How do you write a screen play?

Question

How do you write a screen play?

Answer 1

i know there's formula and this may not follow it exactly, but here's how i go about it.  start with a single sentence about what the film is about.  then write a short pitch, (like a paragraph) which describes the film in a little more detail.  think of how you would describe a movie you just saw to your friends.  from there you write a treatment - a detailed plot line of the story you want to tell.  this can be up to ten pages.  if that's done properly take your treatment, add the dialogue and description in the proper script format and there you have it.  

you can buy some fairly cheap books that will take you through the whole process and there is software that sets up the script format for easier writing.

Answer 2

You start by writing an outline, which is a one to ten page (or so) overview of what happens in the story. In the outline, you will create a clear picture of what happens in the story without getting into too much dialogue, but more, showing major plot points and a clear beginning, middle, and end to the story.

Then you can start writing the screenplay which you need a screenwriting program for. Don't use a word processing program to write a screenplay. Screenwriting programs are easy to use and will automatically format your work for you. You can probably find some free programs online.

Feature length screenplays are generally at least 90 pages long. Each page translates to one minute of screen time. A 60 or 70 page screenplay most likely would not translate to a feature length film.

Things you MUST have in a screenplay are:

A) A protagonist that an audience will care about. This person(s) does not have to be likable, but they at least must have some character traits that an audience will find endearing.

B) A protagonist who grows or changes in some way. This is called a "character arc" and it means that there is some definite change or growth evident with the protagonist which an audience can see and feel and empathize with.

C) An opposing force against which the protagonist will struggle to achieve something. This is generally in the form of the "antagonist" which often is simply the "the bad guy." It could also be some inner demon that the protagonist has, it could be a situation like weather or a political situation, but it better be something well defined.