Scriptwriting for the MediaScriptwriting for the Media

Film Foundation DegreeFilm Foundation Degree

Writing PicturesWriting Pictures

Aim of the lessonTo introduce students to the basics of the craft of screenwriting

Students will be able to:•Compare the basic differences of writing a film, a radio play and a novel•Illustrate how to use screen language to create setting, mood and atmosphere, and express characterisation and action•Write a scene using the basic rules for writing a screenplay

Film Novel Radio play

Writing pictures is about painting Writing pictures is about painting imagesimages

• Pictures conveys ideas, emotions, feelings

• Pictures creates meanings

• Pictures show, don’t tell or explain

Use your brush to create setting, mood and atmosphere

Setting, mood, atmosphere

• The lilt and hush of softly rolling ocean waves. A full moon shimmers on the midnight- blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean. A sailing ship undulates softly on the tranquil sea.

• A cemetery, overgrown with weeds. Gargoyles and saints, angels and maidens, frozen in stone, stained by moss and time, stand vigil.

Use your brush to paint characters

Characters

• She is tall, thin, gangly like a twelve year old girl. Shoulders slightly hunched, a mess of hair falling into her face, she makes it hard to find her eyes, and when you do, they dart away like startled squirrels.

• Tailored suit, diamond cuff links—the crease in his pants sharp enough to cut glass. Not a hair out of place, no ruffles or muss. The shine on his shoes nearly as brilliant as the gleam in his eye.

Use your brush to paint action

Action

• He picks up the gun, two-fingered, dangling it between his index finger and thumb. It’s black and oily, and he touches it as if it is evil itself.

• She glides into the room as if on greased coasters. Her gown is flawless, its’ hem lightly kissing the floor as she moves along. Her eyes are brilliant. Her smile dazzling. Every eye in the room is on her.

Fundamental Rules

• Describe only the images you see and the sounds you hear - Play the movie in your head

• Use present tense - A scriptwriter sees in real time what the camera sees

• Do not write camera angles– that’s the job of the director!

Don’t Write

• Rocky is an unsuccessful boxer

• Fred is bossy

• Maria is Andrew’s mother

• Rocky, a thirty years old boxer, steps into the ring of a dingy suburban gym wearing some torn-out mittens

• Fred extinguishes a cigarette on Andrew’s forehead

• Andrew turns to Mary and says: “Hi Mom”

Write