Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video, 5th Edition

Chapter one

Script

The script is everything.

Jim Taylor

It all starts with an idea. For that idea to become a film, it must be fleshed out and developed into a script or screenplay. The script represents the vision of the filmmaker in practical form. It is also your guide through production. From it, you know the story, the characters, the locations, the approximate budget, the final length, and your target audience. With a script, you can finance the production and attract the creative team that will transform the script into a final product. The first member of that team is the director. Her job is to bring a personal vision to the material by either rewriting the script herself or collaborating with the writer until the script best suits ...