A Guide to Scriptwriting

Your script structure

I.      Balance (ACT I)

Introduction – introduces our characters, setting, story. Everything is alright. No real problem has occurred.

Act I ends as soon as something happens (critical event) that throws everything OFF BALANCE.

II.    Imbalance (ACT II)

Majority of the story. The goal during this section is to bring all events and people and places back to BALANCE. This does not mean that will always happen – it simply means that is the goal.

III.  Balance again (ACT III)

Events of IMBALANCE are over. However, things are not as they were in the beginning. Things may seem to return to normal, but there are always some changes. (Because, if everything went back to EXACTLY how it was in ACT 1, that’s a boring story.) There will always be some changes and things will always be a bit different. However, the conflict is resolved.

Pre-Production Elements of SUSPENSE (as identified in Twilight Zone)

• Planned that music would be suspenseful
• Scripts were read in odd/eerie voices
• Storyboards reflected various facial expressions
• Use of silence
• Fade ins/outs
• Camera shot – extensive use of bug’s eye view shot
• Backstory of characters revealed through dialogue
• Black and White
• REPETITION

SCENE – all events that take place in/at ONE particular setting. Everytime your setting changes, we are going to a new scene.

Here’s an example: Font is Courier, or a fixed width font.

ACT ONE

Note: Double Spaced, All Caps, Underlined

SCENE A

FADE IN:

INT: (Note: Int. is Iside, Ext is Outside) HOUSE, DAY

(Neighborhood Extras, Him)

(THE EXTRAS Are wondering what happened. (The first time the character comes in the scene they are underlined))

THE CROWD

Hey get down here so we can finish you off!

HIM

No way guys!

(He Throws a rock out the window)

 And There you have it