Today I want to talk about the first of sixteen steps in making your film. Step One is Screenplay.
Screenplay is the foundation of any great film. However it is very important to prepare before writing a screenplay whether it is a short film or a feature film.
There are several areas one needs to get ready before writing your script. Here are just a few of them.
- Idea generation. The Script writer needs to get in the right frame of mind to generate ideas.
- Character Creation: One needs to work out the physical, sociological and psychological profiles of your characters. This is one of the most important aspects of developing a screenplay. Often it is ignored. When I was writing The Makeover, I wrote approximately 10 pages on each character and I could tell you everything about their life. I had all the detail on their family on the characters first job, first girlfriend, their obsessions, their relationship with their father mother and what their hobbies the character had. I wrote these profiles using 27 areas of character, I teach in the Online Film School.
- Scene by Scene Outline is so important before you write your script. This means that you actually work out what happens in each scene. All you have to do is write the briefest of Synopses and then you have the map that will help you during the writing process.
The above is only some of what you need to prepare before writing your script. The rest we outline in the Online Film School Screenplay section.
When you actually write the first draft of the script, one of the best ways to write is to write 3 pages per day.
That means if you write five days a week, it will take you two months to complete your 120 page screenplay.
Three pages a day usually only takes a maximum of 90 minutes and can be written a lot faster. Writing a small amount every day means that you will enjoy the process, keep your day job and have a fun topic of conversation at the dinner party that weekend.
Of course you will need a script writing software. On the Online Film School we supply a free download of a script writing software that would normally be worth $200 – $300 if you bought Final Draft. Why not get the Online Film School and get a free scriptwriting software download.
Formatting your script is so important if you want to make films.
To the fun of making films. Till next week
Have a great one.