This document provides an overview of key concepts in screenwriting including genre, plot points, characters, and story structure. It discusses genre conventions, the inciting incident, progressive complications, crisis, climax, and resolution as important plot points. It also covers protagonists, antagonists, character arcs, dimensions, and the difference between characterization and character. Finally, it discusses beats, scenes, sequences, acts, and story as elements of story structure.
2. Genre
• Genre refers to various film types
• A motion pictures such as a thriller, romance, musical, drama
or comedy that plays on the expectations of the audience
regarding familiar plot structure, characters, and setting.
3. Genre
Genre Conventions are
specific settings, roles,
events and values that
define individual genres
and their sub-genres.
4. Genre Conventions
Crime Drama must have
a crime.
A Love Story must have
romance.
A Comedy must be
funny.
A Social Drama must
identify problems in
society.
5. Mastery of Genre
Study Your Genre
Watch Your Genre
Read Scripts from Your Genre
Ask: What are the conventions of time, place, character and
action?
8. Plot Points
The Inciting Incident
Progressive Complications
Crisis
Climax
Resolution
Robert Towne,
Screenwriter of
Chinatown
9. Inciting Incident
Turns the Protagonist’s Life Upside Down
Happens to or Caused by the Protagonist
It Must Take Place on Screen
10. Progressive Complications
Easy at First
Raise the Stakes
Seems Impossible
Tests the Hero
Forces of Antagonism
11. Crisis
All Seems Lost
The Hero May Not Get What He Wants
It Must Be on Screen
The Hero Must Make a Decision (Dilemma)
It’s the End of the Line
Face to Face with the Forces of Antagonism
12. Climax
Major Reversal Full of Meaning
It Moves the Audience
The Ending Is Unexpected and Satisfying
13. Resolution
A Slow Curtain
Resolve Subplots
Satisfies Curiosity
Courtesy
Leave with Dignity
16. Characters
Protagonist
Antagonist
Character Arc
Character Dimension
Character vs Characterization
17. Protagonist
Must Empathize
A Conscious Desire
An Unconscious Desire
Able to Pursue Desire
18. Antagonist
Embodies the Forces
of Antagonism
Appears Invincible
Powerful & Complex
Opposes the Will
and Desire of
Protagonist
19. Character Arc
Story by
Stephen King
Transformation
Negative to Positive
Positive to Negative
Written and
Change thru Choice Directed by
Frank Darabont
20. Character Dimension
At Least Four Dimensions
Dimensions Mean Contradictions
Protagonist Is the Most Dimensional
21. Character vs Characterization
Characterization = traits: sex, dress, age,
education, occupation, etc.
Character = Revealed by Choices Under
Pressure.
24. Story Structure
Alfred
Hitchcock,
Beat Director of
North by
Scene (Story Event) Northwest
Sequence
Act The Alfred
Hitchcock
Story Collection
28. Act
A Major Reversal
Climactic Scene
More Powerful
Hero’s Life Changed
For Better or Worse
29. Story
“A story is a series of acts that build to a last
act climax or story climax which brings about
absolute and irreversible change.”
Robert McKee
39. Acknowledgements
Robert McKee, author of Story.
http://www.mckeestory.com/
Richard Krevolin, author of Screenwriting from
the Soul & professor USC.
http://www.profk.com/bio.html
Joseph Campbell: The Hero’s Journey.
www.netflix.com
streaming 1 hour introduction
40. Presented At:
Truckee Meadows Community College
Pepperdine University
University of Nevada, Reno
University of Costa Rica