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Pag e 2A GUIDE TOFEATURE FILM WRITINGA Screenwriter’s Workbook& Reference GuideCompiledbyJoe T. Velikovsky2011Published: 1995, 1998, 2003.This work is intended as an academic review of the literature and theory in the field ofFeature Film screenwriting. It is not intended for sale. Wherever possible, please buy andread any or all of the texts referenced within.
Pag e 3CONTENTSINTRODUCTION.5A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF SCREENPLAY MANUALS .6WHAT IS A SCREENPLAY? .7AN OVERVIEW OF “THE SCREENWRITING PROCESS/STEPS” .9WHERE TO START? (WITH FILM STORY IDEAS’) . 10THEME . 11THE CREATIVE PROCESS .12THE GREEK LEGACY: 3-ACT STORY STRUCTURE . 13THE PREMISE . 14SCREENPLAY CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS . 15CHARACTER DESCRIPTION TEMPLATE: .18EXAMPLE SYNOPSIS: THE WIZARD OF OZ .19THE HOOK – and “THE VERBAL PITCH”. 21CONFLICT IS DRAMA . 23CHARACTER . 24ENNEAGRAM PERSONALITY TYPES . 25THE 4 HIPPOCRATIC HUMORS . 27PHYSICALITY: SOMATYPES . 28JUNG’S PERSONALITY TYPES . 29ASTROLOGICAL STAR SIGNS . 31LIST YOUR MAIN CHARACTER’S STAR SIGN & PERSONALITY TRAITS: . 33HERO'S JOURNEY CHARACTER ARCHETYPES . 34HERO’S JOURNEY ARCHETYPES - Worksheet . 35SYD FIELD'S CHARACTER TEMPLATE . 36A 3-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTER PROFILE - STRIKING POINTS. 37CHARACTER ARCS. 38THE STAKES & MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS . 39THE HERO or PROTAGONIST. 40THE ANTAGONIST. 41CHARACTER PROFILE WORKSHEETS. 42CHARACTER INTERVIEW .44CREATE 5 MEMORABLE SCENES. 47A CHARACTER’S BACKSTORY. 48JOHN CARROLL’S “9 CORE THEMES” . 49TOBIAS’ 20 PLOTS . 50
Pag e 4POLTI’S THE 36 DRAMATIC SITUATIONS’.51JOHNSTON/BLAKE’S 9 PLOTS. 53A RANDOM LIST OF GENRES . 55SCREENPLAY STORY STRUCTURE . 56THE HERO’S JOURNEY - CAMPBELL. 57THE HERO’S JOURNEY - VOGLER. 58 STORY WARS’: HARRY POTTER vs. STAR WARS Episode IV . 59THE HEROINE’S JOURNEY.61ROBERT McKEE’S SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE . 62BARRY PEARSON’S SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE. 64UMBERTO ECO & THE JAMES BOND PLOTS . 65DAVID SIEGEL’S NINE-ACT STRUCTURE .66RICHARD MICHAELS STEFANIK – “MEGAHIT MOVIE” STRUCTURE . 67ON THEMATIC VISUAL METAPHORS . 68Viki King's “INNER MOVIE METHOD” SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE. 69THE BLAKE SNYDER “STORY BEAT SHEET” . 70PLOTS and SUBPLOTS - or A, B and C stories . 71SOME QUESTIONS TO ANSWER - BEFORE YOU WRITE: .72VELIKOVSKY’S 15 COMMANDMENTS’ OF FEATURE FILM SCREENWRITING. 73SCENE LENGTH. 74EXPOSITION SCENES . 75SOME SCREENPLAY TERMS – A GLOSSARY . 76DIALOG. 78SOME OTHER DIALOG GUIDELINES’:. 79SUBTEXT . 80FAMOUS LINES from films of the 1990’s. 81SOME CLASSIC MOVIE LINES. 82SOME SCRIPT EDITING QUESTIONS: . 88SCRIPT EDITING: THE SCENE-BY-SCENE ANALYSIS . 89THE SIX C'S OF LOW-BUDGET FILM MAKING . 90SOME MORE BOOKS ABOUT SCRIPTWRITING . 91
Pag e 5INTRODUCTIONSo, Feature Film Screenwriting.Twenty years ago, there were two books on the subject. Now there are thousands (seewww.Amazon.com, and search on “screenwriting”).So - Where to start? Which book to read first?In 1995, while studying Screenwriting at film school, I noticed there were about 100books on the shelf in the school library. I wasn’t sure which were the best ones, so I readthem all, and summarized them. This is essentially a collation of my summary notes.This Workbook is therefore just an Overview of the field. It is intended more as anIntroduction, than a set of tools’ for Feature Film writers and, it is certainly not meantto replace the original Screenwriting Manuals / Texts themselves.