Write a script

Definition of screenplay: text that contains all the necessary details (dialogues,
annotations...) to create an audiovisual work.

There are literary scripts and technical scripts, which are the literary scripts but
delimited with technical instructions for the making of the film (shot, lighting...).

To write a script, you need to have something to tell and then do it with creativity and
correction, although it is also good to have knowledge of theatrical format, of
terminology, writing style, dialogue techniques.

General recommendations

Patience if it doesn't work out the first time.

• Watch a short film, pay attention to the details of the dialogue texts, of the narration, of the
rhythm....

Read everything you can: theater, novels, stories, comics, etc.

Write as correctly as possible.

Write in present tense

You can do without very lengthy descriptions; the image can replace them. Describe.
only what the camera sees.

Steps to write a script

• Write the argument from the beginning to the end in five or six lines (this is what is called
write the "concept" or base idea.

Develop that argument to a maximum of two or three pages (so we will have a)
synopsis

Starting from the 'synopsis', we expand by adding more details and writing a draft with
dialogues or the narrative text (This is the 'development')

It is advisable, on a separate sheet, to write the details of each of the characters: name,
physical characteristics, behavior, way of speaking...

With all of the above, we can start building the scenes or sequences in more detail.
putting at the beginning the necessary information to situate the action: where, when, what
It happens… this is the “header” (e.g. Exterior day / Park / Couple talking on a bench).
Afterward, describe what happens in each scene including the dialogues of the characters.
they intervene. Perhaps you want to tell part of the story without any dialogues, it can be done
writing a "voice over".

Finally, we review everything, add or remove what we deem appropriate, and put an END.

THE IDEA
Before writing a script, obviously, one must start with an idea. Whoever expects the arrival of a
musa that touches him with her wand and enlightens the light bulb with a brilliant idea, will never realize a
script. Inspiration can be found everywhere, and you just have to look for it... and add
after important doses of work. An idea for a script can arise from:
A newspaper
A literary work
The author's own life
An image that suggests a starting point
The story
The viewing of another movie
- And a very long and endless etc.

THE LITERARY SCRIPT

Assume the written development of the story illuminated by the previous idea. In the
literary script establishes the foundations on which the team will later work
(sound, production, actors...). The writing of a literary script has great
similar to that of a play. The theatrical division into acts and scenes
with the description of the context in which the action takes place and the dialogues of the actors.
parallelism, quite close, in the division into sequences and scenes of a literary script.

1.- The sequences

They are the different parts of a movie that share a unity in theme. It is indifferent that
a sequence shows us different places and moments since its cohesion as such comes from
given by a same thematic development (with independent meaning in itself) within the
general plot.

Example of sequence: The sequence of the sinking of the ship in 'Titanic' by James Cameron.
The actors change places (move around the deck, the cabins, etc.) throughout a good
A handful of minutes and they face different situations. However, that sequence has a
Sent by herself, a thematic unit. Develop the theme 'sinking of the ship'. It is a
small movie within a larger one, formed in turn by more small movies (called
sequences) that develop the rest of the themes that make up the global story.

2.- The scenes

Each sequence is subdivided into scenes. That is, into specific moments of
A more extensive thematic unit. Each of those moments is distinguished from the previous one or from the
next for spatial (of place) or temporal (of time) changes.

Example of scene: Within the already mentioned sequence of the sinking of 'Titanic' there are
different scenes: the one of Leonardo DiCaprio being rescued tied in a cabin, the one of the overturning of
ship, etc. These are specific moments in a sequence that develops a single theme.

3.- Written formulation of a literary script

When, after embarking on a (presumably brilliant) idea, we already have our small or large
a story to tell, let's transfer it to paper or the screen of our computer in the following
shape:

1.- Let's divide the story into sequences (numbered).

2.- Let's divide each sequence into the scenes (also numbered) that it is composed of (depending on
of the aforementioned space-time changes).
3.- At the beginning of each scene we must specify whether it takes place during the day or at night, indoors or
abroad, and it is necessary to include a detailed description of the place where it takes place
action.
4.- Specification of the characters involved.
5.- Dialogue held (if any).
6. - Existing sound (if any).

