Script Tips!

With Script Frenzy just days away, I thought I'd offer an outlining technique that I use to help me set up my scripts. In Viki King's book How to Write a Movie in 21 Days, she refers to something called, "The 9-minute movie." This is a way to de-mystify the screenwriting process. She suggests getting nine 3 x 5 cards, and writing on each card what happens on page 1, 3, 10, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, & 100. Once you do that, you have your "9-minute movie". Post these cards near your computer, and voila! You're ready to get started.

Here's a quick breakdown of the common things that happen to characters on those pages:

Page 1 – Set up story, mood, tone, and place.

Page 3 – Introduce the central question your characters will explore.

Page 10 – Tell us what the story is. Tell us what the hero wants.

Page 30 – An event occurs that moves the hero into new territory.

Page 45 – We see the initial growth of your character. You'll tell us where we're headed from here on.

Page 60 – The middle of Act Two: your hero is in big trouble, he reaffirms and makes a deeper commitment to what he wants.

Page 75 – It looks like all is lost, and there might even be a scene where the character is about to give up.

Page 90 – The resolution of the problem begins.

Page 120 – The audience gets the resolution they deserve, and the audience is satisfied that you gave them the story you promised.

If you're worried about not having an outline prepared for Script Frenzy! Don't fret! It's never too late to get cracking! I'm prepping my "9-minute movie" on Saturday morning. 

Making an origami star box with my 3x5 cards,

Sandra
Script Frenzy Program Director