Tips on Writing a Powerful Screenplay

1. Tips on Writing a Powerful Screenplay Welcome Las Vegas Screenwriters Group Introductions Instructor Deborah Shariff January 25, 2007

2. Class Objectives • How to organize your thoughts and get it out on paper. • Writing the synopsis & treatment. • The development and creation of writing unforgettable characters and understanding back-story. • learning the basic structure of writing an effective screenplay that includes a beginning, middle and ending.

3. How to get the story out of your head ontopaper ! by writing a Treatment

4. What’s a Treatment? Hand outs

5. Writing Exercise • Each writer will pick a partner and pitch their story for 5 minutes then change partners and let the other partner pitch their story. • When you finish pitching both stories write either a page or half a page of a short treatment and be prepared to verbally pitch your story to the class

6. What is a Screenplay? • A story told with pictures!

7. What is a screenplay made up of ? • Characters • Dialogue • Scenes • Acts • Plots, sub plots • Climax • Resolution

8. Moving your story forward Syd Field’s structural model Hand – Out!

9. Who we are/Why we want to write a screenplay? • Original voice and how to discover it. • First thoughts & the subconscious. • Childhood memories & point of view on life. • Obsessions (the good, the bad, the ugly). • Knowing what to write about. • Identifying your own particular history-cultural coupled with personal experience (back-story on yourself)

10. Writing your Screenplay • What perspective can you bring to this subject matter that’s fresh? Make a list of distinctions. • Study the genre-buddy films, gay women in love, road adventures, ensemble pieces/so you can determine how to extrapolate from it. • Research the story-begin a clip file/an ideas journal/interview people.

11. Creating a literate script • Rich characterization-people with history and context: character bios are vital! • Vivid descriptive paragraphs-using visual detail and fresh language. • Dialogue that zings and reveals character-make it sharp, witty and varied. Characters who are themselves literary, who speak in believable yes memorable ways, make your script rich and engaging-rather than talky.

12. Writing a Rich Script • Layered plotting-the best scenes do several things at once; foreshadow/reveal character/give multiple pov’s/mark time passage/move the story forward. • Innovative structuring-the bookend approach/fresh usage of time passage/emotional movement that parallels physical movement/flashbacks.

13. Find a Structural Model on which to hang your story • Exposition-a necessary evil. Know the difference between what you the writer needs to know and what the reader needs to know. • Don’t explain/Don’t over tell. • Use visual metaphors-adding texture to the work via symbols, repetition, humor, powerful scenes-get in late, get out early.

14. The Writing Process • Character bios • Outlines and note cards. • Revision,revison,revision! • Workshops, readings and feedback.

15. Writing Exercise • Write a two or three page screenplay from your treatment outline. • Remember to include; concise descriptions of your main characters, setting/location, your story premise, and clear crisp dialogue.

16. FEEDBACK Q & A Volunteers share screenplay with the class The class reviews and gives constructive feedback