Script Writing workshop – Student’s Note

What is a Novel?
A fictional prose narrative of considerable length, typically having a plot that is unfolded by the 
actions, speech, and thoughts of the characters. Novel is a work of literary art.

What is a Script?
A script is a written document for a film or television show that includes dialogue as well as
stage direction and character actions and movement.

Film script is the blue print & scope for action.

Essential elements of a script

• Concept
• What is your movie about?

• What do you want to say?

• Who’s going to see it?

• Why film it?

• Characters
• Protagonist

The person who takes the action is called the ‘Protagonist’

• Antagonist
 The person/factor causes the conflict is called the ‘Antagonist/Villain

• Plot
• What drives your story?

• What happens to your character?

• How conflict creates drama

Structure
• Three Acts Structure

• Act I (1-30 mnts)

• Introduce your world and characters

• (Plot point 1 – without this scene there is no movie)

• Act II (31-90 mnts)

• What happens to the character to make him/her change

• (Plot point 2 – another event necessary to move characters)

• Act III (91-120 mnts)

• Climax (The Big Battle)/Conclusion
All films usually have CAR
C = Conflict

A= Action

R = Resolution

Three kind of conflicts

• Man vs Nature

• Man vs Man

• Man with his own self.

Screenplay
Your screenplay should:

• Tell a great story

• Be a “page turner”

• Excite others about your project

Screenplay Do’s
• Keep it interesting (rule #1)

• Describe things that can be seen

• Use active voice

• Proper screenplay format

Screenplay Don’t’s
 Camera angles
 “We see”
 Passive voice
 Large blocks of description
 Trivial action

8 stages in film script development

Idea
• The very first step What's your Idea Describe in one lines.
Someone (the hero) wants something (the goal) but
is blocked by something (the adversary).

• Describing idea in one line is called LOGLINE

Story
• a story based on a striking and easily communicable plot or idea

Restructuring/Re interpreting
Your script may need anything from minor tweaking to major re writing tor create
cinematic value is called restructuring.

One line breakdown (scene outline)

Scene outline is the one line description of a major scene.
A script breakdown is: a) an analysis of a screenplay in which all of the production
elements are reduced to lists in order to schedule and budget the production;
 b) a director’s creative analysis of the dramatic action, reciprocal struggle, theme, and
design elements of a screenplay.

Scene treatment
A treatment is a summary of a screenplay, sometimes in the form of an
outline. That helps to describe how the film will be shot.

A film treatment, is a piece of prose, typically the step between scene cards (index
cards) and the first draft of a screenplay for a motion picture.

Dialogues
Dialogue is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people

• Master draft
• Its basically the first translation of the Full Dialogue treatment into something that
approaching a ‘blueprint’. Master scenes are self contained pieces of action.

• They may vary in length from a couple of seconds to ten minutes or more.

• The Master Scene Script can begin to serve as a working document for the initial stages
of Casting, Designing, Scheduling and budgeting.

• Script + Dialogue + Location shot + costume sketch.

Final Shooting Script

• The term is self-explanatory . On the other hand, because of pressures from outside Or
new ‘inspirations’ from the film-maker, there may be several versions of

• Shooting Script. Even after shooting has started ‘amendments’ are frequently produced.
A common custom is to duplicate each new set of amendments on a different color of
paper, and script frequently.

• Ideally the Final Shooting script should indeed be the blue-print for the whole unit and
should be supplemented by a series of continuity drawings (storyboard). Sketching the
Compostition of each shot.
 • Script + Dialogue + Location shot + costume sketch + shot
division + camera Angle + camera position.

Stages to prepare shooting script

1. The Synopsis
A brief summary of the subject to describe the idea of the film

2. The Story Outline

An expansion for the subject more or less in a short story form.

3. The Scene outline

1st stage to list the actual Scenes of the film, with a small description of action. No
Dialogue.

4. The Treatment
Further extension the scene. A process of converting the outline into full script with
dialogue.

5. The Dialogue Treatment

It may contain far too much dialogue, too much of description. This serve as instruction
or suggestions of the film-maker rather than a part of the final script.

6. The Master Scene Script

Very first transition of the full dialogue treatment into a ‘blueprint. No scene break
down into separate or no camera angle. It serve as a working document for the initial
stages of casting, designing, scheduling, budgeting etc.

7. Rough Shooting Script

Rough or draft shooting script is a process it’s a polished and refine version of the
Master Scene Script without breaking it down into separate shots.

8. Final Shooting Script

Idelly the Final Shooting Script should indeed be the blue print for the whole unit and
should be supplemented by a series of continuity drawings (storyboard), Sketching the
composition of each shot, camera angle, camera position.
Principal of constructing a scene?
How to write a scene?
• Action:
The moving images that we see on screen.
The act of the character/s
That includes - time of the day, location, dialogue, action, reaction of the character.

• Character name:
When any character speaks, his or her name appears on the line preceding the dialogue.
In screenplays, the name is tabbed to a location that is roughly in the center of the line.

• Dialogue:
– The speeches between characters in a film or a play.

