The Basics of Screenwriting

The website I have linked to, provides short teaching sessions on how to write a script, and how to develop a story. The website has inserted a tutorial made by the American Film Industry, which was made to help professional and amateur screenwriters. There are five full sessions included on this free excerpt, they are very useful. Whether you are wondering how to start shaping a character, or what size margins to use in your final script, these sessions can help.

These are some of the things that are explained in the sessions.


• Create effective premises that engage readers in your screenplay.
• Identify techniques for creating compelling characters.
• Develop efficient structures for your stories by applying such screenplay devices as buttons, visual storytelling, and set-ups and payoffs.
• Define such terms as back story, dramatic through-line and the three-act structure.
• Practice techniques to help you in the craft of creating screenplays--from techniques helping you learn when to write, to tips on what script readers don't want to read.
• Use templates, examples from familiar movies and formatting tips for your computer to learn how to turn your ideas into a finished product.