so also the first step of a compelling screenplay are compelling characters.

The Protagonist(s)

This character (or sometimes characters) are the ones the movie is all about, they drive the story along and their actions and behaviours push the plot in a certain direction. So if the protagonist is a boring guy who doesn´t really do anything the movie will be crap.
These are some of the most important attributes the protagonist has to have:

• » willpower
• » has to have a conscious desire and do everything to reach it
• » there has to exist the slightest chance to accomplish it
• » he has to cause empathy (not necessarily sympathy)
• » there has to be a gap between the character and the achievment of the goal he wants to reach

The Antagonist(s)

The antagonist probably has to be much as powerfull and compelling as the protagonist, because a strong character fighting against a weak conflict is not really outstanding, it wouldn´t be anything special and memorable.
The antagonist does not have to be human at all, it could also be disease or a natural disaster.

The Inciting Incident

The inciting incident is a very important part of a movie, this is basically why the story is told in a movie. Even if the life of a character would be interesting nevertheless, an inciting incident is important for a story to start (even if the incident started in the childhood of someone).
These are some important basics about the inciting incident:

• » Destroys the balance of forces in the protagonists life
• » The protagonist has to response to it (it wouldn´t be an inciting incident if the protagonist wouldn´t care)
• » It doesn´t has to be placed right at the start of the movie necessarily, but then when it has the most impact on the audience.
  Sometimes it is quite difficult where to place it, but take Rocky for example, the inciting incident would be the decision to fight for the title. Would it have been placed right in the beginning of the movie you wouldn´t had time to get to know the character of Rocky Balboa, but after you got to know what “Looser” or “Underdog” Rocky really is the incident has the full impact on the audience.

Act Design

Since the old greek theater an act structure has developed, some movies try to break that structure, but you should only do it if you are really certain about it, since the act structure is there for a reason.

The most common is the three act structure, also an four act structure is possible (just divide the complicated second act into two acts). Very important is the proceeding complication, the conflict has to acominate further and finds its climax right at the climax of the third act.

The First Act: Setup and Exposition

The story begins, the characters, locations and the setting are established, the following things are important:

• » You have to get the readers attention within the first ten pages, otherwise he won´t read any further
• » Important things in the first act:
  • » Exposition of the protagonist
  • » Basic mood and atmosphere of the movie
  • » Classification of a genre
  • » About at the end of the first act should be the first plot point

The Second Act: The Confrontation

Often the second act is the most problematic thing in a screenplay, the character and the setting of the movie have been introduced in the first act, and in the last act the movie comes to it´s climax. So in the second act the most important thing is to keep the tension and the interest of the audience.

• » The pacing increases and the confrontations are increasing, the protagonist finally has to face the problems
• » The second plot point is placed at the end of the second act, the protagonist has to decide that he wants to solve all the problems

The Third Act: The Climax

The clock is ticking, the time is short, the protagonist finally has to reach his goal (or not). The most important parts of the climax are the following:

• » Should be the most comprehensive scene in the movie
• » The protagonist has to be present
• » The climax is the scene where the problems are finally solved (or not)

Screenwriting terminology

Very often different terms for different things occur in books, articles or the internet. Here my little take to describe the different terms (please note that all of that is not set in stone, it´s just a little guideline and may vary).

Tagline

A tagline is some kind of a branding slogan often used as an eye-catcher. It is just one short sentence that should give you an idea of the movie, basically it is quite identical to the premise of the film.
Here is the tagline from Rocky for example:

Logline

The logline outlines a story in just a few sentences, other than the tagline it reveals a little bit more about the story, it is also an eye-catcher. Again an example from Rocky:

Synopsis

The synopsis is a brief summary of the whole story and is about one page long. A synopsis could be used for press-material or in a concept for a movie and can be written as soon as you have a rough idea of the story. If you want to apply for some kind of sponsorship this could be enough for the first contact, but most of the time you will need at least a treatment for any kind of sponsorship.

Treatment or Exposé

An treatment or exposé is about three to five pages long, is written in the present tense and gives an insight-view on the story. It should present the entire story, including the ending, and contain some key scenes and dialogue.

Full Length Treatment

A full length treatment contains everything that will be in the script, just no dialogues. It´s also written in present tense and is basically a scene-by-scene breakdown of the whole story.

Get Your Hands Dirty

So much about the basic theory, this was just a little overview, there is so much more to say about story structuring, but that´s what books and lessons are for and would go beyond the scope of this article.
The second part of this article will cover my very own approach on how to begin to evolve an idea into the first draft of the treatment. I will give an insight view of the tools and programs i am working with and how to get the rough story working…

Tags: film, Screenwriting