Lirerature on Screenplays

I read the ‘Raindance  Writers Lab’ and it gave me some insights and help on how to create my script. Now that I have researched all the components needed for my script I now needed to look at such things as how to structure a script and what other things besides my idea goes into the script. I’m going to explain the elements of the book that seemed most important to me, and at the end I will review what I thought of the book and how it has helped me when it comes to creating my screenplay.

The first thing the book talks about is ‘Seven Elements’ you need for your script. The seven steps are as followed:

·         Entertainment - The script needs to be entertaining. Screenwriters need to come up with interesting ideas to make a good screenplay and also impress crew members to use their script to make it into a feature.

·         Commerce –  Screenwriters need to keep in mind that it’s not just the crew that is involved and get paid. But also all other people that need to get paid for example the people behind the scenes such as lawyers.

·         Contrivance – This means bringing something together. It’s important that the script is brought together, so we as reader are interested to read on and understand the further story. This can be simply known as different scenes. Each scene comes together, creating the story.

·         Peeping Tom – We as readers are intrigued with feelings and other elements of people that are not ourselves.  Characters must always be intriguing.

·         Maximise – As a screenwriter you need to make sure your screenplay is maximised to the best if your standard.

·         Hollywood – This explains that people starting off scripts should look into Hollywood films. The author explains that there is more to Hollywood than fame and fortune but also the companies and make good films and etc. He explains that watching Hollywood films are a great way to help excel in writing. And this explains how much scripts are needed in Hollywood productions and how important they are.

·         Audience – It’s not just about knowing the audience for your screenplay, but also knowing what other crew members are doing too. For example, the author explains how the director and the screenwriter have a different audience. The directors audience is a million people going to see the film but a screenwriters audience is the person reading the script for the first time. It’s easier for the director because his creation is visual. It’s harder to persuade your audience when it’s only written on paper.

The next few parts of the book is how to get started on writing a screenplay. The author firstly talks about simply planning your idea before creating the actual screenplay. In the book, this is otherwise known as a Blueprint. The author explains how the Blueprint contains everything that needs to go within the script, of course the main idea, but also everything within that like characters and setting. The author shows us a technique to describe your screenplay in twenty five words or less and he also then goes on to explain how to generally add to your blueprint. I found the steps very simple to follow and he uses lots of exercises to get your started and they really help you out. I especially liked looking at the high concept exercise and trying it myself. They are also very enjoyable to have a look at even if you don’t do it 100 percent correct the first time.

The author then goes on to talk about story structures. I already know how my story is going to be structured. I found it quite easy to structure when it came to putting down my idea. But when I read this section of the book I found that I wouldn’t end it being quite ready yet to start working on my screenplay. The author talks about a ‘3 Act Structure’:

·         Act One = Setup

·         Act Two = Chain of conflict

·         Act Three = Resolution

I used this quickly to see if it structured my idea so far. screenplay I didn’t know how much it helped me structure mine. I’m sure I will make changes on my screenplay and I will keep using this technique until I find a structure that works. The chapter also gives you tips on what to add in places like the beginning, middle and end. So overall I found this chapter the most useful so far.

The book also talks about characters. I really wanted to look into this because I don’t feel like my character is fully developed. It gives you different subheadings like how to choose traits for you character and how to make the appeal to not just you but others.( I always have to keep in mind this isn’t for me. I came up with an idea I liked and a subject matter I find interesting but now I have to think about how I’m going to impress others with my idea.) One thing I have always enjoyed doing is giving my characters a full life for example what their family life is like, how they feel etc. We may not see it in a short film but it’s always nice to develop them. It makes you feel in touch with them and it is also good just in case you make more films/stories consisting of them. I like how this book encourages you to do that.

The book goes beyond creating the actual screenplay. It also summarizes how to market it. For example the book has a chapter about preparing a good pitch. What I like about the book is how it tells you how to professionally pitch for example at a pitch meeting. It doesn’t just show you how to succeed but also what to expect and how a pitch meeting is meant to be structured. The book also talks about pitching tools and tips for when it comes to you pitching. The tips that the author give are actually very helpful and not knowing these I would of probably done all the things he told me not to do.

