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The character and the story

Character Driven Screenplays

With this approach, if you take away the character, there is no story, because it is the character

(not the idea) that is the cornerstone of the screenplay. The character is the lifeline: the

heart, the mind, and the soul of the entire script. Think Jeff Bridges as Bad Blake inCrazy Heart

(2009), Kate Winslet as Hanna Schmitz in The Reader (2008), or Mickey Rourke as Randy in

The Wrestler (2008).

Story Driven Screenplays

With this approach, often the title alone is enough to understand the entire story: Wedding

Crashers (buddy comedy), RoboCop, (crime/action), How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (rom­com).

All successful films, but in each scenario, the characters are secondary to the story idea.

Imagine Twister or Jaws or Speed with completely different characters. The story still works.

The Magic

You are selling you, not just your screenplay. You’re selling the way you "show" the visual

storytelling on the page. That's style. That's voice. That's personality. And the trick is to use that

style/voice/personality to make the readers "see it".

So go ahead ­ put as much of you in your writing as you can, and then when people line up to

read your next screenplay, they do it not just because they’re interested in the story, the

character, or the pitch, but instead, because of the writer ­ because of you.

You’ve heard it before: write what you know. But it’s just as important to: write what you love.

You have to get to where you’re inspired, because the real magic originates from inside. And if

the spark isn’t ignited from within, there will be no fire in your script. And the best way to conjure

up and maintain that magic is to focus on who you are creatively and be true to yourself.

If you’re a sci­fi guy, for example, be that. Be proud. But be the best sci­fi guy possible. And

never take a day off. Become a master mechanic of everything sci­fi. Learn about sci­fi

characters, stories, and structure. Understand the sci­fi audience. Become familiar with every

element specific to the sci­fi genre. But most importantly, go with your gut; it is rarely wrong.

Your brain can rationalize why you’re writing the script, why you supposedly “love” the material.

But your gut knows the truth. It just feels it, and when it feels right, you must listen.

You need to be excited about your material; you absolutely must care about the characters and

the story you’re telling. Your screenplay should be a movie you’d camp out overnight to watch

yourself – okay, maybe not ‘overnight,’ but certainly, you’d wait in a very long line. Believe in

your script; be excited and confident in your story – because if you don’t feel the magic yourself,

no one else will feel it for you.

Your characters craves change

Remember to have solidified starting and end points for your characters.

They need to go through transformation that spits them out in the end.

Bottom line, keep this front of mind. It can slip away without you even

realizing it until you go back and read a bland character that stays

stagnant throughout the entire story.

Creating Heroes We Hope and Pray For

The most important character in your screenplay is your protagonist: your hero. But when

creating your hero, audience connection is key. Your hero needs to be an interesting somebody

who wants something badly and is having trouble getting it, AND also a somebody that the

audience cares about – somebody they hope and fear for. But when creating a complex

character, simply knowing what's beneath thetip of the iceberg is not enough.

In order for your audience to be emotionally invested with your hero, you must also (1.) know

the hero’s goals and dreams, (2.) be aware of what the hero will learn, and (3.) make sure the

hero is someone the audience will empathize with.

Know the Dream/Goal

This is more than just knowing the hero’s main objective – that is, the pursuit of what your

protagonist is trying to accomplish that gives shape to plotting the main story of the film. You

must know every dream, want, and desire. Take, for example, an action film in which your hero

is on a life and death pursuit to rescue his abducted daughter, the main objective is obvious, but

what about all the other goals: does he regret the past and promise to be a better father, does

he secretly wish for acceptance, or is it something more tangible, like the desire to take his

daughter to a Yankee game for the first time? The more you understand what your hero wants –

both internal and external – the easier it will be for your audience to champion his causes.

Character Awareness

Every action has a reaction, and nothing is as easy as it seems. The reality is that situations are

complicated, especially what's beneath the surface, and even though it is obvious that your hero

must be aware of the main objective, it is usually a mistake if your hero is aware of the full

dimensions of the theme at the beginning of the story. It’s okay for your audience to see the big

picture (or not); sometimes you want your audience to discover along with your hero. But

regardless of the creative decisions you make as to what the audience knows and when, it is

important that your hero learns along the way. The theme – and its implications – should be

revealed on your hero’s journey.

Sympathy vs. Empathy

Creating a hero that we feel sympathetic toward is a HUGE help. It’s almost impossible not to

care if we feel sorry for someone else’s misfortune, not to mention that sympathy often equates

to likability – and a likeable hero is easy to hope and pray for. However, sympathy is not the

essential ingredient. Empathy is the key. Not every hero is likeable or should be; there are many

heroes (or antiheroes) that we dislike, but we stay with them because we’re able to understand

why they do as they do.

Protagonist's Objective

Only in light of the protagonist’s objective can a screen story be plotted, because in the end, the

pursuit of that objective determines the course of the action, however straightforward or devious

the path may be.

