INTRO TO SCREENWRITING, WITH JOE QUINN - In this class students will learn story telling techniques,

structure and proper formatting for screenwriting. Students will have the chance to develop short
scripts and receive feedback over the course of 4 weeks.

Something I always say in my improv classes is that “improv is not about you. It’s about the story.”

As actors we are inherently selfish. We want to look good! It’s in our instinct to want to win. A great
improviser does what they can to make their team look good. If it means losing the fight, lose the fight.
Never sacrifice your story for the sake of a cheap laugh or a quick thrill.

Tools of the Trade, Formatting and Loglines

- What are the tools you need to be a writer?

o An idea! Why are YOU the one to tell this story? Write what you know.
o Writing software (I use Celtx, which is available free. Final Draft is another popular
choice. MS Word also has a free Screenplay template)
o Read screenplays and watch movies!
▪ Listen to director’s commentaries
▪ Screenplay databases (linked below)

- Formatting (Scene headings, Action, Character, Dialog)

o 1 page = 1 minute.
o Avoid writing camera movements.
o Avoid writing too much description. Allow the Director / Producers to come up with the
look and feel of the story.
▪ SHOW. Don’t TELL
o Scene Headings should include the Location and the time of day
▪ EXAMPLE: INT. SAM'S KITCHEN – NIGHT
o When introducing a character for the first time, their name should be in ALL CAPITAL
LETTERS when in the action.
o If you want your character to expressly feel a certain way, use a parenthetical under the
Character name, before the dialog

Story

- Premise: The What - “…your story stated in one sentence. It is the simplest combination of
character and plot.”
- Designing principle: The How – “…overall strategy for how you will tell your story.”

Loglines: A logline is a one to two sentence description that boils the script down to its essential
dramatic narrative in as succinct a manner as possible.

- Must contain all the elements necessary for the telling of your story. It is written for potential
producers to show them that you can create a viable story for the script.
o The logline is the DNA of your script. If you can’t make the logline work, it’s probably
because the story doesn’t work. This is why you should consider writing a logline for
your idea before tackling the script. If it’s unfocused and muddled at the logline stage,
it’s unlikely to get any better as you write.

▪ A logline must have the following

• the protagonist
• their goal
• the antagonist/antagonistic force

o 1. Don’t use a character name! Instead, tell us something about the character.
▪ EXAMPLE – Silence of the Lambs: A young F.B.I. cadet must confide in an
incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another
serial killer who skins his victims.

o 2. Use an adjective to give that character depth.

▪ Beware of cliché and the power of irony. The characteristics you describe should
usually have something to do with the plot.
• EXAMPLE – Legally Blonde: An airhead blonde goes to Harvard Law
School in the hopes of winning back her ex-boyfriend.

o 3. Clearly and quickly present the protagonist’s main goal

▪ This is what drives your story. Make sure that the goal is present early in the
script – if you don’t make good on your logline’s promise early enough the rest
of the script won’t get read.
• EXAMPLE – The Matrix: A computer hacker learns from mysterious
rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against
its controllers.

o 4. Describe the Antagonist

▪ The antagonist should be described in a similar, yet shorter, manner than the
hero. If the hero faces a more general antagonistic force, then make it clear that
they are battling something more than just the trials and tribulations of life.
• EXAMPLE – Pirates of the Caribbean: Blacksmith Will Turner teams up
with eccentric pirate “Captain” Jack Sparrow to save his love, the
governor’s daughter, from Jack’s former pirate allies, who are now
undead.

o 5. Make sure your protagonist is pro-active

▪ they should drive the story. Good loglines will show the action of the story, the
narrative momentum that carries you through the script. In some cases, the
protagonist will be reactive; but note, this is not the same as passive.
 o 6. If you can, include stakes and/or a ticking time-bomb
▪ These are very useful narrative devices that add urgency to your script. If they
fit in easily, include them in your logline.
• EXAMPLE – Speed: A young police officer must prevent a bomb
exploding aboard a city bus by keeping its speed above 50 mph.

