Lights, Camera, Distraction

Session 1 : Screenwriting 101

Contents
About Zero Begins

Previous Releases & Tie Ups

Elements of Screenwriting
3

4-5

6
“ To make a great film you need three things – the
script, the script and the script.

- Alfred Hitchcock
“
Writing the concept 7

Story vs Screenplay vs Dialog 8

Screenplay Structure 9-10

Rules for a Screenplay

Screenplay format

Characterisation
11

12-14

15-16
“ Audiences are harder to please if you’re just
giving them effects, but they’re easy to please if
it’s a good story.

- Steven Spielberg
“
Scene Design 17-18

Dialog 19
About us

2017 Zero Begins Films is a digital first – film production venture with a vision to showcase unique stories to
Established the Indian and International Film Audience

At Zero Begins we target to create content which is appreciated by audiences across the world, cultures and
boundaries. We have entered into the film industry with zero prior experience of the film world and truly
20+ believe that - Zero Begins
Team
Members Founder

Dhruv Sachdev | Founder, Writer and Director

30 An alumni of the New York Film Academy, his short film – ‘The Bench’ won the best
short film at NYFA. His first Bollywood feature ‘RedruM’ released in August 2018 which
International was followed by the multi award winning film SIFAR – which won 30 awards in the
Awards festival circuit.

3
Previous releases and tie-ups

Exclusive theatre release

TV release on all DTH

Cast platforms
Tom Alter, Vibhav Roy and Saeeda Imtiaz

Director
Dhruv Sachdev

Writer Music partners

Dhruv Sachdev

Music
Aagman, Agastya and Anurag Mohan Online media partners

Cinematography
Premanand B.

4
Previous releases and tie-ups

Exclusive theatre release

TV release on all DTH

Cast platforms
Sudha Chandran, Anang Desai, Mushtaq
Khan, Kanikka Kapur, Varun Narula
Director
Dhruv Sachdev
Studio Partners
Writer
Dhruv Sachdev

Music
Online media partners
Aagman, Agastya and Anurag Mohan

Cinematography
Premanand B.

5
Elements of Screenwriting

“ The script is what you’ve dreamed up–this is what it should be. The film is what you end up with.

- George Lucas
“
Elements of Screenwriting : Concept
Stage 1 – Concept (The Logline) Story

Stage 2 – Story

Stage 3 – Screenplay Screenplay

Stage 4 - Dialog Dialog

6
A Practical Perspective – Writing the Concept

“ Once you crack the script, everything else follows.

- Ridley Scott
“

7
Story vs Screenplay vs Dialog

“ Give me a good script, and I’ll be a hundred times better as a director.

- George Cukor
“
Story is the idea written in
paragraphs. Just like a story
found in a school level story
book.
Screenplay is the
arrangement
of the scenes in the way it is
going to play on the screen.
Dialogues are the individual
sentences/monologues along
with emotions the characters
are required to act/dub.

8
Screenplay Structure – The story

“ People have forgotten how to tell a story. Stories don’t have a middle or an end any more. They usually
have a beginning that never stops beginning.

- Steven Spielberg
“
Act 1 : The Set Up Act 2 : The Conflict Act 3: The Resolution

The first act is where all the major The second act is by far the longest, The last act, Act III presents the final
characters of the story are encompassing half of the movie. confrontation of the movie
introduced, plus the world where they
live in, and the conflict that will move the The story, its characters and The third act is when the writer ties
story forward. conflict are all established. up any loose ends and offers a
resolution to the subplots.
In Act I, the writer has the freedom to At this point, the writer has created a
solid frame for his narrative. The mandatory confrontation between
create any setting and reality that he so
the opposing forces takes place and the
wishes. It’s in the first pages of the script A pivotal element of this escalation movie goes towards the conclusion.
that he defines the reasoning and logic of inherent to Act II is Plot Point II,
the story. This early in the script, anything which catapults the story into the
is possible. third and final act.
Act I ends with the first point of the Much like Plot Point I, Plot Point II also
movie plot. affects the main character by changing
the direction he’s headed. The
difference is that the stakes are
much higher. 9
A Practical Perspective : Writing a 3 act play

“ If you put someone in a room with no script to direct, they’re just going to sit there. Writing scripts is the
execution for a show. Then the director takes that and hires people. It’s like trying to build a house without
any bricks. You need a great script.