There are lots of other things I find important about this book. I find mostly every chapter in this book important to especially people who are just starting out with screenplays. But that last point I want to touch on in this review that I found more than helpful was a few of the last chapters talking about the life of a screenwriter, and golden rules to remember once you get started. The chapters talks about things that I need to keep in mind when I am writing the script. One really important aspect of a screenplay is genre, and this is something the chapter talks about. It’s only a small paragraph but it gives you the helpful tip to learn the genre inside and out, which I completely agree with. Luckily I chose two genres that I am already quite aware of, but there is always more to learn. It gives you mental tips as well, and explains how important it is to have creativity. I can completely relate to this. When it comes to the end the chapters then talk about golden rules you must remember, now you have had help from a professional.

·         Quantity not Quality

·         Discipline

·         Reject rejection

Evaluating everything I have looked at from this book. It’s so compelling for people that want to go into the screenwriting industry. It has taught me so much from being confident in my work to learning new techniques to make things better. The book has helped me realise all the resources I need for my screenplay. Always going back and getting help I think makes you stronger, and will be using this book when it comes to creating my screenplay.

Looking at existing screenplays

Looking at existing screenplays

The next step was I took was to look at existing screenplays. I wanted to read screenplays that would be relative to the genre or the theme of my screenplay and the TV shows/films I researched. I had watched the clips but I needed to see how they were written as well.

Law and Order

Scripts I looked at:

http://leethomson.myzen.co.uk/Law_&_Order/Law_&_Order_1x10_-_Prisoner_of_Love.pdf

http://leethomson.myzen.co.uk/Law_&_Order/Law_&_Order_9x05_-_Agony.pdf

I went through some Law and Order screenplays to see what they had in common. I used the scripts and bibles site, and found a couple of scripts to go through.

One element I like about the Law and Order scripts is that they are heavily descriptive. I think description is the most important part of a script, especially in the crime genre, because there are so many segments in crime shows. (Segments is another important element I have seen throughout crime screenplays, i.e. the murder, then the investigation and then the conviction.)  Having the right description in a screen play is  important because the visual setting is a key element of a television crime show. Law and Order has dozens of settings for interrogation scenes, like the court room and the interrogation room, and these all need to be explained in great detail in the screen play. The setting is also important because it sets the emotional pace of the scene. Every scene on the screen was first introduced in the screenplay, and  the crew have to go use the screenplay to determine the right location in which to film each scene. Overall I think it is important when it comes to my screenplay, that I be very descriptive to set the scene, even if it’s a very short one.

Next I looked at comedy screenplays. I wanted to see how different the components were from the ones I found in the crime screenplays.

Party Down

http://www.zen134237.zen.co.uk/Party_Down/Party_Down_2x05_-_Steve_Guttenbergs_Birthday.pdf

I used to enjoy watching an American television comedy called “Party Down,” so I decided to use that. Although it has nothing to with interrogation or crime, I decided to use some important features of the sit-com type comedy script in my screen play, and this show is so typical of those.

I found the Party Down script is less descriptive than that of Law and Order, and it focuses way more on the dialogue and how the characters interact with each other, than it does on setting. In this television show the characters are very close knit, but this needed to be proven in the screenplay before filming it, hence the extensive use of dialogue.  I like the way this was done, and I don’t think it’s boring to have a lot of dialogue in a script. Actually it has a lot of positive aspects, for example it gives the script an instant audience.

It is hard to imagine a target audience when something is just on paper. I have found that dialogue helps flesh out the audience. It makes crew member’s jobs easier by branching off into many areas showing specific people to take the certain roles during production. Dialogue also helps the readers become acquainted and intrigued with the characters. Proper use of dialogue gives characters individual identities, stronger personalities, more depth and credibility. And the more the audience identifies with the characters, the more entwined they will become in the plot.

 In conclusion, comedy scripts are always more entertaining to read and it is important that the writer focus on using humorous dialogue that will endear characters in some way and make them funny.

