Specialist Study Report 12.3.1, 12.3.2

Script Writing To Develop Narrative In Drama Films

Script writing is important in developing the narrative in drama films. The following topics that are going to be discussed in this report are the different types of conflict in the scripts of drama films. The characters agendas and their functions.  Visual Ideas on how to structure a narrative for the script. Conducting background research into the script-writing process. Getting the idea clear and the process involved. Some of the theory that is used to conduct this report for this particular specialist area are loads of different books that have the specialist area that is needed and are based on screenwriting which is very relevant for this report. The books were very useful in researching what was needed to research all of the things that were needed to know about screenwriting and script writing in particular. Each of the different topics that is going to be discussed in this report will be put into separate paragraphs and each of the paragraphs will have different headings so that it would be easier to discuss each of the different topics chosen for this report.

Visual Ideas on how to structure a narrative for the script

During this process you just can not start writing a script before you start brainstorming all of the possible ideas that you have got for the script for the film and the script can not be based on just facts and information, it also has to be structured at the right narrative for the script. A key text states ” You can’t just write a script with just facts and information. You have to write with visual ideas that structure the narrative. These ideas may allude to facts and information, or they may even embody that information.” (Friedmann, 2014.p73). Brainstorming can sometimes mean that it just involves a lot of  writing down all of the possible ideas that come to you but making lists, drawing loads of different and sketching loads of different images into a storyboard sequence sometimes do the trick. It states ” Brainstorming usually means just writing down all of the ideas as they come to you without constraint or formality. Making lists, drawing diagrams, and sketching images in storyboard sequences usually do the trick.” (Friedmann, 2014.p73).

The scriptwriting process usually begins with gathering information, thinking of ideas, analyzing them and questioning which can usually lead to a creative concept. This particular visual idea will need to be developed through loads of outlines or treatments and after all that can be scripted into a format which is appropriate to the medium which is concerns. A key text states  “It usually begins with gathering information, thinking, analyzing, and questioning, which leads to devising a creative concept. This visual idea then needs to be developed through some kind of outline or treatment and then be scripted in a format appropriate to the medium concerned.” (Friedmann, 2014.p67) Usually the most important element of this particular process is to feel free to think of other ideas or visualize anything that comes to your head and this particular kind of writing can produce more material which can be eventually need or use. A key text states ” The most important element of this process is to feel free to think or visualize whatever comes to mind. By its very nature, this kind of writing produces more material than you will finally need or use.” (Friedmann, 2014.p73)

Types of Conflict In Scripts Of Drama Films

Conflict in drama is really important when you start to write the script for your story. Conflict is the main ingredient in holding the attention of the audience and the particular drama film has got to have good dialogue to it and the conflict has to make itself in the dialogue of your script. Having good dialogue to the film that is being done and that would be able to attract the audience’ attention. A key text states “Allow themselves to forget the material must work in terms of good dialogue. Good intentions are not enough. We must hold the attention of our audience. A major ingredient in holding the audience’s attention is conflict. Drama, similarly, has to have conflict and that conflict has to make itself felt in the dialogue.” (Davis, 1998.p93)

Conflicts are can usually be referred clearly as a part of the central development of characterization and they have to be present in the dialogue that is being written. A key text states “The conflicts referred to so far are clearly part of the plot, as well being central to the development of characterisation. But they must be present in the dialogue” (Davis,1998.p94). Conflicts in general are in dialogue which people’s attention further into the production and it also at the same moment in time is increasing the identification gained with one or more characters in the story. It states that “Conflict in the dialogue ought to pull us further into the production, at the same time as increasing our identification with one or more of the characters.” (Davis, 1998.p95).

