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Lecture 3:Lecture 3:Your Opening HookYour Opening Hook

Professor Christopher Bradley

Alien (1979)

Screenplay by Dan O’Bannon

Previous LessonPrevious Lesson• Building your Treatment!

Frankenstein (1931)Screenplay by

Edward Faragoh & Garret Fort

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In this LessonIn this Lesson

• The Opening Hook

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K2 (1991)Screenplay by

Patrick Meyers and Scott Roberts

Your Opening HookYour Opening Hook

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The Fountainhead (1949)Screenplay by Ayn Rand

Lesson 3: Part I

Function of StructureFunction of Structure• Increasing pressures on the characters,

asking more and more of them in terms of risk and difficulty of choice

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Harold and Maude (1972)Screenplay by Colin Higgins

Starting the First ActStarting the First Act• In Lessons 3 and 4, we will be creating the

first half of your first act. • Today is about your Opening Hook and the

next lesson will be about the Ordinary World and the first character risk, taking us to about page 15.

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The Opening HookThe Opening Hook

• Generally takes 1-3 pages

• Grabs their attention!– With imagery– With ideas– By raising questions

in their minds

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The Silence of the Lambs (1991)Screenplay by Ted Tally

Based on the novel by Thomas Harris

The Opening Hook (Cont.)The Opening Hook (Cont.)

• Sets up the main storyline• Sets up the main conflict

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The Silence of the Lambs (1991)Screenplay by Ted Tally

Based on the novel by Thomas Harris

Example 1: The Wizard of OzExample 1: The Wizard of Oz

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The Wizard of Oz (1939)Screenplay by Noel Langley and

Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf

Example 2: The TerminatorExample 2: The Terminator

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The Terminator (1984)Screenplay by

James Cameron & Gale Ann Hurd

• Please pause the lecture and watch the clip from The Terminator

AssignmentAssignment

Star Wars (1977)

Screenplay by George Lucas

11Lesson 3: Part II

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Write Your Opening HookWrite Your Opening Hook

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• Remember, your opening hook should:• Introduce the main story and

conflict• Introduce ideas relevant to the

story• Be visually interesting• Raise questions in your

audience’s minds!

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No Camera Directions!No Camera Directions!

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• Rather than saying, “Extreme close-up on Estelle’s eyes. Swish pan from her eyes to the tree to the open window,” say, “Estelle’s eyes dart left and right. She spots a nearby tree with a branch within jumping distance of an open window. She runs for it.”

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No Directing the Actors!No Directing the Actors!

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• A good rule of thumb is to tell the actor what to do, but not how to do it. “Estelle cries,” not “Estelle collapses on the bed, shrieking with the pain of lost love.”

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No Directing the Actors!No Directing the Actors!

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• It’s acceptable to have an action take the place of a line. “John nods his assent” can take the place of John saying, “I agree, Boss.”

• Non-verbal communication is fine. For example, “John wipes the sweat from his brow.”

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E-Board PostE-Board Post

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• Provide supportive feedback for one of your fellow students on their logline and treatment.

End of Lecture 3End of Lecture 3

Next Lecture: The “Ordinary World” and “Risk”

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The Wizard of Oz (1939)Screenplay by Noel Langley and

Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf