Writing a film is something you don’t learn overnight. It requires a lot of activity and expertise in assorted fields such as but not limited to creative writing, commerce and the ability to visually figure something in your mind. Nevertheless it can be learned. If you’re starting from scratch, there’s no reason you can’t be done with your first 80 page draft in 10 days. For newcomers it’s pivotal to have a structure to adhere to. My advice is to focus on just 4 essential bullet points to get your first draft on paper. Here are the four main things you should focus on: The first thing is how to assemble the narrative structure of the motion picture. The common 5-act-structure stems from ancient Greek and Roman drama and found it’s way into contemporary narration long before Hollywood existed. Screenwriters still believe in introduction, rising tension and resolution, which in essence is a condensed 3-act version of the 5-act structure formed by ancient playwrights. If you look at successful films, you’ll easily recognise similarities in their dramatic constitution. Nevertheless, if you’re able to push yourself to more creative thinking you might want to go for something else, something that might be comparatievely challenging: Simply don’t introduce characters in the get-go, simply let them fall right into the plot.
how to write a screenplay