4.- Example extracted 'Annie Hall'

Annie Hall
Sequence No. 1:
Character presentation
Scene 2:
Doctor's appointment. Interior. Day.
- Descripción:
Alvy, as a child, is sitting on a sofa with his mother in an old-fashioned doctor's office. The doctor
he is close to the sofa, holding a cigarette and listening.

THE ESCALERA
Before addressing the translation of the literary script to the technical one, it is very convenient to analyze with
detaining the story that we are going to turn into images. While we write it, we lose a
little the perspective of what the viewer is going to experience when seeing the story turned into
audiovisual narration. Will it have enough interest? Will there be gaps in rhythm or intensity?
narrative? Are there excessively slow or too dizzying phases? Is it advisable to give a
Do I breathe for the viewer at a given moment?

These and other questions cannot be answered 100% before seeing the final product but yes
they can largely be resolved by creating a graphic representation of the so-called curves
of interest.

It is about placing the different sequences or the timing on the "x" and "y" axes of a graph.
movie and the different levels of interest. Interest can be measured according to certain standards.
emotional, in terms of spectacularity, etc. and thus we will obtain a useful tool for
make any changes to the script or even in the final edit that are relevant.

THE TECHNICAL SCRIPT

For the understanding and practical use by the technical team of the previous literary script, it is
I need to convert this into a technical script with a wealth of details and useful precisions for both
the director himself as well as those in charge of sound and image.

A technical script consists of the following elements:

1.- Sequence number
2.- The numbered plans according to the chronology of the narrative, not the filming.
3.- The technical specifications specific to each plan (duration, scale, angling and
camera movements.
4.- Drawn representation of the image of each scene (Story board).
5.- Description of what happens within the scene (place where it takes place, characters that
they appear, what happens...)
6.- Description of the soundtrack (Music, dialogues, ambient noises, generated sounds)
posteriori...)

This technical script is organized in a grid format:

Theme 3: The creation of the script

[Link] and sequence.

2. Types of script
3. Stages of developing a script. From the idea to the literary script
[Link] structure of the fiction script.
5. External structure and forms of representation
6. The story: basic elements.
7. Technical Script and Storyboard.
[Link] and sequence. Units
basic narratives

The script is a story told in

images with dialogues and
descriptions, written with the
intention to be transferred to a
audiovisual support. The script is the
basis of all production and must
always express action and
behavior.
A script is written in a way Click on the image to view it enlarged
fragmented using what is
they are called narrative units. They are

narrative units the SCENE and the

SEQUENCE.

SCENE: it is a fragment of the

narration that takes place in
continuity in the same scenario.
The scene takes place in the same
scenario and its chronological development
it has to be linear and continuous, that is to say,

without ellipsis (suppressions of certain

irrelevant moments of the action
for the narration). The scene will be
formed by one or more planes, in
whose case will need to change the
location of the camera determined
times but always without altering the
continuity if we follow the model
academic.

SEQUENCE: it is a set of
scenes united by the same idea.
It has a meaning within the script.
complete and can be developed in
different scenarios and different
times.
It may be good in its entirety or in
part of that sequence takes place in a
just flat and uncropped. To this part
we will call it SEQUENCE SHOT. In
the continuous shot the camera traverses
the stage and follows the actors
making different types of plans
and movements without interruption
someone in the recording. All the
actions captured by the camera
remain unchanged and do not
interrupt the image with inserts.

2. Types of script

The method of crafting a script

does not follow rigid guidelines, but rather
each script and each screenwriter is a
particular case. Even more, each body
Production conditions the script.
director will have to face three
fundamental types of production:
those that require a complete script
like fiction, which they need a
partial script as
the documentaries and those where
the events are subject to the
The script is completely open.

