Sign up to my weekly newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/58b887a1742f/garythomasnewsletter |
Hopefully by now you:
Picked an idea you love / is close to you
Know how your story ends
Know who the character(s) are
Now is the time to put it altogether is scenes – or scene ideas. This is where the pro writers break out the brand new pack of index cards and start writing ideas for scenes. Check out this film about writing from The ACADEMY
HINT: In the best screenplays, one character wants something & the other character (or even themselves if its about one person) isn’t letting them have it.
If each scene is no more than 2 pages, that gives you five scenes to write out.
What happens in the scene?
What do the characters want – in a short film this could be the same in every scene, and the whole film could be about whether they get it or not.
Use a timer if you like, for 20- 30 minutes and think about what happens in each scene. Type it out, use pen & paper, use index cards if you like. I like the cards cos you can move them around.
What are your ideas for each scene? Let me know if you like!
best wishes
Gary
In feature & TV screenplay terms, each section can be thought of as an ACT of your script. Short films don’t have to be any different. Feature film screenplay Acts: ACT 1 ACT 2 ACT 3 OFTEN ACT 2 is split up into Act 2 A & B, otherwise there’s 60 whopping pages to think about. In a 10 page (10 minute) script, you can divide that into 3, to give your acts. Hopefully you’ve spent that last week thinking about which scenario you want to write about. Now is the time to puck one. HINT: A powerful ending normally makes for a great film. (This is just one component of the script) By powerful, of its a comedy it could just be the biggest joke of the script, the funniest moment, the most dramatic, scary etc, depending on what type of film you want to write. Have a think about your ending and write some ideas for an ending for the next 20-30 minutes. (Set a timer if you like). Pick one and think over the next week how you might get there with the idea have. Who is the main character? Are they on their own or is this a two character story? When ever you’re ready, write out some thoughts about your character. |
For more info about me & what I’m doing, check out my website! 🙂 |
Hey, how are you? The Imposter Syndrome and how to deal with it Do you ever feel this way, that you shouldn’t be writing, that you don’t know what you’re doing? You feel like you might be found out any minute? Like as soon as someone reads your script? Well, tons of us feel that way, often no matter how good things are going, that’s peak time for the imposter syndrome to show up. HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH IT? One way that I’ve found to deal with it is through meditation and positive thinking. Think about how things have gone well for you in the past, your success, and how you dealt with not so successful things. But mainly concentrate on your success and achievements. They don’t have to be big at all, just writing one page is an achievement for me sometimes. One other thing I’ve started doing is A & O’s. A & O is Achievements and Objectives. Make a list of all your achievements, which could be a simple as ‘wrote 1 page on new screenplay’. And then list out you Objectives for the following week. Let me know how you get on with this if you try it out! — — Your next screenplay – I said I’d share a process where you can write a screenplay. Your next screenplay could be a perfectly crafted short film by the end of the year. Imagine that! It doesn’t have to be huge and expensive either. Think about where you live. What conflict or arguments do you imagine have take place there? Is there anything from your own life that you want to reimagine? HINT: Something that you care deeply about should be the subject of your screenplay. As long as you’re OK about writing it out. Imagine a two hander, what kind of conflict could it be about. Write some ideas down without censoring yourself & without editing. Maybe time yourself for 20 – 30 minutes of writing. Are any ideas leaping out for you? Pick one to write about and try & think about where the story might lead to. |
Sign up to my weekly newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/58b887a1742f/garythomasnewsletter |
You must be logged in to post a comment.