Basics of Screenwriting

Dan Hansenhttp://chicagoscreenwriting.com

What goes into a script? Concept Characters Plot Structure

Concept What is your movie

about? What do you want

to say? Who’s going to pay

to see it? How much will it

cost? Why film it?

Characters Who is your movie

about? Protagonist Antagonist

Plot What drives your

story? What happens to

your character? Drama equals

conflict

Structure Three Acts (Aristotle) Act I (1-30)

Introduce world and characters Plot point 1 – without this scene there is no movie

Act II (31-90) What happens to the character to make him/her

change Plot point 2 – another event necessary to move

characters Act III (91-120)

Climax (Big a Battle) Conclusion

Q & A

Any questions?