SCRIPTWRITING

Introduction

Many say that good films and plays are born out of good scripts. That no one can become an excellent director unless
learns how to write. That good writers can become a good director. All these are true and boil down to one important
aspect of both film and theater- scriptwriting.

WHERE DO I BEGIN?

It is a step by step activity that would require of your great amount of diligence and patience. The most common fear of
scriptwriter is facing a blank page and not knowing where or how to start. Subjects to write about do not come easily.
You must look into your experiences and see which you can write about most and effective.

Here are some techniques that you can use in coming up with your subject to write about:

1. You may try to release your emotional baggage – fears that are haunting you, joys that you cannot forget,
traumatic events that you dream about; anger that you are hiding, or even love that cherish so much.
2. Look for a problem – just by looking around, you will realize how much problem there is in our society, in school,
in the church or even in our families. Which problems interest you the most?
3. What If? Formula – think of the numerous possibilities around you…WHAT IF my best friend gets pregnant?
WHAT IF the president is assassinated? What If war happens?

II. THE STORY CONCEPT

With your story idea in mind, you can now proceed to the next step which is establishing your story concept. A story
concept includes the following:

1. The premise of your story or your situation

2. The genre of your script – is it comedy, historical, or a combination of it all?
3. The treatment – will it be plot driven? Meaning the main plot will run the story.
4. The principal characters – once a story is a constructed in your mind, you must definitely have the primary
characters as well.

III. CHARACTER SKETCH

Your next task as a scriptwriter is to construct your characters. Establish their background and personalities. This will
guide you in writing the dialogue.

A character sketch contains the following components

1. Physical Component – what his or her name? Age? How does he/she look like? How is his/her health condition.
2. Sociological Component – does he come from a rich or poor family? Educational background? Where is he/she
working? How is the environment he grew up in, filled with violence or love?
3. Psychological Component – his/her relationship with other people, his philosophy in life, his/her past and
his/her motivation.
IV. THE SENTENCE OUTLINE

With your story and characters clearly constructed already, you may now proceed into developing your story. You may
do this through a sentence outline. A sentence outline contains the events of your story. With a pen and paper, sit down
and think of the events you wish to unfold in your story. One event is caused by the previous one.

V. THE SEQUENCE TREATMENT

Your next step would be to write a sequence treatment. A sequence treatment will allow you to think of your story in
terms of scenes and not events. Both film and theater use scenes to unfold an event in a story.

A sequence treatment indicates the following:

1. Location of the scene

2. Props used in the scene
3. Cast involved in the scene
4. Event that will take place in the scene

VI. DIALOGUE

The next stage may as well be considered the mot tedious one. This is the writing of dialogues. With the end of your
character sketch and sentence outline, your writing of dialogues should become easier.

There is, however, a difference in the manner by which theater dialogues differ from movie dialogues. Theater dialogies