Screenplay

Building Story Through Character

Jule Selbo

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9781317386957
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Medien & darstellende Kunst
• Subtopic: Drehbuchschreiben

Screenplay: Building Story Through Character is designed to help screenwriters turn simple or intricate ideas into exciting, multidimensional film narratives with fully-realized characters. Based on Jule Selbo's unique 11-step structure for building story through characters, the book teaches budding screenwriters the skills to focus and shape their ideas, turning them into stories filled with character development, strong plot elements based on obstacles and conflicts, and multifaceted emotional arcs.

Using examples and analysis from classic and contemporary films across a range of genres, from The Godfather to Guardians of the Galaxy, Selbo's Screenplay takes students inside the scriptwriting process, providing a broad overview for both beginners and seasoned writers alike. The book is rounded out with discussion questions, writing exercises, a guide to the business of screenwriting, in-depth film breakdowns, and a glossary of screenwriting terms.

Chapter 1
Idea vs. Story

This book is designed for those who are taking on the task of writing a full-length screenplay. Whether it’s your first or one-hundredth screenplay, this book can help you create an exciting and multi-dimensional story by focusing on the characters’ journeys. It focuses on story-telling skills, with an emphasis on classic structure—as it pertains to telling a story through character. You will learn how to focus and shape your ideas and turn them into stories with enough character growth, plot, obstacles and emotional arc to keep an audience’s attention for ninety-plus minutes in a movie theater.

This book is designed to illuminate an Eleven Step Story Structure based on character and aid the writer in the creation of a strong skeleton on which to hang a story.

Stories are what make films enjoyable. Audiences go to the movies to lose themselves in stories that take them on an emotional and intellectual journey. In most cases, this means they identify with certain characters and become involved in their journeys to reach a specific goal.

The storytelling tradition goes back to the beginning of humanity. Storytellers have always held a respected place in societies. Originally, storytelling was an oral tradition. With the advent of the written language, stories could be shared with a wider audience. The invention of the printing press made the dissemination of legends, myths, morality tales—all forms of stories—even easier. Whether the stories were written in novel or short story form—or whether they were relayed on the theatrical stage—stories have always had a treasured place in all areas of the world.

Films bring storytelling to life in a very special way. Films use the visual and aural medium to create a transforming experience for the viewer. Who doesn’t love to immerse himself in a filmed story that engages all the senses?

The screenwriter’s task is to come up with stories for the film-going audience to enjoy—dramas, comedies, historical epics, fantasies, mysteries, stories of triumph or disaster—stories that hit an emotional core.

Where does one find these stories?

From Idea to Story

First you need an idea.

If ideas pop into your mind all the time—great. Who doesn’t like to sit around and come up with ideas for outrageous situations? Or take a long walk and wonder “what if …”? Just know that ideas are only the start of the screenplay process.

The idea, which is the initial seed of a story, is very important. But the idea needs to grow and blossom into a fully realized story in order to engage an audience. Stories are multi-dimensional and stories explore themes. Stories take characters on journeys of self-discovery and adventure. Stories have ups and downs, and the best stories have a strong authorial point of view.

A Screenwriter has to be Committed to Finding the Story in the Idea

Turning ideas into stories is what screenwriters work on every day. Before a screenwriter seeks out the right producer/agent/actor/director to connect to his great idea, he has to come up with a full story. Studio and independent producers or development executives have one main job: to find new properties that will make terrific films. Their job is to respond to stories and ask: Is it right for their company? Would this story be something that their bosses would be willing to invest money in to develop further? Development executives know that an idea, however exciting, is not enough to sustain interest for the length of a feature film. Ideas, in order to become stories, need structural components. An idea, without the story structure behind it, is not something development executives want to take to their bosses.

What are the Differences between an Idea and a Screen Story?

