Part 6: Short Screenplay Writing

According to BFI Online, there are 6 questions to grapple with when attempting to write a screenplay:

Who is the protagonist? What is the active question, which is the basis of the action in the film? Who or what opposes the protagonist? From whose point of view is the audience being shown the story? What is it about, or what is the theme? What is the style of the film?

Who is the protagonist?

Who is the protagonist? Is likely to be the first question asked by a screenwriter. The protagonist is the central character of the narrative, therefore the centre of the film. For any story driven short film (with time being the main problem that must be solved by film makers), a protagonist is a critical aspect. There are several types of protagonist within short films, meaning that screenwriters can choose which they would prefer. A protagonist can be the dominator of the story: the driving force whose point of view the film follows throughout. The story does not however have to be told through the point of view of the protagonist however.

What is the active question, which is the basis of the action in the film? Although this question is sometimes asked as What does the protagonist want? it is seen as limiting an initial film idea. Instead, it is thought more useful to think in terms of the films action and what the filmmaker is going to have the audience think about and follow. This questions answer is somewhat ambiguous. The article argues that the best way in which to tackle this question is to explore the way in which the film will reach its climax. An event that will generally constitute the narrative climax of the piece. In a number of films, this manifests itself into an event that is key in a characters life, whilst in others it is an event that will eventually build up to the former.

'Who or what opposes the protagonist?'.

In the development of an interesting and effective story, knowing what puts the character in a situation that renders them in some way is key. This force of antagonism can again take form in many different ways. It can be direct opposition, such as a character who is in some form of conflict with the protagonist. The opposition can take form in a handful of antagonists that throughout the film appear to face the protagonist, generally culminating at the climax to one ultimate opposition. This style is thought less effective for shorts under five minutes long. Sometimes, a force of antagonism is less clear. It is explores subtly throughout the text, being very reliant on the theme on the film to reveal to the audience the conflict.

From whose point of view is the audience being shown the story?

Next, it is important to decide what the audience is going to follow throughout the short film. This does not necessarily need to be the protagonists. It can be from an objective viewpoint, almost as though viewing from an omnipotent stance. It can be from a narrator who takes an objective stance within the narrative. This within and without narrative style has the narrator take the role of the observer. Narrators are useful in short films, as within short films it is difficult to explore in depth such aspects of the narrative as the character's backgrounds and motivations within such a short space of time.

What is it about, or what is the theme?

In the early developmental stages of short films, one of the hardest aspects of the project to identify is the theme. The theme is essentially in creating a sense of dramatic unity within the film. It brings together the characters and emotional centre of the piece and strongly impacts upon the audiences emotional response to it. It typically takes around a draft of a script to fully identify the pieces theme. However, sometimes the theme is apparent from the initial conception of the idea, as in Romantic pieces having a theme of love.

What is the style of the film?

Finally, the style and tone of the film are particularly important aspects of a piece. Due to the lack of time in which to develop a story, the short film cannot easily execute a shift in tone. Although many short films have a naturalistic style and tone to them, other styles can be executed. The tone of a film is that which determines the audiences emotional response to it. It can be used conventionally (a comedy film having a comedic, light-hearted tone) or even to manipulate an audience. An example of this is incorporating a comedic tone as a means of diverting the audience from the tragic nature of the story. Overall, tone is achieved through performance and direction. However, the blueprints are outlined through the screenplay, making style an important thing to identify within a screenplay.