A
workshop on developing the skills w.r.t. Cinema & Media Industry is
available in all contact classes of Film-Educator, Amit Agarwal,
worldwide
A
screenplay or script is a written work by screenwriters for a film, video game,
or television program. These screenplays can be original works or adaptations
from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression,
and dialogues of the characters are also narrated. A screenplay written for
television is also known as a teleplay.
The Use of a Script or Screenplay is that, it is used as the very foundation of any film. It gives a clear idea to the reader that how a film is intended to look, to viewers, on screen. A director then adds visualisation to the script to get the intended look of the film, as the final look delivered to audience on screen.
SCRIPTWRITER. ROLE
A scriptwriter or screenplay writer or a screenwriter is a person who writes & practices the craft of scriptwriting or screenwriting. The person writes screenplays on which films, television programs, cartoons or video games are based.
Every screenplay or teleplay begins with a thought or idea, and scriptwriters use those ideas to write scripts, with the intention of selling them and having them produced.
The person who thinks of idea, story, character-sketch, plot on which a motion picture is made can not be termed as a scriptwriter, unless the person also writes the script; which in format is different from the format of idea, story, character-sketch & plot.
THREE ACT STRUCTURE
The three-act structure is a model used in screenwriting that divides a fictional narrative into three parts, also called acts. They are referred to as, the Setup, the Confrontation and the Resolution.
The first act is usually used to establish the main characters, their relationships and the world they live in. Later in the first act, a dynamic, on-screen incident occurs that confronts the main character (the protagonist), whose attempts to deal with this incident lead to a second and more dramatic situation, known as the first turning point, which (a) signals the end of the first act, (b) ensures life will never be the same again for the protagonist and (c) raises a dramatic question that will be answered in the climax of the film. The dramatic question should be framed in terms of the protagonist's call to action, (Will X recover the diamond OR Will X get the girl OR Will Z capture the killer?). This is known as the inciting incident. An example of inciting incident is, in the 1972 film The Godfather, Vito Corleone is attacked approximately 40 minutes into the film.
The second act, also referred to as "rising action", typically depicts the protagonist's attempt to resolve the problem initiated by the first turning point, only to find him or herself in even worsening situation(s). Part of the reason protagonists seem unable to resolve their problems is because they do not yet have the skills to deal with the forces of antagonism that confront them. They must not only learn new skills but arrive at a higher sense of awareness of who they are and what they are capable of, in order to deal with their predicament, which in turn changes who they are. This is referred to as character development or a character arc. This is not achieved alone; they are usually aided and abetted by mentors and co-protagonists.
The third act is also called the resolution. It is the culmination of the story and its subplots. The climax is the scene or sequence in which the main tensions of the story are brought to their most intense point and the dramatic question answered, leaving the protagonist and other characters with a new sense of who they really are.
ELEMENTS OF SCREENPLAY / SCRIPT
The major elements of screenplay or a script are:
Scene Heading
Action
Character Name
Dialogue
Parenthetical
Extensions
Transition
FORMAT & STYLE OF SCRIPT
ELEMENTS OF SCREENPLAY / SCRIPT
The major elements of screenplay or a script are:
Scene Heading
Action
Character Name
Dialogue
Parenthetical
Extensions
Transition
The
format is structured in a way that one page usually equates to one minute of
screen time.
In
a "shooting script", each scene is numbered, and technical direction
may be given.
In
a "spec" or a "draft" in various stages of development, the
scenes are not numbered, and technical direction is at a minimum. The standard
font for a screenplay is 12 point in Times New Roman font
The
major components are action and dialogue. The "action" is written in
the present tense.
The
"dialogue" are the lines the characters speak.
Unique
to the screenplay (as opposed to a stage play) is the use of slug lines.
A
slug line, also called a master scene heading, occurs at the start of every
scene, and is usually made up of three parts. Part one states whether the scene
is set inside (interior/INT.) outside (exterior/EXT.), or both. Part two states
location of the scene. Part three, separated from Part two by a hyphen, refers
to the time of the scene.
Each
slug line begins a new scene. In a shooting script, the slug lines are numbered
consecutively. These scene numbers serve as mile-post markers in a script. This
allows any part of the script to be referred to by scene number.
A
script usually begins with "FADE IN:", followed by the first scene
description. It might get more specific, e.g. "FADE IN ON AN ECU of Kangna crying; as director, Honey Kapoor, scolds her." A script will usually end with
"FADE TO BLACK", though there are variables, like "CUT TO
BLACK" for abrupt endings.
