Filmmaking

CHAPTER 1

The Script

INTRODUCTION

The script is the blueprint for the story and contains dialog, character movements, and scene descriptions. Like the old adage says, “If it ain’t on the page, it ain’t on the stage.”

Every good movie is produced around a well-written script, and it doesn’t matter how big the budget is, how good the actors are, how incredible the explosions are, or how dynamic the visual effects are if the story isn’t moving, engaging, and believable. Films with high production values have been known to flop because the script was poorly written, and rarely has a bad script been made into a good movie. Writing a script is a craft ...