Jun 9, 2024
Top 25 tips from “Screenwriting 101”:
- Reverse Engineering: Identify the cognitive effect you want your script to have and trace it back to its story components to understand how to achieve it.
- Story World Rules: Establish clear and simple rules for your story world that allow for complex outcomes. Signal genre conventions clearly while introducing unique elements to make your world distinct.
- Character Conflict: Develop characters by putting them in conflict with the story world. Their deepest fears and how they confront them drive their development.
- Narrative Tone: Experiment with different types of narrators to set the tone of your script. Translate visual tone into written descriptions to guide how the script should be filmed.
- Plotting: Work backward from the final scene to plot your story beats. This helps ensure a cohesive and logical progression of events.
- Emotional Impact: Create strong emotional responses by focusing on the characters’ deepest fears and desires. Emotional depth often comes from vulnerability.
- Suspense Techniques: Build suspense by creating moments of false hope and using contrasting tones to keep the audience engaged.
- Character Introductions: Introduce characters in ways that highlight their conflicts with the story world, making their importance clear from the start.
- Blueprints: Use existing successful scripts as blueprints to learn storytelling techniques, but always add your unique twist.
- Conflict in TV Pilots: Establish the core conflict of the series in the opening scene of the pilot. This conflict should drive the entire series.
- Sitcom Structure: Follow the structure of sitcoms by introducing problems and resolving them in humorous ways. Give each character a distinct voice and personality.
- Procedural Dramas: For procedurals, focus on the problem and the problem solver, maintaining consistency in character roles and plot structure.
- Prime-Time Soap Operas: Emphasize emotional conflicts and character arcs to drive long-running series. Develop techniques to sustain interest over multiple episodes.
- Feedback: Build a group of writing friends for honest feedback. Use their criticism to identify problems but fix them in your own way.
- Breaking In: Consider entering script contests or working with development companies to break into the industry. Networking at film festivals can also be beneficial.
- Pitching: A good pitch should create a narrative chain reaction in the audience’s mind, making them want to tell your story themselves.
- Appreciating Films and TV: Study the first few minutes of films or TV pilots to identify the core conflict. Understanding this can enhance your appreciation and improve your storytelling.
- Formatting: Use screenwriting programs to handle formatting automatically. Focus on communicating the story effectively.
- Consistent Writing: Write regularly and consistently. Developing a habit of writing will improve your skills and output.
- Troubleshooting Scripts: If a script isn’t working, identify what it’s missing compared to scripts that achieve the desired effect. Consider the emotional changes characters need to undergo.
- Adaptations: Start with a proven plot structure by adapting existing stories. Use reverse engineering to tailor the plot to achieve your intended effect.
- Suspense and Relief: Use spatial constraints and moments of false hope to build and release tension effectively, as demonstrated in “Jaws”.
- Character Depth: Reveal characters’ fears and vulnerabilities to enrich their portrayal and make them more relatable to the audience.
- Mirror Scenes: Use mirror scenes where one character reflects another’s behavior, prompting self-criticism and change. This technique can drive major turning points in plots.
- Narrative Techniques: Combine different types of narrators or tonal shifts within your script to enhance its depth and complexity.
Lecture 1: Thinking Like a Screenwriter
- Reverse Engineering: Identify the unique psychological effect of a script and trace it back to its story components.
- Script Formatting: Use screenwriting programs to handle formatting automatically. Focus on communicating the story, not just getting the margins right.
Lecture 2: Reverse Engineering Successful Scripts
- Cognitive Effects: Differentiate between the various psychological impacts that stories can have, such as fear and pity.
- Story Structure: Learn from ancient Greek tragedies and comedies to understand foundational storytelling techniques.
Lecture 3: Building Your Story World
- Story Rules: Establish clear and simple rules for your story world that allow for complex outcomes.
- Genre Conventions: Signal genre conventions clearly and introduce unique elements to make your world distinct.
Lecture 4: Developing Your Characters
- Conflict: Establish characters through conflict with the story world to highlight their importance.
- Fears: Build characters out of their deepest fears, which are the most powerful drivers of human behavior.
Lecture 5: Tone: The Screenwriter’s Lens
- Narrator’s Voice: Experiment with different types of narrators (comic, sentimental) to set the tone.
- Visual Translation: Translate visual tone into written descriptions to guide how the script should be filmed.