PHYSICAL FORMAT
American
screenplays are printed single-sided on three-hole-punched paper using the
standard American letter size (8.5 x 11 inch). They are then held together with
two brass brads in the top and bottom hole. The middle hole is left empty as it
would otherwise make it harder to quickly read the script.
In
the United Kingdom, double-hole-punched A4 paper is normally used, which is
slightly taller and narrower than US letter size.
Increasingly,
reading copies of screenplays (that is, those distributed by producers and
agencies in the hope of attracting finance or talent) are distributed printed
on both sides of the paper (often professionally bound) to reduce paper waste.
They
are reduced to half-size to make a small book which is convenient to read or
put in a pocket; this is generally for use by the director or production crew
during shooting.
Most
writing contracts define physical delivery of three or more copies of a
finished script. It
is advisable for the writer to supply scripts as a PDF file. This is because it
gives the writer final control over the layout of the script, which may otherwise
vary depending on what fonts and/or paper size the recipient uses to print the
script.
I D E A
The word idea comes from Greek word, ἰδέα
idea, it is basically the "form, pattern," and is derived from the root
of, ἰδεῖν idein, which means "to see". In artistic – particularly, cinematic
parlance Idea is the basis on which the film is based. It is the smallest
component of the structure of a film.
For example: There was a man in love
with a woman, both died, the story ended.
This idea was developed by S.S.
Rajamouli into the blockbuster Eega – what if the man was murdered and the
woman lived. The man is reborn as a house-fly to avenge his murder.
Idea is the catalyst behind plot, story,
step-outline and the screenplay – the complete script.
S Y N O P S I S
A synopsis is a brief retelling of your story designed to generate interest. For a layman, it's part of a verbal pitch in written form.
Here is an example of the Synopsis - The Women (1939) directed by George Cukor
The Women follows the lives of a handful of wealthy Manhattan women, focusing in particular on Mary Haines (Norma Shearer), the cheerful, contented wife of Stephen and mother of Little Mary. After a bit of gossip flies around the salon these wealthy women visit, Mary's friend and cousin Sylvia Fowler (Rosalind Russell) learns from a manicurist, Olga (Dennie Moore), that Mary's husband has been having an affair with a predatory perfume counter girl named Crystal Allen (Joan Crawford). A notorious gossip, Sylvia delights in sharing the news with Mary's other friends, and sets up Mary with an appointment with Olga so that she hears the same rumor about Stephen's infidelity. While Mary's mother, Mrs. Morehead (Lucile Watson), urges her to ignore the gossip concerning the affair and continue on as if nothing has happened, Mary begins to have her own suspicions about her husband's increasingly frequent claims that he needs to work late, and decides to travel to Bermuda with her mother to think about the situation and hope that the affair and the rumors surrounding it will fade. Upon her return from Bermuda a few weeks later, feeling well-rested and more sure of herself, Mary heads out to a fashion show at a high-end clothing store and learns that Crystal is in attendance, trying on clothes from the show in a dressing room across the hall. Sylvia joins Mary and baits her into storming into Crystal's dressing room and confronting her about the affair. Crystal is completely unapologetic about her ongoing affair with Stephen and is satisfied with her "meal ticket," but does reveal that Stephen's strong feelings of sentiment prevents him from seeking a divorce from Mary in order to marry her. Heartbroken and humiliated by the revelation of the affair, Mary leaves quickly. The meeting will not fade from gossip circles, however, and the situation is only exacerbated by Sylvia, who manages to turn the whole affair into a tabloid scandal by recounting, with physical embellishment, the entire confrontation story to a notorious gossip columnist, Dolly Dupuyester (Hedda Hopper). To save her own pride, Mary chooses to divorce her husband despite his efforts to convince her to stay. Mary explains the divorce to her daughter Little Mary (Virginia Weidler), and the household prepares for Mary's departure.
