Scribd
Upload
80 views

Screenwriting Guide

Uploaded by

anca stanciu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
80 views

Screenwriting Guide

Uploaded by

anca stanciu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

Screenwriting terms.

Screenwriting, like every profession, has its own


specialised collection of terminology, slang, industry
terms and jargon. Here are a few terms you might
find helpful:

Sluglines
Every scene in a script begins with a slugline — also
known as a scene heading — a short description of
where the scene takes place. Sluglines always
indicate whether or not a scene is interior or exterior,
where it is exactly and time of day. A scene that takes
place on Tatooine, for instance, would begin with a
slugline like:

EXT - TATOOINE - DAY

A slugline inside the Death Star would look like:

INT - DEATH STAR - NIGHT

And so on.

Action lines
Action lines are simple and declarative and after you
get them out of the way you can start describing the
setting with action lines, which might sound like:
“Fade in on a desolate desert planet. We see R2-D2
and C3PO walking across the seemingly endless
dunes.”

Action lines give readers an idea of what should be


happening in the scene and what the characters are
doing when we see them.

Dialogue
Dialogue usually takes up most of a film script.
Dialogue has the character’s name above it and is
usually written without quotation marks. It’s also
written with large margins or is centred to set it apart
on the page from action lines and other copy. For
example, Han Solo bragging about the speed of his
ship would be:

HAN
You’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon? It’s
the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than
twelve parsecs!
Sometimes dialogue contains special instructions or
notes in parentheses, like if a character is offscreen
or doing a voiceover. Obi-Wan telling Luke to turn off
his targeting computer could look like:

KENOBI (v.o.)
Use the Force, Luke.

Beat
Important events or moments in a screenplay are
known as beats. “A story beat is some significant
moment,” says Bernstein. “It’s when things can turn
in some different direction.” Examples are a
detective finding an important clue, an action hero
getting injured or the leads in a romantic comedy
having a conflict or misunderstanding that drives
them apart.

Loglines
“The logline is the summation of the story in one
sentence,” says Bernstein. A logline is often the first
thing studio decision-makers hear about a film and
screenwriters often start their screenwriting process
with a logline and go from there. However, it’s always
possible to change a logline after you’ve written a
final draught.

Loglines often contain a hook. “Usually there’s some


kind of irony in the logline,” says Ingram. That irony
usually shows off how the film is different or unusual.
“I’ve never known a film to sell on a logline,” says
Bernstein, “except maybe Snakes on a Plane.”

Elevator pitches
Elevator pitches are a bit longer than loglines, but
still short. An elevator pitch is a short description or
synopsis of a project that usually takes up about 30
seconds, the length of an lift ride. The elevator pitch
for Hamlet would sound something like:

“The king dies and his brother assumes the throne.


The dead king’s son suspects that his father was
murdered and works to bring down his uncle.”

Obviously this leaves a lot out, but the focus is on


describing the film quickly.
Treatments
A treatment is a written document that outlines the
story and main ideas of a film. It’s usually written in
the present tense and sticks to the main story beats
and big moments of the film. Treatments are usually
much shorter than screenplays, but they can
sometimes be up to 60 pages or so.

Shooting script
Once a film is in production, a shooting script is
created. This version of the screenplay numbers the
scenes to help all departments co-ordinate their
work — especially helpful as most films are shot out
of order (not chronologically based on the events of
the screenplay).

For example, if a film has several separate scenes


that take place in a casino, the shooting script uses
numbers to note that all of those scenes can be
filmed in the same block of time, even if they appear
at different times in the film.

Coloured pages are used in shooting scripts to help


teams ensure that they are working with the most
recent version. Any updates are added to shooting
scripts in a new colour.
Film magic on the page.
Film production is a long process that can take years
and it often involves hundreds if not thousands of
dedicated professionals. But every blockbuster starts
with a film idea from the script writer. A film script is
a guide to collective projects, like a blueprint for a
building — or a treasure map for a voyage of
discovery.

You might also like