The three main points about the objective:

1. There can be only ONE main objective if the film is to have unity.

2. The objective must be capable of arousing OPPOSITION in order to produce conflict.

3. The NATURE OF the objective is a leading factor in determining the attitude of the audience

toward the protagonist and his opposition. Protagonist and objective are so closely identified in

our minds that it is impossible to consider one without the other.

Remember, superficial traits help to depict character: language, manner of speaking, dress,

gesture, physical condition, mannerisms, and so on. But the KEY FACTOR still comes back to

the character's OBJECTIVE and the means employed to attain it.

And when the story ends, what happens to that objective or desire is essential to the emotional

impact. Are we glad that he reached what he was after, or do we hate him at the end because

he reached it? Are we sad he didn’t make it, or are we glad that he couldn’t. These possibilities

determine the tension, what we hope and fear.

Desire My perfect, lovable protagonist, in all his wisdom and glory, is also completely content. He's

happy. He's passive, with no real desires. In other words, he's a complete and useless bore.

After weeks of research, weeks of outlining, and twenty­five pages of writing, it's all dead.

Content characters have no desire. No desire means no goal. No goal means no reason for conflict, and no reason for conflict means no story.

The story

It’s simple. Writing a screenplay, or screenwriting, is telling exciting stories about exciting people

in an exciting form. And the essential elements of a good story well told are:

1. The story is about somebody with whom we have some empathy.

2. This somebody wants something very badly.

3. This goal is difficult, but possible to do, get, or achieve.

4. The story accomplishes maximum emotional impact and audience connection.

5. And the story comes to a satisfactory ending, not necessarily a happy one.

(Character + Want) x Obstacles = Story

The root of writing a great story or screenwriting a film.

In this section, not only will you become proficient in developing stories about interesting

characters who are struggling to achieve unequivocal goals through the practical application of

story scenarios and story questionnaires, but you will also explore the three major areas of

story: location, population, and situation. You will learn to create original, believable worlds with

a clearly defined populace and a well developed, plausible situation.

Act one: The set-up

Usually the story really begins at the moment when the first character faces the difficulty that he

or she has to solve, and it better be a clear difficulty, and he better realize that he must do

something. Dramatic form means action, and action brings tension. So the awareness of the

tension, and the clarification of what the nature of your tension is, helps to build the whole script.

ACT ONE: ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

TONE: Very quickly you want to establish the tone of the script: is it a serious film, a comedy, a fantasy, a spoof? Let people know right away that it is okay to laugh, to cry, to dream, etc.

THEME: You will also want to establish the theme of the film ­ what message are you trying to convey: “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover”, “The underdog triumphs”, “Good versus evil”.

WORLD OF THE STORY: As the story begins, you will introduce the world of the story ­ where does it take place? What is different and interesting to this world? What are the rules of this

place?

CHARACTER INTRODUCTIONS: At the same time, you will introduce the principle characters to the audience. Be specific and original. Let us know their age, how they dress, walk, talk. Give

them a scene in which they stand out from the others. Let the audience know these people are

special.

PROTAGONIST WEAKNESS: The main character’s weakness(s) must be clear so that the later obstacles can attack that weakness in the second act.

INCITING INCIDENT: The inciting incident (or point of attack) is the moment when the dramatic conflict announces itself. It’s the first perception of the predicament to come, and usually, a

moment that is very visual.

MAIN TENSION: And this predicament sets up the main tension around which the story will be built: Will they fall in love? Will they rob the bank? Will they escape alive? Will they do all three?

THE STAKES: The stakes have to be clear in order to show the audience how and why this tension is important to them, or ­ more importantly ­ what will happen if the character does not

solve his/her problem. It should be huge ­ a matter of life and death.

OBJECTIVE: A character’s objective or goal is what drives him. This should be very specific, very clear. How badly does he/she want something and what are the lengths he/she is willing to

go to get it.

LOCK­IN: The first act concludes once the main character is locked into the predicament, propelling him/her forward on a new quest trying to accomplish a specific goal. Now the

reader/audience knows the character, the predicament, and the objective, so everything else is

about the future.

Act 2: The Obstacles This is the meat and potatoes portion... AND the most difficult part of writing a screenplay. Most

mediocre and flawed screenplays are plagued by slow or meandering second acts. Keep in

mind the main tension ­ and that your character should always be on the path to resolving that

tension.

The second act begins right after the lock­in: the moment when the character is stuck in the

predicament and main tension ­ it is too late to turn back, so he/she must go forward. Now the

character aims towards the goal, the objective, and he/she has the first meeting of the obstacles

and antagonists or circumstances, always with rising actions.

The first sequence usually presents the alternative solutions. What are the choices? What

should be done? And the character selects one alternative, and if it should be the worst one,

then he selects another one, and in the meantime, the rest of the alternatives are eliminated.

Then the character uses one of the ways to solve the predicament, and it seems to work, and

that’s usually the first culmination or midpoint.