Leaving on a train to Reno where she will spend the necessary weeks until their divorce is legal, Mary meets several women with the same destination and purpose: the dramatic, extravagant Countess De Lave (Mary Boland); Miriam Aarons (Paulette Goddard), the tough cookie chorus girl; and, to her surprise, her good friend Peggy Day (Joan Fontaine), a sweet, shy girl. Upon reaching Reno, Mary and her new friends settle in at a ranch to await their final divorces, and are given plenty of advice by Lucy (Marjorie Main), the plain-spoken and gruffly warm-hearted woman who runs the ranch. Time passes at the ranch, and the women discuss their marriages and impending divorces; the Countess tells tales of her multiple husbands and seems to have found another in Reno, a young cowboy named Buck Winston, whom she will marry shortly; Miriam reveals she has been having an affair with Sylvia Fowler's husband and is in Reno to get a divorce from her current husband so that she can marry him; and the women convince Peggy, who has discovered that she is pregnant, to surrender her pride, call her husband, resolve their misunderstanding and end the divorce proceedings, which she successfully does. During this time, Sylvia Fowler arrives at the ranch, since her husband has requested a divorce. When Sylvia discovers that Miriam is set to become the new Mrs. Fowler, a catfight ensues. Mary succeeds in breaking the fight up, ending with Miriam convincing her that she, too, should forget her pride, and her newly awarded divorce, and call her husband and try to patch things up. Just then, the phone rings. The call is from Stephen who informs Mary that he and Crystal have just been married.
Eighteen months pass, and the story picks up in Stephen Haines' apartment, where Crystal, the new Mrs. Haines, is taking a bubble bath and talking on the phone to a new lover. Little Mary enters the bathroom and overhears the conversation, before being shooed away by Crystal, who has no time or patience for her. Through Crystal's interaction with Little Mary and the phone conversation, it becomes clear that Stephen has grown weary of Crystal, but seems to be sticking with her since he has no other options. Sylvia Fowler, who is now friends with Crystal, visits during this time, too, and figures out with whom Crystal has been speaking and having an affair. It is Buck Winston, now wed to Countess De Lave, and now a successful singing radio star. Still an unrelenting gossip, Sylvia tucks this information away for use later. Meanwhile, Mary hosts a dinner for all of her Reno friends, to celebrate the two-year anniversary of her divorce and their time together in Reno. When the dinner concludes, the other women head on to Casino Roof, a nightclub, for the second phase of Mary's party. But Mary suddenly begs off and decides to stay home. Upon leaving, one of the ladies mentions to Mary she would have run into Stephen, Crystal and Sylvia who will be dining together at Casino Roof. While getting ready for bed, she chats with Little Mary, who inadvertently reveals how unhappy Stephen is, as well as mentioning that Crystal is being "lovey-dovey" with someone else. This news changes Mary's mind, who decides to get out of bed, dress up and rejoin the party at Casino Roof, intent on fighting to get her ex-husband back.
At the nightclub, Mary is seen lurking in the grand powder room. Sylvia and Crystal soon enter together, and Mary makes a casual statement that Sylvia will overhear so she will return to the powder room alone and Mary can fish information out of her. Mary makes sure that gossip columnist, Dolly Dupuyster learns the whole story of Crystal's affair and will make it known by everyone at the nightclub. Mary manages to pit Sylvia and Crystal against each other. Crystal, however, doesn't care about Stephen's lack of affection since she'll now have Buck Winston to support her. The humiliated Countess reveals that she has been funding Buck's radio career and that without her he will be penniless and out of a job. This leaves Crystal resigned to the fact that she'll be heading back to the perfume counter to support herself, while Mary, completely triumphant, heads out the door to win back Stephen, who is waiting for her.
Here is an example of the Synopsis - The Women (1939) directed by George Cukor
The Women follows the lives of a handful of wealthy Manhattan women, focusing in particular on Mary Haines (Norma Shearer), the cheerful, contented wife of Stephen and mother of Little Mary. After a bit of gossip flies around the salon these wealthy women visit, Mary's friend and cousin Sylvia Fowler (Rosalind Russell) learns from a manicurist, Olga (Dennie Moore), that Mary's husband has been having an affair with a predatory perfume counter girl named Crystal Allen (Joan Crawford). A notorious gossip, Sylvia delights in sharing the news with Mary's other friends, and sets up Mary with an appointment with Olga so that she hears the same rumor about Stephen's infidelity. While Mary's mother, Mrs. Morehead (Lucile Watson), urges her to ignore the gossip concerning the affair and continue on as if nothing has happened, Mary begins to have her own suspicions about her husband's increasingly frequent claims that he needs to work late, and decides to travel to Bermuda with her mother to think about the situation and hope that the affair and the rumors surrounding it will fade. Upon her return from Bermuda a few weeks later, feeling well-rested and more sure of herself, Mary heads out to a fashion show at a high-end clothing store and learns that Crystal is in attendance, trying on clothes from the show in a dressing room across the hall. Sylvia joins Mary and baits her into storming into Crystal's dressing room and confronting her about the affair. Crystal is completely unapologetic about her ongoing affair with Stephen and is satisfied with her "meal ticket," but does reveal that Stephen's strong feelings of sentiment prevents him from seeking a divorce from Mary in order to marry her. Heartbroken and humiliated by the revelation of the affair, Mary leaves quickly. The meeting will not fade from gossip circles, however, and the situation is only exacerbated by Sylvia, who manages to turn the whole affair into a tabloid scandal by recounting, with physical embellishment, the entire confrontation story to a notorious gossip columnist, Dolly Dupuyester (Hedda Hopper). To save her own pride, Mary chooses to divorce her husband despite his efforts to convince her to stay. Mary explains the divorce to her daughter Little Mary (Virginia Weidler), and the household prepares for Mary's departure.
