It’s common knowledge that most people feel they have great stories that would be great if only turned into a movie. The sad fact is that lots of people don’t realize that just like the music, or fashion industry, the movie business is a business, and looks for saleable, surefire hits, not misses. However, there are a three items that, if included into your screenplay, could yield great success with landing an agent, or even getting your story/screenplay turned into an actual movie.
Take Some Time, Before You Write
Take the time to ponder the three major items that you will need before getting started on your screenplay. Try Brainstorming your ideas. Mind mapping caters to both sides of the brain at the same time, which makes it a very good way of storing and recalling information, and brainstorming new ideas.
Keep in mind that the more you stick to the formula listed in this article, the better you chances will be of landing an agent, or getting a producer to at least consider your screenplay. So, here are the three great items to remember when crafting your blockbuster of a screenplay:
Plot
It’s a great idea to focus on your plot from the very beginning of the writing process. The plot is what will get the screenwriting agent or producer interested. Not only will a good plot command and hold a movie business professional’s attention, but your story will also capture the attention of the main people that you are writing the screenplay for in the first place: the audience.
Make it Realistic-
You want to make sure that to some degree your plot is realistic. Even when we consider books like The Wizard of Oz, The Lord of the Rings, and even Dean Koontz’s The Darkest Evening of the Year, we have to take notice that the plots are realistic, even through subjects of ghosts, witches, fairies and hobbits. Go over the plot in your head, and even on paper until you know that it is solid. One problem with writing a screenplay, or any story for that matter, is that every writer has his or her own method to producing a completed screenplay. In my opinion, the best way to draft up a screenplay is to go over all the plot ideas before even writing, so that you eliminate chances of writer’s block setting in.
Don’t Give Too Much-
You want to make sure that the plot is not oversaturated with information. If you give your audience, the agent, or producer too much information to digest within 120 minutes, you could run the risk of loosing their attention all together. You want to make sure that the plot is not just simple, but also effective. The best way to garner success with your screenplay writing is to make it short and sweet; pack a mighty punch within a barely two hours. That’s the most important item to concentrate on.
Dialog
You need to make sure that the dialog of your characters rings true and is realistic. If you have a priest defending chain smoking and stripping, you might want to change his dialog so that it rings more true to life. The exception to this rule is if the priest in example has been fighting his addictions, and they (his addictions) are vital to the story’s plot of theme, which I’ll cover in more depth later.
Each character has a different personality-
You should always remember that each character in a story should have her/his own personality. If your characters are beginning to sound exactly the same, not sounding too different from one another, you must go back and revamp the dialog. Each character, not only through their actions, but their speech, shows the producer, potential director, set designer, costume designer, and even director of photography how these character should be dressed, light, and the environments in which they should reside. The more information that you give the department heads through dialog and actions, the better your characters will turn out on screen.
Make the Dialog Sound Smooth
You want your dialog to flow, like a cool spring of flowing water. Of course, if you really want to do your homework, characters who have speech impediments, or who might be nervous could speak in jumbles, mumble, or talk incoherently. This can also add to the realism of the story. In real life, people don’t speak perfectly all of the time; especially not when they’re in a stressful, situation. Your screenplay should be filled with love, drama, twists, suspense, and thrills, so not one single characters is going to talk fluently throughout the entire film. Keep this information in mind.
Theme
Contrary to what many people think, the theme and the plot are not one in the same, the plot is the story that’s being told, while the theme gives the eithical or moral concept. For instance, one major theme is the movie The Craft was teenage girl’s coming of age. The plot or story wasn’t about young women finding themselves, and meeting new friends, but about what misfits would do, witches at that, if they could tap into a power strong enough to give them what they desire. As you can see, there is a bit of a difference between the theme and the plot. Another example would be the movie Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The plot is about a vampire- actually, the king of all vampires, and how his reign of terror and horror all began from losing his beloved wife after fighting for the Catholic Church. The theme of the movie, however, is about how love conquers all, even in the world of the undead. Try to pay close attention what your theme will be, but remember that it might not come to you right away. Some writers, many successful ones, find their story’s theme after the first draft, and flush out the things that repeat more often.
There are many other tips, tricks, and rules that can help your screenplay shine brightly amongst the others thrown on a producer’s desk, these are but a few.