But it’s not that simple, because there are consequences of things that happened before that he

didn’t take into consideration. He offended somebody. He didn’t do things that he was supposed

to do. He forgot about things. You bring those things back in the second part of the act, and at

that time they can be entered almost without motivation, because anything that works against

your character at that time is acceptable. Any accident, any coincidence is fine because it

makes his predicament worse, and therefore we enjoy it. Also it helps to explore the validity of

the desire of the dream.

ACT TWO: ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

OBSTACLES: The second act is all about obstacles. It elaborates in great detail and intensity on the difficulties and obstacles the herofaces as he or she struggles to achieve his or her goal.

Just when we think the situation can’t get worse, it does. And when there is no way that our

hero can get out of the jam, he does, only to end up in a worse jam. Basically, each sequence

centers around a new obstacle or obstacles of increasing difficulty.

FIRST ATTEMPTS: Now that the character is locked­in, he makes his first attempts to solve the problem. This is usually the simplest, easiest manner to resolve the problem, and these

attempts usually fail.

RAMIFICATIONS: It is important to show the ramification of the attempts, which must result in an increase in complications.

ACTION: Every move the character makes traps him even more. Each actions leads to more entrapment. Be merciless on the character.

SUB­PLOT: A solid sub­plot that carefully intertwines with the main tension in both plot and theme will be a great channel in which to relate the character’s emotions (in regards to the main

tension).

FIRST CULMINATION: This is the midpoint of the film. If our hero is to win in the end, this then is the first time the character finds a solution that seems to work. It is a victory. If the script is a

tragedy, however, this often a low point for the character.

MIDPOINT MIRROR: The first culmination and ending of the film usually mirror each other: both victories or both failures.

MIDPOINT CONTRAST: The first culmination (Midpoint) and the main culmination (End of Act II) are usually in contrast with each other.

NEW ATTEMPTS: By the first culmination, our hero has failed in his/her first attempts but in failure, realizes the weight of the issue and becomes aware of the correct method in which to

resolve the main tension. He/she then can begin new attempts, still faced with new obstacles,

that get him/her closer to resolving the issue.

CHARACTER CHANGE: Throughout the second act, the main character starts changing, learning, and developing, or at least intense pressure is put on the character to change, and that

change will manifest in the third act.

MAIN CULMINATION: this is the end of the second act and the point where the character sees what he things he has been doing is not what he has been doing. The tension is at the highest

point, and this is the decisive turning point. You must convince the audience that their worst

fears are going to come true. This moment will change the main character in some way.

FIRST RESOLUTION: This resolution of the second act tension often spins the character(s) into the third act. (Luke Skywalker and Han Solo rescue Princess Leia from the clutches of evil

Vader... but they still have to destroy the Death Star.)

Act 3: Resolution The audience has seen the journey through which our protagonist has traveled. Yet the

audience still wants reassurance that all is well, that the characters have changed, and a

glimpse of his/her future.

Once the second act is resolved, there is usually a twist and new confrontation, which pushes

us into the third act conflict. Often this is the result of the plot and subplot main culmination: the

conflicts of the plot and sub­plot colliding.

In the third act, the protagonist will demonstrate his/her character arc in the manner in which

he/she chooses to resolve the third act conflict. (For instance: In the beginning, a low­down

character may choose to lie or cheat to resolve an issue, but since his/her arc has taught

him/her morals, he/she tries to honestly resolve the situation).

The character’s new vision and his/her attempt to end the third act conflict leads us to the

obligatory scene ­ a big scene which the audience has been waiting for since the story began.

After that, you have the descending part of the story where we see what happened after the evil

won, lost, or whatever. You see ho they live afterwards. And the function of the twist in the

middle of the third act is the last test. You shouldn’t believe the solution, very often, if it came

directly from the resolution. So you come with something that once more offers the character a

possibility to try for the last time, in a different manner.

The main story and subplots are all resolved in differing ways, but all with some sense of finality,

the feeling that the conflict is over.

ACT THREE: ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

CONDENSED: Fast. Organized. No new characters. No new locations. The story is unraveling.

TWIST: The final twist is a surprising, explainable, and motivated change in direction of the action.

FINAL CULMINATION: Up to this point, our hero has been tested, has tried everything he could, and there is only one way left, because all the alternatives were presented and

eliminated, and therefore, comes the final culmination, often where the main plot and sub­pot

collides, which propels our hero head on into a new confrontation with the inevitable.

CHARACTER ARC: The main character is now in a new situation with a new tension, and he/she must have opportunities to go back to the old character and see if there is a change.

There should be.

OBLIGATORY SCENE: The obligatory scene the scene the at the end of the film in which the viewer has been waiting and looking forward to. If tension is an eager anticipation of the future,

then the obligatory scene is one that the viewer almost consciously expects. In a way, it has

been promised to the audience.

RESOLUTION: This is the end. The third act conflict is complete, character arc complete, all issues resolved, and the audience sees the new status quo ­ or what the future holds for the

characters.

Camera as a Narrator

In a movie, the camera dramatizes the process of viewing the action and bring it on screen,

allowing our eyes to see only what and how the “camera narrator” shows it to us.

