How does a screenplay start?

[reddery]

Just personally, how do you start writing your scripts?

Is it a bad scene that you know you can make better if only you can string it along for 120 pages?

An epiphany of sorts, where you picture a character in such termoil that it would make great drama?

Do you just write every day and hope it turns out alright?

How do you start a screenplay?:rolleyes:

[wetroads]

Find a hook (inciting incident), which will generally give you your genre, then work out your ending, then start outlining the rest of the story.

Once you have an outline, start writing your script.

Cheers,
Steve.

[Justin Larsen]

-I get an idea.
-I write it down on paper, then I flesh it out into a basic story or scene or senario.
-When I sit down to type I already have the basics of what is going to happen, I just use my very visual imagination to fill in the details and communication of the characters.

The truth of the story seems to naturally unfold as I think and type. Just like when Michelangelo talked about seeing the statue in the marble and he just chipped away the marble until he set it free. I sometimes feel the same with writing, the story or vision is already there... I just need to communicate it properly.

[Rathmon]

Find something interesting to put on the page.

I write in novel form to start, trying to capture attention with a mid-progress inciting point, then develop the story. Once I get a good headway going then I switch to the screenplay.

From there, I just try to sequence the scenes to make sense for a two hour attention span.

Reasoning- it usually takes me 4 or 5 chapters to find the legs of the story- the start of a story is rarely ever the beginning of it.

[Robot17]

Just personally, how do you start writing your scripts?

Is it a bad scene that you know you can make better if only you can string it along for 120 pages?

An epiphany of sorts, where you picture a character in such termoil that it would make great drama?

Do you just write every day and hope it turns out alright?

How do you start a screenplay?:rolleyes:

Got an idea! Aha!
Pitch around to a few friends. Observe their reactions.
Narrow in on a good Logline.
Share that.
Expand logline into three paragraph synopsis and tune.
Expand synopsis into larger 1 to 3 page synopsis.
Create beat outline.
Adjust play with beats to find good structure.
Either go to detailed step outline or start with first scene and go!

Depends on how I'm feeling about the story but usually something like that.

Bot

[Charli]

The story marinates for awhile in my head until I feel ready to outline it, even then the story still marinates, then after weeks and weeks of procrastination, I'll start to write out the story starting from ActIII, then to a midpoint, then maybe the beginning. I don't think linear.

[Biohazard]

I start with a good logline.

[Sinnycal]

Are you familiar with divine inspiration?

[camshell]

The best way I know is: be compelled to create, then create what you are compelled to create.

[NikeeGoddess]

let an idea marinate in your head for while. know your beginning and ending. then pitch it to your friends and family as if it's a movie you just saw the other night. tell it like it's a movie you saw and not one you're thinking about writing. you can tell from their reactions: hopefully, they'll make you STOP so they can rent the dvd or go and see it for themselves... and not stop because it's boring and makes no sense.

then read a bunch of scripts in similar genres or themes of what you want to write. it will show you how it should look. then image your magnificent opening scene and write it... starting with FADE IN:

[mikeb]

Deffffffinitely agree with the marination point. I get little "aha" moments all the time... maybe 1/4th of which turn out to have any merit, and 1/8th that end up usable.

If it's a good idea, it'll be a good idea in a week. And I find that great ideas naturally breed other great ideas, and the outlining becomes a mental joy... rather than the mental anguish that comes with rewriting.

[Kwinnky]

As Dwight Swain said, start on the day that's different.


Anything except someone waking up.

[reddery]

I'll start to write out the story starting from ActIII, then to a midpoint, then maybe the beginning. I don't think linear.

Never thought about doing that myself, but I do usually think up a great conflict/battle between the protag and antag first.

it would be cool to say, 'ok hans gruber finds out it's McClane's wife and now he shoot a bunch of people then shoot hans."... "now how do I make that work?"

[reddery]

then read a bunch of scripts in similar genres or themes of what you want to write. it will show you how it should look. then image your magnificent opening scene and write it... starting with FADE IN:

yeah I do usually watch a bunch of movies(and read books) in same genre/hero's journey. IMHO, it gives you an aspect of what people might expect out of that type of film... or producers?

Probably should do the script thing more...

[wcmartell]

Two ways:

1) Character with an emotional problem... then I find some huge hopefully high concept physical problem that just completely rubs their nose in that emotional problem and forces them to resolve it or die.

2) I come up with some high concept idea and then try to figure out what sort of character would have the most difficulty dealing with the problem.

Usually I let the idea stew (unless I have a deadline) and collect a bunch of other, related ideas and characters and bits of dialogue and scene ideas and stuff... and when I have enough stuff I write the script.

Outline, sometimes a treatment, then that writing part.

Then the rewriting part.

- Bill

[ComicBent]

Wow, that really is a good approach that Martell laid out. I like it.

In effect, if I understood correctly, you are establishing a conflict between an inner condition and an external circumstance. And you can start with whichever one of these you already have in your head.

Now, if only I had something in my head. :o

[NikeeGoddess]

well, you may have nothing in your head but you did say something.
In effect, if I understood correctly, you are establishing a conflict between an inner condition and an external circumstance. And you can start with whichever one of these you already have in your head.liar, liar is one of the best examples of this. a high powered lawyer who CANNOT lie during a big case in court.

[wcmartell]

Character is always tied to conflict - both the emotional conflict and the big high concept physical conflict that the producers salivate over. You don't want to force a character into a conflict where the don't belong or force some conflict onto a character who has nothing to do with it. These things are tied together.

For me, the story is a way to explore the character...

And blow some stuff up real good.

- Bill

[HLTassin]

Bill...? Blow some stuff up real good..hahah:bounce:
That's classic.

By the way, I listened to you, Chris, and Devin on Screentalk Radio today (I d/l it and catch up when I can!), and I have to say that you guys have a great chemistry together!

It's informative, but really, really FUNNY!

Anybody on the DD board pitching to Christopher Lockhart on the 6th?
:o Oops...maybe I should start a new thread on that??

HL

[Ulysses]

Ever had this moment in real life, where a particular set-up puzzled you and started up your fantasy?

Those moments also start up movie ideas. You need to explore them before you start writing.

The mix of puzzlement and excitement is what draws in both writer and reader/viewer.

A story with this kind of momentum is like a person that has an aura. Aura, a certain distance that's always there no matter how close you come. Never reveils everything, and this wants you only to know more, as it starts your inner motor of projecting your own fantasies on that what you see.

That inner movie projector is as important as the one in the booth, that sends the story as a tightly bundled spear of light at the screen.

[dwest]

My process is surprisingly similar to Bill's. I feel a lot better about my process now!

About half the time I come up with an interesting character(s) first and then put him in a situation that will test that particular character the most. Half the time I come up with the (very basic) plot first and create the character who would be the most intriguing to thrust into that scenario.

[Farnsworth]

I rumage through Martell's garbage cans and steal the drafts he throws away. :o

[reddery]

Character is always tied to conflict - both the emotional conflict and the big high concept physical conflict that the producers salivate over. You don't want to force a character into a conflict where the don't belong or force some conflict onto a character who has nothing to do with it. These things are tied together.

I would agree wth that; in that, without a direct goal/conflict in need of resolution, a writer can get lost. There would be another good reason to start with the 3ed act.

Something like: a good introduction should use conflict to set up greater conflict(or bigger explosions)?