Other elements I have seen in screenplays

There are other elements of screenplays that I have learned about that need to be addressed when it comes to creating mine. Firstly they explain  Interior (inside) and Exterior (outside) shots. This connects with what I explained in my Law and Order paragraph. Screenplays need to set the scene and they do this by giving the readers (and then the crew of the film/TV programme) of the screenplay a list of settings at the beginning of the script. Secondly they always have a cast list before listing the settings. It introduces the cast to the crew but it’s also used during readings with the cast when they have to read the screenplay. It also gives the actor/actress recognition with their character and more simply makes it easy to find their lines. I noticed in the Party Down script thirdly how the script introduces other elements such as explaining when the main credits take place and etc. This helps the crew members who create the TV   show a structure. It’s up to the screenwriter to get structure within their idea/screenplay. This isn’t really the director’s job. I think this needs to be kept in mind how important my screenplay is if it has a chance to get chosen to go into production.

Inspiration

The screenplays I read  were entirely different from one another, but they both had elements I liked that I want to use in my screen play. I think the main thing is that they inspired me to be descriptive (especially  the Law and Order screenplay). Using what I have learned from this, I think in my screen play I have been able to show that it is really all about the characters just as much as the situation.

I liked the dialogue in the Party Down screenplay and it defiantly shows in the TV show. I like the witty and snappy chat that seems to be really effective and funny. So I tried to use this when it came to the funny twist in my script. I was inspired to take a more witty approach to the ending. Overall though, I needed to have a ‘bit of both’. I needed to find a serious side and then bring that comedy in fluently.

Secondary Research: Comedy

Secondary research continued: Comedy

I looked at four pieces of media with a serious approach to police interrogation, and now I will discuss two films chosen for their humorous approach to this subject. I have chosen to use Todd Philips The Hangover, and Kevin Smith’s Cop Out for this purpose.

The Hangover

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJHQ6Cxg6bo

The interrogation clip available on you tube covers two parts of a scene at the police station, but I was just looking at the first half, when the subjects are being interrogated by two very unconventional police officers.

·         This scene is set in a police interrogation room. Even though the film is a comedy, the scenery is very similar to the scenery in Law and Order and The Bill. There has to be some aspects of police scenery and props to set the scene properly, even in a comedy. If for example it had been set in a field, the scene would not convey any seriousness at all. While watching, we can tell the scene is going to be funny, but we also   have that serious feeling of it taking place in a real police station. That somehow makes it even funnier.

 

·         The first thing that came to mind when I watched this scene (and this was also true of the scene from Cop Out), was how un-serious the police officers are. In this movie they are meant to deliver some seriously funny lines during the film, and hopefully to make the audience laugh out loud. They are also meant to fit in with the other characters, who aren’t really very believable. Although they are funny my police characters are going to be more strict than these--similar to the ones on the television shows I looked at. The main reason I made this decision is because of the twist at the end. It would not be as effective if the police officers were looked upon as being silly.

·         The next scene has to do with a ‘deal’ the guys make with the police officers, so that they do not have to go to jail. This obviously wouldn’t happen in a real interrogation, you would have no choice but to do as you’re told. So overall this whole scene is fantasy-like. This type of thing shares similarities with Cop Out.

Cop Out

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpZEQXQ39vE

Cop Out is similar to The Hangover in the sense that it’s comedic and does not follow the conventions of a real interrogation. But all can still be explained. Overall, the interrogation scene involves Tracey Morgan’s character acting out different scenes from action/cop movies with a man he is meant to be interrogating, and actually there is absolutely no interrogation in it.  I really wanted to look at the scene for the comedy in it. It makes me laugh, so they must be doing something right, and I wanted to try and make my screenplay as funny as possible.

·         The scene is set in a realistic interrogation room. However in this picture we can still see some elements that make the whole scene seem unrealistic, for example the cops are not in a police uniform or in formal wear, which stereotypes them immediately as being quite unprofessional. In my screenplay my characters will be more professional.

