Scriptwriting evaluation

Scriptwriting evaluation

 

My project

 

I was asked to produce a short screenplay of a genre of my own choosing alongside writing a proposal that corresponded to my film. I was asked to research the genre I chose to make it as close to the codes and conventions as possible, and the genre I chose was horror.

 

The proposal

 

I started to write my proposal as it would help me think of ideas for my screenplay and be used as a base for my short film. Before this though, I had the research how to effectively write a good proposal.

 

A proposal includes a synopsis, a log-line, a screenplay structure, a target audience, characters and a treatment. You have got to remember all these aspects to make it a good, worthy proposal. When doing researching, according to penandthepad online, “in a perfect world, a brilliant idea would be all you need to start making a brilliant movie. In the real world however, you also need other people who believe in your brilliant idea to fund your project. To win their attention and investment, submit a proposal for your screenplay that explains the point of your film, it’s basic plot, it’s intended audience and your stylistic vision. Along with these artistic considerations, give your potential sponsors practical information about how you plan to complete the project.” This information shows how vital the proposal is the get the attention of the people you want to be interested in your film.

 

Synopsis

 

A synopsis is a summed up description of the storyline to appeal to the target audience and consumer. A synopsis is important because it is the first introduction of the film to the audience so it is viral to catch their attention. It is also good for your investors to see your synopsis as if it appeals and attracts them it could win them over into investing and funding your film. When doing research, according to space bar, “Anything that is acquired needs to have a certain level of excitement towards it for the consumer. After all, isn’t the consumer the most important aspect even for creativity to see the light of day and be appreciated? … before the touch or feel or even word of mouth, there are requirements of catching the eyeballs and of having the presence felt in the market. A synopsis is one such important tool.” This demonstrates how important the synopsis is.

 

Logline

 

A logline is a brief one sentence summary of the film that states the main conflict of the story, often providing a synopsis of the story’s plot. A logline is just as important as the synopsis, both are great ways of attracting the audiences interest however a logline is just a much briefer version and is a better way of getting the investors interest in your script. Cinelinx states “in definition, a logline is a single sentence summary of the project at hand. If you have ever cracked a TV guide, the tiny details you read after each movie scheduled to play is a logline. This is the line meant to catch your attention and get you to watch. It is also the line utilised to sell the project to an agent, manager, studio, or anyone else who wanted to buy into the finished product. It is both a beginning and ending for your project.”

 

 

https://penandthepad.com/write-screenplay-proposal-8644430.html

https://spacebar.in/the-importance-of-synopsis-writing/

Screenplay structure

 

There are various methods in which screen play can be structured. I chose to go with the three act structure, which is composed of a set up (act one), confrontation (act two), and resolution (act three). This is a very popular screenplay structure as it gives the story a clear beginning, middle and end. A quote online from premium beats states, “The backbone of every good film or video project is a solid script. And the backbone of every solid script is an even more solid structure. Structure is what makes the screenplay-writing-world go round, so to speak. It’s the deciding factor in why many film or video projects succeed or fail.”

 

The article goes into detail about how important structure is and that it can make and break the script, especially for the audience. Good structure separates a good script from a bad one, which could make or break whether an investor decides to fund your project or not. This is why I went with the three act structure, as it is a very easy structure to follow and it fits in with the codes and conventions of my film.

 

Characters

 

The writer should introduce the character briefly by giving a short description of what they look like and the role they play in the film e.g the protagonist, the antagonist, the love interest, the side kick etc. If the characters are well developed and diverse this gives a higher chance of your film being sought out by investors and appealing to the target audience, giving them a chance to make connections to the characters.

 

Treatment

 

The treatment is the breakdown of the narrative of your film, unlike the synopsis which is a quick one sentence selling tool. As a writer you should add as many crucial details as possible, as it should be read as a story. Treatments are significant because they are what fill in the consumer after being connected to the logline, structure, synopsis and characters – they will want to know how the full script is going to play out.

 

Target audience

 

It is crucial to take into consideration who your target audience is, and identify them in your proposal. When doing research online, a quote from seriofilms states, “without a certain demographic in mind, your services, programme planning, and outreach are all broad based and non specific. This limits your ability to resonate with people who would benefit from what you do.” As read in the article the importance of outlining your target audience, it means that you can identify what codes and conventions you should follow to appeal to your specific target audience, you can tailor your proposal and other aspects of your screenplay to suit your target audience. It also communicates that you are prepared and know who you want to consume your project to potential investors.

 

https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/how-to-structure-scripts-and-screenplays/

https://seriofilms.com/blog/defining-your-demographic/

 

 

 

 

 

My idea

 

For my genre I knew I wanted to create a satirical horror film. I planned on implementing similar techniques and codes and conventions that scary horror films with the twist of humour use to communicate a satirical feel to my film. To do this I will be; creating a mis-en-scene that correctly represents the codes and conventions, various different use of shot types, implementing single camera techniques, use of editing techniques and the use of stereotypical characters. The title of my film is “The house on the hill” and I wanted it to be a comedy / horror that people would feel suspense and drama from but also find humorous. I am taking inspiration from the scary movie series. From originally drafting ideas for my film, I knew I wanted to create a script targeted towards the younger demographic which is why I added the satirical twist. I think due to the nature of the ‘goofy’ kind of humour that comes alongside horror films (for example scary movie), I don’t think this would appeal to the older generation as much. According to Stephen follows, “54% of all money grossed by horror movies theatrically is from audience members aged between 15 and 24 years old”. This research supports my target audience, so I structured and wrote my film to appeal to the younger generation (the use of slang, humour etc).

 

Script formatting

 

Before I wrote my script, I looked through a lot of examples of scripts online and analysed them. Through this research I learnt the basic formatting of scripts and screenplays such as the rules of scriptwriting and the certain fonts, locations of features, the differences between action and dialogue etc. When it came to writing my script, because of my research I already knew the basics. Online, there is a free scriptwriting software called ‘Celtx’, which has all the scriptwriting features at your disposal. You have still got to know which features are correct to use and where, however it makes it a lot easier to have a software; this means I wouldn’t be challenged on location or don’t I just had to follow the codes and conventions accurately.

 

I wrote my script in the format of the master scene script, which is the standard formatting of scripts and is usually the first format of your script which is given to investors and and studios. This format is used on all scripts as it makes it easier for investors to compare scripts as typically one page equals one minute of screen time.

 

My script has gone through three different revisions. My first draft of my script wasn’t complete, and some of the locations of text were wrong. I also wasn’t as descriptive when introducing my characters, and there was a lot of unneeded dialogue and not a lot of action. I went back in and made adjustments to my script and added all the necessary changes, like reducing the dialogue and adding in more action so that the investors would be able to read my script and get a clear vision of what’s going on. I then got feedback from my peers to see whether there was anything else that could be changed and adjusted, and they gave me useful feedback. After these two revisions and comments from my peers, my final adjustments were made to SPAG, which was going back in to adjust my punctuation and spelling. After this I was overall pleased with the outcome of my script as I find it follows the codes and conventions of my film.