How to Write a Film: 4 Useful Steps

The Process of Writing a Screenplay

I’m back in Budapest because I’ve been hired to write a screenplay with a director located here. I thought it might be useful to document the process so far.

In the past I’ve usually written series & TV episodes. Writing film is however becoming an increasing part of my repertoire and I’m really enjoying the change of format. 

The following is the process I've followed for this particular project. There are other ways of course. But I strongly advise not skimping on the brainstorming and development part. Planning the story and scenes before starting to write the actual script saves a lot of headaches later on!

Brainstorming

It began last year when we spent many hours discussing ideas, characters and stories that interested the director and brainstormed possible concepts that could work as a feature film.

We finally agreed on a direction. I wrote a logline as well as a brief synopsis of the story.

The Treatment

After taking on board feedback, I broke the story's structure down using the five-act framework and pinpointed five key plot points that would keep the momentum going (see my post where I explain exactly how to do this). Then I started going into much more detail with the storylines while writing a treatment.

What's a treatment?

This is a document between 5 – 15 pages that describes the complete story of the film in prose format. It’s like a blueprint for the writer before script stage. It’s also used to help pitch the project to producers, studios or funding bodies.

After again going back and forth with the director for more notes, the treatment I wrote ended up being 10 pages and very detailed. At this point we took a break while we worked on other things.

Incubation

Spending months away from the project was very useful as we were able to read it again with fresh eyes. We discussed what needed to be changed about the main character and the story.

Our understanding of the character’s motivation is much deeper now. The stakes have increased and audience expectations will be upended. The themes are clearer & it is a much tighter concept overall as a result.

The Scene-by-scene

Having confirmed and agreed with the director on the changes, I’m now writing a scene-by-scene outline.

What's a scene-by-scene?

This is a document where each scene that will take place in the film is briefly described. I will then send this to the director for notes before I start writing the script.

Using Index Cards

The film involves two timelines, so I might need to break out the index cards, write a potential scene on each one, and then shuffle them around. This will help me work out exactly what to reveal when in the most impactful way.

I could have used this index card method earlier on in the process. It's a fun, tactile way of figuring out scenes and scene order.

Once I've finished the first draft, a new treatment will need to be written. This will be useful to have on hand to show prospective producers.

Excited to be working on this project and I'll keep you posted with updates on my progress!

Story Inkubator was founded by writer, scriptwriter and teacher, Kristina Jilly, an Australian living in Central Europe who's written for HBO Europe and RTL Television. She has an M.A. in Screenwriting and teaches at the University of Applied Sciences in Austria. Kristina also writes online content about the art of storytelling and topics that inspire creativity. 

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