Leaving on a train to Reno where she will spend the necessary weeks until their divorce is legal, Mary meets several women with the same destination and purpose: the dramatic, extravagant Countess De Lave (Mary Boland); Miriam Aarons (Paulette Goddard), the tough cookie chorus girl; and, to her surprise, her good friend Peggy Day (Joan Fontaine), a sweet, shy girl. Upon reaching Reno, Mary and her new friends settle in at a ranch to await their final divorces, and are given plenty of advice by Lucy (Marjorie Main), the plain-spoken and gruffly warm-hearted woman who runs the ranch. Time passes at the ranch, and the women discuss their marriages and impending divorces; the Countess tells tales of her multiple husbands and seems to have found another in Reno, a young cowboy named Buck Winston, whom she will marry shortly; Miriam reveals she has been having an affair with Sylvia Fowler's husband and is in Reno to get a divorce from her current husband so that she can marry him; and the women convince Peggy, who has discovered that she is pregnant, to surrender her pride, call her husband, resolve their misunderstanding and end the divorce proceedings, which she successfully does. During this time, Sylvia Fowler arrives at the ranch, since her husband has requested a divorce. When Sylvia discovers that Miriam is set to become the new Mrs. Fowler, a catfight ensues. Mary succeeds in breaking the fight up, ending with Miriam convincing her that she, too, should forget her pride, and her newly awarded divorce, and call her husband and try to patch things up. Just then, the phone rings. The call is from Stephen who informs Mary that he and Crystal have just been married.
Eighteen months pass, and the story picks up in Stephen Haines' apartment, where Crystal, the new Mrs. Haines, is taking a bubble bath and talking on the phone to a new lover. Little Mary enters the bathroom and overhears the conversation, before being shooed away by Crystal, who has no time or patience for her. Through Crystal's interaction with Little Mary and the phone conversation, it becomes clear that Stephen has grown weary of Crystal, but seems to be sticking with her since he has no other options. Sylvia Fowler, who is now friends with Crystal, visits during this time, too, and figures out with whom Crystal has been speaking and having an affair. It is Buck Winston, now wed to Countess De Lave, and now a successful singing radio star. Still an unrelenting gossip, Sylvia tucks this information away for use later. Meanwhile, Mary hosts a dinner for all of her Reno friends, to celebrate the two-year anniversary of her divorce and their time together in Reno. When the dinner concludes, the other women head on to Casino Roof, a nightclub, for the second phase of Mary's party. But Mary suddenly begs off and decides to stay home. Upon leaving, one of the ladies mentions to Mary she would have run into Stephen, Crystal and Sylvia who will be dining together at Casino Roof. While getting ready for bed, she chats with Little Mary, who inadvertently reveals how unhappy Stephen is, as well as mentioning that Crystal is being "lovey-dovey" with someone else. This news changes Mary's mind, who decides to get out of bed, dress up and rejoin the party at Casino Roof, intent on fighting to get her ex-husband back.
At the nightclub, Mary is seen lurking in the grand powder room. Sylvia and Crystal soon enter together, and Mary makes a casual statement that Sylvia will overhear so she will return to the powder room alone and Mary can fish information out of her. Mary makes sure that gossip columnist, Dolly Dupuyster learns the whole story of Crystal's affair and will make it known by everyone at the nightclub. Mary manages to pit Sylvia and Crystal against each other. Crystal, however, doesn't care about Stephen's lack of affection since she'll now have Buck Winston to support her. The humiliated Countess reveals that she has been funding Buck's radio career and that without her he will be penniless and out of a job. This leaves Crystal resigned to the fact that she'll be heading back to the perfume counter to support herself, while Mary, completely triumphant, heads out the door to win back Stephen, who is waiting for her.
