Unleash Your Screenwriting Talent
Every movie ever made, from the Academy Award winners to the box office flops, can trace their origins back to one thing: an idea. Be they inspired by books or constructed in dreams, ideas form the basis of movies, books, television shows, etc. All it takes is someone saying, “I have an idea that would make a great movie!” If you’ve ever had this thought, you’re obviously going to want to know to write a screenplay if you want to make it a reality. There are some simple steps you can follow to set yourself on the path of the screenwriter.
Right out of the gate, you’re going to want to get Final Draft. This is a computer program designed to create screenplays and it’s absolutely essential to writing a good script. Not only does it format your screenplay properly and keep track of things like characters and locations, but it also removes a lot of the guesswork that goes into writing a screenplay by hand. You can do this with any word processor, but Final Draft is considered the industry standard. It’s expensive, yes, but you’re going to need it if you want to get serious about screenwriting properly. Pick it up as soon as you can and spend a lot of time with it. It will become your best friend.
Now that you’re ready to flesh out the idea, you’re going to want to compose a treatment. This is a specific five to six page document that details your movie from start to finish, going over plot twists, character development, and story elements. Your treatment will also reflect how long your movie is going to be, be it a feature film or a short film. Treatments will let you see how your story is going to flow and how your characters are going to interact, but you don’t want to add much in the way of dialogue. You’re going to want to keep your treatment simple so as not to bog it down with filler. Tell the basic story and leave it at that, as all you’re doing is seeing if your story will indeed make a good film.
Once your treatment is done, you’re going to begin writing your screenplay. Try and follow your treatment as best you can so as not to muddle the story or make it unreadable. When writing dialogue, make it as natural as you can. Imagine yourself saying the lines and envision how characters react. Doing so will keep the dialogue grounded. While you can get as creative as you want, you need to keep budget constraints in mind. The more you do, the more it’ll cost, and most producers will take that into consideration before taking on your project. Keep the budget down by using as few locations and characters as possible, shying away from massive action scenes or stunts, and avoiding “throw away” scenes, or scenes that have no bearing on the plot itself. Once you’re done, make sure you register the script with the Writer’s Guild of America. This will ensure your work is protected from copyright infringement.
Now that you’re done, read through your script from cover to cover and make sure you’re happy with it. Make any changes you need to and get ready to send it to producers. Producers are responsible for getting your movie made, so they’re the ones you want to deal with directly. More often than not, producers are going to be working with independent productions. If you did well enough, they might want to pick you up. If they do pick up your script, work with them to get your project completed. Make any necessary rewrites and be prepared to make changes. That being said, don’t compromise your vision for the producer’s. Stay on top of your script but don’t become obsessed with it. If it’s not selling, it’s time to rewrite it or scrap it for something new.
Stay with it long enough and you just might have the next big blockbuster on your hands.
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