UNIT III: ADVANCED APPLICATIONS CHAPTER 9: Features and Long Form CHAPTER 10: Directing CHAPTER 11: Marketing and Distribution CHAPTER 12: Professional and Career Opportunities

CHAPTER 9 FEATURES AND LONG FORM

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES Feature-length Production; • Examine various approaches to Feature-length Production; • Introduce the structure and format of Professional Screenwriting; • Explore Budgeting and Financing; • Review Crew Positions and Elements of the Production Process for features.

THE STUDIO SYSTEM First Full-length Feature was The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) First half of 20th Century studios Vertically Integrated Rise of Television in the 1950s created More Competition

THE STUDIO SYSTEM 1960s through the 1980s, Independent Producer powerful force in TV 1990s Consolidation of Ownership Video capture for Long Form: Attack of the Clones (2002)

TELEVISION FORMATS 30-minute Episodes (22 min. of programming) Made-for-television Movies (90 min. of programming in 2 hr. slot) Executive Producer - “showrunner” Pilots Syndication

SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE Act I: Story established; Characters developed (30 pages) Act II: Introduces a Major Complication (60 pages) Act III: Resolves the Story (30 pages)

SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE One Page Per Minute Plot Points First 10 Minutes: self-contained Dramatic Unit

TELEVISION WRITING Act structure defined by Commercial Breaks 60-minute episode: Four Acts plus Teaser and Tag 30-minute episode: Two Acts plus Teaser and Tag

TELEVISION WRITING The A-story is the Main Story The B-story is a Sub-plot, focusing on supporting characters The C-story is usually lighter in tone, called the Runner

WRITING TIPS Backstory Every scene should move the story Forward Try writing a scene by Starting at the End – you will know where you are going

SCREENPLAY FORMAT Title of the Project Name of the Author “SCENE 1.” “EXT.” or “INT.” Identify the Location Example: “EXT. PARKING DECK – NIGHT.”

SCREENPLAY FORMAT Descriptive information Single-spaced, Block Left or Indented Five Spaces Put a new character’s name in All-caps – First Time Used! Technical information in All-caps

SCREENPLAY FORMAT Dialogue indented 25-30 spaces under the character’s name Character’s name before dialogue indented 10-15 spaces If a scene continues onto the next page, “(CONTINUED)”

BUDGETING Script Breakdown Above-the-line Expenses Below-the-line Expenses The Producer’s Masterguide Union and Non-Union Projects Tax Incentives

FINANCING Private Investors Fundraising Shares High-risk and High-yield Venture Trade Shares for Services

FINANCING Control Cash Flow - service in kind Deferments Completion Guarantee Retaining Ownership Product Placement

THE PRODUCTION PROCESS FOR FEATURES AND LONG-FORM The Producer Financial producers Practical producers Creative producers “Executive Producer”

THE PRODUCTION PROCESS FOR FEATURES AND LONG-FORM Preproduction Unit Production Manager (UPM) Production schedule Stripboard Shooting schedule Liability insurance Replacement coverage

THE PRODUCTION PROCESS FOR FEATURES AND LONG-FORM Preproduction Purchase orders (P.O.) Studio space Location scouting Permits Location releases Equipment reservations

THE PRODUCTION PROCESS FOR FEATURES AND LONG-FORM Principal actors Supporting actors Bit players Extras Stand-ins Stunt doubles

THE PRODUCTION PROCESS FOR FEATURES AND LONG-FORM Actor breakdown sheet Extras breakdown Line producer Daily production report Daily hot cost Script supervisor

THE PRODUCTION PROCESS FOR FEATURES AND LONG-FORM Postproduction Locking the program Spotting the program Composing the score Automated dialogue replacement (ADR) Sound effects Visual effects Mastering

Copyright 2008 Taylor and Francis SAMPLE EXERCISES 1. You are given One Million Dollars to create a feature. How will you Budget this money to get the job done? 2. Outline a Feature-length Project. Make the first ten minutes of your feature a Stand-alone Dramatic Journey as well as an introduction to the larger questions of your story. Script the First Ten Minutes of this feature using the Formal Screenwriting Format. 3. Produce a Short Test Program based on the 10-minute Script you composed for Exercise #2. Copyright 2008 Taylor and Francis