Everything You Need to Know About: Screenwriting

Welcome back to our series about everything to do with video and film production crew! Here we explain every key role on a film set and how filmmaking works. Whether you want to be in the industry, or just want to learn more about filmmaking, we will provide you with all the information you need right here. Today we are talking Screenwriting and asking what is a screenwriter?

 

What is a screenwriter?

A screenwriter is a person who writes scripts for Television, Short Films, Feature Films and Plays. They usually are the creators of the original story or concept and then they develop it on their own or with writing collaborators. Sometimes, a Producer or Director hires a Screenwriter to help develop an idea for them and even write the entire script. Some Screenwriters go on to direct stuff they have written or they sell it onto production companies.

Being a Screenwriter is a challenging job as there is a lot of work that goes into developing and bringing a story to life, but it is also very rewarding when you get to see it on the big screen.

Screenwriters need to be creative, patient, open, engaging and also have a good understanding of human behaviour/nature. When asking what is a screenwriter? We could say, a person who knows how to tell stories about human beings in all their essence and  definitely, dramatised. 

What does writing a Screenplay entail? 

 

 

 

In asking what is a screenwriter? We have to think about how a screenplay is constructed and de-constructed. This is the primary job of the screenwriter. Screenwriting is a long process and it sometimes takes screenwriters years to write their screenplays. It is not only the writing that is time consuming but also the construction of  ideas. 

Once the ideas and structure are organised by the writer, they go on to writing the script. During this time, the script can be shared around to Producers, Directors and Script Editors to gain feedback and insights on the story. Collaboration is a great process in screenwriting as this is how ideas and stories flourish into amazing potentials. 

Once the script has been finalised after its many drafts,.  it will be sent to the Director and DOP to transform it into a Shooting Script, adding camera shots,  angels, different lighting and potentially music cues. 

Once that is finalised, it will then go onto a Script Supervisor to read, the script supervisor will then give feedback on continuity qualities and will also use it to help them arrange and monitor continuity during shooting. The script will also then be handed to the Editor in Post Production with the Script Supervisors notes to help them edit the film together. 

Want to find out what a DOP does on a film set? Click here to read our article on Everything You Need to Know about: The Camera Department. 

Interested in Script Supervising or want to know what they do in Film and TV Production?  Click here to read our article on Everything You Need to Know about: The Camera Department. 

 

How to write a screenplay?

 

The Idea

What is a screenwriter? It all start with the original idea and that can change drastically as more ideas are sparked and sometimes, you end up with a story completely different to the original story you wanted to write.

This is the process you have to go through to discover something great. Ideas come out of nowhere, ideas come from all around us, it’s what you do with that idea that matters!  What is a screenwriter? A screenwriter is a creative genius who comes up with things we can never imagine or create ourselves.

Story – Write a Treatment

The Treatment is a great way to capture your story in one short document. It includes the logline, main characters and their roles within society or conflicts that drive them apart from each other; it also provides an assessment on how these elements come together. In asking what is a screenwriter? A screenwriter is a patient person who can write up these incredible documents in order to sell anything.

It may be used as marketing material but producers often read treatments before deciding if they want interest involved with producing anything so there’s no harm done by including yourself into every aspect possible!

 

Develop Your Characters

What is the main question you want to ask in your story? Create characters that will contrast each other, and have a major transformation throughout this process. There are plenty of worksheets online for creating personality types which can be helpful when bringing life into these invented folks!

In asking what is a screenwriter? The screenwriters main job is to bring their characters to life! Really understand your characters and make them as interesting or empathetic, if not more so than the good guys. Even though they might be bad for an unjustified reason it’s important to remember why he/she is doing what he does in order gain insight into human nature through their motivation which will help you write a better story with deeper insights on humanity

 

The most crucial thing when developing any character should firstly start off by making him intriguing; even including female leads can have this appeal since we want our audience interested enough that they’ll continue reading! But secondly- just like every other aspect of writing dialogue -the tone must remain casual yet informative

 

Storyworld

The decision of what world to set your story in is an important one. The right atmosphere can help you create the perfect ambiance for any film script, and make it feel like home from day one! What is a screenwriter? A screenwriter is the leader of their own imaginary world.