o 7. Setup
▪ Some scripts operate in a world with different rules to our own and require a
brief setup to explain them, e.g. most science-fiction stories. Others have a
protagonist whose personal or psychological history is crucial to the story and
needs to be explained. Again, be brief.
• EXAMPLE – Snowpiercer: After an apocalypse that leaves the Earth
under snow, a train called the Snowpiercer travels across the globe
containing the last of Earths survivors. However, the treatment of the
people in the lowest class is sparking a revolution that threatens the
fabric of the social classes…

o 8. About the ending

▪ Do not reveal your script’s twist ending. The story, and thus the logline, should
be good enough to hold up by itself; a surprise ending should be a lovely bonus
found when reading the script.

o 9. Don’t tell the story, sell the story

▪ Create a desire to see the script as well as telling potential producers what’s in
it. Loglines are like poetry- every word counts.

Recap: How to write a logline that kills

- Describe your protagonist with strong adjectives

- Give your protagonist a clear goal
- Use irony
- Increase the stakes
- Don't be afraid to break convention

The best loglines take multiple drafts and lots of experimenting.

When I write a feature length story, I always start with a log line. From there I expand my log line into a
more detailed plot synopsis, roughly one paragraph long. Then I will expand on that paragraph and
make it a page. At this point, you may have enough detail to start your script. Still, keep notes for when
you have ideas, but aren’t sure yet how to incorporate them into your story. Sometimes you will have
ideas that you love but will struggle finding a way to naturally incorporate them into your story. This
goes beyond the writing stage. Sometimes scenes will be shot and in post-production someone will
determine if the scene is necessary for the overall narrative. This often leads writers and directors to kill
their darlings. It’s tough! But nothing is stopping you from saving that idea for your next story.
Storytelling Techniques

A very basic definition of plot is a sequence of events that are connected by cause and effect.

When you focus on plot, you focus on events.

- “Plotting vs Pantsing”
o In simplest terms, plotting is when you meticulous plan your story. (High Concept)
Pantsing (flying by the seat of your pants) is when you focus more on developing your
characters and, in a sense, let them help you tell the story.
▪ EXAMPLE – Game of Thrones. George RR Martin is a master at “pantsing.” He
set out to make a trilogy in the Song of Ice & Fire series. However, by the time
he had gotten to his third book, instead of forcing his characters to bend to his
plot, he wrote to expand his story by way of following his character’s actions.
• Similarly, the showrunners were able to adapt Martin’s source material
for seasons 1-6. The show frequently set up seemingly important arcs,
only to throw a wrench in the plan by killing off characters
unexpectedly. This ability to surprise audiences is largely what made
the show so iconic. By seasons 7 and 8, however, the writers had
surpassed the source material and were forced develop their own
ending. Taking a “plotting” approach, they frequently had characters
behaving uncharacteristically simply to serve the plot and get them to
the ending quicker; resulting in a messy and rushed finale.
• Another messy finale comes from the ending of How I Met Your Mother.
The writers admitted to having an ending planned by the end of the
second season. However, they did not account for several seasons of
character development. This resulted in the finale undoing all that
character growth to serve the narrative they wanted.

- Connecting the Dots: Creating a Beat Sheet

o Your beat sheet is a rough guide of key moments in your story as a series of bullet
points, or “dots”
▪ These can be moments of character development, plot points, story beats, or
even individual key lines of dialog

- Writing your Ending first

o If you are “plotting” it can be beneficial to know how/ where you want to end your story
before you begin writing. This can keep you on track.
▪ Knowing who you want your characters to be at the end of your story can help
you deconstruct them and “reverse-engineer” your story.
▪ This is often avoided in sitcoms. (see example above)

- Single Spaced Comedy versus Double-Spaced Comedy

o Double spaces represent a show that is shot with multiple cameras. The spaces are for
more notes to be written on the fly, since the scenes are often shot in longer takes with
multiple angles, similar to performing a play.
Types of Story

