1. U64022 SCREENWRITING ADVANCED WEEK 3 SCREENPLAY STANDARDS (2) FILM GENRES (1) Romantic Comedies

2. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS HEADINGS (shot headings, scene headings, slug lines) DIRECTION (action, business, description) DIALOGUE TRANSITIONS PUNCTUATION DRAFTS & SPECIAL PAGES

3. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIRECTIONS CAPITALIZATION Introducing a speaking character (each scene, ONLY first occurrence) If characters played by two actors at different ages  two different descriptors (ex. YOUNG HARRY, HARRY) U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

4. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIRECTIONS CAPITALIZATION ALL sound effect onscreen (except living characters) Both sound and source of sound ALL offscreen sound Do not add O.S. if evident from context U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

5. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIRECTIONS CAPITALIZATION Describing camera direction The word CAMERA Camera movements (use very sparingly) All prepositions related to camera or movement U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

6. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIRECTIONS CAPITALIZATION Other INTO FRAME, INTO VIEW, OUT OF FRAME, OUT OF VIEW FREEZE FRAME – MILLS SUPERIMPOSE: “THEN NEW LINE, CENTRED” SUPER: “SAME LINE” INSERT – TITLE CARD (if on black screen in-between scenes) U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

7. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIRECTIONS CAPITALIZATION Other V.O. and O.S. Signs, banners, headlines (within action, within commas) Anything written and seen on screen U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

8. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIRECTIONS NEVER capitalize b.g. and f.g. “We see” (never capitalize and use sparingly, usually only with POV shots) Underscoring Looks amateurish, don’t overuse If used, do not underline final period, if any U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

9. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIALOGUE STYLE Spell out all spoken words (no abbreviation) Don’t overdo incorrect grammar and colloquialism Underline accepted to give emphasis

10. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIALOGUE CHARACTER’s name (O.S.) and (V.O.): ALL CAPS O.S.  physically present in the scene but not in view V.O.  all other cases NO BOLD, NO ITALICS

11. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - DIALOGUE Parentheticals (character directions) Never capitalize Never add period at the end No more than 4 lines Not at the end of a speech Never break page with parenthetical (instead, new page, name of character (CONT’D) then parenthetical) Common pars.: (sotto), (beat)

12. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - TRANSITIONS Always begin script with FADE IN: Always end script with FADE OUT or THE END (centred, after 5 blank lines)

13. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - TRANSITIONS No need to use CUT TO: at end of every scene Use CUT TO: or DISSOLVE TO or FADE TO BLACK. to underline particular situations only (e.g. end of a narrative section or act) Other: QUICK CUT TO: HARD CUT TO: CUT TO BLACK. DON’T OVERUSE. ONLY IF ESSENTIAL!

14. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - PUNCTUATION Double space between words after period? (NOT ANY LONGER) Ellipsis (…) when characters’ speech trails off. Don’t overuse within speech. Dash (2 hyphens --) when characters’ speech is interrupted by another character

15. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS - PUNCTUATION Quotation marks: song, poems, short stories, television series, newspaper articles, magazine articles (periods and commas inside the marks; semicolons and colons outside; question and exclamation marks inside only if part of quotation) Underscoring: names of ships/spacecraft/planes, title of book/magazine/newspaper/movie/play (this is why underscoring must be used sparingly for emphasis)

16. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS – SPECIAL PAGES Title page On spec: title, name, contact info Under contract: TITLE, name, based on the book by, contact info of producer, DRAFT and date (perhaps copyright notice) Writer’s credit: written by

17. SCREENPLAY STANDARDS – SPECIAL PAGES First page No number 1 on page 1 Last page Always end with THE END centred, after 5 blank spaces

18. SCREENPLAY FORMAT – SPECIAL CASES PARALLEL ACTION To show two or more events (i.e. actions) within the same sequence (at same or different time, in same or different locations), because of some logical connection in the narrative. Separate scenes (alternate) Within single scene, with slug lines Two separate scenes, then INTERCUT or CROSS- CUT

19. SCREENPLAY FORMAT – SPECIAL CASES CONVERSATIONS VIA COMMUNICATION DEVICES Telephones, mobiles, Internet, etc. Only ONE side seen+heard ONE side seen + BOTH heard BOTH sides seen+heard Essential use of: O.S. extension, parentheticals (into phone, from phone), INTERCUT

20. SCREENPLAY FORMAT – SPECIAL CASES VEHICLES If stationary, they are treated as interiors. If moving, specify in slug line. Location+car – separate scene Car chase – instructions or slug lines within scene

21. SCREENPLAY FORMAT – SPECIAL CASES TIME-SHIFTS Any major break of the chronology Part of scene line (to reader) Superimposed (to audience)