The programs that do not have a

strictly closed script used
what we call ESCALETA, which
it is a schematic development of the
numbered script by sequences and
described with the temporality that
you will have it in image. The outline Click on the image to view it enlarged
it is essentially used in
television programs, magazines
and informative. It is a relationship
ordered from the various scenarios
with a brief description of the
action and the characters that
they intervene in every scene.
3. Stages of script development

From the idea to the literary script

The script is written three times; in

the table, in the filming and in the
assembly. In itself, it is just the base
of every project that will be followed by a Click on the image to view it enlarged
long process but without it, the project
it is coming down.
The usual method of preparation
from a fiction script crosses
different stages that will take us from
from the most abstract to the most concrete:
Idea, argument, synopsis
tratamiento, cuión literario, guión
technical, story board

1) Dramatic and argumentative IDEA.- The

the seed of the script is the IDEA,
a brief description of what
it deals with history. A script can
start from an original idea or an idea
adapted. In this last case it will be
subject to property legislation
intellectual and copyright. Yes
it is very worked on, it can be reached to
the argumentative idea where
we already describe in terms of
action and characters.

2)ARGUMENT.- consists of
develop the idea until reaching
a concise narration of a story
complete. It is usually narrated in time
, and appear, in addition to the
essential events of the
history, the main characters.
The arguments have a
public domain character, it is
say that while said argument
or their adaptation has not been
registered in the Society of
Authors and in the Registry of the
Intellectual Property can be
appropriated by another producer, or
company.

3) SYNOPSIS.- The development

schematic and complete of the
I say complete argument because
it's never about the synopsis
advertising with which we are usually
illustrate DVD and programming of
television, our synopsis always
you have to have the end of the story
and all the events
important things that happen to the
characters.
The structure is already provided.
narrative, a sequential order of the
events as one wishes
to shape

4) TREATMENT.- It is the development and

subsequent location of the action
contained in the argument or the
synopsis. The action already refers to
certain places and to some
characters that are defined by
their behavior and their relationships.
The sequential order, the structure
narrative of the diverse
events already presents a
elaborate character. The treatment
I had about half of the pages of a
script, it is written in present and
use the third person.
It is divided into scenes and can
include parts of the dialogue.

5) LITERARY SCRIPT.- it is the script as

and as we know it as
a succession of scenes and
dialogued sequences and stage directions
the explanations in which the characters
they fit perfectly
characterized by what they do and
they say. Build the material that is
puts in the hands of the director, when
has not participated directly in
its writing and it is the tool
key to prepare the filming or the
recording.

6) TECHNICAL SCRIPT.- Finally, the

director writes the script
TECHNICIAN, which means adding to the script
literary exhaustive planning
in the way they will be filmed or
they will record the scenes, types of
planes, angulation, movement etc.
It is about the interpretation of
director of that story.

7) STORY BOARD.-Sometimes there

transfer the technical script to paper
graphic form with the drawing of the
frame that we want and the
precise angulation.

[Link] structure of the script of

fiction

La estructura del guión es la columna

vertebral of history, a succession
the main facts for which
the narration whose rules are neglected
they especially fulfill in the
classic and genre narratives. Click on the image to view it enlarged
Dramatic composition has tended
always in a three-part structure
acts that coincide with the
unraveling, knot and
outcome.
Audiovisual history, like all history,
starts with
a proposal whose purpose is
provide the information
necessary for the history
begin. The approach starts
with an opening with which they are
visualized immediately the style and the
tone of the narration. Normally
also distinguished is an event that
start the action to which
we call it a detonator. During the
in the first act we propose
the central question, and we are given
information about the history and the
characters, so that we can orient ourselves
when following it correctly.
The approach and first act are
puts an end to the caller first
turning point, a plot twist
that changes the course of history and
push the story to the next act,
introducing new questions and in
new scenarios occasions.
The second act or knot corresponds
of development
delconflictoplanteado en la historia
developing the plot until
a second point of rotation
accelerates the action and launches us into the third

act and conclusion, establishing

a countdown in the
events.
Therefore, the third act, or
the outcome will be faster than
the two previous ones and in it goes
building the final climax, the
moment when the problem is
solve, the central question is
solve, the tension ends and
reaches a new balance.
This exhibition is that of a
classic or genre structure, but
I noticed because I was being followed. From

there are cutting-edge structures

the minimalists who break the
normal succession of the
events, mixing
story structures
independent or connected to each other
in original form and others that are
participants of a prestructure
because it does not conform to any standard
or recommendation.

