Scriptwriting

Game Of Thrones

This title makes me think the programme will involve history and royalty, from the "Thrones" part. It also makes me think the programme will have some sort of political conflict/war. I would assume it to be a drama involving action/adventure and potentially fantasy.

In this genre I would expect to see weaponry, specifically more old fashioned weaponry such as swords, shields and daggers. I would also expect to see lots of conflict and grand wars.

I think that conflict means a fight or war or a level of tension that is caused by a serious argument or disagreement.

The videos about conflict I was tasked to watch on Vimeo were unavailable due to them being private and needing a password.

The state of equilibrium is the beginning of the film, when the character/s' lives are "normal", and there is a sense of balance to the narrative. Then, the disruption to the equilibrium occurs when the "inciting incident" or "call to adventure" occurs. Once the character realises the problem and decides to do something about it, this is the recognition that the disorder has occurred. The attempt to repair the damage is in Act 2, when the character begins to put their plan into action. This part of the film usually includes confrontation/rising action.

D4 Darius: "3 Act Structure"

In D4 Darius' video about the "3 act structure" he explains how a typical script is structured:

Act 1 - Sets up the main character/s, tone and "status quo" of the character's life. Act 1 usually lasts 25-30 minutes. At the start of the film, the beginning scene should be gripping, as this is what the whole film could be judged by when the script /film is being reviewed.

About half way through act 1 (10-15 minutes into the film) is when the "catalyst" or "inciting incident" hits (sometimes known as the "call to adventure"). This is a situation which disrupts the character's "status quo". In response to this, the character either:

1) Refuses the "call to adventure"

2) Avoids doing something about the problem

3) Prepares to take action

At about 25-30 minutes into the film, the Act 1 climax occurs. Either at this stage or because of it the main character decides to take on the problem.

This scene works better if it is memorable or big and distinct (eg it involves a big set piece or action sequence).

Act 2 - Confrontation/rising action. This usually begins at about 24-31 minutes into the film and lasts till roughly the 70-90 minute mark, thus making it, by far, the longest part of the film.

This act is split into 2 parts, the first having lower tension, an "all fun and games" aspect to it, in which new characters are introduced and established, existing characters are developed, specifically with new skills and abilities. This section also usually features montages. This is usually where the majority of clips from trailers reside in the film.

Splitting the two parts is the midpoint (also known as the act 2 tentpole), where there is a major shift in the dynamic of the film. The character either experiences a major success, devastating failure or powerful revelation.

Then you have the second part of Act 2, in which the "bad guys close in". (if the bad guys were defeated in the midpoint they return/regroup). In a romance film for example, the relationship may fail at this point of the film.

At around minute 75 is the "All is Lost" moment near to the end of Act 2, in which there is a physical moment of loss/defeat, eg the girlfriend getting kidnapped, the mentor dying, or the headquarters being blown up.

And then comes the mental counterpart to this between the 75 and 85 minute mark called the "Dark Night of the Soul Moment". This is a short section of the film in which the protagonist is feeling lost in reaction to the "All is Lost" moment. This is a depressing moment of the film, and usually when the protagonist receives a pep talk (usually from their love interest or mentor).

The Act 2 climax occurs at about the 80 minute mark of a 90 minute film (or at the 90 minute mark of a 120 minute film). This is when the main characters finds a way to solve the problem.

Act 3 (the climax, so to speak) is the shortest part of the film at about 15-35 minutes. It is the part of the film with the highest tension, as lots is generally at stake, and the main characters are up against ridiculous odds.

At around the 85-110 minute mark there is sometimes the "Act 3 twist", which is usually a revelation or false death.

The final part of the film is the resolution, in which the action winds down, any loose strings are tied up, and a conclusive finish is reached.

