As the scripts have to be penned first, I need a good understanding on time management. Last year I was the scriptwriter for our production and found it fairly easy to write, as I practice writing during my spare time.
The job of a scriptwriter is vital, as without a script, there is no film. Producing a film without a script would be a disaster in the making. A scriptwriter decides on the characters, locations and narrative and puts that to paper to the best of their ability and the cast and production team work off that as well as storyboards. If the script is not up to standard, it will affect the film in a large way so it is highly important that it is completed to the very best of my ability, which I am confident I will do.
To help me pen an interesting and concise script I have looked at numerous sources to help me find out how they are set out, how to get everything into a short film I need, the description needed etc. Some of these sources are:
http://www.scottishscreen.com/images/documents/firstwritesScreenComp.pdf
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/filmnetwork/filmmakingguide
Both these show that I will need a clear understanding of the plot, characters and locations. Last year I had to script the opening two minutes of a horror film, and there were only two lines of dialogue. Most of my scripts were made up of locations so I will need to work more on dialogue and perhaps improve my plot lines.
To prepare for my role I have decided to try and pen a few short scripts, and to aid me in this I have Linda Cowgill’s ‘Writing Short Films: Structure and Content for Screenwriters’. This book helps me look into building up strong characters, film structures, tips for good strong plots and how to get people to read between the lines of the short film.
I knew that another good research technique to write a screenplay would be to seek advice off a professional in this area of expertise. After looking, I soon found the screenwriter John August who had written for large movies such as the Corpse Bride and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He has his own website where many people ask questions all about the film writing techniques and he himself replies as well as other people. This has helped a lot as most of these questions link to the writing process and what not to do.
The website is: http://johnaugust.com/archives/category/qanda/story-and-plot.
I am already looking forward to scripting this short film, even though we haven't really started on the ideas yet!
