Screenwriting 101

Study Notes

Character Development

Characters should be:
- Multi-dimensional: having both positive and negative traits
- Relatable: audience should be able to identify with them
- Consistent: actions and dialogue should align with their personality
Character arcs: characters should undergo significant change or growth throughout the story
Character profiles: creating detailed profiles to help develop characters, including:
- Backstory: character's history and experiences
- Motivations: what drives them
- Goals: what they want to achieve
- Conflict: internal and external conflicts they face

Plot Structure

Three-act structure:
1. Setup: introducing characters, setting, and conflict
2. Confrontation: characters face obstacles and challenges
3. Resolution: conflict is resolved, and characters undergo change
Inciting incident: event that sets the story in motion
Turning points: key moments that change the direction of the story
Climax: most intense and dramatic moment in the story
Falling action: events that follow the climax and lead to the resolution

Story Pacing

Fast-paced: quick cuts, action, and suspense to keep the audience engaged
Slow-paced: more introspective, emotional, or dramatic scenes
Pacing techniques:
- Montage: series of quick shots to convey a passage of time
- Cross-cutting: cutting between two or more scenes to create tension
- Flashbacks: scenes that take the audience back in time
Building tension: using suspense, music, and camera angles to create anticipation

Dialogue Writing

Dialogue should:
- Reveal character traits and relationships
- Advance the plot
- Sound natural and authentic
Dialogue techniques:
- Subtext: underlying emotions or intentions behind the words
- Conflict: using dialogue to create tension and conflict
- Witty banter: using humor and clever language to engage the audience
Avoid:
- On-the-nose dialogue: characters explaining things in a forced or unnatural way
- Info dumping: characters providing too much exposition or backstory

Screenplay Format

Industry standard: 12-point Courier font, 1-inch margins, and 3-hole punched paper
Scene headings:
- INT. or EXT. to indicate interior or exterior locations
- Location: specific place or setting
- Time: day, night, or specific time
Action lines:
- Brief descriptions of what is happening on screen
- Should be concise and in the present tense
Character names:
- Appear in caps and are centered on the page
- Include a brief description of the character, if necessary
Transitions:
- Cut to: abrupt transition between scenes
- Fade to: gradual transition between scenes
- Dissolve: blending of one scene into another

Description

Ang mga konseptong ito ay tungkol sa pagpapaunlad ng karakter, istraktura ng plot, pacing, pagsulat ng dialogue, at format ng screenplay. Tinuturuan ng kursong ito ang mga pangunahing elemento ng screenwriting at kung paano ito ginagamit sa paglikha ng isang kuwentong makapangyarihan.