To write in pictures

I recently found out how to write in pictures, which I have never really understood how to do.

What helped me was, when someone told me that you're suppose to think of a dream you had, and how you would tell that dream to another person.

You would never say: And then I thought in the dream. You would always say, and then this and this happened.

Useful links and books

Since I've started I used google a lot, but it's a jungle out there. I have therefore tried to gather the links, that has been most usefull to me. This page will be updated gratuately.

Program to write screenplays:

www.celtx.com

Formats, and different rules:

http://www.visualwriter.com/HowTo/Format.htm

http://www.angelfire.com/movies/coolscreenwriter/structure.html#a1

Draft scripts:
(Has been really useful, since the script is a draft, and if you watch the movie at the same time as reading the script, you can get an idea of what the director has decided to cut out, and what he has been moving around, or put together.)

http://www.imsdb.com/


Usefull books:
(The books below are all "get to the point" books, not going in debt with any themes. They are usefull to get a quick overview of how to write a script).

"Basics Film-making 02" by Robert Edgar-Hunt, John Marland and James Richards

"Raindance writers' lab, write + sell the hot screenplay" by Elliot Grove

"The perfect screenplay" by Katherine Atwell Herbert

Formats

Now you know about my background, and about dramaturgy.
A script needs a special type of format.
Since I'm so not updated in this area, I will only write what I have learned so far.

1) Writing type is this, Courier, 12.
2) On the frontpage stands:
Screenplay (middle section)
Your name
Genre
Remember to write copyright.
3) About copyright, I have heard as long as you type it on the script legally you are secured. This will be hard to convince though, if you can't claim anything else. A good idea is to have sent the script to a lawyer, and make him write you a receipt that he has gotten the script/idea on that exact date.
4) Slugline: Every scene starts with telling where the scene are and what time. This is written in capital letters.
INT = interior (inside). EXT = Exterior (outside).
Example: INT. LIVINGROOM. 1 AM/MIDDAY.
5) Scene description line: Short and precise description of the characters are, who they are, and what they are doing. Only write what is important for the story. Don't write what they are wearing, unless it's important for the story.
6) Dialouges needs to be in the middle of the page, and the name of the person who speaks is in capital letter.
Example:

MICHAEL

Where are you?

I can't see you.

JOANNA (OS)

Behind the curtain.

NARRATOR (VO)

But Michael, still couldn't find her.

7) There is a lot of words and abbreviations, which I later will try to make a list over. Here is only the two above:

OS = Off Screen, since Joanna is behind the curtain, she's invisible to the camera and to the viewer, but you can still hear her voice.

VO = Voice Over, you can hear the voice, but you can't see the narrator.

8) Subplot: Usually not longer than 3 pages/minutes per subplot.

There needs to be subplots, which is little individually stories that runs parallel to the main story plot. If the main plot is for the police officer to find the murder, a subplot could be that his wife wants to leave him, cause he's never at home.

9) 1 page is about 1 minute in film.

The script therefor needs to be about 90-120 minutes/pages long.

10) No "she said", og "he felt".

Dramaturgy

Aparently almost all stories follow some simple dramaturgy.
When I first started writing in October 2009, I had no idea the word excisted.
When it came to my knowledge, I quickly wikipedied the word and found out my story already was following the simple 7 steps, descriped below.

1) Plot => Is in the first few minutes in a movie, that is suppose to capture the audience, and is full of excitement. (In Kill Bill, you see the leading role gets shot in the head, and thereafter you don't know if she is dead or what happend.)

2) Presentation => You get a short introduction to the important people involved. Who are they, what are their hobbies, are they single, married, how is their family their character?

3) First turningpoint => Within first 10-20 minutes.
This is where the character meets his/her first real obstacle, and therefore creates a conflict.

4) Development => You here more details about the conflict, and how it has its impact on the main character, and how the character develops after that.

5) Point-of-no-return => After 30-60 minutes.
The main character gets deeply in over his/her head, and it seems there is no turning back.

6) Second turningpoint => After 60-90 minutes.
Has to be something that turns the story around. Something that can help the conflict beeing solved. (American History-X, the brother experience rape in prison that gives him another view on Nazies.)

7) Conflictsolving => Takes only a few minutes, kind of like the plot. It wraps up the story. They get married, they kill eachother, they take the last jump etc. (i.e. The happy ending)

Important in the end, is to see if the story has a moral. This bit is called the premis.

Screenwriting

Recently started to write a screenplay, which is more fun than I ever could imagine.

Got the idea for a story about three years ago, when I was living in London. I started to become aware of a story like this has never been on screen.

Since I'm quite lazy, I didn't go ahead of just writing right away, and only a few months back started the process.

I basically had no idea of how a screenplay looked like, and how to start, and thought google was a good place to start...

I've set up this blog, since I wanted to share my beginning problems, and what I've learned. Since I'm not finished with the script, obviously I have still time to learn, and therefore updating this blog.

Further more I hope I get good comments on the blog, and ideas and most importantly help.