[Link] structure of the script

fiction

The screenwriter must write images and

overcome the barrier of the 90%
the verbal expressions do not have
equivalent filmic. We must
answer the question What do I see in
the screen?. And we only describe the
that is photographable.
There is also a structure
external things that have to do with the
normalized formulas for the Sketch of 'Pan's Labyrinth'
presentation of scripts.

In general, it is said that there are two

basic ways to write the

script; scripts to a
column (American model) oa
two columns (European model). The
scripts in a column describe
actions and transcribe dialogues to the
length of the pages. The scripts to
two columns divide the pages into
two parts leaving the right for
the actions and the left for the
sound (dialogues, sound, music of
reference, sound environments...)
Formally, the screenwriter must
to observe a series of rules when it comes to
to face the writing of a script
that will always be written in the present
of indicative. The film industry
I prefer the column format.
The ideal format is Courier New
tpo 12. The script is divided into
staging taking into account the
locations. Each scene is
marked by a header, a line
as a reference in which it is placed,
ALWAYS IN UPPERCASE AND SEPARATED
by points, the scene number, the
location, whether it is indoors or outdoors and
if it is day or night.
For example: 1. INTERIOR. CAR.
DAY
The action takes place after
a space, without justification, and wide
from the page. The dialogues occupy
only the central third of the
sheet and will be preceded by the
NAME IN UPPERCASE OF THE CHARACTER
let them pronounce it. The annotations to Click on the image to view it enlarged
each character is placed underneath the
name, before the dialogue and between
parentheses. Initially, there is no
technical indications. However
there are many scripts that
anticipating the director's vision
they give guidelines on the
frames (....the CAMERA follows them and
gradually separates in
PANORAMIC,...) or the transitions
(FUSION A, CUT A)
One page script, one minute
The normalization of hyphens
allows for good work of
production. Each page of the script
corresponds approximately to
minute of movie and for each
We need at least two minutes.
shooting hours. Those data are
fundamentals for the director of
production that should be organized the
work plan and divide the sessions.
Although to write a script
we can use anything
word processor
there are programs
specialized that justify and
tables according to the formulas
normalize (among them: MovieMagic
Screewriter, ScriptThing, Sophocles...
and above all Final Draft

[Link] of the story

In most cases, going to the movies

is going to see a movie that tells
a story.
When we refer to history
we talk about the content of the story,
de laacciónque refleja, que puede
be minimal, trivial or even
spectacular. Click on the image to view it enlarged
The basic elements of a
histories are:
the event that narrates
the characters that participate in it
the time in which it takes place
the space that accommodates it and that remains
reportrayed

For the story, the is equipped to the

differentiating data characters
and distntvos, the events are
they order in a sequence that can
to differ from the chronological, to each
aspect of the history, to each
a moment is assigned a time, the
places where they occur
events receive some
distinct characteristics and
they transform into specific places.
Además se establecen distntas
relationships between the elements of the
history and a point is chosen
view from which to present the
narration.

1. The event: actions and

sucesosde los que partcipan o
they affect the protagonist. As
we made a selection of narrators
which are the events
what we are interested in presenting to the

spectator. We select a part

of the totality but there is always
a past and a future of which
We must be aware.
Happiness is not cinematic
that's why the movie ends when it
partly achieves. The drama, the
conflicts, the problems if they are
attractive. When we talk about the
event, this can be
ordinary and not grandiose or
spectacular. Furthermore, the morphology
narratva teaches us that all the
history stones elements and
arguments that are repeated. In
the narrative definitely shows the
break from an established order and
a series of events that occur
they are developed with the aim of
recover the balance.

2. The characters. - The character piece

fundamental of the script and it is nothing more

that a system of equivalence

perfect for regulating readability
of the text without which it makes no sense
ser. To know it, the scriptwriter has
to develop it, to analyze it and
after revealing it on paper to
through actions.
The character: a part
exterior (from the beginning to the end of
the story). Let us remember that
we reveal the character through
your actions and a part
interior (everything that is not narrated the
history).- with this it takes shape to the
character and makes them confront the
action in one way or another.
If we don't know why a character
do something, it will be harder for us to get in
In history. Motivation acts
like the detonator, at the beginning of the
history, and forces the character to see himself
wrapped in her. The characters
They must move from motivation.
to the goal through action.