MATRIX PLOT GRAPH

WHIPLASH

In this beginning scene on Whiplash (2014), we are introduced to the characters Andrew and Fletcher. The character of Andrew is introduced with a long clip of him playing the drums intensely. In this scene, he wears a plain white t-shirt, and appears covered in sweat. This shows that he is strongly devoted to his hobby of drumming, as he keeps on at it, even when physically exhausted. The white t-shirt also connotes that he is a positive and driven character. The fact that Andrew is shown to be playing in the dark also helps to denote his character to the audience, as it suggests that he is so caught up in his drumming that his surroundings are irrelevant to him. The fact that he is skinny yet has built arms portrays that he has been drumming a long time.

The character of Fletcher, in contrast is wearing all black, which makes the audience feel slightly scared of him, as black is an intimidating colour. Alongside this, his bald head suggests that he is a character who cares more for practicality than looks. His interrogative and authoritative speech towards Andrew suggest that he is a man of great power, as Andrew follows his commands in nervousness.

This scene is entertaining because of the dolly shot from the perspective of Fletcher, which zooms in on Andrew in the dark room, which allows us to see the scene from Fletcher's perspective.

Due to the lack of dialogue, the script is more descriptive, leaving much up to the visual aspects of the scene, along with body image.

Script Writing Brief

To begin the script writing brief, I was tasked with research and analysis of a range of film scripts. I began with this script from Avengers: Endgame, as it is a film I thoroughly enjoyed. I began by annotating scene headings and characters etc in order to grasp how a script should be formatted.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

"Everybody wants a happy ending, right? But it doesn't always roll that way" introduces the dark tone of the film, by suggesting that even one of the most powerful of the heroes is un-optimistic about the outcome of the conflict.

"There is more than one universe" introduces the sci-fi genre into a scene which is focused on real life and isn't yet exposed to sci-fi concepts.

In this scene, there are lots of stage directions, as the scene is more focused on physical action than dialogue.

"Rocket wheezes" is used to portray that the character is in pain without having to rely on dialogue, as dialogue is an unrealistic form of exposition in many circumstances.

The holo-display portrays to the audience that the characters in the film are working with advanced technology, which is a convention of the sci-fi genre.

The characters having abstract names such as "Thanos" and "Vision" and "Drax" portrays the abnormality of the characters, and their otherworldly-ness.

Here, emotion is shown at the loss of certain characters, which helps to bind the plot together, because it forces the audience to realize the severity of what the characters are facing and empathize with the situation.

The use of futuristic technology in this script is interesting, and something I might incorporate into my own script.

Chaos Walking (2019)

The "Spackle" are an alien species, which introduces a convention of the sci-fi genre. The main character's apparent shock to see a girl also tells us that this world is different to ours, perhaps dystopian or futuristic, in the fact that society has clearly moved on, but not necessarily in a positive way.

"Hair on the back of his neck to stand up" displays that there is tension in the scene.

The introduction to the piece of weaponry, a knife, connote themes of action and tension which are key in sci-fi films.

In this scene, Todd is questioning things through dialogue. This is a method to portray the character's inner thoughts in a realistic way and to unravel the plot by forcing the audience to follow his train of thought.

The "noise" is an aspect of the script which clearly defines the film as fantastical, as this is a made-up feature.

Action in short sharp bursts such as this scene where the girl is running from Todd help to keep the audience hooked.

"TODD (CONT'D)" Is used in the script to display that whilst there are stage instructions in between, the dialogue under this title is all related and together in the script.

The "CRACK of gunfire" represents the sci-fi genre, as it shows weaponry and action.

The ominous and desolate middle-of-nowhere swampy environment connotes the film is sci-fi.

For my own script, I would like to incorporate short, sharp bursts of action similar to the ones in this script, where the girl is running from Todd in the second and third script pages I have analysed for this film.

This scene acts as a "hook" to grab the audience's attention as it shows a flash of what's to come in the film (the forest). Dramatic irony is used in a sense here, as the audience is shown this setting/location before the characters journey to it.

Avatar (2009)

Music connotes rising tension. The mist and smoke covering the forest connote mystery and set up an ominous feel to the film. The forest opening scene could also be portraying/hinting at a utopia (an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members), which is a common convention in science fiction films.

