Short Screenplay Writing
Screenonline:
Finding the central character of the narrative is critical to any story-driven narrative.
What is the action of the film, and what is the audience being asked to follow or be interested in? The key to answer this question in the short form, though, is to decide on an incident which will form the basis of the film's climax, and/or its narrative action.
Knowing why a character cannot deal with a situation, or is forced to do something different, or against their normal way of reacting, is critical to developing an engaging story-driven narrative.
A multiple-antagonist scenario is critical to success when working with narratives over ten minutes, but makes for serious problems of narrative construction if they are placed in a short film of less than ten minutes, owing to the feeling of too much being packed into to short a time.
Having decided on who the film is about, what or who opposes them, and what it is the audience is being asked to follow - the active question - you are left with one of the key questions in a short film's development. The question, 'Whose point of view is the audience being shown the story from?'
The reason this question is central to short films is the need to address the scale of exposition, and background information, plus character's motivations, in a very small narrative space. This is why narration, and narrators, are so useful in the short film form.
Finding the theme in any project is critical to giving a film a dramatic unity, which relates directly to the audience's emotions. However, this is not normally found until at least a draft screenplay is written, though in some cases, as when writing a romantic-comedy, the theme, the desire for love, is clear in the conception.
The style and, in particular, the tone of a work is another central aspect to address when developing any film, and especially a short film. Owing to the lack of narrative time, tonal shifts are very difficult to pull off, and building towards a big emotional climax slowly is difficult when you only have ten minutes for the whole film.
Even though the look/style of a film is critical to providing a visually coherent narrative, it is the tone of a work that critically engages with the emotions of an audience.
Ultimately, tone is captured in performance, and in direction, but the screenplay lays the foundations for the tone to be found by the director, actors, and cinematographer.
BBC:
The great thing about shorts is that they can be anything – the only limit beyond the cost of production is that of your own imagination. So don't be hemmed in - let your imagination fly. Play with your ideas. Play with the form. Every short can and should be a unique vision.
Film is about telling stories in pictures, which is the most economical way of telling a story – and in the making of shorts, economy is everything. Remember the golden rule of filmmaking: show, don't tell. The idea and story can be focused enough in scope to exist entirely in the viewer's head, and so logic and time can play a much smaller role in the journey from beginning to end than in other formats.
The best short films are often a moment that is played out, but one that has a story at its heart - a conflict that has to be resolved, where there's a deadline to the action, where there's a choice that a character has to make. You should always try to tell a story. Short films aren't an excuse to break all the rules – but they are an opportunity to push the boundaries of what cinematic storytelling can do.
It's worth thinking about:
- The simplicity, clarity and economy of the storytelling
- The vision of the piece, and its visual images
- Making every element pertinent
- Making your story coherent.
It's worth being careful of:
- Conflicting and incoherent worlds
- Ideas that are too concept-driven
- A lack of narrative engine and story
- A lack of engaging characters
- A lack of focus and concision
- Action and repetition without meaning
- Descriptive dialogue
- Extended jokes with (usually unsatisfying) punch-lines.
Think about how your film will play to its audience. Does your story have a potentially universal appeal? What will the audience know and when will they know it? What will they be guessing? What questions will they have which need answering? And what can you show without having to explain things away?
The impact of page one is crucial. Are we emotionally engaged? What is the vision and world of the film? Is it original? Do we inhabit the characters? Do the world and story of the film have integrity and authenticity? The last moment is also crucial – it's easy to come away feeling very little about a short, so work towards a meaningful, satisfying ending.
Be careful of cliché, because there are so many of them in short films (hit-men for hire, post office heists, people seeing themselves die, children representing innocence, dysfunctional abusive relationships, films about writing or making films, in-jokes and navel-gazing). Write what you know and feel passionately about rather than something second-hand and culled from watching other films. Use the form to be fresh and original and unexpected - you don't get that opportunity very often in your writing career.
Think about the practicalities of writing your script so that it can be shot with a low or limited budget – there's never enough money around to spend on making shorts. Remember that digital technology is freeing up what filmmakers can do, and what they can afford to do. But remember also that a low budget short doesn't need to look cheap - unless, of course, you want it to.
One potential pitfall for writers can be directing their own scripts. Many of the most talented filmmakers write their own stories. But be careful of directing your own work because you want 'control' over the project. Creative collaboration can be a hugely rewarding experience - and if you're not a natural filmmaker, there's a chance you will spoil your writing with inexperienced filmmaking. Go to film festivals, meet filmmakers – find people with whom you can collaborate.
Spare a thought to the presentation of your script. It isn't hard to make it easy to read, and it's always worth the effort of rewriting and editing in order to make your story shine. There are no excuses for your script to not be as perfect as it can be.
Watch as many short films as you possibly can. There is no replacement for knowing what work is already out there, and knowing what you as an audience (as well as a writer) think and feel about it.
Netribution Film Network:
Trying to tell a story and create decent characterisation in ten minutes isn’t easy. In a feature you can afford to take your time to build a narrative. In a short this just isn’t possible.
Complex, multi-layered storylines are almost certainly not going to work. A short has to be simple and direct. Don’t make the mistake of many writers and try to cram as much in as possible.
The film should act as a showcase for your writing ability but by throwing everything and the kitchen sink into the mix you are going to come out with a jumbled, unfocused piece of work.A simple story well told with good characterisation and memorable dialogue is going to be far more beneficial to you than what would result if you try to show off.
Short films give you a wonderful opportunity to experiment with narrative that features rarely offer you. Try and give your scripts a real sense of energy.
Characterisation is all-important to a short, as you have to try and get across large amounts of information about people in a very short space of time. A smaller cast will give you a better chance of succeeding.
Dialouge is extremely important to the success of your film. Every word has to count. If a line isn’t saying something about your character then change it so that it does.
Make sure you read your script out loud. It’s a simple thing but it can make a world of difference.
Short films are almost always extremely low-budget affairs. Try to limit the amount of locations you use even if you never intend that the film be made. It’s a good habit to get into.
One of the best ways of learning how to avoid the pitfalls of short film writing is to watch other people’s shorts. Even if you don’t like them ask yourself why. What didn’t work? Were the characters developed well enough? Did the story work?But as with most things in life the best way to get better at something is to practise.
