What makes a Good Screenplay?  F. Scoot Fitzgerald once responded to this query in this way “I don’t know, I am constantly seeking for the answer to what made a good screenplay”. Everyone can script then, how the normal person script’s is differing from scriptwriter’s scripts. Professional scriptwriters maintain a unique format in their scripts; off course, if you are looking behind the success films you can scrutinize this effect.

Every year, More than 5000 film scripts were registering at Film Script Writers Association, India. Among those, how many scripts are filmed? It is found that 70% of scripts are not luck enough to view in 70 MM screens; the reason is either because the scriptwriters/filmmakers fail to find a financer or else the script is rejected because of the lack of effective concept. So what the dramatic structure that makes a screenplay perfect?

To understand the principle of structure, it’s important to start with the word itself. The root of structure, struct, has two definitions that are relevant. The first definition means “to build” or “to put something together” like a building or car. The second definition is “the relationship between the parts and the whole”.

-Syd Field

Based on Structure, process of Script Writing Is divided Into Three Sections 

1. Beginning- Story Set Up

2. Conflict – Expansion

3. Solution

1. Beginning- Story Set Up

So this stage is the set up of screenplay; here scripter can decide where the story is diverts to. Believe that, if beginning of the film is not found impressive, your film won’t be a success at all. It’s the scriptwriter’s responsibility to mould a strong bridge-relation between the viewers and the characters in the beginning itself.

Pages Count

Two hours of lengthier film having an approximate pages count of 125-140, and the maximum visualization time of one page is 50 seconds. Story set up section must needed 20-30 pages

In Many times, the opening scenes of movies are usually starts from a voice-over explanation; this is because for getting audience awareness about the location where the story is happening. BenHur and American beauty are the examples of this narrative introduction story telling movies

Responsibilities

1. Character Implementation
2. Inter-linking the characters on the basis of Story
3. Generating interesting scenes to pitch the audience, 1^st half every movie are quite important, because the common man to film critics mostly scrutinize into the first half than afterwards section

Things to Remember:

1. Utilize the first quarter time effectively, avoid the boring poetic explanation way and unnecessary character implementation beginning scenes. This will reflects negatively, Douglas Day Stewart’s film –The Scarlet Letteris failed in box office is because of elaborated unnecessary explanation.

BenHur Introduction Scene

2. Conflict – Expansion

It is the harder stage in screenplay writing; don’t deliberately add any unnecessarily/non-logical arguments. Create the conflicts in a smoother way, without defaming the root story.

All drama is conflict. Without conflict, you have no action; without action, you have no character; without character, you have no story; without story, you have no screenplay.

– Syed Field

Usually, the conflict section covers an approximate pages count of 80-90.

Responsibilities

1. Legitimacy to the Scene
2. Avoiding the unnecessarily dramatic sequences
3. Get involve the audience attention more closely to the story

Check out this clip from the movie “Ben Hur”. Ben Hur (Charlton Heston) is sentenced three years as a galley slave in flagship. This scene happens in the middle of film; the audience can smell a conflict/revenge in its upcoming scenes. Ben Hur is really a well formatted film and the performers did their job very well, especially Charlton Heston.

3. Solution

You created an obstacle, and it is your responsibility to dilute or resolve the issue. Solutions (climax) of the movies are differing from one another. For instance, the climax of final destination and Ben Hur are concluded in two different ways. Ben Hur is climaxed in a satisfactory way while Final Destination ended in a pointless spot.

Responsibilities

1. Wind-up the story in a finite way
2. The climax of the movie is totally apt to its root story
3. The scripted Climax is totally fine in according to your Budget

Ben-Hur Climax Scene

Finish Reading?

Yeh,Now go and watch your  favourite movie, don’t forget to note down the points like Beginning, Mid-Portion and End. Also, write it detail about Your Findings that you discovered from that movie.

That’s It , Congratz  You’ve Now Learned About The Structure Of  Script writing

– Thanks For Reading-

Tags: Script writing Tips,  Script Writing structure

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