Basic outline when it comes to

build a character
We carry out the following process with
the character:
provide you with a biography
exhausting: a before, during, and
after the story
- work your
three-dimensionality: physiological
(what aspect does it have?), psychological,
(What is their character like?) and social (What about)

What do they do?, who are their

friends?, how is your family?..
describe it through actions: the
a character is what it does
explore the characters
they serve to transmit the
theme of the movie.

3. The weather - When we refer to

at the same time, in audiovisual we touch
two aspects. Real time and tempo
cinematic.
On one side and as a whole
narrative composition, to the anchoring in
a year, an era, a moment of
day, a station... Let's remember that
every scene header remains
identified by a day effect or
night. But in addition, one must be
aware that the time
cinematic is flexible, that
as narrators we can contract
to expand time, the life of a
a person can be counted in few
minutes and some seconds can
minutes result. Concepts
important in this sense are
parallel editing (multiple actions)
happen at the same time), the
suspense and surprise (when the
the spectator knows more or equally than the
protagonists), the continuity(the
respect to the succession of the
events), the ellipses (the
suppression of moments that do not
consider important for
speed up the narration or represent the
passage of time) the flashback (the
backward jump) and the flash forward (
leap forward), among others
questions.

4. The space. - In the definition of

our history is also the place
in which it takes place. No
it's just about locating the
action in a specific site, a
country, a city, a neighborhood. Also
we need to define the type of space, right
all houses are the same neither the
rooms of the same house
neither, we must define the class of
space in which it develops
our action, what is its purpose
or function, the relationship between one or
more people and of course their
location and localization.

[Link] Script

The script is written three times; in the

table, in the filming and in the editing.
In itself, it is just the foundation of everything

project that will be followed by a long

process but without her the project does
comes down. Regardless
of the size and scope of the project,
Click the image to view it enlarged
all literary scripts must
to be transformed and adapted to
terms that allow for
understanding by the teams
technicians and artists involved
in its realization. Therefore, it deserves
the pain of returning to a tool
key; the technical script, without which it is
impossible to record.
The descriptive language of the script
literary requires a translation to
very audiovisual solutions
concrete things that will be collected in the

technical script. The transformation of

the transition from literary script to technical script is a

task belonging to the director/filmmaker.

From the general guidelines
from the script, the director presents his
vision of history.
There are different systems of
construction of the technical script and each
professional adopts different
variants. What matters is not the
format but reflects all the
guidelines to consider in the
moment of its planning, of its
execution and its assembly.
The technical script outlines everything

the specifications of a character

technician for filming or
recording of the different scenes.
The staging is adjusted in it
incorporating planning and
precise technical instructions.
Some of the information that
encontramos en un guión técnico
son
scene number
-nº de plano
framing and shot size
-camera movement and direction and
characters
-angulation, height and position of the
camera
-coverage in degrees
-option to use
decoration
sound
lighting
special effects, lighting...

This data is supplemented by the description

of sound recording and even so
can you complete with a plan and
plant in which the specifications are detailed

camera positions and the order of

the shots.
A description will also be given.
synthetic action that will have
place on the plane, specifying
the internal movement of
character in the painting and
the movement of the camera,
clearly marking the
displacements.
Regarding the soundtrack,
they will describe - normally in another
column-, its
components, word, noises
effects and music.

8. Story board

Occasionally and increasingly so

the technical script is being transferred
the paper with scene plants,
camera parts or nomenclature of
plans without a graphical form with the
drawing of the frame that we want and
the precise angle. It is what
we call it a story-board, which consists of
to add to the specifications of
technical script a drawn vignette in
the one that represents the content
visual of each plan, then forming
a sequence of drawings that
they represent different moments of
the movie
The storyboard is common in the
advertising productions, drawings
animated and some fiction films.
It is particularly useful in the
complicated actions. In it, additionally
from an indicative vignette
in the layout, the following are indicated
Click on the image to view it enlarged
framing, angles, positions of
gazes, positions of people,
arrangement of projectors of
lighting, cranes, dollies…