Screenwriting

Foundation

• Gain a general sense about screenwriting by learning the basics about the subject of screenwriting.

EXPLORATION, PHASE 1: FORMATTING

• Read this document to understand how screenplay formatting works: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Byh-ZnqP2jyjdFhBSjJySlloZjg/view?usp=sharing

• Some information about formatting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CjlKQclsWo Be sure you understand these eight parts of screenplay formatting:

  • • Header / Slug Line

    • Action Line

    • Character ID

    • Dialogue

    • Character parenthetical

    • Dialogue parenthetical (use sparingly)

    • Transitions

    • Over Black (for titles or other text over black)

• As an alternative, this document (intended to sell Final Draft, a screenwriting software application) is detailed and contains examples: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Byh-ZnqP2jyjWGFDaU15R3J5QTA

• Add a screenwriting add-on for Google Docs. We'll be using Google Docs and this add-on will allow formatting to be easy and automatic: screenplay formmatter

EXPLORATION, PHASE 2: CONTENT

• Listen to this podcast episode by Craig Mazin -- #403 of Script Notes. Detailed overview of content can be found here: link or here

• Watch a documentary about screenwriting. You should be able to find one (or more!) usable ideas from this page: http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=225

  • • One possibility is "Tales from the Script" available (as of Sept 2020) through the Mt. Lebanon Public Library's Kanopy. Visit here to find out more: http://www.mtlebanonlibrary.org/262/Video-on-Demand. Please note that there is some swearing and some PG-13 sexual content in this documentary.

• Read several entries in a screenwriter's blog or listen to a couple episodes of a screenwriter's podcast.

• **Look at Aaron Sorkin's work in The Social Network (PG-13) and then watch this analysis of the work of Sorkin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IAGH6k17nw

• **Look at this video essay about creating an excellent antagonist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFUKeD3FJm8

• **As a side note, a professional screenplay reader made an infographic that described a year of his/her experience providing coverage for 300 screenplays. The infographic is available here: http://i.imgur.com/T22gGBO.png . John August and Craig Mazin describe their insights in the transcript of episode 120 (https://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-ep-120-lets-talk-about-coverage-transcript NB: this transcript contains some references to drug use.)

• **Read this brief article about "No and Low Budget Screenplays" from Script Magazine: https://scriptmag.com/filmmaking/low-budget-screenwriting-part-1

• **Flip through this slideshare slidedeck about screenwriting: https://www.slideshare.net/purewest/how-to-write-a-screenplay-or-tell-a-better-story?qid=f09564a3-8837-422b-9154-715de627c567&v=&b=&from_search=11&fbclid=IwAR0FSx8lLfGsyP-sOBkGgPdrfhyixEXudG0zC_-gTaRbK3MsHDzaIqumyLw

• Read one (or more) screenplays to a movie that you know well:

  • • https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/best-free-movie-scripts-online/

    • Additional scripts (all with Christopher McQuarrie)

      • • The Mummy (2017). Screenplay by David Koepp, Christopher McQuarrie, and Dylan Kussman – Read the screenplay!

        • Jack The Giant Slayer (2013). Screenplay by Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie, Dan Studney, Darren Lemke, David Dobkin – Read the screenplay!

        • Jack Reacher (2012). Screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie – Read the screenplay!

        • The Tourist (2010). Screenplay by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Julian Fellowes, Jérôme Salle, Christopher McQuarrie – Read the Screenplay!

        • Valkyrie (2008). Screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander – Read the screenplay!

        • Edge Of Tomorrow (2004). Screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butterworth – Read the screenplay!

        • The Way Of The Gun (2000). Screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie – Read the Screenplay!

        • The Usual Suspects (1995). Screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie – Read the screenplay!

    • Alternatively check out these side-by-side screenplay with the scene on the page:

      • • The Dark Knight -- interrogation scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqQdEh0hUsc

        • https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyFy5BaUx7He0MAoCrlZ16w

• Random Title Generator (for fun):

  • • https://thestoryshack.com/tools/movie-title-generator/

    • https://coolgenerator.com/movie-title-generator

• Tony Tost's list of "screenwriting rules" garnered from decades of working in the industry:

  • • https://docs.google.com/document/d/1unz8yrpA--vOHXK-JLCli6WEy9ajrGrN7dnKPBefrEc/edit?usp=sharing

• Reddit Post by a WGA screenwriter about the building blocks of story: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p_PQBW1Td6J8VsBPEr4Z_YytTfzCLMxB611jL641EM8/edit?usp=sharing

• Find something (or many somethings) to add to this list.

APPLICATION, PHASE 1: WRITING A SUPER SHORT SCREENPLAY

• Write a screenplay, using some tools:

  • • Use this random letter generator to select two letters: https://randomwordgenerator.com/letter.php

    • Then, visit this website to find two characters archetypes (one for each letter you received): https://industrialscripts.com/archetypes-of-characters/

    • Write two pages of these people in a particular place. Make sure there is conflict. A resolution isn't required.

      • • Use the scriptwriting Docs add-on to use the correct screenwriting format: https://gsuite.google.com/marketplace/app/screenplay_formatter/351965757287

APPLICATION, PHASE 2: SHARING YOUR SUPER SHORT SCREENPLAY

• Read another person's screenplay and provide comments for improvement and/or a revise another person's screenplay (with permission!).

Evaluation & Iteration

• Evaluate what you've created.

As a side note, a screenplay reader made an infographic that described a year of his/her experience providing coverage for screenplays. The infographic is available here: http://i.imgur.com/T22gGBO.png . John August and Craig Mazin describe their insights in the transcript of episode