Getting Your Next Feature Film Script off the Ground

Getting your actual feature film script written is one of the hardest things you will ever do as a filmmaker.  Learning how to make the most of the script is very important to having a good film.  Many filmmakers have found themselves completely stuck on a project because they simply have no idea about how to get started, how to complete the script, or even how adapt the script to their particular needs.  Learning how to get the biggest impact out of your script is essential because a good script will be quite helpful to ensure that your film is a huge success.

You should always start your script with a good story line.  This should be something that will determine the overall feeling of your film and should help you to determine a bit of information about the main characters.  You can flesh the story line out as much as you like, but at least having a base to start with is critical.  If you have no story line, you will likely find that your script is quite lacking which leaves you with a feature film that you are not proud of.

If you have gotten a story line worked out, you need to create an outline for the script.  This should include any key facts that you want included in the script, as well as how you want the movie to start, and how you want the movie to end.  All details that go in the middle can be added later if necessary.  Knowing exactly how you intend to start the movie, as well as how you intend to end the movie is very important.  Many filmmakers have no idea about how to start the process, much less how they are going to end the movie.  Getting these two major points down on paper can give you plenty of ideas to work with so you can be sure you create a great movie script.

Often if you get stuck when creating your script, you should attempt to get outside and start walking around.  Just be sure to take a pad of paper with you so as good ideas come across your head you can write them down quickly.  Getting out into the great outdoors can often be a great way to get ideas.  Seeing people interact with each other is often very helpful to ensure that you are able to get some ideas from the natural relationships that occur between people.  One key to helping create the best films is ensuring that the relationship between characters is seen as natural.

If you have a situation while actors relationships seem a bit unusual or awkward you need to ensure that this is the vision that you have in mind.  If you notice this during the filming, you may need to stop and adjust the script in order to really smooth out the entire flow of events.  Do not be afraid to stop and make changes to the script as you progress through filming.  When you have gathered a large amount of experience, you will find you need to make fewer adjustments, but this time can be a huge benefit especially in the beginning since you are able to learn a great deal about your own personal filmmaking style.

While you might be tempted to merely film an improvisational film you will likely find that the final results is not something you are overly proud of.  Having a script that at least covers the basics is critical so that you have a good structure to fall back on.  Knowing exactly what is going to happen in your script is a huge benefit not only for yourself, but also for your actors.  Starting with the beginning as well as the end of the movie will allow you a lot more time to develop the story line as well which can be quite helpful to the entire filmmaking process.