Break screeches, an unpleasant sound, represent and introduce the bleak side of urban life. Vehicles and people are juxtaposed with the large expanse of jungle and forest just portrayed on screen.

Brings in the supernatural concept of flying, a convention of the sci-fi genre.

VO: voice over: introduces that an offscreen character is speaking

CUT TO: describes a change of scene.

EXT: exterior, shows that the scene is taking place outdoors.

Filter masks and masses of commercial billboards dominating the scene connote the sci-fi genre, as these are common conventions of a "dying earth", or a dystopian world, where society is damaged and corrupt and there is great suffering (eg the people have to wear face masks or they will breathe in toxic air). This idea is furthered by the voice over in which Sully says "not in this economy." suggesting that their is some kind of political/economic conflict within this society.

When writing my own script, similarly to in this film, I would be interested in beginning it with a flash of a later point in the film, or have a short section of the intro set later in time, and then bring the film back to the present.

Genre Mindmap

Typical Character Stereotypes:

Speculative Technology

Interplanetary Warfare

Fictional Worlds

Alternative Histories

Common Settings:

-Space

-Post apocalyptic cities

-Dystopian cities

-Utopias

Science Fiction

Teleportation

Parallel Universes

Robots

Time Travel

Mind Control, Telepathy and Telekinesis

Space Travel and Exploration

Extraterrestrial Content (e.g. aliens)

10) The Robot Who Wants To Be Human

9) The May-Or May-Not Be the Devil Guy
8) Pure Energy Beings
7) The Accidental Time-Tourist
6) Genetically Superior Smug Humans
5) The Monocultural Alien
4) The Captain Ahab
3) The Bumbling Robot

2) The Evil Twin

1) The Over-Obsessed Scientist

I would like to use one of the concepts of mid control or telepathy or telekinesis in my script as I find these hyper abilities interesting. I would also be interested in writing about time travel or space and aliens.

Research on Script writing Advice

Writer's Relief: Try these methods for creating three-dimensional characters

1) "Allow for out of character characterization" The article states that you should try and divert from the character's typical attributes, but not just randomly, in a carefully thought through way that makes sense with the character. E.g. a typically shy character being rowdy when drunk, or a typically bossy and confident character being quiet around certain characters e.g. their strict parent, or a love interest.

"What makes people (and characters) interesting is how unexpected their behaviors or reactions can be." This point is beneficial to me as it guides me on the sorts of emotional conflicts that I can include for my main characters.

2) "Give them a sense of grace, destiny or belief" In this section of the article, the importance of a character having a greater purpose is emphasized. This point also mentions characters having dreams that may or may not be fulfilled over the course of the film, and how this effects their inner growth and development.

3) "Pair conflicting emotions" The third point states that conflict of emotions is a natural human experience and a reality that should be translated into characters to make them feel more real. For example, the article suggests pairing a strong indented belief of a character with a small cloud of belief that eats away at them. This is commonly done in films, and allows the character's growth to be shown, along with giving the audience an insight into how they were raised.

4) "Use a character's physical appearance as an expression of inner feelings" This is also known as "pathetic fallacy", in which the outside world is used to reflect the inside world of the character. For example, a character struggling with depression may be showing signs of weight loss. Their clothing is also a good indicator of what the character is going through emotionally, as an obvious lack of care when getting dressed (e.g. disheveled garments of clothing, unwashed or dirty clothes, messy hair could all symbolize that the character is distracted and uncaring about their appearance. Equally, a character may be extremely well dressed in crisp and clean clothing, suggesting they are trying to impress someone, or just have a generally more organised lifestyle. "This will allow you to remind the reader of certain important aspects of the character's mental state in a more subtle manner" I choose to include this quote, as I feel it outlines the fact that this particular method is about adapting to script writing, where telling an audience a piece of information isn't really an option in the way it is when writing a novel, and it is all about SHOWING the audience with stage directions, costumes and settings.

