Screenwriting Process

The Screenwriting process can be broken down into the following time divisions:

Pre-writing            = 65%

Actual writing       =   5%

Re-writing              = 30%

Overall Stage		Stage	Description	Steps	Hints/Advice
Pre-writing: Conceptualization	1.	Concept	The concept	It is a story about __(character)___ who wants to __(do something)__ and ends up __(succeeding/failing/changed)__.  The somethings need to be visual/tangible. Develop a story with a beginning, middle and end, using only one or two sentences for each section.  Drop those that don’t lend themselves to this. Story: This is the series of events which form the screenplay in chronological order	Know your subject matter but you’re not writing documentary.  As they say in journalism: Never let the facts get in the way of a good story. – rf
Pre-writing – Character development	5.	Characters		Whose story is it?  Decide on the point of view.	The characters have to be true from what they do. – Norma Heyman
Pre-writing – Plot development	6.	Climax		Write backwards.  Start at the end. Where does it need to end to move forward?  Then, work backwards from there.
	7.	Acts		Think visually. An image system is a category of images which repeat throughout your script.
Writing and rewriting	12.	Treatment		Treatment = tells the story in detail, tells us what we see, imparts the mood of the screenplay, includes brief character details, avoids camera and music directions, is written in crisp, short paragraphs (one per scene) using active verbs and descriptive nouns.
	13.	Exploratory draft		Write it all down. Don’t fix any of it.	Do all of your thinking before you get to dialogue.
	14.	The rewrites	The rewrite is about cutting the unnecessary, the redundant, the insipid, without lessening the passion and urgency.  It should follow six stages: Understandability, Structure, Characters, Dialogue, Style, Polish	Don’t even attempt a rewrite until you have finished your first exploratory draft.	The problem with new writers is they keep rewriting all the time.  Just get it down.  It’s not like this is the only time you can write it. – Tom Schulman A good writer is not someone who knows how to write – but how to rewrite. – William Goldman You write from the heart; you rewrite from the head. – Viki King

Example screenplay format:

http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Avatar.html

• Each scene is indicated where and when it is in time and space:

 EXT. CITY – NIGHT

• Each piece of dialogue has the characters name caps and centered, then lines:

JAKE (V.O.)

               They can fix a spinal, if you've got the

               money. But not on vet benefits, not in

               this economy.

• Stage and camera directions are written as follows, note all caps for specific important items, props and sets:

         The traffic light changes and Jake pushes forward with the

        crowd, pumping the wheels of his chair. Most of the people

        wear FILTER MASKS to protect them from the toxic air. In a

        LONG LENS STACK it is a marching torrent of anonymous,

        isolated souls.

• Editing and camera directions may be discussed in the screenplay, but they may not be.

Ex: cut to: dissolve: long shot: KS:

http://www.celtx.com/

(a free downloadable software to write screenplays in the correct format)