• Transition:
– A script notation denoting an editing transition within the telling of a story.

– For example, DISSOLVE TO: means the action seems to blur and refocus into

– another scene, and is generally used to denote a passage of time.

• Shot:
• What the camera sees. For example, TRACKING SHOT would mean that the camera is
following a character or character as he walks in a scene. WIDE SHOT would mean that
we see every character that appears in the scene, all at once.
Scene Heading:
A short description of the location and time of day of a scene, also known as a
"slugline."

For example: EXT. MOUNTAIN CABIN - DAY

would denote that the action takes place outside a mountain cabin during daylight
hours.

Basic rule of constructing a scene

Three fundamental principal
1
No to consecutive shots should be the same image size if character is same. It will cause
jerk while joining them.

2
If characters are different, joining two consecutive shots with same image size is highly
recommended.

No two consecutive shots should be taken from same camera position if the character is
same, it will cause jerk (we are not referring to camera angle). There should be atleast
20 degree difference I the camera position.
Screenplay Format
12-point Courier font

Slug line (INT/EXT., location, time of day)

Action (what is happening)

Dialogue (what is being said)

Parenthetical (special dialogue note)

Mini slug (location – keeps action flowing)

The Page Layout

The page layout starts with the page size. You have two options:

· US Letter – 8.5” x 11” (215.9 mm x 279.4 mm)

· A4 – 8.3″ x 11.7″ (210mm x 297mm)

 
As you can see, they aren’t very different, except A4 is a bit longer:

The first thing you add to your page are the side margins:

· Left: 1.5″ (38.1 mm)

· Right: 1.0″ (25.4 mm)

· Top Page Number: 0.5″ (12.7 mm)

· Top: 1.0″ (25.4 mm)

· Bottom: 0.5″ to 1.5″ (12.7 mm to 38.1 mm)

There’s more space to the left because you’ll be binding or filing your screenplay. Otherwise
on average there’s a 1 inch border on all sides:
Stages to prepare shooting script

1. The Synopsis
A brief summary of the subject to describe the idea of the film

2. The Story Outline

An expansion for the subject more or less in a short story form.

3. The Scene outline

1st stage to list the actual Scenes of the film, with a small
description of action. No Dialogue.

4. The Treatment
Further extension the scene. A process of converting the outline
into full script with dialogue.

5. The Dialogue Treatment

It may contain far too much dialogue, too much of description.
This serve as instruction or suggestions of the film-maker rather
than a part of the final script.

6. The Master Scene Script

Very first transition of the full dialogue treatment into a
‘blueprint. No scene break down into separate or no camera
angle. It serve as a working document for the initial stages of
casting, designing, scheduling, budgeting etc.

7. Rough Shooting Script

Rough or draft shooting script is a process it’s a polished and
refine version of the Master Scene Script without breaking it
down into separate shots.
8. Final Shooting Script
Idelly the Final Shooting Script should indeed be the blue print for
the whole unit and should be supplemented by a series of
continuity drawings (storyboard), Sketching the composition of
each shot, camera angle, camera position.
Write a Script for a Documentary:

• RESEARCH! Once you’ve settled on your documentary idea, time

to start digging. Leave no rock left unturned.

• List the Essentials. Based on your research, start creating a list of

potential characters/interviews, basic storylines, areas of
potential conflict and emotion. Ask yourself, “what’s at the heart
of this story and how do I “show” that visually?”

Get the look. Decide the look, feel and style of your documentary.
Search web videos or watch TV for ideas. Netflix is a great resource for
documentaries.

• Write a “shooting script” (pre-script/outline) – Often with

documentaries, the script can’t really be written until after the
footage has been shot and you start piecing the story together
based on what you “discovered” with your camera. However,
writing an outline at the beginning can be an invaluable guide to
point you in the right direction, especially to be able to look back
as a reference when the chaos of shooting can get you off track.
There WILL come that moment in the process when you say,
“What was I thinking!?”

• Get Creative. Think about some unique and creative ways you can
spice up your movie and give it that "Wow" factor. “How to write
a script” creatively involves adding special elements such as stop
motion, time-lapse, animation/cartoons, recreations, etc.
Master draft

Its basically the first translation of the Full Dialogue treatment into
something that creates a ‘blueprint’ for the film. Master scenes are self
contained pieces of action. They may vary in length from a couple of
seconds to ten minutes or more.

The Master Scene Script can begin to serve as a working document for

the initial stages of Casting, Designing, Scheduling and budgeting.

Script + Dialogue + Location shot + costume sketch.

Final Shooting Script

The term is self-explanatory . On the other hand, because of pressures

from outside or new ‘inspirations’ from the film-maker, there may be
several versions of Shooting Script. Even after shooting has started
‘amendments’ are frequently produced.

A common custom is to duplicate each new set of amendments on a

different color of paper, and script frequently.

Ideally the Final Shooting script should indeed be the blue-print for the
whole unit and should be supplemented by a series of continuity
drawings (storyboard). Sketching the Composition of each shot.

Script + Dialogue + Location shot + costume sketch + shot division +

camera Angle + camera position.