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CAT Film Project - Script

The document discusses the script writing process for movies. It explains that a screenplay is different from a novel or stage play in that it must represent the visual elements of a story, as early movies did not have sound. There are two common screenplay formats - single column for fictional films which includes more character descriptions, and two column for documentaries which separates visual and audio elements. Writing a good screenplay involves outlining scenes and their purpose, drafting dialogue, and creating a formal script adhering to formatting guidelines. Documentaries require a different approach, as the script is written after collecting interview footage in order to incorporate actual dialogue into the story.

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232 views1 page

CAT Film Project - Script

The document discusses the script writing process for movies. It explains that a screenplay is different from a novel or stage play in that it must represent the visual elements of a story, as early movies did not have sound. There are two common screenplay formats - single column for fictional films which includes more character descriptions, and two column for documentaries which separates visual and audio elements. Writing a good screenplay involves outlining scenes and their purpose, drafting dialogue, and creating a formal script adhering to formatting guidelines. Documentaries require a different approach, as the script is written after collecting interview footage in order to incorporate actual dialogue into the story.

Uploaded by

bdjanu
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
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CAT
Movie
Project


THE SCRIPT
The next step in the movie-making process is the script, or screenplay. This is the most crucial stage
prior to the actual filming; this is where your ideas take a written form that will be used as a guideline
for filming.

What is a screenplay? They are very different from novels or short stories. Novels describe a
character’s thoughts and feelings. Screenplays are different from stage plays---a stageplay is almost
entirely verbal. Screenplays represent an art form that, in the end, will be primarily visual.
Remember, the first movies had no sound. Yes, there is dialogue. But a screenplay requires “visual”
writing.

Your screenplay will contain both the audio, visual and plot elements that will make up your story---
regardless of whether you are doing a straight fiction of straight documentary.

There are two formats that you can choose:

• Single Column: This type is used mainly for fictional films. There is more prose and
descriptions of the characters embedded in this type of script. See the example from Platoon.
• Two Column: This type is used mainly for non-fiction (ie. Documentary) work. The visual and
audio elements are separate and more clearly defined.

Steps to writing a good screenplay:

1. Choose a format
2. Outline the different scenes and the purpose of each scene
3. Sketch out the dialogue
4. Write the formal script, paying close attention to format

Your script will need:

1. A title page
2. The correct format, including margins, headings and appropriate abbreviations and
capitalizations
3. To be detailed, with dialogue, visual clues and numbered scenes
4. Proper camera acknowledgements when necessary
5. Be typed
A
Note
About
Documentaries




200 Points Keep
in
mind
that
documentary
filmmaking
is
a
great
way
to
tell
a
non‐fiction
story.




But
even
in
documentaries,
stories
count.

There
is
still
a
beginning,
middle
and
end.


In
 many
 respects,
 documentary
 filmmaking
 is
 more
 difficult
 than
 standard

filmmaking;
 there
 are
 more
 “steps.”
 
 First
 of
 all,
 you
 need
 to
 be
 able
 to
 tell
 a
 true


Due dates: story
in
an
entertaining
way.

Next,
the
script
has
to
be
written
several
times
and
the



final
script
comes
only
after
elements
of
the
story
have
been
collected,
especially
the

filming
 of
 on‐screen
 interviews.
 
 Only
 after
 the
 interviews
 have
 been
 collected
 can

the
 final
 script
 be
 written
 to
 include
 the
 dialogue
 that
 you
 will
 be
 using
 from
 the

Fiction: February 27 interviews.

Therefore,
since
filming
needs
to
begin
prior
to
the
script
being
written,

Documentary: April 3 the
due
date
for
documentaries
is
much
later.


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