A film is “told”, but the story is shown by a camera narrator. Just like a narrator in literature, the

camera can use two points of view that equal the first and third person. We call them objective

(through the eyes of a third person observer) and subjective (through a specific first person

character).

If the story is told as one character’s story or “subjectively”, the camera plays the role of the first

person observer, showing only scenes in which the main character participates. But in most

movies, the camera assumes a more omniscient point of view. It is free to follow all the

characters.

The real finesse begins when the camera is assigned not only a role -

observer, omniscient narrator - but is also assigned an attitude (curious,

amused, anticipating, foreshadowing, etc.) And a character of its own

(lyrical, critical, cynical, voyeuristic, etc.). As in literature, such a role

and character needs to be introduced from the start and must be kept

consistent throughout the whole picture to avoid a break of stylistic unity.

Connect With Your Audience If the audience isn’t invested with the story, if it doesn’t care about the characters, if it’s not intimately involved, discovering, anticipating, predicting, and reaching conclusions... well, then you’re in big trouble. Remember, as a screenwriter, you’re selling to an audience. They’re your everything. You write for them ­ so they can laugh, cry, hope, and fear. But don’t force­feed; your audience is smart. Never just tell the story. Show it, and let them add up two plus two, because when you do, they love you for it. We must think about writing as a triangle: the writer at one angle, the

story material at another, and the audience at the final angle.

There are always three parts. In screenwriting the writer must consider his/her relationship with

the script as well as explore how the script will affect his/her audience. Simply put, the writer

writes for an audience; therefore, the decisions he/she makes when presenting the story are

influenced by how he/she wants the audience to feel.

Does the writer want the audience to be surprised by the unexpected, or smart by allowing them

to connect the dots? Sometimes the writer wants the audience to discover along with the

character, sometimes we learn before the character, and sometimes we are the last to find out.

The Power of the Logline

“What’s it about?” Ever get that question?

One sentence, 25 words.

And so we have the logline:

With his hand trapped under a boulder in a remote canyon, Aron Ralston, faces the greatest

dilemma of his life: cut it off or die. – 127 Hours (2010)

In a future where criminals are arrested before the crime occurs, a despondent cop struggles on

the lam to prove his innocence for a murder he has not yet committed. – Minority Report (2002)

A doctor ­ falsely accused of murdering his wife ­ struggles as he desperately searches for the

killer with a relentless federal agent hot on his trail. – The Fugitive (1993)

Keep it short, sweet, and tell the entire story with these 3 questions:

WHO is the protagonist of your story.

WHAT goal are the striving for?

WHAT obstactle is in their path?

Endings and Beginnings

How do you begin when there are so many different ways to do it, and each way can lead you

down dozens of different roads? Answer: KNOW YOUR ENDING. Let the ending dictate the

correct beginning.

If you know that your hero finds the treasure, beats the bad guy, and gets the girl in the end, it

makes sense for him to have none of that in the beginning. He should be down on his luck,

alone, and beaten.

Think of Indiana Jones in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’. In the film’s opening sequence, Indy is all

alone somewhere deep in a Peruvian jungle, facing eminent death by the hands of a tribe of

Hovitos warriors, his traitorous companions have been killed, and the idol, which he risked life to

obtain, is taken by his arch rival, Belloq. This is the perfect beginning to Lawrence Kasdan’s

screenplay because in the end Indy again faces eminent death ­ this time by the hands of the

Nazi’s ­ but he’s not alone. He has Marion. And Belloq is destroyed. And Indy comes home with

his prize: The Ark of the Covenant.

You may hear a lot of people say, however, that you don’t need to know your ending before you

start writing. Some may argue: “My characters will guide me to the ending,” or, “I’ll discover my

ending as I go.” This might be possible maybe in a novel or a stage play, but not in a

screenplay.

So if the ending is the key, what makes a good one? Happy endings are for story book

princesses, not necessarily for a movie. Film endings can be happy but also tragic, bitter sweet,

hilarious, etc. What is important is that the ending is satisfactory and believable.

In the end of Randal Wallace’s 1996 award winning screenplay ‘Braveheart’, our hero William

Wallace is tortured in London square: hanged, drawn and quartered, emasculated, and

disemboweled, only to cry “Freedom!” with his last breath before being beheaded. Clearly, this

is not the happiest of endings. But it is satisfactory. If all of his Scottish mates hiding in the

crowd came rushing out of the woodwork at the last possible moment to rescue him, battling

their way through throngs is English soldiers, the ending would become trite and unbelievable,

and more importantly, the theme of freedom and the power of martyrdom would be fleeting.

Before you write one scene heading, one visual description, one line of dialogue, you must

know at the very least seven things: the ending (the resolution), the beginning (the set up), and

THE FIVE KEY PLOT POINTS (inciting incident, lock­in, first culmination, main culmination, and

third act twist), and in that order. Let your ending help to determine your beginning, and from

there the five key moments to plot your hero’s journey.

So now that you know your ending, what next? You must write a beginning that not only

compliments your ending, but also captures the reader’s attention.

