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8 WEEK SCREENPLAY: WEEK 5 GUIDE
Hey Writer! This week we covered a lot of different info, so to make things a bit easier, I've divided the lesson into three parts and included some extra resources after each section. If you were in class on Sunday, you'll need to watch just Part 2 of the lecture which has clips and will clarify what we went over on this week.
1) LESSON PART 1: Sequences
MORE ON THREE-ACT STRUCTURE
Elements of the Three Acts by Michael Schilf
2) LESSON PART 2: Scene-Writing
1) LESSON PART 3: Writing a Screenplay on Spec
*** Note on Character: It may seem strange to denote the ethnicity, gender identity and sexuality of a character and may feel like you're potentially limiting who can play a role, but it actually has the opposite effect when making a film. The assumption when scripts are read is that all characters are White/cis/abled etc. You would hear, "Can this character be black? or Can this character be a woman?" In a casting office, because the assumption is otherwise.
(These is also true in Animated Films)
By including diverse characters, diverse actors will be brought in for roles. Unfortunately, all characters are assumed to be white, cis and able-bodied unless otherwise stated. Of course, you could be working with a Production Team who values representation and will make an effort to see which characters could be diverse, but you should consider being inclusive with the material itself. Representation is important. Underrepresented peoples seeing themselves represented on-screen is obviously powerful for them and majority-group people seeing underrepresented people on screen is a powerful conduit for empathy and social change on a grander scale.
Re: the form itself... of course not all of this detail (or most of it) will show up in your script. This is an exercise to help you get clear on who your characters are so you can write for them more authentically. Think of how much fuller characters feel on TV shows a few seasons in, versus how they feel in the beginning. This is a shortcut for you as the writer to understand who these people are.
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