Stories have:

• A Beginning, Middle and End
• A Strong Character Arc
• Plot Points That Increase Conflict
• Presentation of Theme
• A Point of View
• How to tell the difference between an idea and a story? Here’s an example:
  • Idea: A crazy, eccentric family wins a trip to the Amazon and they have wild experiences in the jungle and adopt a lion and have to live with the natives and figure out how to survive.
  • Story: A crazy, eccentric family finds itself in dire straits; the mortgage cannot be paid and they are about to be homeless. The father, Jack, a neon-tube artist, blames himself for his fiscal irresponsibility. He wants to take care of his family and secure some self-respect. He’d invested in a wacky scheme and it’s backfired and now all their savings are gone. He talks to his banker; he asks his selfish, cold father for help, he tries to sell his art at a loss… nothing works. He is aware that his wife and children will consider their lives ruined; his wife had hoped to go back to school, his son needs new tap shoes for a dance contest, and his daughter has recently become ashamed of their small run-down home due to the fact that a rich, popular boy has taken an interest in her. Jack has to tell his family that he has lost their house, their security. A huge rift occurs in the family; blame and hurt and anger erupt and this family is in ruins. As an angry gesture, Jack spends his last dollar on a lottery ticket. And unbelievably, he wins! There’s great excitement—until the family learns that the prize is not cash—but an all-expense paid trip to the Amazon…

Okay, that’s just the set up, maybe the first five to six pages of your screenplay. Obviously the story will really get going once the family reaches South America. The characters may have to grow, learn to trust and rely on each other, learn the true meaning of family. Or, this may turn out to be a horrific tragedy; the family destroys whatever bonds they have left, they learn to fear each other and each must fight for personal survival—a battle of the fittest.

The direction of the story is up to you.

You will need to decide: is it a comedy or a drama? The story elements you choose to include will determine that. Maybe there’s a television crew that is going along and this prize will be akin to a “reality” show, and the story includes humorous physical and verbal slapstick—elements that could make the story a comedy. Or maybe a family member gets sick or kidnapped and it’s a drama. Maybe they get stranded and nearly starve and it becomes a family adventure movie. There are choices to be made when building a story.

What’s important to know is that a story has depth and dimensions. A story illuminates characters, allows them to face obstacles and go through changes. Stories have a shape, an arc, a plot and a point of view.

Remember the lion that was part of the original idea? Will the lion become a strong character? Will the lion be a symbol? Will the lion be dangerous or gentle? More choices to make.

A story is full of events. How will you build your story towards a climactic ending? What huge event will bring about the film’s crisis? Will the family discover they have to go the extra mile to overcome hurt and anger and pull together as a unit? Can they rely on each other? Will they realize that money or lack of money is not really the family “problem”? What will “family” really mean to them at the end of the story?

Your Idea has been Planted…

Don’t get ahead of yourself. Let the story elements take root. Let your story take the time it needs to grow. Don’t talk about your story too much too soon. You may diminish your energy for the project. Someone could say one word that derails you completely. Your point of view, your themes and your take on the characters are yours. You can’t expect someone else to “see” the project in the same way. Someone—be it friend, acquaintance or foe—may suggest changes or new ideas that could cloud your original vision. They may just be trying to help and then, in a nightmarish diatribe of “helpful” suggestions, completely confuse you and cause you to lose your core interest in the story. By soliciting input too early, you risk losing something very precious. Wait. Wait until you’ve worked out a strong story before you ask for feedback. Be patient and protect yourself; we can all be easily influenced in creative matters.

Once you feel committed and have worked out major story beats and character arcs and know what you are trying to accomplish, find just a few people to bounce it off. But again, be careful. Don’t stop strangers on the street, don’t spill the story to the person sitting next to you on the bus, don’t call every member of your extended family or your entire high school class and ask them what they think. Choose two or three trusted friends or colleagues who have no desire to change the story to their own tastes. Find colleagues who will actually try to illuminate your vision. Yes, your story may change and evolve as you get feedback. But make sure it’s still the story you are passionate about writing, that its genesis and point of view haven’t been lost because there have been too many “fingers in the pot.” Be strong; listen to opinions and ideas if you find them helpful, ignore the ones that are not helpful. Remember, you are the writer; it’s your story. It should be told in your way.

The Challenge of Screenwriting

One of the best (and most challenging) things about being a screenwriter is that it is a profession that relies on personal motivation and self-discipline. You can choose your own time to work: early morning, mid-day or in the dark of night. You can do your work all by yourself, on your own schedule, when your brain works best. One of the most challenging things about being a screenwriter is that it takes a lot of personal motivation and self-discipline. You give yourself the chance to reap rewards only if you can set aside the time and the energy. Remember, there are lots of screenwriters out there that have incredible discipline. It’s one of the reasons success comes their way.

As a writer you should expect to be challenged: by the process, by yourself. You should expect to be frustrated at times. There will be days when your writing and your thought processes spring from your mind with ease. There will be days when you feel you’re pulling impacted wisdom...