At this point in the process I have a very clear idea of the the story I'm going to tell and the way it should unfold for the audience. By now I'm also chomping at the bit to start writing the actual script (why is it in screenwriting, you spend so little time writing the actual script?) but it's important to resist the urge and instead, put all that enthusiasm into the next vital step. The outline.
The first helpful thing to know is exactly how big your outline should be. John Collee (Master and Commander, Happy Feet) once told me (and the 300 other people sitting with me at a one-day masterclass) that a screenplay should consist of about 35-40 index cards. When most screenwriters work out the outline for a film, they take a stack of index cards and begin to write down ideas for scenes in the film. Each card gets an important story moment that moves the plot forward. These story “beats” get laid out and re-arranged, thrown out and added to. In the end you should be able to tell a story for a film in 35-40 cards. Now each slug line (INT. EXT.) in your script isn't represented in those 35-40 cards. Some cards will be made up of several different locations and moments, the important thing is that each card represents one story beat.
Now, the next thing to consider is structure. The structure that I tend to work with the most is a from of Blake Snyder’s 15 beats that you can find in his book “Save the Cat”.
THE BLAKE SNYDER BEAT SHEET (aka BS2)
I took bits of this summary taken from: http://timstout.wordpress.com/story-structure/blake-snyders-beat-sheet/
-Act One- (25 pages long)
- Opening Image – a visual image that demonstrates what the main character needs, by showing them without it. This could be anything from love, to self confidence. It sets up the film and hints at where the inner journey of the hero is headed. We will end the film with a final image that is an exact opposite of this one and helps to visually demonstrate just how far our hero has come. On a side note, if your film is about aliens taking over the world, the opening image isn't showing the world dominated by aliens, the opening image is showing just how weak the hero is. Remember, it's about the inner journey of the hero , not the external journey.
- Set-up – shows the world of the hero and what “normal life” looks like for them. What is lacking in the hero's life becomes even more clear.
- Theme Stated (happens during the Set-up) – at some point in the setup the theme is stated either verbally or visually. Don't get stuck in the trap of having this come across as contrived. The main idea is to communicate the theme to the hero (though they won't understand it) and to the audience (without making them roll their eyes). Good luck.
- Catalyst – this is the moment when everything changes. The “normal life” of the character is irrevocably disrupted. This is when the aliens invade, the letter arrives in the mail, the pirates show up at the door and demand the hero come along and help them find the treasure.
- Debate – the hero expresses the fear of moving out into the unknown, debating if they should go.
- Break Into Two (Choosing Act Two) – the hero chooses to leave the “normal life” and heads into the adventure of the unknown.
-Act Two Part One-(25 pages long)
- B Story – at the start of act two the hero usually meets a new character who represents a certain kind of love. It can be a character the hero has romantic feelings for, or a buddy character that comes alongside as a friend. This character often provides a break from the main plot and is helpful for discussing the theme and externalizing the inner thoughts of the hero.
- The Promise of the Premise – I like to think of this section of the film as the promise of the poster. It's where you see all the stuff you're expecting. If the movie poster has an explosion and a car revving down a freeway in hot pursuit, this is the part of the film where you'll see all that. If it’s Mission Impossible, here is where I want to see a lot of new gadgets and see the hero being generally awesome. It's a time for the hero to begin to find their feet in the strange new world they've entered.
- Midpoint – a major turning point in the film. This is when the hero begins to abandon the pursuit of what they want, in favor of the pursuit of what they actually need. It's a game changing moment that turns everything on its head. It's also the emotional reverse of the “all hope is lost” moment later on and it happens right in the middle of your film.
-Act Two Part Two-(25 pages long)
- Bad Guys Close In – from here on, we are building to the end. This is where the bad guys begin to win and the hero's situation worsens.
- All is Lost – This is the moment that the main character realizes they’ve lost everything they gained, or everything they now have has no meaning. The initial goal now looks even more impossible than before. And here, something or someone dies. It can be physical or emotional, but the death of something old makes way for something new to be born. It's also the opposite emotion to the midpoint.
- Dark Night of the Soul – The main character hits bottom, and wallows in hopelessness. The “Why hast thou forsaken me, Lord?” moment. Mourning the loss of what has “died” – the dream, the goal, the mentor character, the love of your life, etc. But, you must fall completely before you can pick yourself back up and try again.
- Break Into Three (Choosing Act Three) – Thanks to a fresh idea or new inspiration often coming from the B-character the hero is filled with just enough hope to give it one more shot. The hero then enters the final act.
-Act Three-(25 pages long)
- Finale – This time around, the main character incorporates the Theme – the nugget of truth that now makes sense to them – into their fight for the goal because they have experience from the A Story and context from the B Story. Here, the hero does the one thing which, at the start of the film, would have been the hardest thing for them to do and in turn they prove the theme to be true and win (or lose) the final fight.
- Final Image – opposite of Opening Image, proving, visually, that a great change has occurred within the character.
If you'd like to understand these beats in more detail then I recommend reading Blake Snyder’s book. Once this framework is in place I begin to add the moments between them. This is where the real step by step outline emerges and often you'll discover fresh ideas here that can influence and even change the larger aspects of your story. But remember to keep your theme in front of you. Use it as a compass and a guiding star. Every scene and every character needs to reflect and comment on that theme and everything needs to build toward proving it in the end. Having this in mind will help you keep your story on target. Use this 15 beat structure as a guide as well and don't be too strict with it. If the theme is your compass, then cliches are the icebergs - don't let this familiar story pattern set you up on a collision course with something trite and overdone. If ever you begin to smell cliche in your writing, change course and infuse your story with something new.
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MY PROCESS FOR SCREENWRITING: PART 1
MY PROCESS FOR SCREENWRITING: PART 2
MY PROCESS FOR SCREENWRITING: PART 3
MY PROCESS FOR SCREENWRITING: PART 4
MY PROCESS FOR SCREENWRITING: PART 5