At the beginning of a script, you’ve got about ten minutes to accomplish three very fundamental

things for the reader: (1) illustrate in detail who your protagonist is ­ he or she should be

interesting, flawed, and if not likeable, at least empathetic, (2) establish the world of the story

and the character’s status quo, and (3) set up the dramatic situation ­ that is, make it clear what

the story going to be about.

Understand Film Genres

Screenwriting is almost never about reinventing the wheel. The key to writing a sellable script is to understand genres (and sub­genres) and meet the expectations of its audience.

Comedy Comedy is a genre of film that uses humor as a driving force. The aim of a comedy film is to

illicit laughter from the audience through entertaining stories and characters. Although the

comedy film may take on some serious material, most have a happy ending. Comedy film has

the tendency to become a hybrid sub­genre because humor can be incorporated into many

other genres. Comedies are more likely than other films to fall back on the success and

popularity of an individual star.

Examples of Comedy Film:

Groundhog Day ­ A grumpy weatherman finds himself living the same day over and over again.

The Princess Bride ­ A farm boy must save Princess Buttercup from a forced marriage to the

nasty Prince Humperdinck.

Happy Gilmore ­ A reject hockey player takes up golf in order to save his grandmother’s house.

Sub­genre of Comedy Film: Anarchic Comedy

Anarchic refers to a sub­genre of comedy that uses stream­of­consciousness humor. The humor

in these films tends to be nonsensical with exaggerated characters and situations. Anarchic film

often uses slapstick tendencies, yet is considered to be less psychically violent. Unlike classic

comedy, Anarchic films tend not to rely on narrative to explain the context of the humor.

Examples: Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Blazing Saddles, Animal House.

Action­Comedy

As it’s names suggests, this sub­genre combines action with humor. Action­Comedy relies on

the characters to bring out the humor, while the action scenes tend to be less intense than in the

traditional action movie.

Examples: Beverly Hills Cop, Rush Hour, Hot Fuzz.

Black­Comedy

Black Comedy is a sub­genre of both Comedy and Satire. These films often explore concepts

and topics that are considered taboo. Black Comedy takes topics and situations that are

commonly held as serious and explores them in a comical way. Because of this approach, Black

Comedies often cause the audience to laugh and feel uncomfortable simultaneously.

Examples: Fargo, Harold and Maude, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and

Love the Bomb.

Horror­Comedy

Horror­Comedy combines comedy with traditional horror movie themes and characters.

Because of the subject matter, Horror­Comedy films can cross over into the Black Comedy

sub­genre. Horror­Comedy films aim to scare the audience, but also provide comical outlets that

let the audience laugh at their fear.

Examples: Beetlejuice, Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead.

Dramedy

Dramedy film is a genre that has a dramatic tone, yet has important elements of comedy. In

Dramedys, the amount of drama and comedy are almost equally balanced. This balance

provides comedic relief for the audience, while still addressing serious issues.

Examples:Little Miss Sunshine, The Royal Tenenbaums, Lost in Translation.

Parody/Spoof

Parody/Spoof is a sub­genre of Comedy film that bases itself in reality. These films impersonate,

ridicule, or scoff at serious situations and people. These films rely heavily on satire and can be

used as a means of social or political commentary. Parody/Spoof films can also take the form in

a fake documentary called a “Mockumentary.”

Examples: Life of Brian, Naked Gun, Scary Movie.

Romantic­Comedy

Romantic­Comedy is a genre that attempts to catch the viewer’s heart with the combination of

love and humor. This sub­genre is light­hearted and usually places the two protagonists in

humorus situation. Romantic­Comedy film revolves around a romantic ideal, such as true love.

In the end, the ideal triumphs over the situation or obstacle, thus creating a happy ending.

Examples: Roman Holiday, When Harry Met Sally, Knocked Up.

Slapstick

Slapstick comedy is a sub­genre of film that incorporates physical comedy into the story.

Slapstick uses visual action, such as harmless violence and horseplay, to depict humor.

Slapstick film often relies on comedic timing and a controlled psychical performance of a single

actor or actress.

Examples: Caddyshack, Safety Last!, Tommy Boy.

Romance

Romance film can be defined as a genre wherein the plot revolves around the love between two

protagonists. This genre usually has a theme that explores an issue within love, including but

not limited to: love at first sight, forbidden love, love triangles, and sacrificial love. The tone of

Romance film can vary greatly. Whether the end is happy or tragic, Romance film aims to evoke

strong emotions in the audience.

Romance Film examples: Slumdog Millionaire ­ Knowing the girl he loves is a fan of the show, an uneducated boy

becomes a contestant on the Hindi version of Who Wants to be a Millionaireto win her over.

The Notebook ­ An old man who visits an elderly invalid woman, reads a love story to her that

centers around two lovers torn apart by life events.

Love Actually ­ A look at eight very different love stories that are loosely intertwined in England

during the Christmas season.

