Types
The act of screenwriting takes many forms across the entertainment industry. Often, multiple writers work on the same script at different stages of development with different tasks. Over the course of a successful career, a screenwriter might be hired to write in a wide variety of roles. Some of the most common forms of screenwriting jobs include:Spec script writing
Spec scripts are feature film or television show scripts written without the commission of, but is on speculation of sale to a film studio, production company, or TV network. The content is usually invented solely by the screenwriter, however spec screenplays can also be based on established works or real people and events. The spec script is a Hollywood sales tool with the vast majority of scripts written each year are spec scripts, but only a small percentage make it to the screen. Though a spec script is usually a wholly original work, it can also be an adaptation. In television writing, a spec script is a sampleCommission
A commissioned screenplay is written by a hired writer. The concept is usually developed long before the screenwriter is brought on, and often has multiple writers work on it before the script is given a green light. The plot development is usually based on highly successful novels, plays, TV shows, and even video games, and the rights to which have been legally acquired.Feature assignment writing
Scripts written on assignment are screenplays created under contract with a studio, production company, or producer. These are the most common assignments sought after in screenwriting. A screenwriter can get an assignment either exclusively or from "open" assignments. A screenwriter can also be approached and offered an assignment. Assignment scripts are generally adaptations of an existing idea or property owned by the hiring company, but can also be original works based on a concept created by the writer or producer.Rewriting and script doctoring
Most produced films are rewritten to some extent during the development process. Frequently, they are not rewritten by the original writer of the script. Many established screenwriters, as well as new writers whose work shows promise but lacks marketability, make their living rewriting scripts. When a script's central premise or characters are good but the script is otherwise unusable, a different writer or team of writers is contracted to do an entirely new draft, often referred to as a "page one rewrite". When only small problems remain, such as bad dialogue or poor humor, a writer is hired to do a "polish" or "punch-up". Depending on the size of the new writer's contributions, screen credit may or may not be given. For instance, in the American film industry, credit to rewriters is given only if 50% or more of the script is substantially changed. These standards can make it difficult to establish the identity and number of screenwriters who contributed to a film's creation. When established writers are called in to rewrite portions of a script late in the development process, they are commonly referred to as script doctors. Prominent script doctors include Christopher Keane, Steve Zaillian, William Goldman, Robert Towne, Mort Nathan, Quentin Tarantino, Carrie Fisher, and Peter Russell. Many up-and-coming screenwriters work as ghostwriters.Television writing
A freelance television writer typically uses spec scripts or previous credits and reputation to obtain a contract to write one or more episodes for an existing television show. After an episode is submitted, rewriting or polishing may be required. A staff writer for a TV show generally works in-house, writing and rewriting episodes. Staff writers—often given other titles, such as story editor or producer—work both as a group and individually on episode scripts to maintain the show's tone, style, characters, and plots. Serialized television series will typically have a basic premise and setting that creates a story engine that can drive individual episodes, subplots, and developments. Television show creators write the television pilot and bible of new television series. They are responsible for creating and managing all aspects of a show's characters, style, and plots. Frequently, a creator remains responsible for the show's day-to-day creative decisions throughout the series run as showrunner,Writing for daily series
The process of writing forWriting for game shows
Game shows feature live contestants, but still use a team of writers as part of a specific format. This may involve the slate of questions and even specific phrasing or dialogue on the part of the host. Writers may not script the dialogue used by the contestants, but they work with the producers to create the actions, scenarios, and sequence of events that support the game show's concept.Video game writing
With the continued development and increased complexity of video games, many opportunities are available to employ screenwriters in the field of video game design. Video game writers work closely with the other game designers to create characters, scenarios, and dialogue.Structural theories
Several main screenwriting theories help writers approach the screenplay by systematizing the structure, goals and techniques of writing a script. The most common kinds of theories are structural. Screenwriter William Goldman is widely quoted as saying "Screenplays are structure".Three-act structure
According to this approach, the three acts are: the setup (of the setting, characters, and mood), the confrontation (with obstacles), and the resolution (culminating in a climax and a dénouement). In a two-hour film, the first and third acts each last about thirty minutes, with the middle act lasting about an hour, but nowadays many films begin at the confrontation point and segue immediately to the setup or begin at the resolution and return to the setup. In '' Writing Drama'', French writer and director Yves Lavandier shows a slightly different approach. As do most theorists, he maintains that every human action, whether fictitious or real, contains three logical parts: before the action, during the action, and after the action. But since the climax is part of the action, Lavandier maintains that the second act must include the climax, which makes for a much shorter third act than is found in most screenwriting theories. Besides the three-act structure, it is also common to use a four- or five-act structure in a screenplay, and some screenplays may include as many as twenty separate acts.The Hero's Journey
