Writing a Screenplay: Understanding Movie Narratives and Structuring a Screenplay, Study notes of Voice

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Writing a Screenplay

A very very brief introduction

The Plan

• Vocab
• What is a movie narrative?
• The basic movie narrative structure
• Writing a scene
  • examples and how-to

Movie Narratives

• Nearly all movies have a narrative (at least those that make $)
  • the narrative = the story and the plot
  • stories may be common but plots change Story Plot Grimm’s Cinderella Pretty Women Shakespeare’s Hamlet The Lion King Austen’s Emma Clueless Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Apocalypse Now The Hero’s Journey… Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Robocop, Wizard of Oz, Kill Bill…

The Narrator

• In a movie, the camera is the

primary narrator

• & editing makes movies different: can make viewer choose what and how to see/understand the story
• Some movies have actual narrators
• first-person narrator (voice-over (ex) and direct- address narration (ex) )
• third-person narrator (omniscient (ex) and restricted)

• Name movie you are familiar with.

The basic narrative structure:

→ motivated protagonist

→ pursues a goal

→ encounters obstacles

→ resolution

First Act

• Tells what kind of story it is by establishing a “normal world” - lays out rules of the world we are about to experience - characters established, something about protagonist’s situation
• Inciting Incident – something will occur to change the normal world and set protagonist on pursuit/ mission/ quest… - presents the character with the goal to drive the narrative - most are easy to spot (w/in first 10- 15 min) (ex)

Second Act

• Second act is the story/the pursuit of

the goal (ie: Will Dorothy get back to Kansas?)

• the want to learn what/how keeps the viewer engaged
• we want the answer to be yes (Dorothy does get back to Kansas) - but ironically, if goal was quick/easily attained, the story is over: needs conflict

Third Act

• Climax and solution, loose ends tied
  • the climax comes when the protagonist is at the greatest risk (the most impressive event in movie)
  • best stories have an unexpected solution
  • resolution/dénouement

Structure Analysis

• The King's Speech
• The Matrix
• E.T .: The Extra-Terrestrial

Writing a Scene…

• Example: Scream Psycho
• Homework: Sign-up for a Celtx account (a screenwriting program) - directions here

Surprise v. Suspense

• surprise: being taken unawares, can be shocking and emotional response will be generally short-lived - there are no repeat surprises; can be surprised the same way only once
• suspense: a more drawn-out experience, involves the audience
• Hitchcock