U64022 SCREENWRITING ADVANCED WEEK 3 SCREENPLAY STANDARDS (2) FILM GENRES (1) Romantic Comedies.

U64022 SCREENWRITING ADVANCED

WEEK 3

SCREENPLAY STANDARDS (2)

FILM GENRES (1) Romantic Comedies

SCREENPLAY STANDARDS

HEADINGS (shot headings, scene headings, slug

lines)

DIRECTION (action, business, description)

DIALOGUE

TRANSITIONS

PUNCTUATION

DRAFTS & SPECIAL PAGES

SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIRECTIONS

CAPITALIZATION

• Introducing a speaking character (each scene, ONLY first occurrence)

• If characters played by two actors at different ages two different descriptors (ex. YOUNG HARRY, HARRY)

U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level


CAPITALIZATION

ALL sound effect onscreen (except living characters)

• Both sound and source of sound

ALL offscreen sound

• Do not add O.S. if evident from context



CAPITALIZATION

Describing camera direction• The word CAMERA

• Camera movements (use very sparingly)• All prepositions related to camera or movement



CAPITALIZATION

Other• INTO FRAME, INTO VIEW, OUT OF FRAME, OUT OF VIEW• FREEZE FRAME – MILLS• SUPERIMPOSE:

“THEN NEW LINE, CENTRED”• SUPER: “SAME LINE”

• INSERT – TITLE CARD (if on black screen in-between scenes)


SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIRECTIONSC

APITALIZATION

Other

• V.O. and O.S.• Signs, banners, headlines (within action, within commas)

• Anything written and seen on screen



NEVER capitalize

• b.g. and f.g.

• “We see” (never capitalize and use sparingly, usually only with POV shots)

Underscoring

• Looks amateurish, don’t overuse

• If used, do not underline final period, if any


SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIALOGUE

STYLE

• Spell out all spoken words (no abbreviation)

• Don’t overdo incorrect grammar and colloquialism

• Underline accepted to give emphasis

SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIALOGUE

• CHARACTER’s name

• (O.S.) and (V.O.): ALL CAPS

• O.S. physically present in the scene but not in view

• V.O. all other cases

• NO BOLD, NO ITALICS

SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIALOGUE• Parentheticals (character directions)

• Never capitalize• Never add period at the end• No more than 4 lines• Not at the end of a speech• Never break page with parenthetical (instead, new page, name of character

(CONT’D) then parenthetical)• Common pars.: (sotto), (beat)

SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - TRANSITIONS

• Always begin script with FADE IN:

• Always end script with FADE OUT or THE END (centred, after 5 blank lines)

SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - TRANSITIONS

• No need to use CUT TO: at end of every scene• Use CUT TO: or DISSOLVE TO or FADE TO BLACK.

to underline particular situations only (e.g. end of a narrative section or act)

• Other:• QUICK CUT TO:

• HARD CUT TO:

• CUT TO BLACK.

DON’T OVERUSE. ONLY IF ESSENTIAL!

SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - PUNCTUATION• Double space between words after period? (NOT ANY LONGER)

• Ellipsis (…) when characters’ speech trails off. Don’t overuse within speech.

• Dash (2 hyphens --) when characters’ speech is interrupted by another character

SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - PUNCTUATION

• Quotation marks: song, poems, short stories, television series, newspaper articles, magazine articles (periods and commas inside the

marks; semicolons and colons outside; question and exclamation marks inside only if part of quotation)

• Underscoring: names of ships/spacecraft/planes, title of book/magazine/newspaper/movie/play (this is why underscoring must be used sparingly for emphasis)

SCREENPLAY STANDARDS – SPECIAL PAGES

• Title page

• On spec: title, name, contact info

• Under contract: TITLE, name, based on the book by, contact info of producer, DRAFT and date (perhaps copyright notice)

• Writer’s credit: written by

SCREENPLAY STANDARDS – SPECIAL PAGES

• First page• No number 1 on page 1

• Last page• Always end with THE END

centred, after 5 blank spaces

SCREENPLAY FORMAT – SPECIAL CASES

PARALLEL ACTION

To show two or more events (i.e. actions) within the same sequence (at same or different time, in same or different locations), because of some logical connection in the narrative.

• Separate scenes (alternate)• Within single scene, with slug lines• Two separate scenes, then INTERCUT or CROSS-

CUT


CONVERSATIONS VIA COMMUNICATION DEVICES

Telephones, mobiles, Internet, etc.

• Only ONE side seen+heard• ONE side seen + BOTH heard• BOTH sides seen+heard

Essential use of: O.S. extension, parentheticals (into phone, from phone), INTERCUT


VEHICLES

If stationary, they are treated as interiors.

If moving, specify in slug line.