The hero's journey, also referred to as the monomyth, is an idea formulated by noted mythologist Joseph Campbell. The central concept of the monomyth is that a pattern can be seen in stories and myths across history. Campbell defined and explained that pattern in his book '' The Hero with a Thousand Faces'' (1949). Campbell's insight was that important myths from around the world, which have survived for thousands of years, all share a fundamental structure. This fundamental structure contains a number of stages, which include: #a call to adventure, which the hero has to accept or decline, #a road of trials, on which the hero succeeds or fails, #achieving the goal (or "boon"), which often results in important self-knowledge, #a return to the ordinary world, which again the hero can succeed or fail, and #application of the boon, in which what the hero has gained can be used to improve the world. Later, screenwriter Christopher Vogler refined and expanded the hero's journey for the screenplay form in his book, '' The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers'' (1993).Syd Field's paradigm
Syd Field introduced a new theory he called "the paradigm". He introduced the idea of a '' plot point'' into screenwriting theory and defined a plot point as "any incident, episode, or event that hooks into the action and spins it around in another direction". These are the anchoring pins of the story line, which hold everything in place. There are many plot points in a screenplay, but the main ones that anchor the story line in place and are the foundation of the dramatic structure, he called ''plot points I and II''. Plot point I occurs at the end of Act 1; plot point II at the end of Act 2. Plot point I is also called the ''key incident'' because it is the true beginning of the story and, in part, what the story is about. In a 120-page screenplay, Act 2 is about sixty pages in length, twice the length of Acts 1 and 3. Field noticed that in successful movies, an important dramatic event usually occurs at the middle of the picture, around page sixty. The action builds up to that event, and everything afterward is the result of that event. He called this event the ''centerpiece'' or ''midpoint''. This suggested to him that the middle act is actually two acts in one. So, the three-act structure is notated 1, 2a, 2b, 3, resulting in Aristotle’s three acts being divided into four pieces of approximately thirty pages each. Field defined two plot points near the middle of Acts 2a and 2b, called ''pinch I'' and ''pinch II'', occurring around pages 45 and 75 of the screenplay, respectively, whose functions are to keep the action on track, moving it forward, either toward the midpoint or plot point II. Sometimes there is a relationship between pinch I and pinch II: some kind of story connection. According to Field, the '' inciting incident'' occurs near the middle of Act 1, so-called because it sets the story into motion and is the first visual representation of the key incident. The inciting incident is also called the ''dramatic hook'', because it leads directly to plot point I. Field referred to a ''tag'', an epilogue after the action in Act 3. Here is a chronological list of the major plot points that are congruent with Field's Paradigm:Kristin Thompson and David Bordwell’s Four Act Structure
Husband and wife film theoristsThe sequence approach
The sequence approach to screenwriting, sometimes known as " Sequence (filmmaking), eight-sequence structure", is a system developed by Frank Daniel, while he was the head of the Graduate Screenwriting Program atMichael Welles Schock's Atoms of Storytelling
Shock argues that the Golden Key in structuring a film script is something he calls the “story spine.” It is the backbone of storytelling, and it starts from the beginning of the movie and continues all the way to the very end. He says that every successful story spine contains film elements # The Story Problem: Another word for the inciting incident. Examples given include the arrival of the terrorists in ''Die Hard'' or Nemo being kidnapped in ''Finding Nemo''. # The Story Goal: the very thing that drives the main character. The MC believes that once the goal is achieved, the Story Problem will be solved and life can return to normal. # The Path of Action: The road the protagonist travels down to achieve the Story Goal. # The Main Conflict: The force of antagonism the protagonist faces. It could be human, internal, or some other external force. # The Stakes: The very thing that is at risk for the protagonist should they not achieve their story goal. In ''Die Hard'', John McClane’s wife is one of the hostages in the building. If he fails, he, his wife, and the other hostages will die. Shock says that the theory of spine could also be applied to the sequence in the Sequence approach. Each sequence spine is made up of the same five elements of the story spine.Robert McKee's Story
Robert McKee believes that screenplays are a way to delve into a character's "life story." The structure means arranging events from a character's life story in a strategic way that a elicits an emotional response from the audience or conveys a certain point-of-view in life. The events the writer choses to incorporate into the story can not random; rather, the events included, and where they are placed in the story, must serve a purpose for the story. Story "events" impact the lives of the characters in significant ways.Character theories
Michael Hauge's categories
