The art of screenwriting

Screenwriting.

Screenwriting is the art of creating the story in a way that is understandable visually as well as when read.
Literally,

screenwriting

ˈskriːnrʌɪtɪŋ/

noun

1. the activity or process of writing screenplays. - Google Dictionary
2. It is the writing for anything like film or TV, including scripts. There are many books about the topic as new screenwriters try to find their place in the screenwriting world, and I will be talking about them here.

History

Screenwriting has been dominated by it's recent past in Hollywood despite it being around much longer. The practice began to become much more popular in the early 20th Century.

"The beginning of cinema is usually considered to be one of two dates: 1894, when the Edison Company held their first public screening of the Kinetoscope or, alternatively, 1895, when the Lumière Brothers shot and projected their Cinèmatographe films." [1]

The word 'screenplay' did not appear as a compound noun until the 1930s, the period that saw the format of a screenplay emerging and becoming more solid, following the introduction of sound. However 'screen play' referred to the actual film itself as early as 1916. By the end of the 1910s the screenplay had developed its definitive format, a text divided into individual, numbered scenes. [2]

Long-lasting techniques

Techniques in screenwriting have developed over the years of its existence but once the format had been developed it stuck, and hasn't changed much since. There are certain techniques in screenwriting that have lasted throughout time, because they work.

Three Act Structure

The Three Act Structure is defined as "a model used in screenwriting that divides a fictional narrative into three parts (acts), often called the Setup, the Confrontation and the Resolution." This puts each script into a format that is evenly broken down and can make parts of the development of the script more systematic (despite the actual process of coming up with and writing script being anything but systematic, with writes and rewrites). Ken Dancyger and Jeff Rush go into more detail about the technique of story writing in Alternative Script Writing: Successfully Breaking the Rules. [3] They write how this structure can help the story build up tension, improve the focus of the story (ensure it doesn't go on tangents) and develop the story efficiently.

One page is one minute

The general rule of thumb of one page of script= one minute is something that has stood to this day. It helps the reader know roughly how long a film will be, and can avoid including too much or too little detail if a page number goal is set. A typical script is 120 pages long, with children's and comedies varying just under, around 90 pages long. This ensures that the script can stick to the format of film and it's almost ensured that (given the script is good) the viewer doesn't get bored or feel the story drags on for too long. [2]

Format

The format of a script has stayed very much the same particularly after Hollywood claiming the film industry and popularising the format commonly known today. It started out with numbered headings titling each scene (as mentioned in 'History') but before even this was developed, a 'script' would be basic notes on possible action and lines that could be used. As films got longer, a more structured plan was needed in order to be following a story more tightly and to make it more understandable.

Screenwriting in Modern day

As television is now more popular than ever, it's important to recognise that screenwriting has changed in order to serve the more fast paced production that is expected of today's viewers. With shows such as Eastenders that airs every day, it requires many different writers to develop material for the shows. [4] 

"Digital technologies and frames of mind have fundamentally shifted what we mean by writing." This refers to modern technologies and viewing platforms (Phone, Youtube, Netflix) having changed how things are written. This can be seen in that  Netflix Originals for example are longer than that of broadcast television shows. This is because the fact that people go to Netflix to choose something or are recommended by peers is taken into consideration. However when it comes to television there is 'channel hopping' which means that shows need to be shorter, to keep the viewer interested in that time for them to come back and watch it again next week.

My understanding

My understanding of screenwriting is that its early development was fundamental to the production of scripts now, how they are viewed and their importance in television and film. The history of screenwriting made it what it is today, and the study of script writing has revealed just how much goes into it, all of the thought processes behind the writers, the discipline and perseverance, and the techniques used to improve storylines and make them more viewer-friendly.

Bibliography

[1] Millard, K. (2014). Screenwriting in a digital era. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, p. Beyond the well-made play, Evolution of screen practice.

[2] Price, S. (2013). A history of the screenplay. Springer, p.2-3.

[3] Dancyger, K. and Rush, J. (2013). Alternative scriptwriting. Oxford: Focal, p. 25.

[4] Bbc.co.uk. (2017). BBC - Continuing Drama - Writers Room. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/about/continuing-drama [Accessed 30 Nov. 2017].