How to Write A Short Film Script
Summary
TLDRIn this second installment of the 'How to Make a Short Film' series, the host congratulates viewers on embarking on scriptwriting and emphasizes that there's no one-size-fits-all approach. The video offers practical advice for beginners, advocating for reading scripts of favorite movies to grasp professional writing styles. It underscores the importance of planning with loglines, treatments, and outlines before writing. The host recommends using screenwriting software like Fade In and suggests setting daily writing goals. The video concludes with encouragement to keep writing despite challenges, inviting viewers to share their own scriptwriting tips.
Takeaways
- 🎬 Congratulate yourself for deciding to write your first short film script, it's a significant step.
- 📚 Read scripts of your favorite movies to understand how professional writers craft their work.
- 🚫 Recognize that established screenwriters may not always follow the rules, but as a new writer, it's better to adhere to them initially.
- 💡 Create a logline, a one to two sentence summary of your film, to entice and hook potential viewers or readers.
- 📝 Write a film treatment to serve as a story roadmap or a pitch, including the logline, key characters, and a film synopsis.
- 📋 Develop an outline to break down your story into individual scenes, providing a roadmap for your writing process.
- 🖥 Use screenwriting software like Fade In, Celtx, or Final Draft to help with the writing process.
- ✍️ Start writing without worrying about perfection; remember that the first draft will likely require multiple rewrites.
- 🎯 Set daily writing goals, such as page or scene count, to maintain momentum and a sense of accomplishment.
- 💪 Stay persistent and don't get discouraged; writing is challenging, but continued effort will yield results.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the video series?
-The main focus of the video series is to guide viewers on how to make a short film, with a particular emphasis on the scriptwriting process.
Why does the speaker suggest reading scripts of favorite movies?
-Reading scripts of favorite movies helps to understand how professional writers structure their work and provides insight into the genre-specific writing styles.
What is the significance of following screenwriting rules for new writers?
-For new writers, following screenwriting rules provides a structured framework to work within, which can make the writing process easier and more focused.
Why should a writer not immediately start writing their script after getting an idea?
-Writers should not immediately start writing because short films require more than just a great idea; they necessitate thorough planning to ensure a coherent and compelling narrative.
What is a logline and why is it important?
-A logline is a one to two-sentence summary of the film that aims to entice viewers or readers. It's important because it helps to quickly and intriguingly answer the question 'what's it about?' and serves as a guide for the story development.
What is a film treatment and what does it typically include?
-A film treatment is a document that outlines the highlights of the story, typically including the logline, introduction to key characters, and a film synopsis that summarizes the story structure.
How does the outline help in the scriptwriting process?
-The outline breaks down the story into individual scenes, providing a roadmap for the writer to follow, which can streamline the writing process and make it more efficient.
What screenwriting software does the speaker recommend and why?
-The speaker recommends Fade In for its ease of use, affordability, and one-time payment system as opposed to monthly subscriptions. Other options mentioned are Celtx, Final Draft, Trelby, and Writer Duet.
What are the two main tips given for writing the first draft of a script?
-The two main tips are to start writing without getting caught up in perfection, as the first draft will require rewrites, and to set daily goals, such as page or scene counts, to maintain progress and motivation.
How does the speaker encourage viewers to approach the scriptwriting process?
-The speaker encourages viewers to approach scriptwriting with persistence and a willingness to learn, acknowledging that writing can be tough but emphasizing that continued effort will yield results.
Outlines
🎬 Introduction to Short Film Scriptwriting
The speaker begins by congratulating the audience on their decision to write a short film script and emphasizes that it's a significant step. They clarify that they are not a professional writer and will focus on the scriptwriting process rather than creative elements. The speaker suggests that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to writing a script, but they will share tips that have been helpful to them. The first piece of advice is to read many scripts, especially from favorite movies or within the genre of the intended short film, to understand professional writing styles. The speaker also mentions that while established screenwriters may not always follow the rules, new writers should adhere to them to provide structure and guidance. The importance of planning before writing is highlighted, and the speaker plans to discuss log lines, treatments, and outlines as part of the planning process.
📝 Planning and Writing Your Short Film Script
The speaker discusses the importance of planning for a short film, which includes creating log lines, treatments, and outlines. A log line is a one to two-sentence summary of the film designed to entice viewers or readers, introducing the main character, their goal, and the obstacles they face. The speaker suggests that a log line is essential for quickly and intriguingly answering the question 'What's it about?' and serves as a guide for the rest of the story development. A film treatment is described as a document that highlights the story, including an introduction to key characters and a film synopsis, which summarizes the story structure. The speaker prefers to write these elements separately before merging them into a conversational document. They also mention using an outline to break down the film synopsis into individual scenes, which helps in planning the writing process. The speaker shares their preference for screenwriting software, Fade In, and other options like Celtx, Final Draft, Trelby, and Writer Duet. Tips for writing include starting the first draft without getting caught up in perfection and setting daily goals to maintain momentum. The speaker encourages persistence in writing and invites the audience to share their tips in the comments and to subscribe for more content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Screenwriting
💡Logline
💡Treatment
💡Outline
💡Fade In
💡Final Draft
💡Trelby
💡Writer's Block
💡Storyboard
💡Three-Act Structure
💡Dan Harmon's Story Circle
Highlights
Congratulations on deciding to write your first short film script.
The video focuses on the process of writing a script rather than specific creative elements.
There's no single best way to write or plan out your script.
Read scripts of your favorite movies to understand how professional writers write.
Find scripts specific to the genre of your short film for better insights.
Established screenwriters may not always follow screenwriting rules.
As a new writer, it's better to follow the rules until you've established yourself.
Rules can provide structure for new writers to work within.
Planning is crucial for short films beyond just having a great idea.