22. SCREENPLAY FORMAT – SPECIAL CASES FLASHBACKS Character’s subjective account of the past, either through personal memories or visualized testimony. Always specify start and end of flashback in script. (FLASHBACK) and (BACK TO PRESENT) in scene heading, Or, within scene FLASHBACK and END FLASHBACK/RETURN TO SCENE on slug lines Or, containing scene(s) FLASHBACK (before scene heading) and END FLASHBACK. (before next scene heading back to present) DREAMS or FANTASIES can be disguised, if wished so

23. SCREENPLAY FORMAT – SPECIAL CASES DIALOGUE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES It is assumed that characters always speak English. If they speak another language, write dialogue in English, preceded by language in parenthetical. If subtitled, specify.

24. GENRES – Romantic Comedy

25. 3-ACT STRUCTURE - Summary ACT I – SETUP, pp.1-30 What? Setting + info (hero) How? Inciting incident  conflict  action/goal Plot point #1 (end of Act I – pp.25-27) ACT II – CONFRONTATION, pp.31-90 What? Obstacles and problems How? Reversals, recognition, suffering Mid-point (p.60) Plot point #2 (end of Act II – pp.85-90) ACT III – RESOLUTION, pp.91-110(120) What? Climax  resolution How? Initial problem solved/unsolved goal achieved U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

26. 3-ACT STRUCTURE – ROMANTIC COMEDY GENERAL 3-ACT STRUCTURE 1.Conflict: the hero takes on a problem 2.Crisis: the hero can’t solve the problem 3.Resolution: the hero solves the problem 3 ACTS IN ROMANTIC COMEDIES 1.Meet: girl+boy have significant encounter(s) 2.Lose: girl+boy are separated (+ re-united + separated again) 3.Get: girl+boy reunite Romantic comedy = comedy whose central plot revolves around a romantic relationship  COUPLE Clip from Nancy Meyer’s The Holiday U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

27. ROMANTIC COMEDY – CHARACTERS Romantic comedies have a BIG HANDICAP...... The audience knows the ending before they start. How do you get the audience interested in the story? Characters  strong desires  (plenty of) obstacles Obstacles = external + INTERNAL conflicts  character- driven CHARACTERIZATION U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

28. CHARACTER – SUMMARY OF TRAITS  Ontologic: gender, race, class, family background, name  Experience: education, abilities, own family, sexuality, back-story  Now: age, occupation, friends/enemies, appearance, world view, beliefs, manners, sense of humour, tension levels, language, pastimes/passions, delusions U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

29. CHARACTER AND PLOT  Motivation  Objectives (and threats) (goal-oriented characters)  Relationships with other characters  Relationships with antagonistic forces  Role of the back-story U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

30. CHARACTERS IN ROMANTIC COMEDY  Male lead: attractive BUT also intimate, weak (?)  arc = strong, sexaholic, macho, sexist  gradual exposure of weakness  love wins  Female lead: strong, modern, active, aggressive (resistance)  true love (not subordinate role in couple)  Wrong guy/girl: socially presentable and stable, but not deep nor desirable  no chemistry  Friend/helper: characterization mirror + story forward U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

31. CHARACTERS IN ROMANTIC COMEDY Present life of character = Now BUT Script  Character’s arc  challenge/change? 1. Meet  at least one-half of couple not interested (love challenges characters) 2. Lose  what do they lose if they lose each other? (characters deny love or accept but are denied love) 3. Get  love transforms the characters (change)  something is learned  positive growth U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level

32. ROMANTIC COMEDIES – 7 BEATS 1. Setup: male lead introduced + female lead introduced (?)  unfulfilled desire 2. Catalyst (inciting incident): female lead introduced  (amusing, memorable) “meet cute” but obstacle (eg. wrong guy/girl in the way) 3. Sexy complication (turning point #1): new development, external problem  internal issue  character reacts (or does not) 4. Hook (midpoint, sequence or section): situation that binds couple (further implications)  sexual tension 5. Swivel (turning point #2): highest point of romance  jeopardize chance of achieving goal  point of no return (choice) 6. Dark moment (crisis climax): humiliation (fight or failed reconciliation)  all lost 7. Joyful defeat (resolution): personal sacrifice  happy ending (also just symbolic)  marriage or committment U64022 Screenwriting: Advanced Level 1 2 3 4 (+) 5 6 7

33. HOMEWORK FOR WEEK 4 Watch: - Four Weddings and a Funeral (set 1) - Notting Hill (set 2) - Pretty Woman (set 3) Write a scene breakdown of the narrative structure and identify the 7-step pattern (including sections building up to each step) Bring along your analysis for seminar discussion in week 4