- Conflict
o The meat of most stories is the conflict. Traditionally there are Three types of conflict in
most stories
▪ Person Vs Person
▪ Person Vs Self
▪ Person Vs Nature
o For the modern era there are three new types of conflict
▪ Person Vs Society
▪ Person Vs The Supernatural
▪ Person Vs Technology

o There are Seven basic plotlines most stories follow as well:

▪ Overcoming the Monster
• The protagonist must defeat the antagonist to protect their way of life
▪ Rebirth
• The protagonist encounters a major life event that makes them a better
person
▪ Rags to Riches
• The protagonist gains wealth, fame or influence but is brought down by
newly discovered problems and must once again find themselves
▪ The Quest
• The protagonist must go on a journey to a specific location, find a
specific item or complete a specific task
▪ Voyage and Return
• Similar to a quest, the protagonist must journey out to a strange land,
facing many difficulties and conflicts before they can return home
▪ Tragedy
• A tragic protagonist has a major character flaw which will be the end of
them
▪ Comedy
• Most Comedy involves a comedic protagonist thrust into a dramatic
situation, which can cause chaos

Basic Story Structure

- The common wisdom is that feature screenplays should generally contain three acts, with a final
page count of around 90 to 120.
- There's less certainty about how long each act should be, but it's safe to assume most follow a
structure in which the first makes up 25%, the second 50%, and the third 25%. Although lately
with the rise of comic book superhero origin stories, the first act can take up to 50% of a story’s
run time, with the second act being the shortest at only 20%, and the third containing 30%.
 - There's a misconception that an act in a screenplay pertains to where any given scene falls in the
narrative. Act structure is not an issue of placement, but rather an issue of function.
o Often times, but not always, an act marks a point where a character can’t go back.
▪ EXAMPLE – Star Wars: A New Hope

3 Act Structure: Beginning, Middle, End

- Tension! Individual action sequences have tension, and the narrative as a whole has tension.
o The beginning and end of the act marks the changes or shift in the tension.
▪ A typical screenplay features 8 sequences, 2 in act one, 4 in act two, and 2 in
act three.
• Sequences are defined by a build and release of minor tensions all while
contributing to the main tension.

o The basic rules for these acts, according to Aaron Sorkin:

▪ Act One: Introduction: Start Strong! The set up. Rising Action
• Chase hero up tree
▪ Act Two: the change up / facing the conflict. The hero loses.
• Throw rocks at them
▪ Act Three: The climax and resolution.
• Get them down from the tree or let them die trying

- According to Sorkin, originality comes from variations on the structure, not from trying to screw
around with screenplay structure itself. Learn from what other people do; when you see
something that doesn’t work, figure out why.

Act One:
o Sequence One: Point of Attack - Sequence one typically explains the rules of the
universe.

o Your point of attack is the thing that gets the ball rolling. This probably has nothing to do
with the protagonist and instead focuses on the universe. This creates a story element
for your protagonist to react to, and that reaction becomes the inciting incident.

▪ The point of attack may be outside of the protagonist’s control or knowledge,

and the inciting incident is where the conflict comes home to roost for
protagonists and eventually leads the main character to making an important
decision at the end of act one.

o Sequence Two: The Inciting Incident.

▪ This marks the end of the first sequence of the first act. That first sequence
tension is resolved by however the protagonist reacts to that “inciting incident”
• this is where the “point of attack” effects the protagonists and leads to
the “lock in”, which pulls them into the main story.
Act Two:
o Sequence Three: The Central Conflict
▪ By the end of the first act, you should reveal some sort of flaw or desire that's
leaving the protagonist feeling incomplete. Character backstory can be laid
throughout a story, but a motivation should be clear upfront.

