I’m sure you’ve heard the mandate: we’re looking for compelling and dynamic stories.
On one hand, great! Audiences like “compelling” and “dynamic”, but also…what? That’s pretty vague, there, Creative Executive Person.
Let’s instead begin with some of the crucial elements that can help make a script compelling, because there are a LOT. What are those two words exactly, though? Let’s get technical:
The definition of Dynamic: constant change, activity, or progress.
The definition of Compelling: evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way.
How often do we think, “I need my audience to have those reactions.” It’s probably and usually more of a thought like, “I need to make my script these things.” We can’t forget that we’re writing this script FOR an audience!
There are a lot of things in a screenplay that can make it compelling and dynamic…
They can be:
A strong hook and concept that is easy to see on screen - “see” as in the expected 2nd Act based on a pursuit to accomplish something. This is the most basic of elements.
Structure: I know this is pretty simple, but audiences today have an unconscious understanding of tempo and rhythm and momentum in story. We’re inundated by stories every day, and we can all very quickly feel when something is dragging on for too long, or if a story gets into the meat and plot and information too quickly without giving us enough of a foundation…and that foundation is almost always rooted in character. Whaaaa? Character and Structure working together? Yep. And that’s what I’m going to dive into the most today…
Character: through character is how we deliver that dynamic and compelling script. It’s not the concept that delivers and executes. The concept gets us in the door - it gets people to read the script. But once they dive in and read, they’re waiting for you to show us how that concept is executed.
Writing on the Page: Yes, a dynamic and compelling script is also delivered through strong dialogue and writing on the page, but folks…all you have to do is read a TON of scripts to gain a strong understanding of how scene direction and dialogue can be done well. Read the ANNABELLE script by Gary Dauberman, or BOOKSMART by Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins. ANNABELLE can be found in the ISA’s Script Library. I will share the BOOKSMART script with my Story Farm writers in The Story Farm Circle Community.
What I want to really dive into, though, is some slightly esoteric and thematic ways to deliver a dynamic and compelling script.
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