5) "Draw from your own experiences" This last point states a way to make your character's more believable is to draw from your own real life experiences, as "The details of the pet species are not important,: the human experience of losing a beloved pet can still be transferred to your writing." This elaborates that whilst it is not essential to relate to the specific situation your character is being put through, it is good to be able to draw from your own experiences in some way, as it allows you to create a realistic sense of empathy for the characters.

"Writing The Perfect Movie Opening" by TomMorrisFilms

This is a 5 minute YouTube video in which a film and commercial director discusses 5 essential tips on how to write a successful film script opening. In the video, he states that in order to successfully open a script, you must (in the first 10 pages):

1) "Clearly define your genre" "The first 10 pages need to clearly set up your genre" - I choose this quote as, although a rather general point, it sets out a clear instruction which is essential to the film, as genre is something that a viewer will base their potential watching of a film on. If a viewer is 10 or so minutes into a film and is uncertain of what genre it is, they may loose interest in it and choose not to go on watching the film. Ways to establish the genre of a film at the beginning of the film is to use codes and conventions. For example, a horror film would begin with some kind of eerie or bloody set up, where suspicion sets in from the start of the film. Another example is a science-fiction film having futuristic or technological settings and props. Other factors that help to set a genre are lighting, tone and character.

2) "Make sure the tone is set" "For example: Saving Private Ryan, in the opening sequence of the first ten pages, we understand that this is a very real world war 2 film, and the rest of the film matches that tone" These quotes aid me in my own screenwriting process as they guide me to the fact that tone should be a set aspect of the film that remains the same and is unchanging.

3) "Create empathy for your hero" He states that this is argued to be important by some people and unimportant to others, but that he believes that it IS important. I personally agree with his statement that, whilst making them "likable" isn't necessarily of top importance, creating empathy for them is, as when watching a film, you are essentially following the main character's journey, so their has to be some relatability to that character to keep you interested in what happens to them throughout the course of the film.

4) "Be visual" "Make sure your in your first 10 pages that the reader can imagine the images that are going to be shown on the screen later" This quote is useful to me as it reminds me that my own idea of the film will be translated via my script, and that I need to find a way to portray my ideas in the script so that the reader is aware of what I'm trying to do.

5) "Fix all typos" "If someone is 70 pages into the script they are less likely to put the script down at a typo, as they are already invested." This information is useful to me, as it reminds me that not only do I need to focus on the structure of the film as a whole, and the plot and tone, but also the more close aspects of the structure such as grammar, ensuring that the dialogue flows and makes sense.

Where To Start: How To Be a Hollywood Script writer by Glynn Turner

This is an eBook written by an aspiring scriptwriter, who, despite not having sold any scripts has had a few his scripts optioned. The purpose of this eBook is to help fellow aspiring script writers by giving them an introduction into writing scripts.

"Remember all those times you’ve sighed when watching a boring movie because you thought nothing much was happening? Well, don’t be one of those guys. Don’t be the type of person who complains about movies being too slow and then end up writing a movie that moves too slow. Get into your story fast. As a writer, it’s your job to hook the reader in." I've chosen this quote to include, as it highlights the importance of grabbing the reader's attention straight away, and maintaining that throughout the opening scenes of the script to keep readers reading.

"Pages 1 – 30 are considered the beginning. This is where you must set up who your characters are, where they live, what they do and what they want. If you watch virtually any movie, you’ll see that at about 25 to 30 minutes, something major happens to start the real story off. This is because the previous pages were used to introduce us to the worlds and characters of this particular story, and then once that is done, something happens to start the real story, and this is where we see our hero charge off to try and get what he or she wants." This quote in particular is useful to me, as it focuses on the beginning of the script, which is what I shall be writing. This helps me to grasp an idea of how much of my story and character introduction I should include in my script opening.

On page 25, the writer talks about "exposition", which is the act of conveying information. In this section of his eBook, he stresses the importance of "showing not telling", and thus using alternative methods of exposition than dialogue. I think this is a useful thing for me to learn, as it forces me to think about how I can successfully portray the plot events of my film without having my characters monotonously droning out the plot explanation in dialogue.

