How to write the script of "Star Wars," "Transformers" and other films
Makradar Technologies / / December 19, 2019
In one of his recent posts I described how to publish the book can be yourself. Today we will write the script. And so, like they do in Hollywood.
At the time, I came upon an interesting book by Alexander Chervinsky "How good to sell a good script." It was a review of American screenwriting books. At the heart of the American approach - scenario three-act structure, clearly defined rules of behavior of the characters. Moreover, the American approach is a precise indication of what is to happen at some point in the film. The American writer only one task - to tell the story, indicating the action, description and dialogue. Everything else - the task of the producer and the director.
Since the American style of the script has a clear structure, it lends itself well to digitization. There are many specialized programs for writers. In general, they are divided into two classes:
- for the construction of the plot and character development,
- for the construction of the script structure.
The first category includes programs such as Dramatica Pro, Character Pro, StoryView, Contour and others. The second category - Final Draft, Celtx, Movie Magic Screenwriter and others.
A program for constructing Contour plot developed together with a known writer Jeffrey Schechter ( "Beethoven 3" and others). Accordingly, development of a Contour plot goes on Schechter system.
Schechter system eliminates writer of anguished question: "What to write next?"
Schechter system
Jeffrey Schechter system is based on the structure of the three instruments and plot points. According to formula Schechter, character sequentially through four stages:
orphan - a stranger - a warrior - martyr
(Orphan - wanderer - warrior - martyr) .In the first act of a hero is "an orphan", an outcast, a man without family and tribe. For example, the main character - an immigrant who came to New York. He does not know anybody, he is lonely and dependent on others in the second part of the first act the hero becomes a "stranger." Hero is looking to change themselves, trying to answer the questions that the writer lays the plot. In the second part of the second act character becomes "soldier". Now he found the answers to their questions, and ready to fight for them. In the third act the hero becomes a "martyr", ready to sacrifice their lives for their beliefs.
Using Schechter system, screenwriter consistently leads his hero on plot points. By choosing one or another plot twist, screenwriter receives guidance from Contour program about what should happen to the hero on. So step by step the plot is built from the beginning to the final picture.
As examples, the Contour built 16 finished scripts of films like "Transformers," "Star Wars," "The Dark Knight," "Spider-Man," "War of the Worlds" and others. At every step, the writer is accompanied by examples of how to do this or that plot device.
Parse the script for the film "Panic Room"
Director - David Fincher. Starring - Jodie Foster and future star of the movie "Twilight" Kristen Stewart.
Run Contour. Only 54 plot points are provided in the Contour (see. green upper slider). writer task is to consistently pass on all of them.
The first point - setting the four main issues:
- Who is the protagonist? Meg Altman.
- The main character is trying to do? Survive and save her daughter.
- Who are trying to stop the hero? Three attackers, who hunt for 22 million dollars, hidden in the house.
- What would happen if the protagonist fails? Meg and her daughter will die.
Then click on the button Archetypes. Schechter idea is that people choose how to live and how to respond to various problems, depending on what kind of archetype that determines their consciousness. According to Schechter system, there are four archetypes: the orphan, the stranger, the warrior, martyr. For the heroine Jodie Foster, this way is as follows:
act I. An orphan
Meg divorced and forced to seek shelter for himself and his daughter Sarah.
ACP II, first part. wanderer
The new home of Meg entered the robbers. Meg and Sarah hide in the so-called emergency room, or the room of fear - the place where you can hide if you will climb into the house thieves.
ACP II, second part. Warrior
Meg realizes that if Sarah did not get a dose of insulin, she will die. Meg comes up, how to save her daughter.
ACP III. Martyr
Meg won. Robbers killed or arrested. Sarah saved.
Then the writer must write loglayn. Loglayn - is the story of the film from beginning to end, arranged in 60-80 words. Loglayn write according to formula archetypes.
When the thirty-year-divorced woman ( "Orphan"), and her daughter-diabetic discovered that their newly bought a house broke the attackers, they hid ( "wanderers") in a secure room - "room fear. " Attackers are trying to get in "Panic Room", because there are hidden 22 million dollars. A woman must find a way to get insulin for her daughter ( "Warrior"), single-handedly defeat the attackers and survive ( "martyr").
Next Contour offers screenwriter note 12 plot twists of the film. The program tells you which page script plot twists should occur. At the end of the author must answer the central question of the film. According to Schechter system, the central question should consist of three parts.
The central question of the film "Panic Room" - "Can Meg save her daughter, defeat the robbers, to stay alive?"
Once the response is received on the central issue, the film ends.
Moving the cursor over the green line, the writer describes in detail the events that he mentioned in the story turns. And so - until the final scene. In this case, Contour explains why and what needs to happen at this point of the script.
Here is the finished script.
summing up
Contour program is intuitive, simple. I understand it can be 30 minutes per. First, the program seemed outdated in terms of design, but I realized after a couple of hours, it is not so. The design does not distract from the work, and the interface is built in a way that does not allow to do wrong. Screenwriters do not have to think about where and what to click. He just need to relax and give free rein to the imagination ...
There is also a version for iPhone / iPad, so you can jot down ideas movies and study subjects in any environment.
In conclusion, if you have decided to try himself as a writer, then you definitely Contour fit. On the site IMDb Pro You can find the contacts of Hollywood agents and studios. So write and send your scripts straight to Hollywood. It's simple.