S T O R Y
Note: This
story is of the film Speed, a cult film from Hollywood. The fact that I gave this assignment to a class of fellow filmmakers; and each fellow-filmmaker put in his/her
own distinct touch, proves that learning cinema is distinctly perspective &
unique for each student.
Story
of “Speed”
Los Angeles SWAT officers Jack Traven and Harry Temple thwart an attempt by a bomber to hold an elevator full of people for a $3 million ransom. They corner the bomber, but as he grabs Harry, Jack shoots Harry in the leg, forcing the bomber to release him. He turns and runs around a corner, apparently dying in an explosion. Jack and Harry are praised by their superior, Lieutenant "Mac" McMahon.
Later, Jack sees a city bus explode. The bomber then contacts him, explaining that a similar bomb is rigged on another bus, and will get activated if it goes over 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) and blow up when the speed drops below 50. The bomber demands a larger ransom of $3.7 million and says he will set off the bomb if any passengers are offloaded. Jack races through traffic and manages to board the moving bus, but by the time he gets on board, it is already going over 50 and the bomb is armed. Jack explains the situation to the driver, Sam, but a panicked small-time criminal on the bus, fearing Jack is going to arrest him, fires his gun, wounding Sam. Another passenger, Annie Porter, takes Sam's place behind the wheel while Jack explains the situation to everyone aboard. Jack examines the bomb under the bus and phones Harry, who uses clues to identify the bomber as a former police officer.
The police clear a route for the bus to a closed-down freeway. Mac insists they offload the passengers onto a pacing flatbed truck, but Jack warns about the bomber's demands. The bomber allows the officers to offload the injured Sam, but detonates an explosive under the bus's front stairs when another passenger attempts to escape; she falls out and is run over. Later, Jack learns that part of the freeway ahead is incomplete, but gets Annie to accelerate the bus and jump the gap. Jack directs Annie to nearby Los Angeles International Airport to drive on the runway. Meanwhile, Harry has identified the bomber as Howard Payne, a retired Atlanta bomb squad officer with a local address, and takes a SWAT team there. However, the house is rigged with explosives; Harry and most of the team are killed.
Jack attempts to defuse the bomb while riding on a towed sledge under the bus, but it hits debris on the runway and he can only hold on by puncturing the fuel tank. He is pulled back aboard by the passengers and learns that Harry has been killed. Enraged, Jack smashes his cell phone, but Annie helps him recover. Jack then realizes that the bomber has been watching the bus the entire time with a hidden camera. Mac gets a local news crew to record a transmission, then rebroadcast it in a continuous loop to fool Howard while the passengers are unloaded onto an airport bus before all the fuel leaks out. The rescue is interrupted by a flat tire, stranding Jack and Annie. To escape, they fix the positions of the gas pedal and the wheel and exit via a floor access panel. The empty bus rams an empty 707 cargo plane and explodes.
Jack and Mac decide to continue the ruse and head to Pershing Square to drop the ransom that Howard demanded. Howard, realizing he has been fooled, poses as a police officer and seizes Annie. The drop is made into a waste can, no one shows-up to take it; Jack discovers a hole under the can leading into the Metro Red Line subway. Jack finds Howard and Annie, but she is wearing a vest covered with explosives and rigged to a pressure-release detonator. Howard hijacks a subway train, handcuffs Annie to a pole, and sets the train in motion. Jack manages to board at the last second. Howard then kills the train driver. Howard attempts a bribe with the ransom money, but is enraged when a paint bomb in the money bag goes off. He and Jack engage in a fight on the roof of the train, which ends when Howard is decapitated by an overhead signal. Jack removes the vest from Annie, but she is still handcuffed to the pole. Since they cannot stop the train, Jack instead sets it for full speed, causing it to derail through a construction site and onto Hollywood Boulevard before coming to a stop. Jack and Annie both survive and kiss passionately as onlookers take pictures.
