Writing Screenplay

What is a screenplay?

• The script of a film, including acting instructions and screen directions.

Example of a screenplay- Fantastic Four;

FADE IN:

CLOSE ON A MASSIVE STEEL HEAD

Our first thought: DR. DOOM?  But it's not moving.  A
welder's torch sparks into frame in the hands of a sculptor
on scaffolding.  This is art, an epic 20 foot statue going up
of a business mogul (VICTOR VON DOOM) in whose generously
extended hands sit two intertwined columns of DNA.  His face
is chiseled, angular, perfect (too perfect).  Past sparks, we
MOVE down to pick up...

EXT. STREET/VON DOOM INDUSTRIES TOWER - DAY

REED RICHARDS and BEN GRIMM head toward the soaring glass-box
atrium of VDI Headquarters.  Designed to inspire awe, it
does.

  REED
 High open space, exposed structural
 elements.  Obviously aimed at first
 time visitors to create feelings of...
 smallness, inadequacy.

Ben glances at Reed, who looks a little nervous.

  BEN
 Good thing it ain't workin... Reed,
 what are we doing here?  This guy's
 fast-food, strip-mall science --

  REED
 This wasn't our first stop, in case
 you forgot NASA.  And Victor's not
 that bad.  He's just a little...
  (seeing the statue)
 Larger than life.

INT. VON DOOM INDUSTRIES TOWER - DAY

They move past the statue, into the sprawling atrium.

  REED
 He's financed some of the biggest
 breakthroughs of this century.

  BEN
 You'd never know it.

He motions to a high-tech ORB, showing FOOTAGE of VDI's
accomplishments: a safe and clean nuclear facility, the first
private Space Station.

All images have VICTOR front and center, glad-handling George
Bush, Tony Blair, shady International Leaders.  The last
image is Victor holding the AMERICA'S CUP.

  BEN (CONT'D)
 Jesus.  That too?

They reach three stern RECEPTIONISTS.

  REED
 Reed Richards and Ben Grimm to see --

A receptionist cuts him off, handing them each a pass.

  FEMALE RECEPTIONIST
 Executive elevator, top floor.

  BEN
 What's the price for a smile round here?

They head for the elevator.  Reed carries a small, black box. 
As they enter the elevator, steel doors shut and we CUT TO --

INT. VON DOOM INDUSTRIES TOWER - OFFICE - DAY

A large, dark office.  Ben in the corner.  He yawns,
watches...

BRIGHT HOLOGRAMS: Stars.  Planets.  They hover in the air,
making the room feel like a majestic portal into outer space.

  REED (O.S.)
 My research suggests that exposure to
 a high-energy cosmic storm born on
 solar winds might have triggered the
 evolution of early planetary life.

REED stands among the holograms, speaking to a MYSTERIOUS
FIGURE in shadow behind a desk.  An ominous, PULSATING RED
CLOUD covers the stars.  It washes over a hologram of EARTH.

  REED (CONT'D)
 In six weeks another cloud with the
 same elemental profile will pass
 Earth's orbit.  A study in space could
 advance our knowledge about the
 structure of the human genome, and
 help cure countless diseases, extend
 human life --

The SHADOW clears his throat.  Reed speeds up, emotional.

What is the purpose of a screenplay?

Every film has a screenplay because it tells you what will happen in the film. Even if there is no dialogue a screenplay is still needed as it includes stage directions and informs actors and crew members where the current scene will be set. 

Our Task

The task we were given was to make a 2 minute film opening based on a book that hadn't already been adapted into a film. After looking at a number of books, as a group we ended up choosing to adapt the book 'Nineteen Minutes' by Jodi Picoult.

We decided to focus our film opening around the letter that the book opens with, we did this because we thought it would be very effective in making and 2 minute film opening and it would create a sense on enigma.

Once we had made our decision on what book we were using for our film opening we then made a mind map of how we were going to do it before we went on the storyboard. 

The aim of our film opening was to not give away too much information about the boy (Peter) to do this we decided that we would have no dialogue, and not to show his face. To give the audience a bit of an idea about Peter we had close ups of important things in his room and certain lines from the letter he was writing. These ideas created a huge sense of enigma. 

Nineteen Minutes- Screenplay; 

INT. BEDROOM – MID-DAY

A typical messy teenage bedroom in Sterling, New Hampshire. It’s around 1pm in the afternoon. The room is very messy, with a bowl of half eaten cereal on the bedside table, and dirty socks on the floor.

There is a young man sitting at a desk in the corner of the room, whom is named PETER. He is typing on a laptop, and the audience can see the screen of his computer, as he clicks on an album on his screen, and music begins to play.

At this point, PETER continues to type away on his screen, as the audience realises that he is in fact typing a letter.

PETER

(typing on screen) By the time you read this, I hope to be dead.

PETER continues to type on his keyboard as we see other areas of his room.

PETER

(typing on screen) Don’t blame yourself

The typing continues as we see more of his room.

PETER

(typing on screen) That would be a lie.

The typing continues as we see his cupboards.

PETER

(typing on screen) You’ll cry at my funeral.

The typing continues as we see a clock, and hear it ticking.

PETER

(typing on screen) Will you miss me?

The typing continues, and we see a shot of a gun in the reflection of PETER’S glasses