- It also contains various Story Templates‟, but most usefully - it contains summaries ofsome of the key published texts on Writing Feature Film Screenplays.It also has tables and worksheets, where, as a writer, you can fill out your own film’splot beats and character information’ in preparation for writing your own feature filmscreenplay.But, for the actual nuts-and-bolts of all these writing theories - that’s all they are - thereare probably no magic formulae, or else all writers would always write perfect scripts.But if there is one formula, it’s: Learn all the rules, then try and forget them - and writefrom the heart.So - I respectfully request, please buy and read the actual original texts themselves. Idon’t wish to deny the likes of Syd Field, Linda Seger, Viki King, John Truby, LindaAronsen, Blake Snyder or Robert McKee their dues.So. Hopefully this Workbook will be useful for you, whether you’re a new, or even anexperienced screenwriter.- We need great stories; they make for great films, which the world needs most rightnow Our film stories are our myths. Our myths are what we live by.And just remember, screenplays are never finished - they are only ever abandoned (andthen hopefully, shot!)Best,Joe T. Velikovsky
Pag e 6A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF SCREENPLAY MANUALSThere are many more than these. But this is a brief overview:1913 – William Lewis Gordon - How to Write Moving Picture Plays1914 – A W Thomas - How to Write a PhotoplayCUT TO:1979 - Syd Field: Screenplay1987 – Linda Seger: Making a Good Script Great1989 – Michael Hauge: Writing Screenplays That Sell1992 – Christopher Vogler: The Writer's Journey1994 - Phillips & Huntley: Dramatica (software)1997 - McKee: Story2002 - Richard Stefanik: Megahit Movies2005 – Blake Snyder: Save The Cat!2007 – John Truby: The Anatomy of Story2010 – Todd Klick: Something Startling HappensThese are some key milestones.
Pag e 7WHAT IS A SCREENPLAY?ON FORM & CONTENTCONTENT:Various industry professionals have offered opinions on what a feature film screenplayis:Alan Armer: “A blueprint for a movie.”Syd Field: “A story told with pictures.”Paul Schrader: “An invitation to collaborate on a work of art. They contain 3things - theme, character, structure. That’s all.”Louis Nowra: “Screenplays are simply a blueprint for a director. It’s not an art –It’s a collaborative process.”Bob Towne: “A movie is just four or five moments between two people. The restof it exists to give those moments their impact and resonance.”William Goldman: “Screenplays are structure.”Viki King: “A feature screenplay is a document you can create in 21 days.”Linda Seger: “Five things: the story lines, the characters, the underlying idea, theimages and the dialog.”Linda Aronsen: “A screenplay is - a technical instruction manual for everyoneinvolved in the process of creating the film.”FORM: Either way, the form is universally agreed upon, by consensus:SCREENPLAY FORM: 185 to 120 pages, in standard Screenplay format, in Courier12-point font, with 1-inch margins all round, and with black card front & back, 3-holedrilled, and bound with 2 brads‟ in the top & bottom holes. 10
Pag e 8A FEW FILM CLASSICS.Some classic films, worth studying for their scripts, including international films: VertigoTokyo StoryThe SearchersBattleship PotemkinThe Bicycle ThievesThe Seventh SealThe Rules Of The GameThe Red ShoesAnnie HallBen-HurBlue VelvetBonnie and ClydeThe Passion of Joan Of ArcL’AtalanteThe Hidden FortressMy Life As A DogThe KillerSolaris (Dir: Tarkovsky)The Wings Of DesireCasablancaDances With WolvesLa Dolce VitaThe ExorcistFanny and AlexanderThe GodfatherThe GraduateLa Grande IllusionIt’s A Wonderful LifeJules et JimKing KongLawrence of ArabiaThe Sound of MusicA Night At The OperaCity LightsPeeping TomPickpocketRaging BullRio BravoShadows
Viki King: “A feature screenplay is a document you can create in 21 days.” Linda Seger: “Five things: the story lines, the characters, the underlying idea, the images and the dialog.” Linda Aronsen: “A screenplay is - a technical instruction manual for everyone involved in the process of creating the film.”File Size: 2MBPage Count: 94