▪ “Want” vs “Need”
• The “want” is the protagonists internal motivation and will drive the
main tension of the overall narrative. However, this is typically resolved
by the end of the second act.
• The “need” will define the character growth and will resolve the tension
of the third act

o Sequence Four: Build Up to the Mid-Point

▪ By this point, the protagonist should be making some ground in their “want”
and will culminate in the achievement of a personal milestone, like learning a
new skill or finding information to help further their journey
• Usually this will change the goal of the protagonist by shifting the focus
of the main tension while not yet resolving it.
o The “Midpoint” marks a disruption, which ups the tension for
the final act.
▪ This could be a break-up in a romantic comedy or the
loss of a friend / mentor in a hero’s journey

o Sequence Five: Building on Change

▪ This will usually focus on some subplot or secondary character back story so as
flesh out your story and ease tension.
• The challenge here is to keep from “second act sag”, which happens
when the shift in focus from the midpoint doesn't follow through in a
satisfactory manner, or there's filler in the middle of story that
lengthens the runtime without adding any momentum or tension.

▪ Subplots can keep the story from feeling too episodic or monolithic.
• Other characters can help resolve loose threads in the story and can
expand on more universal themes

o Sequence Six: The Main Culmination

▪ The end of the second act and resolution of the main tension.
• This is when the protagonist faces their biggest challenge yet, which is
why the end of act two is typically when they are at their lowest point
 Act Three
o Sequence Seven: A Momentous Decision
▪ The Main Culmination leads the protagonist to make a momentous decision that
defines character growth and creates a new tension for act three
• Example: this is where an ally might betray the protagonist, or in a
“whodunnit” mystery, this is typically where the “who” is revealed.
o Act three then focuses on bringing that person to justice

▪ The tension in act three is related to the main tension but is now different.
• The third act tension cannot come out of nowhere. It cannot simply be
an extension of the main tension but should build on it.
o Example: instead of escaping to freedom, the heroes now
decided to finally fight back against the antagonist

▪ The “twist” in the third act narrows the focus of the third act from something
“grand” to something more “intimate”
• This is where a characters’ “want” and “need” become one in the same
o Example: while fighting against the antagonist, a character is
injured. Now the main focus shifts from defeating the
antagonist and “saving the world” to simply saving the life of a
character close to the protagonist

o Sequence Eight: The Climax

▪ This is the resolution to the final tension and usually pertains to some sort of
character growth.
• Example: Luke Skywalker finally learns to trust his feelings and, using
the force, is able to destroy the death star.

• It is important to note that sometimes a protagonist does not actually

grow as a result of the events of the film. This can be used to dramatic
effect when telling a certain type of story.
o Examples: American Psycho, Nightcrawler

Remember, not every movie is told in three acts, and not every movie has the basic forms of
conflict. However, this is the form of storytelling prevalent in most High Concept Hollywood movies.
Sometimes a movie will subvert expectations, but even then, it will often stick to this structure.

"'The king died and then the queen died,' is a story.

‘The king died, and then the queen died of grief,’ is a plot.
The time-sequence is preserved, but the sense of causality overshadows it.”
- E. M. Forster, Aspects of the Novel.
The Story Circle

Similar to the basic 3 Act Structure, a story circle is boiled down to eight key points:
o YOU – Establish the Protagonist
▪ 1) A character is comfortable
o NEED – Something isn’t right
▪ 2) but they see something new that they want,
o GO! – Crossing the threshold
▪ 3) so they head out into uncharted territory to get it
o SEARCH – The road of trials
▪ 4) but must change in order to succeed.
o FIND – Meeting the goddness
▪ 5) When they finally grasp it,
o TAKE – Paying the price
▪ 6) they pay a hefty price
o RETURN – Bringing it home
▪ 7) and return to their original situation
o CHANGE – Master of both worlds
▪ 8) having changed inside (and sometimes outside)
• A physical change can be used to emphasize a character’s growth or
development. This may include battle scars, a more mature wardrobe or
haircut, the growth of a beard
o An internal change can be something as simple as going from
drinking your coffee with milk and sugar to taking it black.

