SCREENPLAY AND FILM DIRECTION

RISHABH SINGH LOOMBA

NOTES on FOUNDATION RULES of SCREENPLAY WRITING

SCREENPLAY WRITING
Screenplay Writing Tree

Idea
Story in 3 Act Structure
Character Breakdown
One Line Screenplay in 3 Act Structure
Writing Act 1, 2, 3 with Screenplay and Dialogues

Screenplay Writing Pillars

1. 3 WORDS FORMING CRUX OF A GOOD SCREENPLAY? CONFLICT, CONFLICT and
CONFLICT.

2. WHAT CONSIST OF A WRITING TREE? It all Starts with IDEA (4 lines), leads to STORY
(4 pages) and finally leads to SCREENPLAY (120 pages). In-between story and
screenplay comes the CHARACTER BREAKDOWN and ONE LINE SCREENPLAY
STRUCTURE.

3. WHAT IS A STORY? The story is a journey of ONE HERO to fulfil his DRAMATIC NEED
and the HURDLES he faces while accomplishing that. A good story can have
MULTIPLE INTERESTING CHARACTERS, but should have only ONE PROTAGONIST. A
Story should have s strong ANTAGONIST. A good story has a clear BEGINNING,
MIDDLE and END. (Break a story into 3 ACT STRUCTURE)

4. DRAMATIC NEED is the GOAL the HERO Intends to accomplish in the film. TOUGHER
the goal, tougher the antagonist, tougher the conflict, more interesting the Film.
Scale 1 to 10 BOX OFFICE POTENTIAL TEST of your DRAMATIC NEED.
5. CONFLICT is engaging emotions of ANGER and REVENGE, LOVE and SYMPATHY, FEAR
and SUSPENSE which will keep the AUDIENCE glued to the seats FOR 2 HOURS, which
is a NEED of CINEMA, Unlike a NOVEL where one can keep a book down once bored,
and pick it again to renew reading after a few days.

6. WHAT IS CONFLICT AND HOW DOES ONE CREATE IT? HURDLES created in the
DRAMATIC NEED of the PROTAGANIST by the ANTAGONIST will create CONFLICT,
more the HURDLES, more will be the CONFLICT.

7. SCREENPLAY WITHOUT CONFLICT is SHOLAY without GABBAR, JAWS without the

SHARK, 3 IDIOTS without PROFFESOR, GAJAGAMINI did not have CONFLICT.

8. ONCE YOU HAVE A STORY with a PROTAGONIST, his DRAMATIC NEED and CONFLICT
and once you have a clear BEGINNING, MIDDLE and END, you can start putting it into
a ONELINE SCREENPLAY following 3 ACT STRUCTURE, leading to finally a detailed
SCREENPLAY.

9. 6 GOLDEN POINTS OF GOOD SCREENPLAY? (1) One PROTAGANIST with a

DRAMATIC NEED (2) An ANTAGONIST to put HURDLES in the DRAMATIC NEED (3)
GREAT CONFLICT (4) BEGINNING, MIDDLE and END following the 3 ACT STRUCTURE.
(5) INTERESTING and REAL CHARACTERS (6) GOOD DIALOGUES that EVOKE
EMOTIONS.

10. PROXY PROTAGONIST AND PROXY DRAMATIC NEED? In a screenplay where the real
protagonist and his dramatic need cannot be revealed at the beginning of Act 1,
writer can take the help of a proxy Protagonist and Dramatic need to further his
story and keep the audience interested.

11. WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF A SCENE? It should help to take the STORY
FORWARD, before you write a scene, we should clearly know what we INTEND TO
SAY IN IT. This will make the scene PRECISE and EFFECTIVE and build the narrative
forward.

12. DIALOGUES are an important part of the SCENE, they help narrate the STORY and
explain to the audience as to what goes on IN THE HEADS OF THE CHARACTERS and
EVOKE EMOTIONS. Dialogues can have a RHYTHM or be SPOKEN in writing style.

