Glossary Flashcards
Act
films are traditionally broken down into 3 acts, comprising the beginning, middle and end of the film. Though we may not see these onscreen in the same way we see them on the stage (where curtains may literally fall, the set changes), they are incredibly valuable in planning screenplay structure.
Actor / Star / Talent
the thespians who will bring your script to life. Can you write attractive roles to lure the top talent to your project?
Allies
those characters who help your hero on their quest.
Antagonist
the person or force blocking your hero’s goal – Darth Vader in STAR WARS, Agent Smith in THE MATRIX, Pazuzu the Demon in THE EXORCIST – the main enemy figure. Also known as the Shadow.
Beat
used in two distinct forms – 1) a small moment of pause, either during a speech or between actors i.e. the characters take a beat. 2) the smallest meaningful dramatic unit action – i.e. a scene is made up of multiple story beats. The second usage is the most useful, the first is overused in micromanaging actors.
Boxofficemojo.com
a great resource for box office statistics.
Commissioner
professional, usually within Broadcasters, who is responsible for the commissioning of new shows and films.
Conflict
the lifeblood of screenplays – the clash of wills, the blocking of goals, arguments, fights, disagreements. Broken down into Internal, External and Interpersonal, depending on the source of conflict. Master the skill of creating powerful conflicts and you’re halfway towards a quality screenplay.
Development Executive
professional within a production company who assesses and develops story ideas, screenplays and book adaptations, managing the slate.
Dilemma
when a character is torn between two or more choices. The more difficult the dilemma to resolve, the stronger the audience is hooked to the action.
Director
the person who will commit your scenes to film (well, digital now). Has final say on performances, camera movements and dialogue – will become the new keeper of your screenplay.
Distributor
company who distributes your film in various territories.
Dramatic Irony
when audiences know more than an onscreen character, creating a disparity which gives rise to concern, dread or anticipation – such as when the audience know there is a killer in the basement, but the protagonist does not.
Dramatic Tension
when audiences are hooked to find out how a situation will be resolved.
Editor
1) script editor who helps develop your screenplay 2) film editor who will ultimately decide which footage will be included in the film’s final cut and in which order.
Enemies
those characters who oppose your hero on their journey.
Exhibiter
the cinemas who exhibit your film.
Exposition
basic story points delivered so that the audience understands the world, characters and situation. Good exposition is well hidden such that audiences are barely aware they’re receiving it.
Final Draft
the world’s #1 screenwriting software, used throughout the industry. Formats your script perfectly to industry standards. Most executives and agents will only work with FD. Better to just buy it early on and stop worrying than bothering with free software.
Foreshadowing
setting up material
Free Lunch
a screenwriter’s term for a producer.
Genre
a system for classifying films based on similarities – Romance, Comedy, Horror etc.
Goal
what characters seek in screenplays.
Hero
the protagonist, the central character – though not always heroic.
IMDB.com
the Internet Movie Database, a prime research tool.
Index Card
useful writing tool – small card which can be used to hold ideas, represent scenes or plot developments – build up enough index cards of ideas and scenes and you’ll have enough material to form a screenplay.
Invitation to Collaborate
film is a collaborative industry, and your screenplay is an invitation to all the other players – directors, producers, actors, cinematographers, sound artists. It is not a piece of art unto itself, and it is not a diktat intended to be followed precisely word for word. Leave room for your collaborators to work.
Logline
a one sentence summary of the main components of your story.
Mentor
the wise figure who guides the hero and imparts knowledge.
Micromanaging
the tendency for new screenwriters to be over-precise in describing scenery, action and how actor’s should deliver dialogue.
Midpoint
a major dramatic moment around the middle of the film, which escalates stakes, twists plot or shows significant character development.
Monkey with a Typewriter
a producer’s term for a screenwriter.
Mystery
when audiences are intellectually hooked by being denied answers, raising their curiosity to find out the truth. Also a type of film.
On the Nose
dialogue which is very direct and obvious, seeming unrealistic or unimaginative – lacking subtext. “I love you” is on the nose. “You’re not bad” (said playfully) has hidden meaning which needs to be interpreted.
Option
when someone pays a small upfront fee to hold the rights to your screenplay for a limited period of time.
Pass / Consider / Recommend
the rating system applied to screenplays when being assessed by production companies. A large majority are rated as ‘pass’ (meaning the company is passing on the material, perhaps 60 – 80%), whilst some merit a ‘consider’ (where the development executives put the project into discussion within the company), whilst few screenplays garner a ‘recommend’ – a seal of approval that the script is ready to be made into a viable feature film.
Pitch
a short sales spiel made to convince someone to read your screenplay, listen to your full sales briefing, or simply to stop them from kicking you out of their office. Short, sharp and punchy.
Planting & Payoff
the skilled use of planting information and character traits, to be paid off later in the screenplay.
Producer
the person who puts the whole film production together.
Protagonist
the principle character or lead in a screenplay – they drive the action, it’s their story, and we are following their emotional journey. Some films are multi-protagonist, following multiple protagonists. Also known as the hero.
Reader
someone employed by agents, producers and studios to read and grade screenplays. Your best friend, your worst enemy. They stand between you and those in power.
Scene
a series of story beats which form a meaningful dramatic movement within the story.
Scribe / Scribbler / Hack / Keyboard jockey
alternative names for screenwriters.
Sequence
a structural unit which sits between a scene and an act – a collection of scenes with a unified dramatic purpose, usually between 10 to 20 minutes long.
Shot
1) a shot captured by a camera 2) a unit of film between a beat and a scene, used by screenwriters to subdivide scenes, especially those which take in wide spread action or multiple minor locations.
Slate
the films in development at a particular production company.
Slushpile
the avalanche of scripts in producers and agents’ offices from wannabe screenwriters – the competition!
Spec Script
a script written speculatively for free in the hopes of eventually making a sale or securing other writing assignments.
Show Don’t Tell
the screenwriter’s maxim. Film is a visual medium, and information, exposition and plot development is most powerful when we see it, rather than are told about it. Putting characters into action rather than conversation.
Stake
what is at stake for your characters? What do they seek to gain? What do they risk losing? Escalating stakes needed to sustain audience interest.
Structure
the arrangement of story and plot points to build your film. Often referred to as 3 Act Structure when following traditional norms.
Subtext
meaning hidden beneath the text, which audiences must work out for themselves. Much more engaging than on the nose meaning, because it makes the audience active in interpreting plot and character, rather than passive whilst receiving information.
Synopsis
a short summation of story in prose form. Can range from half a page to several pages long, capturing the main story developments and characters. Valuable both as a development tool for the writer, and also a quick way for producers and agents to assess an idea without reading a full screenplay.
Trailer
the short, punchy two minute selling device which will lure audiences to your film. What would the trailer for your film look like? What are the highlights? The main plot points? Memorable dialogue?
Treatment
a lengthy prose document (longer than a synopsis) which maps out the story act by act, sequence by sequence, scene by scene or beat by beat, depending on the detail needed.
Variety
trade magazine with breaking news and analysis.
WGGB / WGA
Writers Guild of Great Britain / Writers Guild of America – union bodies set up to represent screenwriters’ interests.
