GUEST: 1 Tip to Help Master the Art of Screenplay Structure – Script Reader Pro
Hi, my name’s Al Bloom and I’m the founder of ScriptReaderPro the screenplay consultancy service.
Solid structure, as we all know, is the foundation of crafting a good screenplay. It is one of a screenplay’s most crucial core components and immediately gives the writer who has mastered it the edge over one that hasn’t. A studio script reader simply won’t read past page 25 unless they have noted a clear set up, catalyst and crisis event that pushes the script into Act Two. At ScriptReaderPro, however, we receive many many scripts that overlook these basics of screenplay structure.
I have found the best way to improve a writer’s sense of structure is to make him or her write outlines of films as they watch them. This is an invaluable exercise and I can’t stress enough the benefits it can bring to your writing.
Simply sit down with a laptop and write exactly what happens on screen as you watch. Each scene in a film fulfils a specific function, and it is this that you need to capture in your summary. Sentences should be short and to-the-point, describing only the basics of what happens and avoiding extraneous details. For example, in There’s Something About Mary the scene in which Ben Stiller is questioned by the police over the highway murders should read something like this:
“At a police station, Ted is interviewed by two cops. They discuss finding a body and think Ted is the killer. One of the cops grabs him and starts pounding his head on the table.”
It’s always a good idea to start with a location, as in “at the police station” in order to establish the scene. Only the major beats of the scene need recording, so you should never write anything about how someone’s dressed, for example, unless it’s important to the story.
At the end of the film you should end up with an outline about 4 pages long. The next stage is to break it down into its relevant acts and sequences. I do this by double-spacing at the end of each sequence/act and writing the major plot points in bold directly onto the outline. For example, at the end of Act Two in There’s Something About Mary, I would write:
“Ted comes home to find Mary sitting with a letter. She asks if he hired Healy to spy on her. He admits it and she shouts at him to get out. (Act Two Climax) Ted leaves and opens a note with an address on it.”
The more outlines you write (of films in any genre) the better and you will soon not only start to gain more of a sense of structure but also of characterization, scene structure, dialogue etc. because you are being forced to watch films critically and not just for enjoyment.
Al Bloom, founder
A small team of industry aware script readers/working writers who are passionate about screenwriting and script consultancy. We have each worked individually in the industry for many years, for companies such as Miramax, DNA films, Swipe Films, Pathe, Sundance Film Festival, Working Title, The Script Factory and many more.
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Wow! This is insightful. Everytime I sit down in front of a movie– heck, even a commercial, I’m constantly outlining format, dialogue, setup, etc., mentally. As an artist, a successful (keyword: successful) friend once told me. “You have a unique style, but you have to make it marketable. Recreate the popular logos, styles and trends within the industry, just to understand how they work.”
This made so much sense, I was just a rookie at the time. Self taught. He would tell me you have excellent skill, you just need to learn all the technical aspects of design… then you will overcome the master. He was a thirty-something Chinese man from Ghana. No joke; he spoke like an old Wise Kung Fu Master. That advice has been applied to screenwriting as well.
There will be many people who will complain about structure and how confining or constraining it is to the creative process. Truth be told: if you want to sell your screenplay, the studio has the final opinion.
I love the movie of Ben Stiller which is There is something about mary, nice love story and comedy.,.”