{"id":123155,"date":"2019-11-18T06:00:51","date_gmt":"2019-11-18T12:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=123155"},"modified":"2019-11-07T11:01:46","modified_gmt":"2019-11-07T17:01:46","slug":"how-to-structure-scripts-and-screenplays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/how-to-structure-scripts-and-screenplays\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Structuring Your Scripts and Screenplays"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you’re structuring your screenplay, there are a number of options to consider if you want the strongest script possible.<\/h2>\n

The backbone of every good film or video project is a solid script. And the backbone of every solid script is an even more solid structure. Structure is what makes the screenplay-writing-world go round, so to speak. It\u2019s the deciding factor in why many film or video projects succeed or fail.<\/p>\n

To properly structure your scripts and screenplays, you must first understand why you should bother. Once you have a good understanding of working with your structure, you can improvise and change it as you\u2019d like \u2014 but usually only within the confines of the structure rules.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dive into the hows<\/em> and whys<\/em> when structuring your scripts and screenplays \u2014 as well as different structural alternatives \u2014 to give your films and projects the sturdiest backbone possible.<\/p>\n

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Break Down Your Idea<\/h3>\n
\"A<\/a>

An important step in preparing a script is hashing out the intricacies of the main idea for your project. (Image by Nitikorn Poonsiri<\/a>.)<\/p><\/div>\n

A project begins with a simple idea. Let\u2019s make a cool short film based on this.<\/em> Or, I\u2019ve always wanted to tell this story \u2014 how do I take it from paper to film?<\/em> In the beginning, it\u2019s perfectly fine to free associate, without the confines of structure \u2014 or even knowing exactly what your idea will become.<\/p>\n

However, once you form your idea into an actual film project, you\u2019ll need to outline it and eventually write your script. Here\u2019s a great article on how (and why) to break your idea and screenplay down<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It’s also helpful (early on) to start working with a script supervisor (here\u2019s more info on what that role entails and why you might need one<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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The Three-Act Structure<\/h3>\n
\"A<\/a>

The Hero’s Journey is a great guide when mapping out your script. (Image via Wikipedia<\/a>.)<\/p><\/div>\n

If you take any intro-to-screenwriting class (or even just search around online), you\u2019ll probably find a lot of information about the “Three-Act Structure.” The roots of the three-act structure go deep into the history not only of film but also novels, plays, comic books, and more. And, you can find the three-act structure in films by everyone from Hitchcock<\/a> to Spielberg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Based on the work of the great Joseph Campbell<\/a> and his efforts to unlock the monomyth (or Hero\u2019s Journey<\/a>), which we\u2019re all accustomed to reading, watching, and writing about, the three-act structure is basically the following:<\/p>\n