How to Write a Screenplay: Part 1

Have you ever wondered how to write a screenplay or how to write a movie script? It is neither as easy nor as daunting as you may think. With a little planning and the right education, writing these works of art is possible!

It boils down to laying down a story-line, developing your characters and plotting out major events that move the story in the direction you want it to go. The right flow and a balanced mixture of story elements can spin fresh ideas into solid gold.

Set Down the Story-line for your Film

Your story-line should be fresh and unique; otherwise it will be picked apart and compared to stories that are similar. When laying down the path of the story, you don’t have to fill in all the details but you want to identify the theme of the story and the setting. It is also a good idea to sketch out your conclusion so that you know where the story will end. This will help you plot points along the way to reach the end result you desire.

Build Your Character Scripts

When you think about the great stories and films, including “Star Wars,” “Lord of the Rings” and “Harry Potter,” these stories do a marvelous job of giving characters a basic introduction and gradually filling in details as the story progresses.

Remember, good screenwriters give readers a glimpse of the character’s personality and background, then use actions and events within the story to fill in the details. Of course, you want to write a great story and that means showing how the events in the story change the characters for better or worse and how these changes impact the other characters in the story.

Creating Conflict and Climax in Short Film Scripts

Every story has a bit of conflict and a climactic event or two that screenwriters build up to. When it comes to screenwriting tips, none is more important than learning how to weave conflict into the narrative and use it to build to a climax that will leave the audience speechless.

Are you ready to put these screenwriting tips into practice? Contact our Media Schools in Colorado, Ohio, Illinois and Miami to learn more about our film and video production degrees. We will be happy to teach you how to write the screenplays that tell the stories you are eager to share with the world.