Loglines are one to two sentence summaries of your film's story.
Loglines should introduce the main character, their goal, and the obstacles they face.
Film treatments provide a document that shows the highlights of your story.
A film synopsis in the treatment gives a summary of your story structure.
Outlines are the high-level process of breaking your story down into individual scenes.
Using screenwriting software like Fade In, Celtx, or Final Draft can aid in the writing process.
Free screenwriting software options include Trelby and Writer Duet.
When writing, start and keep going without getting too caught up in perfection.
Set daily writing goals to maintain momentum and a sense of accomplishment.
Writing can be tough, but persistence and continuous practice will yield results.
Transcripts
[Music]
i'm
gonna write a script
[Music]
[Music]
welcome to the second video in the
series how to make a short film
today we'll be chatting about the things
that you should consider doing
before actually writing your first words
first off
congrats on deciding to write your first
short film it's no small feat
but you can definitely do it secondly i
am not a professional writer by
any means so today's video is gonna
focus more
on the process of writing the script
instead of the specific creative
elements of it
there's no single best way to write or
plan out your script
um there are countless different things
that you could do to help better prepare
yourself
today i'm just going to give you a
couple tips that have worked out well
for myself
all right let's get into it
[Music]
read scripts lots of scripts this was
actually the first advice that i got on
how to learn screenwriting
and it was super helpful it's pretty
simple go find scripts
of your favorite movies and sit down and
read them
get a sense of how professional writers
write
better yet if you already know the genre
that your short film will fall into
find scripts specific to that genre i'll
add some links
in the description below for places that
you can find free scripts at
one quick note here is that established
screenwriters
don't always completely follow the
screenwriting
rules now i know as a new writer this
can be frustrating
but my thought on this is generally as a
new writer it's a better idea for you to
follow the rules
until you make it so big that maybe your
script can be read
by just having your name on it now while
rules can sometimes be
definitely creative limiting they can
also provide a structure
for you as a new writer to work within
and this
sometimes can just be easier so you have
your great idea
that you've been researching you've been
reading lots of scripts
and you are finally ready to sit down
and open up that laptop and start typing
don't do it
your idea may be amazing but short films
are so much more
than just a great idea they require
planning now don't get me wrong
some people are able to just sit down
and
start typing and their genius will just
flow out
but that's not me and probably not most
writers
now there are a lot of things that could
probably fall in the planning category
um but i'm gonna focus on just three
things log lines
treatments and outlines so the logline
is a one to two sentence summary
of what your film is about its primary
goal is to entice
and hook the viewer or reader the log
line should clearly introduce us to who
the story is about
what they're trying to do and what
they're up against
so why write a log line to me there are
two primary reasons to do this before
anyone's gonna read your script
or watch your film they're gonna ask one
simple question
so like what's it about you have to be
able to answer that question
as quickly as concisely and as
intriguingly as possible
so the second reason is that the log
line can be
a guide to the rest of your story
development process
meaning that the log line is the core of
what your story is
therefore all other elements should
probably be built off of it
so a film treatment it's essentially
just a document
that shows the highlights of your whole
story
it can be a story road map for you as
the writer or it can be a pitch for a
producer or other reader
a couple things that will definitely be
in your treatment are the log line
an introduction to key characters and a
film synopsis
so in the film synopsis you are just
going to give us a summary
of your story structure so that could be
in the three act structure or
potentially maybe something newer like
dan harmon's story circle
so i personally like to write each of
these key items on their own
then i like to merge them together into
a more conversational like story
document
i'll provide some links uh in the
description below to some interesting
film treatments i've read so the outline
it means lots of different things to
lots of different people but generally
to me i think of it as
the high level process of breaking your
story down into individual scenes
now this can be a really important
process to give you a
road map for what scenes you're going to
write it can also just make
your whole writing process flow better
and go quicker what i found
works really well for me is to take that
film synopsis from the film treatment
you did earlier
and break that down into individual
scenes organized by app
again there is no single way to do an
outline there are tons of different ways
to do this
this is just one approach that has
worked well for me the time has finally
come
you grab your headphones your laptop
your laptop charger
you make a not so quick cup of coffee
and you check to make sure your
screenwriting software is downloaded
and ready to go it's time to write so
for screenwriting software
i personally use fade in it's really
easy
and simple to use and it's pretty cheap
compared to the other competitors
with a one set price versus a monthly
payment system
other great options are celtex and
obviously the gold standard in
screenwriting software
final draft if you're looking for free
software i would probably recommend
trelby
or potentially writer duet a lot of the
softwares do have a free option
so it's worth trying those out sometimes
they'll put watermarks on your scripts
or other times they have project limits
but definitely try before you buy
so the two tips that i would give for
writing are number one
just start and when you get into a flow
don't stop just keep writing key here is
don't get too caught up in trying to
make it perfect
it's just the first draft and it's going
to require multiple rewrites
so try really hard not to fall in love
with it you want to get this first draft
out as quickly as possible and work from
there
number two is all about setting goals
whether that's a page count
a scene count or maybe just a timer you
want to be working towards hitting some
goal
every day it'll make you feel
accomplished and it'll push you along in
the process
so those are just a couple quick tips to
help you write and plan your first
short film script hopefully they get you
on track to actually make your first
short film
now writing is really tough so don't get
discouraged there are tons of people out
there
just like you struggling every day to
write the perfect script
just keep writing and something good
will happen let me know in the comments
your best tips for
writing a short film script i'm sure
others would really appreciate it
i know i definitely would and of course
if you haven't subscribed already
go ahead and tap that little subscribe
button i'll wait
all right cool thanks i hope you follow
along in this how to make a short film
series
i'll see you in the next one
[Music]
bye
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