Lecture 6: Plotting Your Story Beats
- Working Backward: Plot your story by starting with the final scene and working backward to create cohesive action beats.
- Surprising Twists: Create surprising and effective plot twists by understanding the deep storytelling logic.
Lecture 7: Sentimental Return: Casablanca
- Emotional Impact: Study “Casablanca” to learn how to evoke strong sentimental responses through plot and character development.
- Blueprint: Use the film’s blueprint to understand how to achieve similar emotional effects.
Lecture 8: The Tragic Sublime: The Godfather
- Tragic Grandeur: Analyze “The Godfather” to understand how to create a sense of tragic grandeur and emotional depth.
- Character Arcs: Focus on character arcs that reflect tragic themes.
Lecture 9: Romantic Satisfaction: When Harry Met Sally…
- Romantic Comedy: Examine the structure of romantic comedies and how to create romantic satisfaction through plot and dialogue.
- Character Dynamics: Develop character dynamics that drive the romantic narrative.
Lecture 10: Suspense and Relief: Jaws
- Building Suspense: Use techniques to build suspense, such as creating moments of false hope.
- Tone: Incorporate contrasting tones to keep the audience engaged and amplify the impact of suspense.
Lecture 11: Romantic Longing: Annie Hall
- Narrative Structure: Study “Annie Hall” for its approach to romantic longing through narrative structure and character interactions.
- Emotional Connection: Focus on creating a strong emotional connection between characters and the audience.
Lecture 12: Big Wonder: Star Wars
- World-Building: Learn from “Star Wars” how to create a sense of wonder through detailed world-building.
- Character Arcs: Develop character arcs that contribute to the grand, awe-inspiring experience.
Lecture 13: Charm: The Princess Bride
- Humor and Whimsy: Infuse your script with charm by incorporating humor and whimsical elements.
- Narrative Style: Use a narrative style that blends fantasy and comedy to create a unique tone.
Lecture 14: Alienation Effect: Do the Right Thing
- Critical Awareness: Create a sense of detachment and critical awareness through narrative techniques and social commentary.
- Character Portrayals: Develop characters that provoke thought and reflection.
Lecture 15: Redemption: Unforgiven
- Moral Themes: Explore themes of moral and personal redemption through character development and plot.
- Emotional Depth: Focus on creating emotional depth in characters to enhance the redemption arc.
Lecture 16: Surreal Connection: Pulp Fiction
- Non-Linear Plot: Use non-linear plotting to create unique narrative connections and maintain audience interest.
- Stylized Choices: Employ stylized choices that differentiate your script from conventional narratives.
Lecture 17: Big Sympathy: Toy Story
- Generating Sympathy: Develop characters and plot elements that foster empathy and emotional engagement.
- Character Development: Create characters that audiences care about through relatable fears and desires.
Lecture 18: Existential Meaning: Fargo
- Existential Themes: Reflect existential themes in your script to provoke philosophical reflection.
- Character and Plot: Align character development and plot to explore deeper meanings.
Lecture 19: Film versus Television: MASH and MAS*H
- Medium Differences: Understand the structural differences between film and television storytelling.
- Character Development: Adapt character development techniques to fit the specific demands of each medium.
Lecture 20: Writing a Television Pilot: Game of Thrones
- Compelling Pilot: Craft a TV pilot that sets the stage for the series through strong character introductions and plot hooks.
- Story Engine: Establish a story engine that can generate consistent material for the series.
Lecture 21: The Sitcom: The Simpsons
- Sitcom Structure: Follow the sitcom structure of introducing problems and resolving them in humorous ways.
- Character Voices: Give each character a distinct voice and personality to enhance the comedic effect.
Lecture 22: The Procedural: CSI
- Procedural Blueprint: Follow the procedural blueprint of solving problems through a series of breakthroughs and discoveries.
- Consistency: Maintain consistency in character roles and plot structure to sustain the procedural format.
Lecture 23: The Prime-Time Soap: Grey’s Anatomy
- Emotional Conflicts: Focus on emotional conflicts and character arcs to drive the prime-time soap opera narrative.
- Long-Running Success: Develop techniques to sustain interest and emotional investment over multiple episodes.
Lecture 24: Becoming a Screenwriter
- Feedback and Networking: Seek honest feedback and build a network of writing friends for support and collaboration.
- Breaking In: Explore different pathways to break into the industry, such as script contests and development companies.
- Pitching: Master the art of pitching by creating hooks that intrigue and engage the audience.