·         Throughout this scene Tracey Morgan’s character (in a comedic manner) gets the man he is questioning in headlocks, and pins him up against walls. It’s done in a funny manner which is very unprofessional. In conclusion this is the whole point of this type of comedy. When it comes to serious subject matters, directors have to find elements to make them funny, in this instance it was the unprofessional behaviour. This makes it easier for the audience to relate to the characters.

In my screenplay, the twist will be used in this way, to help the audience become more interested in the characters. At first they seem like serious interrogators, but in the end, when they misinterpret the situation, the audience will hopefully be able to see the humour in this, and identify with them as just normal who make mistakes like everyone else.

Secondary Research: Drama

Secondary Research: Looking into Film and Television

As previously discussed on my blog, I have looked at a few television shows and films involving a combination of interrogation methods with a comedic element. I have researched this way because my screenplay will be set in an In Interrogation room and I wanted to give it an added twist of some sort. I’m not looking too deeply at settings and components just yet, but I have taken a look at how people are interrogated so that when I write my screenplay, the atmosphere I create will appear realistic. Although my screenplay is a comedy, realism is still a very important aspect.

Law and Order

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsaMvU7lITg

The first television show I looked at was Law and Order, where I knew I would find lots of interrogation scenes. One particular scene, even though not very long, stood out for me because it used some great elements to create suspense and other feelings that put me right in the moment. Although my screenplay will be a comedy and not a drama like this one, I still wanted to get to the core feeling of being interrogated and this scene helped me to do that. Even though my screenplay is a funny twist to it, I wanted the interrogation to appear real.

·         In this particular interrogation at the beginning of the scene, they were doing a paraffin test on a woman to see if she had fired a gun. This might be commonplace in many investigations.

·         Even though the two people in the interrogation room know each other, they are still using similar conventions, for example they are asking each other questions.

·         The characters are serious. Their dialogue is serious. The words they say are used in serious context. There is no humour in this scene, it’s not meant to be funny. Communication is vital when it comes to creating an interrogation scene and this clip is a good example of how to create this type of dialogue and atmosphere. A scene like this doesn’t even necessarily need much dialogue. The proper chemistry between the characters would go a long way to setting the scene.

    

·         The scenery is also very important and had to be researched. For example the room here is clostrophobic, dark and cold. This is a tactic used on purpose to make people uncomfortable, and it contrasts with the emotion of the people being interrogated. I want my screenplay to have a cold feeling in general, and then at the end have that change to one of warmth and humour. To me the cold/warmth  contrasts indicate drama/ comedy aspects.

·         People here are dressed formally. When it comes to my screenplay this is important. It gives the authority and identity to the characters.

The Bill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0iaPBouN3Qill

This clip comes from the final episode. Although they are going through the same process as Law and Order, it is set up differently. Here are some examples:

·         In this clip close ups of facial expressions are seen a lot throughout the clip. We get back and forth shots of the police officer and the murder suspect they are interrogating and these covey unspoken emotions. There are obvious differences in their their postures and body language as well. How the PO sits up straight and broad at the thug slouches. This gives us an idea of their identity. This is vital.

·          In this clip they are using props, such as an evidence bag with an unidentified object in it. It is clear that the object is connected to the murder. It’s important to have props in my screen play, especially if I am going to do a police interrogation, because just a few well placed items can set the scene and even the story. If there was no evidence, for example, we would know nothing about the murder.

I decided in the end when looking at  films, that I should review two comedy films and two more serious films. The two more serious films I looked at were Lord Of War, and Inglourious Bastards. They are different, but both explore interrogation.

Lord Of War

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTK8torOylM

While watching the interrogation scene from Lord Of War I could clearly see that film is more unrealistic than television. I found that parts of the interrogation scene in Lord Of War were quite over the top, for example a very long discussion took place as opposed to the  quick fire questions and responses of a television show.

·         The interrogation room is quite stylized. It does not look like a police interrogation room. It’s open and spacious, well lit, and gives off more of a warm feeling than say for instance the room in Law and Order.

·         As I said above, the dialogue between the two characters in this clip is complex. It goes into other situations not relevant to the crime. Nicholas Cage’s character talks about his past, and how people close to him have died, as well as talking about the crimes he has committed. So we get a mix of crime interrogation and speech setting the themes of the film.

