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©By Richard Alan Klein

Steps’: Screenplay Discovery Part 4

06.03.12

Steps’

Steps’ Introduction: This ongoing language Arts section is called Steps’ and is dedicated in giving you step by step “How to” linear progressive outlines to cope in a well written and spoken world. I hope you find this article hopeful!

Screenplay Discovery Introduction: The Screenplay Discovery is personal tool of activities, procedures, and visual experiences used to craft any screenplay (as well as potential novels or short stories) in the most professional and efficient manner. The purpose of this tool is to:

Provide the needed structure to focus your imagination and achieve your writing goals.

“the best screenplays feel right, win contests, sell to producers, teach life lessons, entertain the audience, and emotionally move us all towards enlightenment!”

Also, to craft a screenplay quickly as possible avoiding typical new writer goofs, delays, blocks and other forces of nature.

Each discovery step is also designed in linear order to proactively build upon the creative indistinct, sense of achievement (confidence), and enthusiasm to progress to further discovery and completion. Your goal is to write what is discovered from each step in order and as quickly (usually in two hours unless noted) as possible. Also realize while working with this guide that certain themes, scenes or other discoveries may jump out spontaneously and should not be abandoned. Do not hesitate to go in any direction in the discovery process as long as it takes you closer to transforming your basic story idea(s) into the completion of “my best written screenplay.” The average is about six months.

Motto: The craftsman creates to please himself and his client!

Instructions: Each Discovery Step is contained in a one inch binder and numbered on separate continuous page(s). Some steps require the use of index cards. Enjoy!

Step 4: Now Let us choose some literary aspects that would continue our adventure in creating a screenplay. This step is not the most needed but the more you can think out your story the better it will be later on when your writing.

The first term is called Point of View or POV which often embodies the audience or writer’s awareness of events being presented in the story. For an example a first person POV is when the audience only sees thru one character’s perceptions. While this is more personal, it is also extremely limiting especially for screenplays. Many writer’s may use it in combination with the all knowing third person POV.

Genre is often an overlooked term. It is very important to find and redefine your story’s genre. Always know the exact genre you intend to focus the story. Genre is the “goods” that must be delivered correctly to make my audience feel satisfied or mounting frustration will just kill what otherwise maybe a very good movie! This not to say you can not use a few elements of other genres but be careful not to trick your audience (at least not too much). Many movies fail if the audience feels cheated or are not given the story they are expected to see!

Setting and Time should be noted and if your placing your story in another time or even another world you may have to research and outline these before continuing on.

The Amazing Factor is fairly unique to screenplays. You need to simply decide here what part of your story concept is going to be extraordinary! Are you planning to have an amazing Hero, World, or Opposition.

Intention Priority is another unique idea to consider. Do you want to challenge your audience, achieve spectacle, or create strong emotional connections with the audience. Of course you can have all three or any number but decide now your preference.

Texture is the last part of this very long step. Is the story that is starting to form in your head going to be gritty, elegant, or organic (Star Wars). Give a moments thought and write your choice in your folder.

The Word

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Writing Assesment

Steps'