Character Agendas and Their Functions

In drama films the main character or secondary character have got to have an agenda to them each time that they have a conversation with any other secondary character. The conversation clearly needs one topic or it could be more than one topic. It states that “the main point to make is that most of the writers are aware of that the characters have some sort of agenda for each conversation”, but the ineffective scriptwriter will over compartmentalize, so that the conversation clearly deals with one topic then another.”(Davis, 1998.p23.). The characters in the films need to follow into different character functions or categories. It states “all characters have a specific function to fulfill in your screenplay.” (Frensham, 2010 p76 ). Sometimes people know what they want to talk about in a specific conversation and they can be called a conscious agenda and most of the time it can be used in loads of  other occasions, people may have little or no idea of what is going to be said or what the conversation is going to be achieved. It sates in Writing Dialogue for Scripts “Sometimes we know exactly what we want to talk about in a conversation – we have a conscious agenda. On other occasions, we may have little or no idea of what we want to say or what we want to achieve.” (Davis, 1998.p23)

Getting the Idea Clear and the Process Involved

Getting the idea for the script is really important and you need to ask yourself a lot of questions which is part of a process before getting the idea for the script. It states “Having decided on your story idea, you should start to move from the general to the specific, asking yourself all sorts of questions about it so you can analyse it and get the best from your story.” (Fresnham, 2010.p43). It is also important to have a background story to the film that is being made but it really needs to have a plot to the actual story itself. It states ” You may find you have a background but need a plot.” (Frensham, 2010.p43) Most of the time during the script writing process you would need more than one idea before making a story. A key text states ” Often you will have more than one idea, but it is not enough until you have two ideas – one about character, one about situation – that you can make a story. You also need an end.” (Frensham, 2010.p43).

Conducting background research into the script-writing process

When starting to write a script, conducting background research into the script writing process is important. Normally the first part of the script writing process is to conduct all of the background research and then usually an investigation into some specific subjects used in the research process. It states that “the part of the process of script writing often involves background research and investigation of the subject matter before you define the objective or outline the content.” (Friedmann, 2014.p68.) When writing a script, you would need to think of the creative thinking  process that is involved and the research would be very necessary to target the right audience and also getting the experience needed to get the specific information. It states that “experience tells you when you need to get the information. Sometimes it is at the beginning of the creative thinking process. Sometimes it is in the middle. Research could be necessary to define the target audience.” (Friedmann, 2014.p.68).

Script-writing can be a well known process and it can be broke down into different stages which are really important in which can be written where as some others are usually preparation for that particular piece of writing. A key text states ” Scriptwriting is a process. We can break the scriptwriting process down into well recognized stages the most important of which are written whereas others are preparation for that writing.” (Friedmann, 2014.p67) Research can be undertaken in several proven ways, consulting an encyclopedia, visit libraries or can search the internet, researching for script-writing is not different and everyone can find a style or method that can work for them. A key text states “Research can be undertaken in any of several well-proven ways. You can consult encyclopedias, visit a library, or search the Internet. Research for scriptwriting is not much different. Everyone finds a particular style or method that works for him or her.” (Friedmann, 2014.p68)

Conclusion

The central topic that is being discussed in this report is how script writing is used to develop narrative in drama films. The topics that have been discussed are different types of conflict in the scripts of drama films. The characters agendas and their functions.  Visual Ideas on how to structure a narrative for the script. Conducting background research into the script-writing process. Getting the idea clear and the process involved. The evidence that we got the information to discuss these particular topic are from books that were found in the library which contained a lot of information that was really relevant to the topic that is being researched more in great detail. In the report, there is a lot of quotations from the books which helped to back up the information that was found out.  The report also shows evidence of the books being used, it features the author’s name,  the year of publication of the book itself and the page number of where the information which are in quotations are from the books that are used to do this report. The suggested areas that are needing further research are getting all of the visual ideas needed on how to structure a narrative which is very relevant for what is needed for the FMP. To make sure that getting the characters agendas fit into the script that is going to be written. Watching YouTube videos would help to get more research and information needed before starting the FMP.  The books that have been the most useful in doing this report are Breaking Into Screenwriting, Writing Dialogue for Scripts and Writing for Visual Media.  These particular books helped because they contained a lot of information that is needed for this report on how scriptwriting can be used in developing the narrative in drama films.

 

Reference List

Davis, R. (n.d). Writing dialogue for scripts. A & C Black, 1998.

Frensham, R.G. (2010). Break Into Screenwriting. London: Hodder Education

Friedmann, A. (2014). Writing for visual media. New York : Focal Press, 2014 4th ed

 

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