High Concept refers to a movie that can easily be described by a succinctly stated premise, but also in
Hollywood is considered easy to sell to a wide audience because it delivers an easy to grasp idea.

- Marketing, cross-promotional advertising, and merchandising are all part of the package.
Toys, T-shirts, amusement park rides, etc.

Any genre can be High Concept.

Supernatural/Comedy: Ghostbusters.

Action/Adventure: Jurassic Park.

Family Comedy: Home Alone.

Most great movies do not succinctly fit into one of these categories, but instead are a fusion of
character, plot, and high concept.
Setting a Scene and Introducing Characters

A general rule for writing a scene header and description, or the “action” of the script, is to
never write anything in your script that you can’t show on screen.

- Backstory is good in the planning process, but not necessary in the action of the script itself.
o Character motivations should be clear through their actions. The script should read
exactly how it would play out if it were on screen.
▪ Remember: Show. Don’t tell.

- The scene header should always start by stating if the scene is in an interior or exterior setting.
o It should include the name of the location, which will remain consistent whenever that
location is returned to, as well as the time of day.
▪ If the time of day is irrelevant to the story, simple write “- ANYTIME”
▪ An example of a good scene header:
• INT. SMALL APARTMENT – DAY
• EXT. APARTMENT COMPLEX – EVENING

- When setting the scene, use minor descriptions that will help the reader to visualize the
environment. You don’t need to write as much description as a novel, but enough that the
reader should be able to vaguely picture the setting.
o If you want specific items given attention, separate the lines in the action.
This can help the director to break down the scene into shots.

- When you introduce a character, their name will be in ALL CAPS, and they should have some
minor physical descriptions; typically, age range, hair color/style, ethnicity (if it is relevant)
o Example:
In a small, narrow hallway, KIM (early 30s) knocks on the door of an apartment. She
wears a coat, wet from rain. Her face is red and wet, it’s hard to tell if it's the rain or
if she's been crying.

GUY (30s) opens the door in an apron, his shoulder length hair tied up in a knot. He
is surprised to see Kim.

10 rules for Introducing Character

Your character's first moments on screen can set the tone for the entire movie.

o 1. Induce Action:
▪ Let the audience know what role a character will play by giving them an action
to perform upon their entrance— the consequences of which will immediately
define their personality.
• “Save the Cat” “Kill the Dog” are two of the most famous examples.
o Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat! is considered by many to be the
most effective book on screenwriting. However, many writers
are too reliant on it and fail to deviate from his guidelines.
o 2. Elicit Contradicting Reactions:
▪ Strengthen your character by establishing how their own idea of themselves
differs from the perceptions of those around them.
• EXAMPLE: Tony Stark in Iron Man

o 3. Elevate the Character's Status:

▪ Introducing a character with a striking close-up that lets the audience know that
they are important and must be recognized as such throughout the film.
• EXAMPLE: Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange

o 4. Convey the Film's Themes:

▪ The central ideology of the character being introduced can serve to clue the
audience in on some of the film’s deeper themes.
• EXAMPLE: The Joker in The Dark Knight

o 5. Invite the Audience into the Character’s World:

▪ How does your character walk? How do they talk? How do they see the world?
Make the audience see the world through the character’s eyes. Make them feel
the way the character feels.
• EXAMPLE: Baby in Baby Driver

o 6. Introduce the Fatal Flaw as Soon as Possible:

▪ Overwhelm the audience with a character’s flaws from the get-go so they can
follow the stages of the journey, whether tragic or heroic, that will lead to the
resolution of the character arc—and, ultimately, the film.
• EXAMPLE: Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood

o 7. The Technique of Economy:

▪ Write their introduction so the audience can get as much information as they
can about your character in the least amount of screen time possible.
• EXAMPLE: Indiana Jones in Raider of the Lost Ark

o 8. Create Anticipation:
▪ Use every method of foreshadowing in your arsenal to paint a vivid picture of
the character in your audience’s mind before they are REVEALED.
• Your audience’s imagination is the most effective tool at your disposal

o 9. Choose the Right Scene:

▪ At what point in your film will the introduction of a character have the greatest
effect? Think about how you can heighten the stakes of plot and the importance
of a character simply by choosing when they first enter the movie.
• EXAMPLE: John Doe in SE7EN

o 10. Make the Entrance MEMORABLE

Writing Strong Character

Character is defined in how habits, motives, and thoughts relate to morality and integrity.
Characters can make or break the script. You could have the most beautifully written story arc, and
perfect structure to your script, but if your lead character is boring then everything else fails.

