A Guide To Movie Script Writing

Even if you are confident about your idea for a screenplay, actually sitting down to write a movie script can be incredibly daunting. If it is your first time writing a movie script, you may be asking yourself what is a dialogue list. In any case, it can be difficult to even know where to begin. This guide is here to help by showing you the best methods to use to successfully begin writing your first ever screenplay. 

What Should Your Screenplay Look Like?

Before you get into planning or writing your movie script, you need to have a clear idea of what a screenplay should look like. The terms screenplay and movie script are both used to describe the same thing, a written document that outlines everything that is seen or heard in a film. This means that your movie script includes details like dialogue, locations, camera angles, and action. Your movie script is not simply a set of instructions; it also tells the story. 

The average screenplay is about 90 to 120 pages long. One page equates roughly to one minute of screen time. Most movie scripts have the same structure, and they are made up of: 

• Action lines 

• Scene headings 

• Dialogue

• Characters

• Parentheticals

Now that you understand a little more about what your screenplay will look like, you can turn your attention to planning your movie script. 

Plan Your Story

Planning a long movie script can be pretty difficult, especially if you sit down and try and write all your ideas in one big document. It is easy for ideas to get lost, plots to become confused, and scene sequences to get disjointed. Luckily, there is a solution to this problem. 

Many successful screenplay writers will use a storyboard template to help them plan their movie script. Using a storyboard allows you to plan the narrative progression of your movie script. A storyboard also helps you to plan out each scene, so when it comes to writing the movie script, you have a very clear idea of what the scene will look like, right down to small details like camera angles. 

Know Your Characters

Before you begin writing, it is a good idea to get to know your characters better. Having a deep and comprehensive understanding of who your character is will help you to make them more convincing and persuasive to the viewer. 

A great way to develop a deeper understanding of your characters is to create character profiles. You should write down a short backstory for each character and give details such as their likes, dislikes, hobbies, and pastimes. The more information you can provide, the more rich and enhanced your characters will become. 

Write the First Draft

When you feel confident in your plot, what your movie will look like, and who your characters are, you can begin your first draft. It can be very difficult to get the words down onto paper, so it is important not to be too critical when writing your first draft. This is not your final movie script; you will revise, review, and even maybe completely rewrite some sections. Enjoy the process of writing and remember that writing something is always better than writing nothing at all.