"There are only 2 reasons to ever write a scene. The first reason is to push the story forward. If your scene pushes the story forward, then you need to have it. The second reason is that the scene reveals something about your character." This quote is helpful to me as it outlines exactly what I should be striving to achieve when writing my script opening, and that, whilst establishing characters is important, so is introducing the plot early and ensuring the reader feels the film is moving towards something.

The link to this eBook is here below:

http://chris-farrell.s3.amazonaws.com/CFMN-downloads/How_To_Write_A_Screenplay.pdf

Survey

For this task, I had to do some primary research using my target audience to find out about the kinds of features they like and look for in sci-fi films. I decided to do my research in the form of a survey, which I used google forms to complete.

The majority of people who took my survey were between 16 and 17 years old and female as is visible in the survey.

From the answers of Free Guy and Avengers Endgame we can see that many viewers like sci-fi films to have a strong emotional impact, meaning that the characters being likable or relatable is something that I should try to incorporate into my script, as it allows the audience to have an emotional connection with the film. The answer of The Matrix displays that the building of an interesting sci-fi world or reality is also an important aspect of a sci-fi film.

Many of these answers, such as Katniss and Darth Maul are based on physical characteristics such as strength, abilities and fighting techniques, which tells me that creating characters with a specific way of fighting is important to the sci-fi audience, along with ensuring there is some action in my script. However, some people's favorite characters, such as Buddy and the list of Marvel characters, were based off of personality and emotional connection. Lots of people were also unsure of their favorite characters despite having favorite films, which suggests that character isn't always essential to sci-fi films.

Lots of people responded that this was important to them. However, others were unsure, but tended to feel it beneficial to a film to have emotional connection or relatability.

The most common preferences were: time travel and space. Aliens and technology also appeared popular, along with mythical and futuristic elements.

Essentially, the results conclude that people enjoy a dramatic or action packed, fast paced opening that hooks in the audience. Some of the responses also placed importance on introduction to characters and worlds and concept. The first response shows that sci-fi films can often be confusing if not introduced properly, so one of my main targets with my opening is that I manage to portray my sci-fi world or concept so that it can make sense to the audience.

My Ideas

1) A group of strangers' lives collide when they step into an elevator which momentarily crashes. When each of the strangers discovers strange and out-of-worldly abilities later that day, they are forced together and realize that the seemingly inconsiderable incident that they all shared must be what connects them now. Struggling to keep their new-found powers under control and grasp the meaning behind their sudden appearance, the strangers are unaware that something is coming for them: the biggest threat Earth has ever faced, and that they have been chosen to stop it.

2) A teenager working in a small cafe in the middle of nowhere is startled when 7 police cars pull up outside on a random January night. When the officers storm through the cafe and into the back yard the teenager follows to see them find a strange galactic bomb which has been sent by a rival planet to wipe out the human species. The teenager's job as a barista becomes a lot more high-stakes as they race to detonate the bomb alongside top tier scientists, and a few mysterious human-like aliens who claim to want to help preserve humanity, but aren't as worthy of trust as they may seem.

3) A scientist discovers a way to travel in time and tests their method in the evening by travelling to "the day they die" however, once they have traveled, they check the date and realize it is the same day, just 12:01 AM. However, just as they are accepting their fate, they discover that their time travelling persona has not replaced their past self, but exists alongside them and that they may be able to alter the timeline. The scientist uses their "last day" to try and prevent the death of their true form and learn some important messages about life along the way.

Evaluation

When coming up with my film ideas I conducted several methods of research and mostly used the primary research I had collected by looking at people’s responses to my survey. For example, in response to the question “What, in your opinion, should a good sci-fi film opening have?” a few responses stated that it should have “an introduction to the main people/characters”, which I decided to incorporate into my film by creating six different characters whose life and characteristics we see little snippets of in the beginning of my film. I used the enigma code to draw in the audience and interest them in the characters.

