Movie Script Writing - How To Begin A Screenplay?

Screenwriting For Authors -- How To Begin A Screenplay

Author:Danek S. Kaus

The first few pages of your screenplay are critical. Most execs, or Readers (people who want to become execs) will only give you about 10 pages to get them interested. That is why your screenplay must have a great beginning.

[caption id="attachment_151" align="aligncenter" width="585"] Movie Script Writing - How To Begin A Screenplay?[/caption]

Here are some of the best, time-tested screenwriting techniques to begin your story.

ACTION, ACTION, ACTION - All of the James Bond movies start with action, which might or might not be related to the main plot.

A police detective tries to arrest a pair of drug dealers. A gunfight erupts. One drug dealer is killed, the other drives off. The detective chases him in his own car, driving fast, dodging obstacles and shooting his gun. You get the picture.

A REAL BEGINNING - The hero or heroine arrives at the airport or train station in a new town. They begin their first day of work at a new company. A creepy person moves in next door. The protagonist meets someone who will be very influential - a love interest, mentor or nemesis.

A DAY IN THE LIFE - Show us the hero or heroine going about their normal routine. A single mother makes breakfast before sending the kids off to school and then going to work.

A lawyer might argue a case before a jury.

A doctor in an emergency room saves the life of a traffic accident victim. But the main plot may be about stopping a deadly epidemic. You might then choose to begin with that same doctor treating someone who has a strange, unknown disease that turns out to be related to the epidemic.

An inner-city teacher helps a disadvantaged child to learn how to read. Then we discover that she will fight an uncaring bureaucracy that wants to shut down a youth center to put in a shopping center. Or we may learn that her marriage might break up because she has given birth to a learning-disabled child.

The trick to making this opening work is not to let it get boring. Quickly give us a reason to root for the main character. Perhaps show them as an underdog in some way or introduce some conflict in their life. It can be related to the main story or not, but quickly give the reader a reason to care.

These are a few of the screenwriting techniques to get your movie off to a great start. Consider using them when you begin your next screenplay or perhaps do a rewrite on an existing one to give it a better beginning.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/screenplay-articles/screenwriting-for-authors-how-to-begin-a-screenplay-4741457.html

About the Author

Danek S. Kaus is a produced screenwriter with two more films in development, one of them based on a book. Several of his original screenplays have been optioned by movie companies. He can adapt your book into a screenplay and also do a Professional Screenplay Analysis