Romance Sub­genres: Romantic Drama

Romantic Drama film is a genre that explores the complex side of love. The plot usually centers

around an obstacle that is preventing love between two people. The obstacles in Romantic

Drama film can range from a family's disapproval, to forbidden love, to one's own psychological

restraints. Many Romantic Dramas end with the lovers separating because of the enormity of

the obstacle, the realization of incompatibility, or simply because of fate.

Examples: Titanic, Breakfast at Tiffany's, An Officer and a Gentleman.

Romantic­Comedy

Romantic­Comedy is a genre that attempts to catch the viewer’s heart with the combination of

love and humor. This sub­genre is light­hearted and usually places the two protagonists in

humorous situation. Romantic­Comedy film revolves around a romantic ideal, such as true love.

In the end the ideal triumphs over the situation or obstacle.

Examples: Roman Holiday, When Harry Met Sally, Knocked Up.

Adventure Adventure film is a genre that revolves around the conquests and explorations of a protagonist.

The purpose of the conquest can be to retrieve a person or treasure, but often the main focus is

simply the pursuit of the unknown. These films generally take place in exotic locations and play

on historical myths. Adventure films incorporate suspenseful puzzles and intricate obstacles that

the protagonist must overcome in order to achieve the end goal.

Examples of Adventure Film:

Pirates of the Caribbean ­ A meek blacksmith joins forces with a free­spirited pirate and his

cursed ship to rescue his love, the governor’s daughter.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ­ When his father goes missing, famed archaeologist

Indiana Jones must find him and ultimately stop the Nazis from obtaining the Holy Grail.

National Treasure ­ A modern day treasure hunter is in a race against the FBI to find a war

chest hidden by the Founding Fathers.

Adventure Sub­genres: Swashbuckler Film:

This sub­genre is characterized by lavish sets and costumes. Swashbuckler film often includes

period weapons, castles, and dramatic battles. The story usually revolves around a damsel in

distress and the charming hero.

Examples: The Three Musketeers, The Mask of Zorro, Robin Hood.

Action

Action film is a genre wherein physical action takes precedence in the storytelling. The film will

often have continuous motion and action including physical stunts, chases, fights, battles, and

races. The story usually revolves around a hero that has a goal, but is facing incredible odds to

obtain it.

Action Film Examples:

Die Hard ­ A New York cop gives terrorists a dose of their own medicine as they hold hostages

in an LA office building.

Raiders of the Lost Ark ­ An adventuring archeologist races around the world to

single­handedly prevent the Nazis from turning the Ark of the Covenant into a weapon of world

conquest.

ACTION: Sub­Genres Action­Comedy

As it’s name suggests, this sub­genre combines action with humor. Action­Comedy relies on the

characters to bring out the humor, while the action scenes tend to be less intense than in the

traditional action movie.

Examples: Beverly Hills Cop, Rush Hour, and Hot Fuzz.

Disaster Film

A Disaster Film is based around a plot that includes a seemingly unavoidable and impending

disaster. The disaster can be either natural or man­made. Many films in this sub­genre will rely

on special effects.

Examples: The Towering Inferno, Airport, and Twister.

Girls with Guns

This sub­genre of action has a leading female as the protagonist. Girls with Guns films often

incorporate martial arts and gun play. Although this genre is popular in Anime and Hong­Kong

action films, it has seen success in Europe and the United States as well.

Examples: Kill Bill, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and Nikita.

Action­War

Action­War is a sub­genre of Action film that incorporates the traditional aspects on an action

film into a storyline that revolves around war or wartime. Not only can these movies contain

stunts, battles, and a hero, but they can also explore the more serious topic of war.

Examples: Apocalypse Now, All Quiet on the Western Front, Platoon.

Story Questionnaire

1. Who is your main character? Hero? Anti­hero?

2. Why should we be interested in them?

3. What attracts you to your protagonist? Do you like them? Loathe them?

4. Why do you need to write about them?

5. Why should we be excited about them?

6. Why do you believe we will find your hero sympathetic? Empathetic?

7. What makes us curious about them? What is their "mystery"? What is their "magic"?

Charisma? How do you show it?

8. What does the audience find in the main character's story that is relevant to them? Why do

you believe they will identify with them?

9. What is the cherished secret desire of your main character?

10. Do we laugh at your hero, feel amused by them, or do we admire them?

11. What do we hope for?

12. What are we afraid of?

13. What is the worst thing that could (and hopefully will) happen to your hero?

14. What is the most favorable, brightest moment that they will experience in the story?

15. What are they going to lose if they don't find a way to overcome the adversities?

16. Why can't your characters get what they crave?

17. How can you make the obstacles – inner or exterior – more insurmountable?

18. How can you make the threat, the danger, more excruciating, agonizing, humiliating? Who

can do that? Why should they?

19. Why can't your characters live at peace with their conscience, respect themselves if they

don't get what they so passionately want?

20. And: what is it that your characters want (consciously and tangibly)?

21. On the other hand: what do your characters need (on the emotional, subconscious level)?

22. How can you make the temptations more irresistible and the stakes higher?

23. What can you do to eliminate the audience's disbelief in the initial situation or collision

(willing suspension of disbelief)?