·         In this scene, Cage’s character, who is being interrogated, at times seems to be taking the role of a police officer. He states towards the end how someone is going to release him. This normally is not something a suspect has the opportunity to say. It doesn’t seem realistic for him to think he has a choice what the reprocussions will be for his crime. In this case, it creates an unrealistic element to the film, and gives Cage’s character the right to break conventions of an interrogation.

Inglourious Basterds

I own this on DVD, so I got to see the whole scene instead of just parts of it on you tube. I think seeing all the sequences here in this scene is very important. Scenery wise, it’s not like any of the scenes I have previously analysed. It’s set in a woodland area. The reason I wanted to analyse this scene, is because this is one of my favourite films, and there is so much to talk about here when it comes to interrogation. The main reason I like the interrogation in this film is because of the emotion that comes through in it.

·         This scene has more physical power than the others for obvious reason. The film’s purpose is to talk about the Germans vs. Americans and  Jews during the war For example here you see the German sergeant is surrounded by American/ Jewish soldiers with ammunition.

·         We get shots like this thorough out the interrogation scene, of the two characters (from opposites sides) looking at and talking to each other. I like shots like these in films, because I get to see the expressions of both the people at the same time, so I hope to use similar shots if my  screenplay becomes a film. It’s important in my theme, because the man who is being accused did not commit the suspect crime, and I want to get his feelings across as much as possible.

·         This scene has more conventions of a real life interrogation than some others. That probably has to do with the subject matter. Brad Pitt’s character asks lots of difficult questions, some of which are too personal to be answered, because there are prices to be paid for doing bad things. In this instance, the solider is given the choice to not be killed by the Bastards, but he decides he would rather die than answer the questions he have been given.

Primary Research

I ask my parents to fill out a survey i created. All the questions are on my printed out version but this is what i found out:

On the first question i gave them, (stating why they prefer comedy over drama) they both agreed that that it's always nice to have a simple plot and a feeling of not having to follow all the drama that goes on in television series, films and any other types of media.

They also both agreed that slapstick comedy is still used nowdays. I dont want my screenplay to be a slapstick comedy, however it was nice to see what other people thought of the genre as we dont really hear about it nowdays.

They both agreed that having a ending that comedic is effective. One of my parents said it keeps you wanting more which i can agree with and the other said it gives the film more of a 'lasting impact.'

I then asked them if comedy that has a serious theme can still be funny. They both said yes. They both said that many popular television shows have touchy subjects that are still funny. For example one of my parents made an example of Scrubs. It's set in a hospital and the characters go through emotional rides with themselves but also their work.

Lastly since my screenplay is to do with crime etc I asked if they find humour in politics. One of them brought the real world into it saying 'What is there in politics nowdays?' And the other one also replied yes and how some television shows also make politcs into a funny matter, and that anything can be funny if you do it right.

Looking into Television and Film

I have chosen a few TV shows and films that have interrogation in them, so i can start researching not just how they interrogate, but also psychologicaly (feelings and etc) I have chose 3 TV shows to look into:

The Bill
Law and Order
Silent Witness

When it comes to film i have split up the films into two groups. Because my screenplay is hopefully going to be comedic, I have also found some comedy films as well as serious films to look at when it comes to interrogation. The more serious films i am going to look at are:

Lord Of War - Havent seen it but apparently it has a famous Interrogation scene
The Dark Knight - Scene with the Joker.
Inglourious Basterds - Not set in a police station, but i like the way they interrogate the guy so it's well worth having another look at. I have found two comedy films i want to look at:

The Hangover - Scene at the police station
Cop Out - Same as above.

I will write about what i have found once i finnish watching the clips.

Research Plan

When it comes to researching I need to look and Primary and Secondary research. Im planning on doing a couple of types of research for each.

Primary
Survey/Questionnaire based on my idea. They need to include questions such as, would you watch my idea? and what type of ways could i make it more comedic when it comes to it maybe being filmed?

Secondary
Look into exsiting inviews about interrogation, Watch television and films about police/FBI angents and look carefully at the parts where interrogation takes place.