Talofa Writers!

Thought I'd go over the process of starting your screenplay(s).

1). A storyline.
2). Believeable characters.
3). Dialogue.
4). Beginning, middle & end.

A lot of folks jot down notes (and may even end up with a bunch of cumpled papers, which only they can deciper), while others start a process called "storyboarding."

Storyboarding is when you have written your scenes down, including characters with dialogue, on let's say a 3X5 index card. Once you get a bunch of these, you can plan out your screenplay. The idea is to lay your index cards down in the sequence you want these scenes to appear in your movie. This way, if you don't like a certain scene, you can either move it, replace it, or simply take it out. In the day, writers used to set the index cards down on a huge board or panel, thus the term "storyboarding."

Here's your chance to work out the screenplay you want to write. We're going to start with a short script, let's say a five page script, considering a full-length screenplay is normally 120 pages long (which is estimated at 1 minute a page), so the actual movie will be about 2 hrs.

So, here is your task. Write a short script using the "storyboard" method. Write a mininum of 3 pages, maximum of 5 pages.

The format for writing a script is called a "Master screenplay." Or, so that's what it was called when I started writing. Nowadays, they have so many programs you can download. Anyway, the master screenplay looks somewhat like this:

FADE IN.

EXT. CEMETARY - DAY

A WOMAN clad in black, stands over the coffin weeping uncontrollably.

WOMAN
Why did you leave me? What am I
going to do now?

She reaches out to touch the casket but the weight of her despair is too much. She drops to her knees.


****EXT. (is abbrev for Exterior which means just that, outside or outdoors).
INT. (abbrev for Interior, inside or indoors).

Following the directions, you must state where the scene is taking place and if it is day or night.

After the directions, scene, and time...you will either have your character's dialogue or a description of what is going on.

Remember, a script is going to be a movie. So you will write as if you are watching a scene, not reading it.

So, that everyone will be working together on this, I'm even going to give you the subject matter.

Estranged brothers meet up at their father's funeral and learn some disturbing news regarding his life.



Now, it's up to you start creating. Title your work this time.

Write On!

Tau