24. Is there a deadline (time pressure) for the action to come to a resolution? Could there be?

Who can create it?

25. When and how do your main characters realize that they are in trouble and that they must

extricate themselves?

26. What are the alternatives you can imagine? How can the problem be solved?

27. But why is it impossible? Who or what makes the solution unattainable?

28. Can the predicament be evaded? What would happen if it were? Who makes the evasion

impossible?

29. Can the complication be ridiculed, ignored, forgotten? Make sure that it cannot!

30. Can it be solved peacefully on friendly terms? Who will impair it?

31. Who are the supporting characters your main character can rely upon?

32. Who are the supporting characters your protagonist hopes to get on their side?

33. What doesn't your hero anticipate, know about?

34. What does your hero – falsely – expect that won't happen?

35. Who are the supporting characters who are a threat, who try to humiliate, stop, ridicule, or

destroy your hero's plans? Do they know about the secret desires that your hero cherishes?

36. What are their plans? What tactics do they use? What mimicry, what subterfuge? How do

they try to mislead, misdirect, confuse the main character?

37. What are their hopes, desires, dreams? What do they want and need?

38. How do they rationalize their moves?

39. How can their stubbornness, hatred, rage, damaged self­esteem, ambition be fueled? What

can help them to feel righteous in their actions?

40. Will the audience understand why your characters act as they do?

41. When does the audience get to know your characters' particular intentions, desires, hopes,

and fears?

42. How can the next step that your protagonist makes lead to the unexpected result? What's

the miscalculation?

43. What did the counter player do? How did the circumstances change?

44. How can the goal be made more desirable? Who can do that?

45. What can create the hesitations, doubts, or scruples in the character's mind?

46. Try to imagine all the places, locations, sites that your character can enter in pursuit of their

objective or evasion of the danger. Aren't there some more interesting situations there? More

contradictory?

47. How can the locales make the story and the specific scenes or sequences more dramatic,

more complicated and difficult (therefore, more revealing) for the characters?

48. Make a list of possible events that can happen believably and plausibly in your chosen

environment and a list of possible events that would be unusual, out of routine, and order. Do

you see which ones will work best?

49. What are the emotions, conclusions, and decisions that result from the setback, failure, or

complication?

50. What emotions does the insult, mistreat, injustice evolve? What danger, what abyss

becomes visible for the viewer that the hero doesn't see?

51. What are our expectations now? What do we hope for? What do we wish the characters

would do? Why can't they do it?

52. What doesn't the main character know? What is the error, intentional blunder?

53. Do the antagonists mobilize their forces? Do they set a trap? Do they try to confuse the

main character?

54. What are the social reasons for their actions? Do they come with accusations? Direct lies?

Do they outwit the main character? How?

55. Does the hero panic? Feel alarmed? Insecure? Horrified from the realization of what could

happen?

56. And what happens that helps the protagonist? On the other hand, what can help the

antagonist?

57. What characters can act as catalysts that can alter and increase the reactions of the

antagonist or protagonist?

58. What character (or characters) can go through a similar plight and find a different solution –

compromise, assimilation, rejection etc.?

59. What relationships become threatened, broken up, or suddenly transformed?

60. What consequences of the previous actions can aggravate the situation?

61. What are the places your characters don't want to go? Are afraid to go? How do you force

them there?

62. What is the prevailing mood/tone of the whole story? Does the environment have a face,

character, and temperament?

63. Does the time period reflect on the environment? How? What expresses it besides

costumes, props, architecture and means of transportation and communication? How does it

reflect our human attitudes, habits, customs, social events, rituals, and language?

64. Are the events sufficiently important and impressionable? Do they help to elucidate the life

style, engagement, and involvement of your protagonist?

65. Does the main hero show naiveté, weakness? Disbelief? Re­evaluate everything?

66. Do your hero regret? Recriminate? Seek conciliation? Reject the original plans?

67. Did you exhaust all the possibilities of self­assurance, shrewdness, and foresightedness that

your hero can possess?

68. Did you give your antagonists a chance to show their intelligence, vigilance, and alertness?

69. What precautions do your characters take? Do they look for advice? For help?

70. What new plans do they come up with? How do they acquire new courage? What or who

can suggest a new stratagem for them?

71. How does your hero study the adversary? Does your protagonist discover the weakness of

the antagonist? Or are they wrong in their assumption? What trap can both sides set?

72. How can they attack each other? How can your hero test the enemy?

73. How does inner turmoil grow in their minds? How does it embitter the antagonism?

74. What do you feel is the rhythm of the story? Does the tempo of the main action accelerate?

75. What can interrupt, temporarily stop, misdirect, or confuse the growing conflict?

76. Are the chances for the desired resolution and for the despised outcome equal?

77. What is the moment that the viewer becomes ultimately curious about?

78. What does the audience impatiently expect?

79. What doesn't the audience realize will happen when the moment comes?

80. Is the resolution becoming inevitable? What could reverse the course of the action? Did the

hero try all the possible ways and means and find out what they inevitably lead to?

