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U64022 SCREENWRITING ADVANCED

U64022 SCREENWRITING ADVANCED. WEEK 2 SCREENPLAY STANDARDS (1) FINAL DRAFT. TOPICS TODAY. Lecture: screenplay standards (1) Seminar: class discussion on “Shrek 2” (homework) Tutorial: Final Draft Homework/Exercise for week 3. Week 2 - Screenplay Standards.

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U64022 SCREENWRITING ADVANCED

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  1. U64022 SCREENWRITING ADVANCED • WEEK 2 • SCREENPLAY STANDARDS (1) • FINAL DRAFT

  2. TOPICS TODAY • Lecture: screenplay standards (1) • Seminar: class discussion on “Shrek 2” (homework) • Tutorial: Final Draft • Homework/Exercise for week 3 Week 2 - Screenplay Standards U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  3. SCREENPLAY FORMAT GENERAL RULES • Font: Courier New 12 (1page=1minute rule of thumb) • Page numbering: top right • Single spacing: applies to • Action • Dialogue • Double carriage return: between • Scene headings and action and dialogue • Scenes (?) Week 2 - Screenplay Standards U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  4. SCREENPLAY FORMAT/STANDARDS HEADINGS (scenes, shots, slug lines) BUSINESS (action, direction, description) DIALOGUE TRANSITIONS PUNCTUATION DRAFTS & SPECIAL PAGES U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  5. SCREENPLAY FORMAT – SCRIPT ELEMENTS SCENE HEADING / SLUG LINE (all caps) • Scene intro (location) EXT./INT. • Description (location) • DAY/NIGHT (DAWN/SUNSET • Info for production manager • Production plan • Production design (sets) • Photography ACTION / BUSINESS • Description of action, people, places • Single-spaced • Margin-to-margin (not justified) • Sound effects capitalized Week 2 - Screenplay Standards U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  6. SCREENPLAY FORMAT – SCRIPT ELEMENTS DIALOGUE • Character’s name (capitalized) • Character’s extension (O.S. or V.O.) • Parentheticals (stage direction; keep to a minimum, only if essential, e.g. reactions) • Dialogue lines: single-spaced TABS (from left margin) • Action / Business = 0 • Dialogue = 2 • Parentheticals = 3 • Character’s name (before dialogue) = 4 TRANSITIONS • Only if/when necessary Week 9 - Screenplay Format ... U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  7. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - HEADINGS LOCATION Always from GENERAL to SPECIFIC, separated by comma If interior plus name of city, name of city in brackets at end Multiple locations: separated by hyphen (short) No articles ALL CAPS U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  8. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - HEADINGS TIME Mainly DAY or NIGHT, but also DAWN, SUNSET, MORNING, EVENING Separated by hyphen More specific: e.g. FIVE MONTHS EARLIER, SAME TIME, 15 MINUTES LATER (only if necessary) CONTINUOUS or CONTINUOUS ACTION, don’t overuse (don’t use if evident from context) Dates: DAY (1966) Weather within brackets: e.g. NIGHT (RAIN) DAY (NEWSREEL FOOTAGE) U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  9. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - HEADINGS SHOTS Don’t overuse Limit to special situations (establishing shots, aerial, POV shots) U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  10. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - HEADINGS NEW HEADING Change in location or time Logic flow of narrative Special cases: SAME – 90 MINUTES LATER U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  11. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - HEADINGS Spacing between scenes Usually double (one blank line). More material on one page. Possible triple (two blank lines). Longer but more readable. Not recommended. Style Always present tense Short, direct sentences Visual Break blocks into smaller paragraphs Underscoring Continuous but no final period Looks amateurish, don’t overuse. U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  12. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - HEADINGS Page breaks At least after one sentence of action after heading Never after just heading (except if ESTABLISHING SHOT) Never in the middle of a sentence. U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  13. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIRECTIONS CAPITALIZATION Introducing a speaking character (each scene, ONLY first occurrence) If name soon after generic description, only name If name well after generic description, first description then name too If characters played by two actors at different ages, two different descriptions (ex. YOUNG HARRY, HARRY) Describing sound effect onscreen (ALL but not living characters) Both sound and source of sound Describing ALL offscreen sound Do not add O.S. if evident from context U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  14. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIRECTIONS CAPITALIZATION Describing camera direction The word CAMERA Camera movement All prepositions related to camera or movement Other INTO FRAME, INTO VIEW, OUT OF FRAME, OUT OF VIEW FREEZE FRAME – MILLS SUPERIMPOSE: “THEN NEW LINE, CENTRED” SUPER: “THURSDAY” U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  15. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIRECTIONS ALWAYS CAPITALIZE AD LIB(s) V.O. O.S. Signs, banners, headlines (within action, within commas) Anything written and seen on screen NEVER capitalize “We see” (never capitalize and use sparingly, usually only with POV shots) b.g. f.g. U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  16. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIALOGUE CHARACTER’s name (O.S.) and (V.O.): ALL CAPS O.S.  physically present in the scene but not in view V.O.  all other cases NO BOLD, NO ITALICS

