"To make a great film, you need a script,
a script and a script"
-Alfred Hitchcock
These lines of Alfred Hitchcock highlight the importance of a screenplay for a movie. The strong aspect of every successful movie is a screenplay. Without a bound and formatted screenplay, your movie will be nothing more than a loose and indiscipline video. Some people make a very rude and dry definition of screenplay as, 'It is nothing more than a shooting material, with the instructions of the action happening!!' Well, it may be a theoretical definition of a screenplay, to get a basic idea of it! Besides, as an artist you need to know much more about a screenplay, its elements and its importance. So, let's have a look at the elements that make a great screenplay.
1. Character: In simple words, characters are the people in your story, which take the story forward. A good film is always about the people, their complications, needs, belief, disbelief, love, hatred, fears and many more things. So, the Characters are one of the most important part of your screenplay. The audience gets involved very quickly in the story, if the people in the story they are viewing are interesting. What exactly is your character? Is it a daredevil or a coward? Is it very friendly and frank? or introvert and reserved? Decide the nature of your character. Have you seen the movies of Quentin Tarantino? Remember Pulp Fiction! Why are you in love with the character Jules Winfield(Played by Samuel Jackson)? He is furious! he is a contract killer! But on the other side, he is a firm believer in bible and in 'the path of the righteous man'. These contradictions of Jules make us think of him and take a genuine interest in him. So, writing a screenplay? Build a great character!!!
2. Landscape: Landscape is a place, where your story happens. It's a place which has a biggest influence on your story and so on your characters. The place in which your story is happening, should be very supportive to your characters and the plot. Why place is so important? Because, the place has a big share in developing your character and its mindset. Its motivation for the action, reaction, decisions, etc. It helps in developing the mood and tone of your screenplay. Paul Thomas Andersons' classic movie 'There will be blood' has an immense impact of its landscape on the viewer. So, decide where your story takes place, because that's how your character is shaped!
3. Content: Now comes a very important, but mostly ignored part of the screenplay! A content! A content is a voice of a writer!! What do you want to say or conclude through this story? Why do you want to tell this story? What is it about? Is it about the inner conflicts of a poor boy? Is it about an emotional struggle of a mentally challenged girl? Most beginners write a screenplay, thinking about the great and emotionally, psychologically engaging scenes. But, if they are asked the questions above, they are just...Speechless!! So, before writing you screenplay, please think about the content. Because it is the purpose of the story you are telling.
4. Plot: Plot is a collection of scenes which leads the character to the conflict and a conflict to the conclusion. How exactly is your story unfolding? What happens with your character? What it decides to do, to meet its dramatic need? How it reaches to the thing it wants? Ask these questions to yourself while developing a plot of your screenplay. The incidents happening to lead the story forward, is the Plot.... In simple words!!!
5. Narrative: Narrative of a screenplay is the way in which the story is told. Do you want to reveal the end of your story first, and then move to the start up point? Or do you want to tell it linearly? Do you want the banging incident of the story to happen first and then the rest? Narrative is how you want to convey your story!!
6. Perspective: This is a key factor which can give an ultimate depth to your screenplay! The perspective is the point of view of a writer. Do you want to tell the story from a third person point of view? Or do you want your character to tell the story itself? Or is there a friend of a central character, who is telling the story? You can play with the story by shifting the perspectives of your story!!!
7. Conflict: Conflict is the drama in your screenplay. What happens when your character finds itself in a certain situation? How it responds? Who oppose your character and how your character faces all? That's the conflict...!! The drama happening in your story..
There are still many more points which are important for your screenplay. But, these are the essential one.. You may find those tiny details also, if you read more and more screenplays.. Reading a screenplay is an excellent as well as essential exercise for a writer!! Cheers!!