13. EVERY SCENE should have some EMOTIONAL CONTENT. Example: anger, hatred,
sympathy, fear, humour, intrigue or information.
14. 2 GOLDEN RULES OF SCREENPLAY WRITING. (1) If the story is not engaging or feels
weak, if the characters look boring or purpose less, go back to the SETUP. Most often
the problem with a screenplay is problem with the Setup; ask the questions: Who is
my Protagonist, and what and how strong is his Dramatic Need, and who and how
strong is the Antagonist. (2) Writing is Rewriting!
Screenplay Character Development Tools
A. Understanding your Character

1. Spiritual Evolution of Character. Where does your character stand in each 1-10?
Understanding The Conscious & Unconscious mind working.
The Buddha 7-fold Analyses of:
Love, Peace, Morality, Charity, Gratitude, Forgiveness, Brotherhood

2. Ten Character Types. which is your character?

Positive Traits
The Artist (Positive, optimistic, spontaneous, playful, humorous, impulsive)

The Guardian (Dependable, loyal, hardworking, self-sacrificing)

The Idealist (Intuitive, philosophical, intense, moralistic, believer)
The Sage (Calm, composed, poised, forgiving, truce maker)
The Seeker (problem-solvers, seekers of knowledge)

Negative Traits
The Sufferer (Pensive, suffering, sad, melancholic)
The Pessimist (Negator, doubter, problem creator)
The Aggrieved (Angry, vengeful, obstinate)
The Abnormal (The Extravert & The Introvert)

The Perfect Man (The perfect mix of all positive trait types)

B. Creating & Building Character your Character

a. 0-10yrs, 10-20yrs, 20-30yrs of Characters years.

Main transforming events during these 30yrs.
b. Professional life
What does he do, relations & behaviour with people at work?
c. Personal life
Married, unmarried, relations & behaviour with people at home
d. Private life
His deepest secrets, ambitions, desires
e. Circle of Being
A fateful event that happened in between 12-18 yrs. that changed his life forever
f. Character’s Positive traits
g. Character’s Negative traits
h. Character’s Strengths
i. Character’s Fears
j. Character’s Role model
k. Character’s Nemesis
l. Character’s Dramatic need
m. Character’s Hidden Need
n. Character’s Culture, Period, Location, Religion, Status, Legacy
Screenplay Writing ACT 1, 2 & 3

WRITING ACT I

BREAK ACT I in 3 PARTS of 10 PAGES each

Writing 0-10 pages

• Focus on Introducing Protagonist

• Focus on Introducing Antagonist
• Focus on Introducing Dramatic Need
• Focus on creating Ignition Point

Writing 10-20 pages

• Focus on the Protagonist and Opportunity Arrives.

Writing 20-30 pages

• Focus on creating Hero’s Low Point and First Action which should lead to ACT II.
WRITING ACT II

Determine the MIDPOINT and BREAK ACT II into 2 PARTS (1ST HALF & 2ND HALF OF ACT II)

• Determine the Midpoint

• Determine the Sub Dramatic Needs.
• Determine Antagonist on Fire.
• Determine Hero finds Success.
• Determine Goal gets Tougher.
• Determine False Hope.
• Determine Major Setback which should lead to Act III.

Sub Dramatic Need are added Sub Conflicts besides the main Conflict. They do not have to
do much with the main Conflict or Dramatic need. Sub Dramatic needs are mainly of fellow
characters then the Protagonist. In Sholay you have Viru’s love angle, Basanti’s search for an
ideal husband, Mausi not wanting Basanti to marry Viru, Jai falling in love with a widow, Jai
and Viru’s trust factor, Jai and Viru wanting to quit on odd jobs and wanting to lead a
respectable life, Sachin’s job quest and Jai’s need to always try and do the right thing which
is good for his friend Viru and himself. Some sub dramatic needs get fulfilled and some fail in
a screenplay, but add a great flavour to the overall story.

WRITING ACT III

DRAMATIC CONTEXT of ACT III is RESOLUTION, meaning giving SOLUTION to your STORY.

• Determine Do or Die.
• Determine Face to Face with the Antagonist.
• Determine Resolution.
• Determine Life after Resolution.