This means that before deciding on how things work or why people act as they do within this new setting (i.e., society), there should first be consideration given towards whether these aspects exist at all within our chosen culture? If so then consider their functionality – who benefits most/least from them??

When you’re writing a screenplay set in any kind of fantasy world, it’s important to think about the rules that will guide your story. Make sure they make sense and aren’t too restrictive or limiting for what could happen naturally within this new universe!

Know Your Audience 

The screenwriters’ audience is a film’s primary focus. In asking what is a screenwriter? The screenwriters job is to cater to their chosen audience! It was always about what would make them feel, and that changed with each new project – but it had been most important for this one in particular because now he wanted his viewers to care more than ever before about these characters on-screen; how they felt when things went wrong or got exciting!

 

Write The Thing!

Having an outline will improve your ability to write a script. The first ten pages are crucial because that’s when people get deciding if they want more or not, so it is very important for them not only understand what happens but also feel engaged in the story by making its characters come alive on paper through dialogue and descriptive action!

In asking what is a screenwriter? The screenwriters main job is to deliver a screenplay, written in a unique format. While there are many elements common to any story regardless if it’s on paper or screens, screenwriting different in that every word must be written as though you’re telling your friend about what happened just now – using “you” constantly and describing things right outside their view/hearing range so they know exactly how things felt when this scene played out.

 

Although typewriters and word processors work just fine, I suggest investing in software that will do the formatting for you. Hollywood follows a fairly strict format when it comes to screenplays.

The most commonly used apps include,  Final Draft, Movie Magic Screenwriter, and Adobe Story.

 

Re-write The Damn Thing!

 

After completing your draft, you now have a much better idea of what the story is about. You can go back and refine actions by tightening dialogue or edit scripts with ease as well because there’s not as many words on each page which makes it easier for editing purposes!

It may take some time but in total satisfaction when done correctly – so don’t get discouraged if at first glance something does not seem correct; tweak away until its perfect .What is a screenwriter? A screenwriter is someone who has to love editing or re-writing because this is a must to develop a good script

 

Best Screenwriting Books: 

Screenwriting books are great to read if you are asking what is a screenwriter? It gives you the best example of a screenwriters job and their writing process.  Screenwriting books are brilliant in helping writers know the fundamental structure and process of what their writing should contain, but we have to remember that these books are merely a formula and outline, these book are not ’strict rules’, just help guides. 

Every writer has their own process and their creativity is helped/ comes out in different ways, every writer produces something entirely different to another writer, so it is always best to go with what feels right, otherwise all our stories will be the same right?

Screenplay by Syd Field,

Story by Robert McKee,

The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri

Save the Cat by Blake Snyder.

If you ask any screenwriter, what is a screenwriter? They’ll tell you it isn’t an easy job! What isn’t a screenwriter? they’ll tell you that writing a script is no easy task.

One thing’s for sure though – it takes dedication and sacrifice to become good at this craft! In the end there are many rewarding aspects of creating characters who come alive when given choices in an obstacle course designed just right by their author; but don’t take my word on how great they feel because even if I’m telling the truth–no one has ever gotten rich from Hollywood… yet (grin).

 

You can also read the rest of our series on the Nostairway website, like our article on Boom Operating and Art Department.

Have a script you want to see come alive? And for all your  London production needs! contact Nostairway today for a chat and a free consultation. We provide all stages of video production, as well as voice overs and photography.

 

 

As a video production company in London, we often get asked how much it would cost to produce a video ourselves. The truth is, with the right equipment and some know-how, you can save a lot of money by creating your own videos. Of course, there is an initial investment involved in purchasing the necessary equipment.

However, once you have your own set-up, the sky is the limit in terms of what you can create. And if you’re willing to put in the time to learn the ropes, you can start producing high-quality videos that will save you money in the long run. So if you’re looking to create video content on a budget, don’t be afraid to go DIY. With a little effort, you can create professional-grade videos that will help you save money and reach your target audience.