Focus on writing layered characters with meaning and purpose.

o If your story’s pacing is off, but your lead character is compelling, the audience
will remain engaged in the film regardless of some of the flaws it may have.

1 – Make Your Character Likeable/ Relatable Early On

o The principles of Save the Cat!. The audience should identify with the protagonist early
on. If a character is interesting but mostly unlikeable, it won’t be enough to sustain a
script. Lead characters must have redeeming qualities that make them relatable.
▪ EXAMPLE: The Sopranos – Tony Soprano is murderous mobster who values his
family and struggles with depression.
• He is surrounded by people that are objectively worse than him.
He then can rise above them and be someone worth rooting for.

2 – Build Realistic & Detailed Characterization

o Character is the essence of who anyone truly is or the spirit of that person, while
characterization is the quantifiable result of who they are.
▪ Characterization details don’t change who the character is at their core but are
the biproduct of who they are on the inside and how they’ve developed.
• EXAMPLE: An ego-driven CEO with a chip on their shoulder. They drive a
big SUV to work, drink black coffee, and have developed a nervous tick.

3 – Give Your Character a Point of View (and Let Them Make Decisions for You)

o I talked about Pantsing earlier. In addition to adding realism to the characters, strong
characterization can also help you to tell your story more organically.
By writing detailed character bios, you develop a deeper understanding as to
how each character in the script would react in each given situation.
▪ Don’t get too hung up on having a perfect character arc in the first draft.
Let it unfold naturally as you continue to develop each story beat.

o Actors always talk about point of view, motivation, and the “moment before.” A
character with a strong P.O.V. will drive the story forward by giving the audience a
through line to follow throughout each scene and each act in the film.
We need to know where they are coming from and what they want
in order to care enough to follow their story.
▪ One way to tell if you’re on the right track is to see if you could write any given
scene in one page. (Think of a Meisner repetition exercise)
 4 – Give Your Characters Compelling Dialogue

o A lot of information can be conveyed through dialogue, without even saying anything
specific. Memorable characters have compelling, interesting, and original dialogue that
tells the audience who they are within moments of them speaking their first lines.
(Keep in mind that compelling dialogue does not mean lots of dialogue!)
▪ We can learn where they’re from based on an accent, how educated they are, if
they’re introverted or extroverted, their emotional state, sense of humor, etc.

▪ Make sure that your characters do not sound like the same person.
Each character should have their own unique way of speaking.
• Ideally, you should be able to cover the names of your characters on the
script and still know who is talking.
o EXAMPLE: Most Quentin Tarantino movies

To be successful, your characters should be memorable, dimensional, and distinct from each other. They
must have a sense of agency. In other words, your characters should own and control their actions
within the world that you create.

Character Study - is a “slice of life” portrayal of an archetypical character that frames itself in a way to
dive deep into the life and concerns of that character, without deviating too far from the archetype.
A character-driven story is one focused on studying the characters that make up your story.

These stories usually deal with inner transformation or the relationships between your characters.

- In a character-driven story, the plot is used to develop the character.

- There is usually no overarching goal for these characters. The story just follows them through
ups and downs, triumphs, failures, and relatable life moments. These characters can be
headstrong or impulsive, or just reacting as the world moves around them.
o Cliché and stereotypes can be a powerful tool in storytelling. They can be used to set up
the audience’s perception of a character quickly and/or to subvert expectations.

