The Craft of Screenwriting

Lights, camera, oh wait, where's the script? We all love watching movies, but where do the images on the big and small screen originate?

Film making, the completed work is a creative collaboration. The directors, actors, producers and hundreds of others perform a multitude of jobs to bring the characters and images on the screen to life. The original ideas are transformed into the written word by one or more screenwriter's.

Screenwriter's spend a great deal of time developing their craft. Like any other art form, screenwriting begins with an individual's raw talent. In the case of screenwriter's, that raw talent is being a good storyteller, and in some cases, having the ability to see scenes in their head. But, translating these images into a standard format which is expectable and understandable for the other creative individuals in the film and television industry requires training.

One of the toughest things to do for any writer is to send her creation; her baby; out into an unforgiving world. But if you as a screenwriter take the time and develop your craft to s professional level, your brain child will be better prepared to face that world.

The screenplay is the foundation upon which a film is built. You build your world through the development of strong characters, attention to grabbing plots and interesting storylines that the audience can relate to. The mechanics of the screenplay include format, story arcs and presenting the characters in a way which makes the audience want to know what is going to happen to them. There are several good software programs on the market today to help screenwriters with the actual screenplay format, like Movie Magic and Final Draft. These programs assist in the placement of scene headings, dialogue and action along with the other standard formatting elements.

But it is you, the screenwriter who must develop the storyline, pacing, plot characters and scenes. You have to create the world you want your viewers to experience, and then you have to bring the characters in that world to life. Build your world with strong dialogue and exciting actions, film is a visual media, and you the screenwriter have to clearly and concisely express the visual world with your written world. Avoid camera directions and write your scenes in master shots, allow the other creative people who'll be involved with the production of your screenplay room to work and you'll be more likely to succeed.

Screenwriting is a craft; it takes hard work and persistence to develop it. Without a well crafted screenplay there is no show and in this business the, "Show must go on."