I didn’t always follow the verdict of my survey however, for example the question about favourite aspects of the genre, lots of people mentioned futuristic/alien technology and weaponry and also time travel. Whilst I incorporated some of these ideas (such as time travel) in my 3 film ideas, my final decision on my film idea was based off supernatural powers, which wasn’t particularly mentioned in the responses to my survey. This perhaps would make my film appeal to less people, so was perhaps a mistake I made in choosing my ideas. However, I did use the popular concept of aliens/an alien species in my script as the villains, and I feel this mixing of aliens and superpowers increases the range of interest that my film would have.

I found that my primary research was most effective as I could tailor it to suit the particular genre that I wished to write about. The survey helped to spark ideas for my script opening by looking at what other people preferred to see when watching a sci-fi film (as in their favourite aspects etc., and although I didn’t necessarily always put this advice into practice it was still helpful to me to formulate a variety of ideas to consider using). The analysis of the scripts research method meant that I could look at successful sci-fi films that I enjoyed, and see the structure of how they were written so that I could use it to aid me in structuring my own script. The secondary research however was also helpful, despite being slightly more generic and non-genre-specified. I found the articles that I read on characterisation were very helpful in creating what I hope to be 3 dimensional characters. I also found that watching YouTube videos was an effective way to learn as listening to someone speaking was a more straight-to-the-point and easy way to consume information.

When writing my script, in order to fight common Hollywood film stereotypes, I wanted to ensure that I included diversity in my script. My main characters have a range of different financial and racial backgrounds. For example, one of my main heroes is a black woman, where a typical “hero” role in Hollywood would be played by a white man. I believe this representation to be greatly important in the film industry and in the media as a whole, as it helps to represent the different cultures of the world and the ways different people live their lives and broadens the audience’s awareness and acceptance of different groups in society.

Both my primary and secondary research were helpful, but in different ways. The primary research that I carried out was more helpful in terms of it being specified to the sci-fi genre, thus it helped me to understand the codes and conventions of the genre and how sci-fi is written. The secondary research however gave me more script-writing in general that I felt was more in depth. I found that with primary research tasks my findings were slightly less reliable however, as for example with my survey, I only had between 5-10 responses to my questions that I had to work with, and the majority of these were 16-17 year old females. With the secondary research, in contrast, I used a range of different sources and formats including Articles, YouTube videos and eBooks, and many of these came straight from Hollywood writers themselves.

Sources:

http://chris-farrell.s3.amazonaws.com/CFMN-downloads/How_To_Write_A_Screenplay.pdf

https://www.toplessrobot.com/2009/11/the_10_most_cliched_character_types_in_sci-fi.php):

https://writersrelief.com/2013/11/20/5-ways-to-create-three-dimensional-characters/

My script

Working Title: The Six

My treatment

Working Title: The Six

Pre-Production of Skye's Script
"The Hypocritical Therapist"

Out of the four scripts each of our group had written, we decided to choose Skye's script for her rom-com: The Hypocritical Therapist to shoot and produce. We made this decision as the other three of our script's had challenging obstacles, such as mine being a sci-fi which including super powers, Remy's being an action with expensive cars in which the beginning scene was set in a mansion. David's script was more plausible, and we considered producing his, but were stuck on how to film the opening shot which included a burning house. In the end we decided to rule this script out, as the burning house shot was essential to the plot of the first few minutes of the film, but practically impossible for us to shoot. For Skye's script, the characters are all aged around 30, which we considered changing to fit around our age, but since the main character was a marriage counsellor who had been divorced 5 times we thought this might be a little difficult.

The beginning of the script includes a scene in Elizabeth's house, which would be impractical to film due to us all living quite far away from each other, which would make travelling to one of our houses difficult, and also a scene in her car, which wouldn't be possible for us to film, as none of us can legally drive, so we decided to cut this part of the script out, as it was not entirely essential to the plot of the film. When we film the script we will be starting from "SHE WALKS INTO THE BUILDING..." (see arrow below on pg. 2)