The Short Screenplay

Introduction = xi Chapter 1 Shorts = 1 Key Concepts = 3 The Fundamentals = 5 Keep your screenplay focused = 5 Limit the time frame of the action = 6 Limit the number of characters = 6 Visualize = 6 Say more with less = 7 Make it new = 7 What to Avoid = 7 The extensive use of special or visual effects = 7 Multiple subplots = 8 Resolution through death (either murder or suicide) = 8 Weapons = 8 Serial killing = 8 Parodies and mockumentaries = 8 Dreams and fantasies = 8 Characters who are obviously walking contradictions = 9 Film and Theater = 10 The Writer's Goals = 11 The Script = 14 Film and Television = 15 Chapter One, Take Two?hapter Review = 18 Chapter 2 Character = 21 Key Concepts = 23 Character and Characterization = 24 Why Are Character Choices Active and External? = 26 Putting Your Characters in Charge of the Action = 28 Objective and Need =30 Adding Depth to Your Characters = 32 Outlook is the way a character views the world = 32 Attitude is the way the world views a character = 32 Arc is the growth or the change that a character undergoes during the course of the film's action = 33 Types of Characters = 34 Secondary Characters = 38 Chapter Two, Take Two?hapter Review = 40 Chapter 3 Narrative = 43 Key Concepts = 45 Character vs Character = 45 Character vs Self = 46 Character vs Society = 46 Character vs Nature = 46 Character vs Fate = 46 The Three-Part Nature of the Screenplay = 47 Setting = 47 Backdrop = 47 Tone = 47 Protagonist = 47 A hint of the conflict to come = 48 The direction of the plot = 48 The inciting incident = 48 Rising Action = 50 Some Additional Devices = 54 Condition lock = 54 Plant and payoff = 54 Red herring = 55 Climax = 55 Resolution = 57 Scenes = 58 Scene-protagonist vs Scene-antagonist = 61 Creating the Scene = 64 What is the dramatic point of the scene? = 64 What is the major beat in the scene? = 64 Which characters do I need to make the scene work? = 65 Who is the scene-protagonist? = 65 What does the scene-protagonist want in the scene? = 65 What is the form of the conflict in the scene? = 65 What is the subtext for the scene? = 65 Where will the scene play? = 65 At what time of day will the scene play? = 65 Chapter Three, Take Two?hapter Review = 66 Chapter 4 Dialogue = 69 Key Concepts = 71 The Goals of Film Dialogue = 72 Move the plot forward = 72 Reveal character = 72 Provide story information = 72 Establish tone = 72 Convey theme = 72 Add to the backdrop of the story = 73 The Characteristics of Film Dialogue = 73 Writing Effective Dialogue = 75 Write dialogue that's dynamic and progressive = 75 Be concise = 75 Keep lines simple = 75 Keep speeches short = 76 Take care in the way that you represent a dialect or an accent on the page = 76 Don't turn every beat through the dialogue = 76 Don't write "on the nose" = 77 Avoid filler phrases = 77 Avoid stammering or stuttering except when the dramatic situation absolutely demands it = 77 Don't be inflexible (unless you enjoy extreme frustration) = 77 Making Every Word Count = 78 Keeping Dialogue Concise: A Case in Point = 82 Chapter Four, Take Two?hapter Review = 85 Chapter 5 Development = 87 Key Concepts = 89 Where Do Film Ideas Come From? = 90 Character = 90 Plot = 90 Setting = 91 Theme = 92 Development = 93 The Stages of Development = 94 Premise = 94 Concept = 95 Title = 96 Character interview = 97 Synopsis = 99 Step outline = 101 Scene outline = 103 Sequence outline = 104 Treatment = 105 First draft = 106 Revisions = 107 Common problems in the setup = 108 Common problems in the rising action = 108 Common problems in the resolution = 109 Principles of rewriting = 109 Chapter Five, Take Two?hapter Review = 110 Chapter 6 Production = 111 Key Concepts = 113 Pitfalls and Money Pits = 115 Too Many Roles = 115 Critters = 117 Kids = 118 Stunts = 119 Nudity = 119 "Scenery Chewing" = 120 Locations (too many) =121 Locations (too public) = 122 Vehicles = 123 Weapons = 124 Weather = 124 Clearances = 125 Working with Others = 128 Locking the Pages of a Script = 130 A Brief Word about Rehearsal = 132 Chapter Six, Take Two?hapter Review = 133 Chapter 7 Format = 135 Key Concepts = 137 Scene Headings = 138 Scene Directions = 139 Character Cues = 142 Dialogue = 142 Parenthetical Directions = 142 Transitions = 143 The Standard Industry Format (Traditional) = 144 The Standard Industry Format (Updated) = 147 The Title Page = 149 Special Situations = 151 Some Simple but Essential Rules of Punctuation = 157 Chapter Seven, Take Two?hapter Review = 159 Appendix A Genres = 163 Appendix B Glossary = 169 Appendix C Sample Screenplay: Early Draft = 185 Appendix D Sample Screenplay: Shooting Script = 197 Appendix E A Filmmaker's Dozen: Thirteen Short Films Every Filmmaker Should See = 211 Index = 219

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