Getting Started
Everyone here has different techniques which work for them. Some use index cards, others just start writing. My advice is that film tells a story. So rather than worrying immediately about characters and description, write a one page version of your story. Getting the idea onto paper (or computer) is the first step.
"A boy sees a girl across the street, and he falls instantly in love. He goes to cross the street but the lights are against him. He sees her get on the bus and his heart falls. He grabs a pen and writes the bus number and time of day on this palm. He goes back the next day a half hour early to see if she is there again. She doesn't show. He's disappointed. The bus pulls up and leaves. Just then the girl comes running up and is upset because she was running late. ...."
At this point, I'm not sure how I want it to end. I haven't really thought about the boy or girl. But I've started my story going. At this point, I would break it up into the "6 Act Model". Put a header on six index cards or sheets of paper. What I'm going to talk about can be found at Michael Hauge's site:
http://www.screenplaymastery.com/structure.htm
Act 1 - Set Up (introduce the characters and situation)
Act 2 - Introduce a New Situation and a Complication
Act 3 - Formulate a Plan of Action to Succeed (character throws self in headlong)
Act 4 - More Complications and Higher Stakes (usually a major setback)
Act 5 - Final Push to Succeed with it looking unlikely (suspenseful moment, climax)
Act 6 - Resolution and the Ever After
I would go through and put the elements of my story above onto the index cards under the headings
Act 1 - Set Up (introduce the characters and situation)
A boy sees a girl across the street, and he falls instantly in love.
Act 2 - Introduce a New Situation and a Complication
He goes to cross the street but the lights are against him. He sees her get on the bus and his heart falls.
Act 3 - Formulate a Plan of Action to Succeed (character throws self in headlong)
He grabs a pen and writes the bus number and time of day on this palm. He goes back the next day a half hour early to see if she is there again.
Act 4 - More Complications and Higher Stakes (usually a major setback)
She doesn't show. He's disappointed. The bus pulls up and leaves.
Act 5 - Final Push to Succeed with it looking unlikely (suspenseful moment, climax)
Just then the girl comes running up and is upset because she was running late.
Act 6 - Resolution and the Ever After
??? Maybe, I'll have him small talk with her. They hit it off and go grab a cup of coffee.
Now I can go back and add details and think about dialogue. The structure of the film is in place. I want it to be a bit more robust so,
Act 1 - Set Up (introduce the characters and situation)
A boy sees a girl across the street, and he falls instantly in love.
- The boy is dressed in a giant Hotdog suit advertising for the deli behind him.
- The girl sees the giant hotdog and flashes one of those "you're adorable" smiles.
At this point you simply start writing the script. You don't need CeltX or fancy software. Just a plain old Word works fine. There are lots of sites that give you more detailed formating guidelines. Just one is
http://www.storysense.com/format.htm . But there are lots of resources, some even posted by others earlier.
If you create more complex movies, you will need to learn about character roles. There is a post by Rockstar that talks about those. Books by Syd Field are good. Also, I highly recommend getting a copy of Trottier's book on screenwriting.
A good film tells a good story. While I don't agree with everything Robert McKee says, he is right in that it all comes down to story. The best way is to just start putting your ideas down.
PS: I am
not advocating following a rigid formula. I am suggesting that starting out it helps to have a template to focus thinking about your story ideas. Over time, you'll find your own voice and style. In the Hauge article, he is generalizing. Please don't take his percentages literally so you break your pages accordingly. By the middle of your story, you should be at the top of the rollercoaster. Have fun!