  17. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIALOGUE Spell out all spoken words (no abbreviation) Don’t overdo incorrect grammar and colloquialism Underline accepted to give emphasis Never break a page in the middle of a line of dialogue Add (MORE) and (CONT’D) beside character name Speech broken by direction (cont’d) is no longer used

  18. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIALOGUE Parentheticals (character directions) Never capitalize Never add period at the end No more than 4 lines Not at the end of a speech Never break page with parenthetical (instead, new page, name of character (CONT’D) then parenthetical) (sotto voce) or (sotto) (beat)

  19. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - TRANSITIONS Always begin script with FADE IN: Always end script with FADE OUT or THE END (centred, after 5 blank lines) Use CUT TO: and FADE TO BLACK. to underline particular situations only Other QUICK CUT TO: HARD CUT TO: CUT TO BLACK. DON’T OVERUSE. ONLY IF ESSENTIAL.

  20. SEMINAR • View and analyse Shrek 2 plot and apply Vogler’s hero’s journey model (12 steps) • Grab screenshots for every step to use as slideshow/storyboard; write down your analysis of the 12-step pattern. Save on pendrive and bring to class • Be ready to discuss your findings in class at next week’s seminar U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  21. EXERCISE FOR WK 2 • Analyse Shrek 2 plot and apply the hero’s journey model (12 steps) U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  22. PLOTS Prologues 1 and 2 Summary of Shrek 1 Antagonist  Plot A (main plot)  action (goal/quest) Charming / Fairy Godmother Romance  Plot B (subplot)  themes (moral, change) Fiona / Family Themes and character pattern/relations  structure (parallel threads A/B) U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  23. SCENE BREAKDOWN U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  24. 3-ACTS & STORY ELEMENTS (Field) U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  25. 3-ACT STRUCTURE - Summary ACT I – SETUP, pp.1-30 What? Setting + info (hero) How? Inciting incident  conflict  action/goal Plot point #1 (end of Act I – pp.25-27) ACT II – CONFRONTATION, pp.31-90 What? Obstacles and problems How? Reversals, recognition, suffering Mid-point (p.60) Plot point #2 (end of Act II – pp.85-90) ACT III – RESOLUTION, pp.91-110(120) What? Climax  resolution How? Initial problem solved/unsolved goal achieved U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  26. HOMEWORK FOR WEEK 3 1) Watch and analyse WHEN HARRY MET SALLY • Write down a scene breakdown • Add Act breaks • Bring to class for lecture NOTE – Check email for additional movie assigned (one between “Notting Hill”, “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, “Pretty Woman”) and obtain DVD. You will need it to do homework for week 4. U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

  27. HOMEWORK FOR WEEK 3 2) Exercise for seminar discussion in wk 3 • Download “Exercise wk3 – Script formatting.doc” file from module webpage • Format scenes from “The Silence of the Lambs” by applying industry standards for screenplay. You do NOT need to use Final Draft. Do not change anything in the text. • Highlight in yellow any errors you notice (i.e. formatting rules not followed and/or incorrect standards used) • Bring your homework in class in Week 3. We will discuss it during the seminar hour. U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

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