How It Reads
Every movie starts as a script. A film producer like Brad Kern conceives the movie’s premise or, if it is an adaptation of existing material, buys or options the hand.
He leads the screenwriter through a development process, and once it’s ready, he pitches it to prospective investors. He then oversees the production of the film.
A screenplay is very different than a book. A script is formatted so that there’s a lot of white space on the page, which makes it very easy to read.
A good screenplay includes lots of action and dialogue but also descriptive text that’s sometimes called “black stuff,” “scene description,” or “providing context.” This is written in the present tense and tells you where the scene occurs (indoors), outside (exterior), or within a specific object or location.
Characters often grow and change throughout the story, which is usually centered on one or more themes. Identifying and analyzing these themes can help you write more effective scripts. Themes are a great way to create an emotional connection with audiences. Themes can be universal, or they can be more personal. For example, a movie about a family feud might focus on the issue of forgiveness.
The Scene
A scene is a dramatic part of a story between characters at a particular home and time. It is a fundamental screenwriting unit essential for telling the story.
If you want to have an impact, your scenes must advance the plot and reveal important information about the character’s choices, actions, and reactions to the audience. They should also have a rising sense of tension or emotion.
An excellent way to achieve this is to have a thematic angle in each scene. For example, if your story’s theme is unrequited love, each location can angle into this by showing a circumstance or feeling that is associated with it. This will amplify the theme and bring it to life in the story.
The Screen
There is so much that goes into making a film, and it takes a lot of people to make sure it all comes together. But one of the most important roles is that of the producer.
They are often the first to discover a story that may work well as a movie. They can find an original script, look for a novel that needs to be adapted, or even scour the news to see what dramatic events are happening that might fit into a film storyline.
Once they have found the initial material, they will pitch it to movie studios and production companies to secure financing to start the project. During the development process, they will also help to select the director and screenwriter for the project and hire other crew members as needed. They are also responsible for managing finances and budgets. On set, they help to schedule the filming and keep everyone on task with what needs to be done.
The Audience
Many people think they have a story that could be the next big Hollywood blockbuster, but only some understand what it takes to make their story into a movie. Producers are looking for a story that has the potential to resonate with the audience and create an emotional experience.
It is essential to show the audience what the characters feel rather than tell them. This helps keep the audience engaged and creates a stronger connection with the film. The audience can fill in the blanks when you can describe the emotion through the character’s body language, tone of voice, and the events leading to it.
Many producers scour newspaper and magazine articles for exciting stories that may hold undiscovered dramatic components to develop into films. Using this research method is an efficient way to find potential ideas that producers can turn into movies. They also look for universal themes relatable to the human experience. These include but are not limited to the hero’s journey, coming back/redemption, man vs. nature, rags to riches, true crime, and social issues.
