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How Do I Write a Script?

Ever wanted to Write a Screenplay? Here's how!

By Gavin TovarPublished 7 years ago 3 min read
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Courtesy of Pixabay

Young filmmakers begin exploring their field of study when they are in a unique prime of their youth. They are trying to find their individual identity and stepping out of their comfort zone as they do so. But regardless of what personal plight they are going through, filmmakers usually start from the same branch, screen writing. But what if the thought of writing a script terrifies you or you have the ideas but are intimidated by the limits of your own imagination? Well in today's article, we will explore different methods to write a beautiful and professional grade script.

Inspiration

Courtesy of Pixabay

A script cannot exist unless the writer of said script gets inspiration and motivation from themselves. Regardless if you're driving to work or walking to the bus stop, people tend to let their mind wander. A writer's mind seems to wander the most and this is a good thing. If you suddenly get a great idea for a story or script that isn't ready to see the light of day just yet, write it down. The best thing that a writer can do is to keep a journal or diary of all of their ideas. Make sure to write every single detail that you thought of at that moment and don't touch until you're ready to begin writing. This way, the idea can be developed and played with until you're all ready to go. But where does this inspiration come from? The answer is within yourself. Your thoughts, actions, and moods all affect your thinking process and influence what kind of story you come up with. Regardless of what emotion conceived it, write down your idea for future reference.

Content

Courtesy of Pixabay

What exactly do you put in a script? What do you write about? Too many ideas all at once? Well, when I write a script, I usually take something that happened to myself, modifying a few minor details, and turn it into a screenplay. It doesn't have to necessarily be a dramatic tale about your high school lover rejecting you, it can be as small as your favorite pet fish named sparky and how he made you feel. Don't worry about length. If you end up writing a thirty page script and you want a ten minute film, you can cut unnecessary content once you are done writing.

Write for Film

Courtesy of Pixabay

The most important factor to take into consideration when writing your script is a rule called "Writing for Film". Lets say that you are writing a big action flick and a certain scene calls for your protagonist is being pursed by a gang who is riddling our protagonist's car with AK-47s. A stray bullet hits the fuel line under the car and the car ignites. Our hero thinks decisively and leaps from his vehicles, as it explodes. This sounds totally cool and exciting but how are you going to achieve this. If you're just starting out, do you have stunt doubles? Do you multiple have prop guns and cars? Do you have a drone and other equipment necessary to capture this scene? More than likely, your answer was no. This does not mean that you have to scrap the scene, just take your budget, props, and gear into consideration. Instead of a car chase, your hero can be chased on foot by gang members wielding pipes, crowbars, hammers and other common objects. You still have your action without all the extra effect that you can't afford at this time without sacrificing your script.

So there you go! When writing a script, just take all of these factors into consideration and you should be able to create masterpieces. Happy writing!

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About the Creator

Gavin Tovar

I am a Film Student attending Santa Fe University of Art and Design who loves writing about his experience in the film industry as a young and aspiring filmmaker.

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