Writing a Screenplay

What is a screenplay?
screenplay

ˈskriːnpleɪ/

noun

noun: screenplay; plural noun: screenplays

1. the script of a film, including acting instructions and scene directions.

    

Example of a screenplay
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Welcome to the Hellmouth

FADE IN: EXT. SUNNYDALE HIGH SCHOOL – NIGHT
The front of the affluent Southern California school gleams darkly in the moonlight.         
CUT TO:INT. HALL – CONTINUOUS TRACK through the hall. Nothing.         
CUT TO:INT. CLASSROOM – CONTINUOUS
Silent. We track along the wall, past the maps and drawings tacked up on it, past the window, which SHATTERS in our faces! It’s just a single pane, knocked in by someone’s hand. It unlocks the window and slides it up. The intrude is a college age BOY, a timid GIRL beside him. She looks about nervously.
GIRL
Are you sure this is a good idea? BOY
It’s a great idea! Come on. As they climb in.

CUT TO:

INT. HALL – A MOMENT LATER
He leads her out here. It’s even darker than the classroom
GIRL
You go to school here? BOY
Used to.
On top of the gym, it’s so cool – you can see the whole town. GIRL
I don’t want to go up there. BOY
Oh, you can’t wait, huh?         He moves to kiss her.
GIRL
We’re just gonna get in trouble BOY
Count on it.         He kisses her, but she turns suddenly, real fear crossing her face.          GIRL
What was that? BOY
What was what? GIRL
I heard a noise. BOY
It’s nothing. GIRL
Maybe it’s something… BOY
Maybe it’s some Thing... GIRL
That’s not funny.

He looks about them. The place is dark, shadowy. She cowers behind him.
BOY
Hello…?

Silence.
BOY
There’s nobody here. GIRL
Are you sure? BOY
I’m sure. GIRL
Okay…

She bares HORRIBLE FANGS and BURIES them in his neck.         

BLACKOUT.

What is the purpose of a screenplay?

The purpose of a screenplay is basically to tell you what will happen in the movie. It includes all of the dialogue and stage directions, and also informs actors and technical crew alike as to where the scene is currently set.

Our Task

Our task was to create the opening two minutes of a feature film inspired by a book. We could choose any book, as long as it had not previously been adapted for either film or TV.

As a group,  we finally chose the book 'Nineteen Minutes' by Jodi Picoult. We chose this book as our final decision, as it opens with a letter, which as a group we thought had a lot of potential when creating the opening 2 minutes.

We began by mind mapping our ideas for the film opening, and then once we had some ideas, we created a story board, that allowed us to communicate our ideas visually, rather than through words, like our mind map.

Once we had our storyboard, and we knew the rough outline of our film opening, we started to create a screenplay for our film.

As a group, our first major issue was that we had decided there would be no dialogue in the opening, making it slightly more difficult to communicate what was going on in the film as there was no script to accompany it. As part of our film, we were going to film words being typed on a screen, so we made sure that we included that in our screenplay, to make sure that the correct words were filmed during the production process. Also, because the entirety of the opening was to be set in one place, there was no change in location to describe, so it made our screenplay very short, however we soon realised that we didn't require a long screenplay for our opening, as the actor who would require it didn't need to be told a lot in their acting.

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