Michael Hauge divides primary characters into four categories. A screenplay may have more than one character in any category. * hero: This is the main character, whose outer motivation drives the plot forward, who is the primary object of identification for the reader and audience, and who is on screen most of the time. * nemesis: This is the character who most stands in the way of the hero achieving his or her outer motivation. * reflection: This is the character who supports the hero's outer motivation or at least is in the same basic situation at the beginning of the screenplay. * romance: This is the character who is the sexual or romantic object of at least part of the hero's outer motivation. Secondary characters are all the other people in the screenplay and should serve as many of the functions above as possible. Motivation is whatever the character hopes to accomplish by the end of the movie. Motivation exists on outer and inner levels. * outer motivation is what the character visibly or physically hopes to achieve or accomplish by the end of the film. Outer motivation is revealed through action. * inner motivation is the answer to the question, "Why does the character want to achieve his or her outer motivation?" This is always related to gaining greater feelings of self-worth. Since inner motivation comes from within, it is usually invisible and revealed through dialogue. Exploration of inner motivation is optional. Motivation alone is not sufficient to make the screenplay work. There must be something preventing the hero from getting what he or she wants. That something is conflict. * outer conflict is whatever stands in the way of the character achieving his or her outer motivation. It is the sum of all the obstacles and hurdles that the character must try to overcome in order to reach his or her objective. * inner conflict is whatever stands in the way of the character achieving his or her inner motivation. This conflict always originates from within the character and prevents him or her from achieving self-worth through inner motivation.Format
Fundamentally, the screenplay is a unique literary form. It is like a musical score, in that it is intended to be interpreted on the basis of other artists' performance, rather than serving as a finished product for the enjoyment of its audience. For this reason, a screenplay is written using technical jargon and tight, spare prose when describing stage directions. Unlike aDialogue and description
Imagery
Imagery can be used in many metaphoric ways. In '' The Talented Mr. Ripley'', the title character talked of wanting to close the door on himself sometime, and then, in the end, he did. Pathetic fallacy is also frequently used; rain to express a character feeling depressed, sunny days promote a feeling of happiness and calm. Imagery can be used to sway the emotions of the audience and to clue them in to what is happening. Imagery is well defined in '' City of God''. The opening image sequence sets the tone for the entire film. The film opens with the shimmer of a knife's blade on a sharpening stone. A drink is being prepared, The knife's blade shows again, juxtaposed is a shot of a chicken letting loose of its harness on its feet. All symbolising 'The One that got away'. The film is about life in the favelas in Rio - sprinkled with violence and games and ambition.Dialogue
Since the advent of sound film, or "talkies", dialogue has taken a central place in much of mainstream cinema. In the cinematic arts, the audience understands the story only through what they see and hear: action, music, sound effects, and dialogue. For many screenwriters, the only way their audiences can hear the writer's words is through the characters' dialogue. This has led writers such as Diablo Cody, Joss Whedon, and Quentin Tarantino to become well known for their dialogue—not just their stories. Bollywood and other Indian film industries use separate dialogue writers in addition to the screenplay writers.Plot
Plot, according to Aristotle's '' Poetics'', refers to the sequence events connected by cause and effect in a story. A story is a series of events conveyed in chronological order. A plot is the same series of events deliberately arranged to maximize the story's dramatic, thematic, and emotional significance. E.M.Forster famously gives the example "The king died and then the queen died" is a story." But "The king died and then the queen died of grief" is a plot. For Trey Parker and Matt Stone this is best summarized as a series of events connected by either the word "therefore" or the word "however".Education
A number of American universities offer specialized Master of Fine Arts and undergraduate programs in screenwriting, includingHistory
The first true screenplay is thought to be from George Melies' 1902 film '' A Trip to the Moon''. The movie is silent, but the screenplay still contains specific descriptions and action lines that resemble a modern-day script. As time went on and films became longer and more complex, the need for a screenplay became more prominent in the industry. The introduction of movie theaters also impacted the development of screenplays, as audiences became more widespread and sophisticated, so the stories had to be as well. Once the first non-silent movie was released in 1927, screenwriting became a hugely important position within Hollywood. The "studio system" of the 1930s only heightened this importance, as studio heads wanted productivity. Thus, having the "blueprint" (continuity screenplay) of the film beforehand became extremely optimal. Around 1970, the "spec script" was first created, and changed the industry for writers forever. Now, screenwriting for television (teleplays) is considered as difficult and competitive as writing is for feature films.Portrayed in film
Screenwriting has been the focus of a number of films: * '' Crashing Hollywood'' (1931)—A screenwriter collaborates on a gangster movie with a real-life gangster. When the film is released, the mob does not like how accurate the movie is. * '' Sunset Boulevard'' (1950)—Actor William Holden portrays a hack screenwriter forced to collaborate on a screenplay with a desperate, fading silent film star, played by Gloria Swanson. *'' In a Lonely Place'' (1950)— Humphrey Bogart is a washed up screenwriter who gets framed for murder. * '' Paris, When it Sizzles'' (1964)— William Holden plays a drunk screenwriter who has wasted months partying and has just two days to finish his script. He hires Audrey Hepburn to help. * '' Barton Fink'' (1991)— John Turturro plays a naïve New York playwright who comes to Hollywood with high hopes and great ambition. While there, he meets one of his writing idols, a celebrated novelist from the past who has become a drunken hack screenwriter (a character based onCopyright protection
United States
In the United States, while completed works are eligible forSee also
* Actantial model * Closet screenplay * List of film-related topics * List of screenwriting awards for film * Outline of film * Prelap * StoryboardReferences
Specific references
General references
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