• Location+car – separate scene• Car chase – instructions or slug lines within

scene


TIME-SHIFTS

Any major break of the chronology

• Part of scene line (to reader)• Superimposed (to audience)


FLASHBACKS

Character’s subjective account of the past, either through personal memories or visualized testimony.

Always specify start and end of flashback in script.

• (FLASHBACK) and (BACK TO PRESENT) in scene heading,

Or, within scene• FLASHBACK and END FLASHBACK/RETURN TO SCENE on slug

lines

Or, containing scene(s)• FLASHBACK (before scene heading) and END FLASHBACK.

(before next scene heading back to present)

• DREAMS or FANTASIES can be disguised, if wished so


DIALOGUE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

It is assumed that characters always speak English.

If they speak another language, write dialogue in English, preceded by language in parenthetical.

If subtitled, specify.

GENRES – Romantic Comedy

3-ACT STRUCTURE - Summary• ACT I – SETUP, pp.1-30

• What? Setting + info (hero)• How?

• Inciting incident conflict action/goal• Plot point #1 (end of Act I – pp.25-27)

• ACT II – CONFRONTATION, pp.31-90• What? Obstacles and problems • How?

• Reversals, recognition, suffering• Mid-point (p.60)• Plot point #2 (end of Act II – pp.85-90)

• ACT III – RESOLUTION, pp.91-110(120)• What? Climax resolution• How? Initial problem solved/unsolved goal achieved


3-ACT STRUCTURE – ROMANTIC COMEDY

GENERAL 3-ACT STRUCTURE

1. Conflict: the hero takes on a problem

2. Crisis: the hero can’t solve the problem

3. Resolution: the hero solves the problem

3 ACTS IN ROMANTIC COMEDIES

1. Meet: girl+boy have significant encounter(s)

2. Lose: girl+boy are separated (+ re-united + separated again)

3. Get: girl+boy reunite

Romantic comedy = comedy whose central plot revolves around a romantic relationship COUPLE

Clip from Nancy Meyer’s The Holiday


ROMANTIC COMEDY – CHARACTERS

Romantic comedies have a BIG HANDICAP...

... The audience knows the ending before they start.

How do you get the audience interested in the story?

Characters strong desires (plenty of) obstacles

Obstacles = external + INTERNAL conflicts character-driven

CHARACTERIZATION


CHARACTER – SUMMARY OF TRAITS

Ontologic: gender, race, class, family background, name

Experience: education, abilities, own family, sexuality, back-story

Now: age, occupation, friends/enemies, appearance, world view, beliefs, manners, sense of humour, tension levels, language, pastimes/passions, delusions


CHARACTER AND PLOT

Motivation Objectives (and threats) (goal-oriented

characters) Relationships with other characters Relationships with antagonistic forces Role of the back-story


CHARACTERS IN ROMANTIC COMEDY Male lead: attractive BUT also intimate, weak (?)

arc = strong, sexaholic, macho, sexist gradual exposure of weakness love wins

Female lead: strong, modern, active, aggressive (resistance) true love (not subordinate role in couple)

Wrong guy/girl: socially presentable and stable, but not deep nor desirable no chemistry

Friend/helper: characterization mirror + story forward


CHARACTERS IN ROMANTIC COMEDYPresent life of character = Now

BUT

Script Character’s arc challenge/change?

1. Meet at least one-half of couple not interested (love challenges characters)

2. Lose what do they lose if they lose each other? (characters deny love or accept but are denied love)

3. Get love transforms the characters (change) something is learned positive growth


ROMANTIC COMEDIES – 7 BEATS

1. Setup: male lead introduced + female lead introduced (?) unfulfilled desire

2. Catalyst (inciting incident): female lead introduced (amusing, memorable) “meet cute” but obstacle (eg. wrong guy/girl in the way)

3. Sexy complication (turning point #1): new development, external problem internal issue character reacts (or does not)

4. Hook (midpoint, sequence or section): situation that binds couple (further implications) sexual tension

5. Swivel (turning point #2): highest point of romance jeopardize chance of achieving goal point of no return (choice)

6. Dark moment (crisis climax): humiliation (fight or failed reconciliation) all lost

7. Joyful defeat (resolution): personal sacrifice happy ending (also just symbolic) marriage or committment


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4 (+)

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HOMEWORK FOR WEEK 4

• Watch:

- Four Weddings and a Funeral (set 1)

- Notting Hill (set 2)

- Pretty Woman (set 3)

• Write a scene breakdown of the narrative structure and identify the 7-step pattern (including sections building up to each step)

• Bring along your analysis for seminar discussion in week 4

U64022 SCREENWRITING ADVANCED WEEK 3 SCREENPLAY STANDARDS (2) FILM GENRES (1) Romantic Comedies.

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