A screenplay is pivotal to the success of a film, without this there is no film to be shot. There are many different organisations and websites to gain crucial guidance and help.
One of these websites is ‘screenonline’ which is a product of the ‘BFI, British Film Institute’. This website talks firstly about how the amount of focus on 10 minute shorts with programs such as UK Film Council’s ‘Digital Shorts’, has lead to a new batch of writer/directors as well as screen writers such as Simon Beaufoy. It however firstly addresses the issue of the protagonist. The article says that the protagonist can and is likely to be the narrator, however the story can be told through someone else, such as a sister. An example of this is ‘Zinky Boys Go Underground’. This part of the article also says that the protagonist must have a key defining moment within the film, a climax and that this forms the centre of answering the question, ‘what does the character want?’ and in more complex terms ‘what is the active question, which is the basis for the action in the film?’ The climax is almost always a key incident in the characters life however some films use a series of defining moments. Another key question to answer about the protagonist is ‘who or what opposes the protagonist?’ The source says that in most films the opposing force makes the main character do something that is out of character, and this is often sparked by a single opposing character or force. However this is most true of films under 10 minutes, whereas films over 10 minutes often need more than one antagonist for the story-driven narrative to work. Using more than one antagonist in a film under 10 minutes it very rare as the film would appear to be trying to cram too much into the short space of time. A less obvious antagonism, found in films such as ‘Springing Lenin’, relies on the underlying theme to cement the opposition of the protagonist. The point of view the film is shown in is critical to how the film is received and the effect it has. Some films us a more omnipotent view whereas some films only have the view of one single character. Both uses of narration are credible. The theme or what the story is about is extremely important in any short film, yet this is not normally discovered until at least the first draft is formed. However the romantic comedy and other genres give a clear theme straight away. Either way the theme is central to giving the film a dramatic unity. The style of shorts are normally naturalism however other styles such as POV, Point of View, is also used. Tone is crucial to a short film working as this is what engages the audiences’ emotion. Humour can be used to offset a character’s tragedy whereas other films keep the audience wondering what is going to happen next. The sense of uncertainty is a reflection of dramatic tone and is pivotal into these short films being effective. The tone is most noticeable in films such as ‘Yellow’, where the audience feels the character’s powerlessness due to the POV shots and expressionist camera work. The director and cinematography construct the tone in particular however screenplay writers set the foundations for directors’ view of the tone.
Another website offering vital advise is ‘Netribution’. This website offered a more conversational tone to the advice. The advise given was that short films need to say a lot in a very short amount of time and so less characters can be better, as the film must give the characters a deep characterisations. This is only possible if the story is simple and direct. The main theme of the advice was that the film cannot be too complex. The article documented that short films are almost always made on a very low budget and so the locations and action cannot be based on a cast of thousands in a football stadium, for example. The dialogue in the film is so important because there is no room for lines that provide no information on the character or narrative. Another important point is that short films should be an experiment and not be copies of successful films.
‘Shooting People’ is yet another website offering advice and guidance on screenplay writing and other aspects of the film industry. This website does not give direct advice but it provide information on training courses. It is more of a database for films and filmmakers to share and discuss aspects of film.
‘The Script Factory’ provides different course information much like ‘Shooting People’ however it also has a lot of articles as well. One of these discusses script writing training and what is it good for. The co-director of ‘Script Factory’, Lucy Scher discusses how training prioritises individual creativity, rather than craft and techniques, which produces poor screenwriters because the creativity is nurtured but the crucial craft is ignored and missed. She states that knowing how to create thematic unity and how to construct a scene is as important as knowing when and how many painkillers someone can take. This analogy shows how strong Lucy’s feelings are. Further reading of this article is available at www.scriptfactory.co.uk/go/News/Articles/Article_45.html
