What You Should Know About Script Writing

Because this is the initial stage in which a script for a play or movie’s plan is established, screenwriting and/or script writing is one of the most significant professions especially, in film-making. Many people are drawn to screenwriting because all you need is a good idea, some time, and a word processor to get started. Overall, approaching this form of creative writing is a process worth learning more about if this is an undertaking your willing to indulge in and not sure how to get the ball rolling. Hopefully, this brief post will provide meaningful information for you and put you on the proper path in writing a presentable noteworthy script.

Also, due to the large number of aspiring writers, the film industry, in particular, uses a screenplay format to help professionals distinguish between the scripts they will read and those they will not, because a properly formatted script was most likely written by a writer familiar with the art form. Even if you have the best movie ever written, no one will read it if it isn’t written in screenplay format according to industry standards.

Want to learn more about Screenplay format? check out this video below to gain further insight on this competitive creative endeavor…

Understand The Standards

You’ll be fine if you stick to the general script writing guidelines. That means you must use slugs correctly in each scene and adhere to the standards for description and conversation. If you accomplish this, your screenplay will appear to be a recognized paper script and will be taken seriously.

Use Short Lines

Short lines, whether they be descriptions or dialogue, follow the same rules as long lines when it comes to description and dialogue. In fact, you should try to make your lines as short as possible to keep the tale moving. The majority of scripts given to large production companies and agents are not reviewed directly. Instead, they often rely on paid readers to help them pick through the excellent and terrible bundles of scripts they may receive. Therefore, if you can make the reading go faster by using shorter lines, go ahead and do so.

Insert Poetry The Right Way

Incorporating poetry into your script can be done in two ways. If the character is simply reciting poetry, include the poem in the appropriate stanza in their discourse so that it can be read. In fact, William Shakespeare one of the most well-known writers in the English language as a playwright, and poet incorporated poetry throughout his created works. He wrote 38 plays, including Othello, Winter’s Tale, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet. His plays remain some of the world’s most quoted sentences that can be found in his epic narrative poems and 154 sonnets.

Songs

If your script is going to be a musical, you’ll need to include lyrics. To do so, employ the same method as when you’re inserting poetry. The only difference is that when a character has conversation, you would put (SINGING) next to their name. However, before you Que up your scripts musical playlist you might want to beware of the pitfalls that can result in using songs in your screenplay…Check out this infomative video that explores the

How To: Songs In a Screenplay: Advice for Filmmakers

Hopefully, these brief set of tips will help you on your creative journey as you explore the art of creative script writing. Enjoy!

The Tale of Two Adams [12]

Movie Plot

Call me Adam. Some years ago—A teenage boy escapes his abusive father’s arms after his first encounter with the Devil and as an adult faces the consequences of his decision to live life as a sinful Christian.

Sinister Sound Wave [9]

Sinister Sound Wave

[Sci-fi Thriller] A Screenplay Snapshot by @seasontlive

EXT. THE EDEN PROJECT, CORNWALL Office Suite – AFTERNOON

Thoughtful phycologist DR DOLLY WILLIAMS is arguing with her tempered boyfriend and teacher PROFESSOR JOHN TUNNS. DOLLY tries to hug JOHN but he shakes off her advances.

DOLLY
Please John, don’t leave me…

JOHN
I’m sorry Dolly, but I’m looking for somebody a bit more brave. Somebody who faces her fears head on, instead of running away.

DOLLY
I am such a person!

JOHN frowns.

JOHN
I’m sorry, Dolly. I just don’t feel excited by this relationship anymore. It just seems I keep running into the same brick wall and the best thing for us to do at this point is just move on, apart.

JOHN leaves.

DOLLY

sits down on here office chair, looking defeated.

Moments later, bold psychiatrist DR STEVE PAKETT barges in looking flustered.

DOLLY
Goodness, Steve! Is everything okay?

STEVE
I’m afraid not.

DOLLY
What is it? Don’t keep me in suspense…

STEVE
It’s … a sound wave … An evil sound wave that destroys critical thinking skills is about to be released and it can drastically harm a bunch of people!

DOLLY
People?

STEVE
Yes, defenseless people!

DOLLY
Bloomin’ heck, Steve! We’ve got to do something.

STEVE
I agree, but I wouldn’t know where to start.

DOLLY
You can start by telling me where this happened.

STEVE
I was…

STEVE fans himself and begins to wheeze.

DOLLY
Focus Steve, focus! Where did it happen?

STEVE
At a local satellite station not too far from here. I was accompanying a man named, Mr. Robert Moss he is an investor and big university grant donor. I was tasked with showing him our experiments with sound treatments. It was during this tour that Mr. Moss left behind a file folder in my office that I couldn’t help peek into. Well, in this file I seen a patent description along with a letter to the governor for immediate implementation of this mysterious sound wave frequency over the air waves.

DOLLY
So what your saying is..this is set to be released to air to everyone?

STEVE
It seems so. Yes…

DOLLY
I can’t imagine this to be true. I mean. Does Mr. Moss know he left behind this important information?

STEVE
As far as I know he doesn’t. He hasn’t contacted me since his visit. But now I don’t know if I’m at risk or danger now for knowing.

DOLLY
Well, that would make two of us now Steve.

STEVE
I’m Sorry Dolly…I Just…

DOLLY
No Steve don’t be sorry. You were concerned. frightened even. This is serious. We…We have to do something…

STEVE
What can we possibly do Dolly? It looks like plans are already in place to do this.

DOLLY
Well, shall we just sit back and wait for some frequency to keep us from ever thinking critically again. We won’t be able to think critically again if this wave or whatever it is goes live.

STEVE
I Know

DOLLY
Does anyone else know about what you discovered?

STEVE
No..(whispers) well.. I

DOLLY springs up.

DOLLY
Good.

Dolly suddenly points a 9mm silencer hand gun at STEVE and shoots him in the head. After placing the hand gun on her desk She calls Security for assistance via her office phone line. Security immediately enters to remove STEVE from her office. After STEVE’s body is carried away DOLLY proceeds to make a phone call to MR. MOSS

DOLLY
Hello. Yes Sir. Its done. He’s gone. Okay.

EXT. University Campus- Teaching Staff Private Office room

JOHN checks his email as he returns to his office at the University preparing for his next class he checks his emails on his laptop. He sees an Email from STEVE labled, Steve URGENT Dangerous Sound Wave Roll Out. John reads through the entire email.

JOHN Springs up.

JOHN
God Forbid, No!

Pacing around the office John begins to mindfully work through the information Steve emailed to him. Steve had always been a helpful friend in his work since they met through his romantic entanglement with Dolly. Why did STEVE warn him not to contact Dolly about this?

JOHN Looking up Whispers

JOHN

JOHN
Something must be done…I have to do something about this…

Grabbing his suitcase JOHN quickly shuts his laptop and rushes out his office….

THE END

Plot

Hoping for a peaceful resolution, the main character [John Tunns], after discovering a world of lies and betrayal, is suddenly thrust into trying to save innocent lives from a looming threat. Seeking vindication, the main character [John Tunns], unsure of what it all means, gradually gets to the bottom of the issue. In the end, after a face-to-face encounter with the enemy, the character turns down the opportunity to take a job solving similar problems in the future.