S T E P O U T L I N E
Later, Jack sees a city bus explode. The bomber then contacts him, explaining that a similar bomb is rigged on another bus, and will get activated if it goes over 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) and blow up when the speed drops below 50. The bomber demands a larger ransom of $3.7 million and says he will set off the bomb if any passengers are offloaded. Jack races through traffic and manages to board the moving bus, but by the time he gets on board, it is already going over 50 and the bomb is armed. Jack explains the situation to the driver, Sam, but a panicked small-time criminal on the bus, fearing Jack is going to arrest him, fires his gun, wounding Sam. Another passenger, Annie Porter, takes Sam's place behind the wheel while Jack explains the situation to everyone aboard. Jack examines the bomb under the bus and phones Harry, who uses clues to identify the bomber as a former police officer.
The police clear a route for the bus to a closed-down freeway. Mac insists they offload the passengers onto a pacing flatbed truck, but Jack warns about the bomber's demands. The bomber allows the officers to offload the injured Sam, but detonates an explosive under the bus's front stairs when another passenger attempts to escape; she falls out and is run over. Later, Jack learns that part of the freeway ahead is incomplete, but gets Annie to accelerate the bus and jump the gap. Jack directs Annie to nearby Los Angeles International Airport to drive on the runway. Meanwhile, Harry has identified the bomber as Howard Payne, a retired Atlanta bomb squad officer with a local address, and takes a SWAT team there. However, the house is rigged with explosives; Harry and most of the team are killed.
Jack attempts to defuse the bomb while riding on a towed sledge under the bus, but it hits debris on the runway and he can only hold on by puncturing the fuel tank. He is pulled back aboard by the passengers and learns that Harry has been killed. Enraged, Jack smashes his cell phone, but Annie helps him recover. Jack then realizes that the bomber has been watching the bus the entire time with a hidden camera. Mac gets a local news crew to record a transmission, then rebroadcast it in a continuous loop to fool Howard while the passengers are unloaded onto an airport bus before all the fuel leaks out. The rescue is interrupted by a flat tire, stranding Jack and Annie. To escape, they fix the positions of the gas pedal and the wheel and exit via a floor access panel. The empty bus rams an empty 707 cargo plane and explodes.
Jack and Mac decide to continue the ruse and head to Pershing Square to drop the ransom that Howard demanded. Howard, realizing he has been fooled, poses as a police officer and seizes Annie. The drop is made into a waste can, no one shows-up to take it; Jack discovers a hole under the can leading into the Metro Red Line subway. Jack finds Howard and Annie, but she is wearing a vest covered with explosives and rigged to a pressure-release detonator. Howard hijacks a subway train, handcuffs Annie to a pole, and sets the train in motion. Jack manages to board at the last second. Howard then kills the train driver. Howard attempts a bribe with the ransom money, but is enraged when a paint bomb in the money bag goes off. He and Jack engage in a fight on the roof of the train, which ends when Howard is decapitated by an overhead signal. Jack removes the vest from Annie, but she is still handcuffed to the pole. Since they cannot stop the train, Jack instead sets it for full speed, causing it to derail through a construction site and onto Hollywood Boulevard before coming to a stop. Jack and Annie both survive and kiss passionately as onlookers take pictures.
S T E P O U T L I N E
A step outline (or one line screenplay) is a point-wise or scene-wise telling of a story with the intention of turning the story into a screenplay for a motion picture.
The step outline briefly details every scene of the screenplay's story, and often has indications for dialog and character interactions. The scenes are usually numbered for convenience.
The step outline briefly details every scene of the screenplay's story, and often has indications for dialog and character interactions. The scenes are usually numbered for convenience.
P I T C H
A pitch is a concise verbal (and sometimes
visual) presentation of an idea for a film or TV series generally made by a
film director or screenwriter or producer to a film producer or studio
executive with the objective of attracting development finance to pay for the
writing of a screenplay or to fund or bankroll the film.
"Pitch" is a
contraction of the phrase or technical term “sales pitch”. A pitch is used
throughout different stages of production, such as casting and distribution, as
well as to urge film producers to further fund a project. Filmmakers who devise
a pitch tend to manufacture a production package, which is handed out to each
potential investor during the pitch. The package contains the basic information
for the filmmaker's project, such as a plot synopsis and budgeting values. Sometimes, filmmakers will produce an
independent pitch trailer or a pitch film; as a part of the package, to help
potential financiers better visualize the project and the filmmaker's vision.
Though pitches are usually
made on the basis of a full script or teleplay, many a times and over a period
of time with experience, directors & producers pitch on the basis of one
line screenplay.
The 4 basic
elements of a pitch are:
1.
Story Idea or plot synopsis
2.
Proposed Cast
3.
Indicative Budget
4.
Recovery projections