Whereas plot-driven stories focus on a set of choices that a character must make, a character-driven
story focuses on how the character arrives at a particular choice. The plot in a character-driven story is
usually simple and often hyper-focused on the internal or interpersonal struggle of the character.

- EXAMPLES: Citizen Kane, First Reformed, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, There Will Be Blood, Elizabeth,
Wild, 127 Hours, Joker, Nightcrawler, Rocketman, Lincoln, Black Swan, Lady Bird, Little Women
Cast of Characters – Ensemble Stories

When writing an ensemble piece, have a unifying theme and try to have every character play a
valuable role in the story that would otherwise be impossible to tell without them.

- Protagonist – The character(s) with the primary point of view of the events of the story.
o the main characters do not necessarily have to be “heroes.” They can do bad things.
▪ EXAMPLE: The Avengers, X-Men, Ocean’s 11, Pulp Fiction, Ghostbusters

- Antagonist – the antagonistic force is what opposes the protagonist. The antagonist keeps the
main characters from completing their goals. (remember the types of conflict, antagonistic
forces can be nature, inner turmoil, as well as characters with opposing POVs)
o As a character, the antagonist tends to be more complex and interesting.
The exploration of their ideologies should contrast and highlight certain attributes of the
protagonist. (Contrast in physical appearance can make for a nice visual metaphor)
▪ EXAMPLE: The Joker in The Dark Knight

- Foils – They exist to reflect and highlight certain unique aspects of the protagonist.
o EXAMPLE: Jack Sparrow to Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean

- Major – Recurring Characters appear when several protagonists are involved. For instance, if
there are three main roles. The number of majors is unlimited as there may be several stories
united into one basic plot line.
o EXAMPLE: Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and Thor in The Avengers series

- Minor/Static/Flat – Minor Characters exist to simply affect the overall plot.

o They can either help or hinder the protagonist in a way that progresses the story.
o Minor characters are usually static in terms of development. They experience little to no
growth throughout the story. (This is where you can embrace archetypes)
▪ EXAMPLE: Chewbacca and the droids in Star Wars

- Dynamic – Dynamic Characters are ever changing. They tend to be protagonists or antagonists.
o These characters react and adapt to the events around them.
They often pick up new character traits based on their interactions.
▪ EXAMPLE: Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul

- Round – 3 Dimensional Characters with complex personalities and many roles in the story.
o They display different emotions scene to scene. They can love certain things and hate
others. Their emotions alter their behavior scene to scene.

- Stock / Stereotypical – This category includes a brainy and dull nerd, a fat policeman who is
eating donuts all the time, strict university professor, stupid blonde model, etc.
o EXAMPLE: The Breakfast Club
▪ This movie uses stereotypes to introduce the main characters with established
traits right off the bat. The story then comes from watch each of them grow.
Resources

Screenplay databases: Follow these YouTube Channels:

o IMSDB – Internet Movie o Lessons from the Screenplay
Screenplay Database o CineFix
o Go Into the Story o Nerdwriter
o Scripts.Com o The Closer Look
o The Script Lab o Storytellers
o Simply Scripts o Nando v. Movies
o The Daily Script
o Drew’s Script-o-Rama
o AwesomeFilm
o Movie Scripts and Screenplays

BONUS: Notes from Amy Lyndon on breaking down a scene

- What is the scene about?

o Break down the scene into 3 beats (beginning, middle and end)

- Where are you? What time of day is it? What’s the weather like?

- What is your emotional state of mind at the top?

o Map out your emotional shifts / mood swings. Find the transitions.

- What is the key line? Circle it.

- Read the action in its entirety. Circle your actions.

o Don’t mime in an audition!

- Every line is a separate thought. What am I saying? What am I REALLY saying?

o Don’t rehearse how you’re going to say the lines*

- How do you hear what the other person is saying?

- Who am I relating to? Know your relationship. Know your history.

- What is important to you?

o What do you want to make the other person understand?

- Why is your character in the script? Don’t do too much.

- Read the scene ten times through to yourself before putting it on its feet