- John Patrick Shanley

“
The Milieu

Introduction
of
Characters

Plot 1 –
Turning
point 1
10
Writing the Screenplay

“ What has always been at the heart of film making was the value of a script. It was really the writer who
could make or break a film.

- Douglas Fairbank Jr.

“
Show. Don’t Tell
- only write what appears on screen

Less is More
- don’t overcomplicate the plot

Twists
- engage the audience

Actions speak louder

than words – characters need to
show their true nature with their deeds

11
Screenplay Format

“ It’s possible for me to make a bad movie out of a good script, but I can’t make a good movie from a bad
script.

- George Clooney The scene/setting -

Inside or outside,
The dialogue speaker’s
name
“
location, time of day

INT/EXT.
FadeisInMore
/ Scene
Less Location –
- don’t Fade Out
overcomplicate the plot DAY/NIGHT Description Character Direction

Twists
- engage the audience

Actions speak louder

Top and tail a script, Key objects, sounds or A note to the actor, for
than words
opening – characters need to
and closing actions should be a pause, a beat, an
show their true nature with their deeds
your narrative capitalized emphasis

12
A Practical Perspective : Screenplay format

“ The script, I always believe, is the foundation of everything.

- Ewan McGregor

Transition
“
Location and
time

Scene
Description

Action /
Direction

Dialog

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Importance of Writing : From Paper to Film

“ A professional writer is an amateur who didn't give up.

- Richard Bach
Shoot
“

Script Edit

Scene 1 – SIFAR : The shoot, The edit and the post all
Post Production goes back to the script. The backbone of a film.
14
Character Building

“ Don’t get it right, get it written.

- Art Arthur
“
•Ensure each character has a
unique tone

•Mannerisms, catchphrases,
attitudes and backstory part
of character building

•Motivations and goals for a

character are key
•What do they want ? Why the
action is performed ?
•You only have enough time to
develop so many characters who
have a meaningful role in your
story.
•The characters journey
should be a part of the story

15
A Practical Perspective : Writing a Character Sketch

“ Great writers aren’t great first-drafters. They’re great rewriters.

- Andrew Bennett
“

16
Scene Design

“ Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.

- E.L. Doctorow

The question is not, “What could happen?” or “What should happen?” It is

“
Ask: What needs to only, “What needs to happen?”
happen in this scene? Many screenwriting books will tell you to focus on what the characters
want. This is wrong. The characters are not responsible for the story. You
are.

Ask: Who needs to Scripts are often clogged with characters who have no business being there.
But because words are small, it’s easy to overlook that “a character”
be in the scene? hasn’t said or done anything for five pages. And sadly, sometimes
that’s not realized until after filming.

Ask: Where could Always consider what the characters could be doing, even if it’s
the scene take place? not directly related to the focus of the scene. A father-and-son bonding
moment at a shooting range will play differently than the same
dialogue at a lawn bowling tournament.

Write a scribble version A “scribble version” is essentially a cheat sheet so you’ll remember the
great scene you just saw in your head. Don’t write sentences; don’t write
full dialogue. Just get the bare minimum down so that you won’t forget the 17
scene in the next hour as you’re writing it.
A Practical Perspective : Scribble Sheet

“ Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a
journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.

- Jane Yolen
“

18
Dialog writing

“ All writing is discipline, but screenwriting is a drill sergeant.

- Robert McKee “Sound different

for each character”
“

What should dialog writing achieve?

19
Q & A | Cut it

“ Whatever you do in terms of telling a story, the most important thing that you can define is who you are.

- John Patrick Shanley

“

20
Thank you