81. What hopes still remain for the main character?

82. What are the most feared confrontations that the protagonist tries – in vain, obviously – to

avoid, postpone, deny?

83. What is the most humiliating, painful extremity your hero will experience?

84. What is the moment when your antagonist feels triumphant?

85. How can you increase the adversary's determination not to give up, not to show any

restrain, to fight to the bitter end?

86. How can bad – or good – timing heighten the stakes (too early, too late, speeding up the

plans, etc...)?

87. When does the hero realize the inevitability of the outcome? Can an appeal be made to the

antagonist's better nature?

88. Can the fear of shame or disgrace of losing one's face be used?

89. How did the circumstances change to make the outcome more weighty, impressive,

convincing?

90. Does anybody admit the errors?

91. Does anybody plead, beg forgiveness, or confess?

92. Is anybody willing to give up?

93. Is anybody trying to escape?

94. Does anybody feel shame, disgrace, insecurity, betraying one's most cherished principles?

95. Does anybody feel terror stricken of being exposed?

96. Is there a rescue for any of the adversaries? Is this possible? For what price?

97. Is there a moment when a conscience stricken character realizes the consequences of their

actions, sees themselves truly and rightly, and tries to stop the inevitable?

98. What is the last thing the main character finds out about?

99. What does "victory" mean after the whole story is over?

100. How should the viewer/audience feel when the story ends?

Scene Questionnaire

The importance of asking questions to develop character and explore story is often quite helpful,

but question asking should never be limited to people and plot alone. The scene is just as

important and essential to movie making. After all, a film is just a bunch of scenes strung

together to create a comprehensive whole. The trick is to write scenes that are clear and

concise, while still engaging the reader/viewer in a creative way.

So give it a try; explore these 50 questions and begin writing better scenes by finding answers

to these essential scene elements.

The Big Ones:

1. What is the purpose of the scene?

2. Is the scene related to the rest of the story?

3. How does it advance the story?

4. Does it reveal something important about the character?

On Location:

5. Do you use the location?

6. Where and when does the scene take place?

7. Could another time or location serve to heighten the impact?

On Character:

8. Do you introduce your characters in motion?

9. Does the introduction give a glimpse into the nature of the character?

10. Is the introduction memorable?

11. Are any new characters introduced? If so, are they memorable?

12. Is it clear whose scene it is?

13. What characters are present at the beginning, which ones enter during the scene, and who

is there at the end?

14. Where were the characters before the scene started?

15. Where are they going after it ends?

16. Does the dialogue reflect character? Is it natural? Forced?

17. Are their inner lives revealed through action, dialogue, and reaction?

18. Do all your characters sound the same?

19. Do they have an accent? Make the same grammatical mistake?

20. Does their profession color their speech?

On Character Objective:

21. What does your character want?

22. Is he or she motivated?

23. Is the character’s goal clear?

24. Are character actions believable, probable, or at least plausible?

On Conflict/Obstacles:

25. What is the central conflict of the scene?

26. Is the conflict with one or multiple characters?

27. With the circumstances, within a particular character, or both?

28. What are the obstacles facing the character?

29. How do the obstacles stop the character from getting his/her goal?

30. Are the obstacles difficult enough? Are they too difficult?

On Action & Activity:

31. Is the scene static?

32. Is there unity of action?

33. Are there visual and audio clues and suggestions?

34. Are you using mood and sound to create a feeling for the scene?

35. Is there any use of dramatic irony?

36. Does the action come to a standstill? Or does it propel the story forward?

37. Do your characters have something to do? An activity or ‘business’?

38. Or are they just standing around, a bunch of talking heads?

39. Are the events plausible? Must disbelief be suspended?

40. Do these events obey the “rules” of previously suspended disbelief?

On Time & Economy:

41. Has time been eclipsed since the last scene?

42. If so, is it clear how much time has passed?

43. Are any elements of the future used? Should they be used?

44. Are you starting the scene as late as possible and getting out early?

45. Does the scene belong in the story being told? Should you kill it?

On Audience Connection:

46. Does the audience know what might go right or wrong within the scene?

47. Do they hope/fear? Are they actively engaged? Or just passive observers?

48. Is the scene too predictable, or does it allow the audience to add it up?

On Script Continuity:

49. Do you have scenes of preparation and aftermath?

We need moments when we are alone with the characters – where we really get to know them.

These are the moments, usually before or after important scenes of conflict in a script when we

really are in the shoes of the characters. We are drawn into their mindset. We know what they

are facing or have just faced, and we understand what they are thinking. Mood, music, and

props are often very important to these scenes.

On Use of Contrast:

50. Do your scenes contrast?

Night/Day, Int./Ext., Action/Peaceful? For example, a claustrophobic scene in a jail cell cut to a

scene in a rowboat in the middle of a mountain lake. Read your script scene after scene – is a

scene too much like the one just before it? Is it another four­page dialogue scene? Does it take

place in another smoke filled room? Think of ways to use contrast: other possibilities, places,

and scenarios.