Movie Script Writing - Powerful Ways To Begin A Screenplay

Screenwriting -- Powerful Ways To Begin A Screenplay Part 2

Author:Danek S. Kaus

An interesting opening is essential for success in screenwriting.

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The first article on how to start your screenplay covered beginning with an action sequence, a day in the life of your main character and a 'real beginning,' such as the protagonist arriving at a new destination, starting a new aspect of their life or a new person coming into his or her life.

Here are three more great ways to open your screenplay:

MONTAGE - a montage is a series of brief scenes, often without dialogue, that indicate the passage of time or the state of affairs of something. For example, if your story is about a down and out baseball team, you could show a batter striking out, an outfielder dropping the ball, fans booing, a newspaper headline about the slump, and so on.

NARRATION - You might begin your screenplay with the protagonist or another character doing a voice over (V.O.) about the situation, how the main character arrived at this point in their life, etc. In the delightful 'A Christmas Story,' about a 10-year-old boy named Ralphie who campaigns to get a BB gun for Christmas, the adult version of the main character is the narrator, speaking in the past tense.

The narrator could also be simply a narrator, not a character in the movie. The narrator opening should be used sparingly, but it can work very well for some movies.

FORESHADOW - In some movies the opening scene is used to lay the groundwork for what is about to come. In 'The Fellowship of the Ring,' the first installment in the 'Lord of the Rings,' we learn about the creation of the Ring of Power and how it was used to control then subdue the great kings of the time, turning them into specters, forced to do the bidding of the dark lord. When humans recapture the ring but then lose it, memory of the ring and its evil powers is lost for thousands of years. Until it reappears in the hands of an unlikely hero, a hobbit.

Add these openings to your screenwriting bag of tricks, and you're well on your way to writing successful screenplays that sell.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/screenplay-articles/screenwriting-powerful-ways-to-begin-a-screenplay-part-2-4763716.html

About the Author

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

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.

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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