Screenwriting & Scenario Writing - Learning the Art of Story Construction
By learning film and drama screenwriting techniques, you can develop story composition skills and expressive abilities that move the audience's hearts.
The Significance of Learning Screenwriting
A screenplay is the blueprint for films, dramas, and stage productions. An excellent screenplay draws the audience into the story's world, stirs emotions, and ultimately provides deep satisfaction. Learning screenwriting is not just about writing visual works but also about cultivating story composition skills for all creative activities.
Basic Elements of Screenwriting
The important elements in writing a screenplay are:
- Three-act structure: Effectively organizing the beginning, middle, and end of the story
- Characters: Creating people the audience can empathize with
- Conflict: Elements that become the engine generating drama
- Dialogue: The technique of words conveying character personality and story
- Visual expression: Techniques that "tell" by "showing"
These techniques can be learned systematically and will definitely improve with practice.
Recommended Books
Standard books explaining theories and techniques practiced by professionals worldwide are helpful for learning screenwriting. Here we introduce classic books usable by beginners to intermediate learners.
Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting
This book systematically explains the basics of three-act structure in screenwriting. By learning how to build stories divided into three parts - setup, confrontation, and resolution - you acquire universal structural ability applicable to any story. Adopted as a textbook in film schools around the world, it is the ideal introductory book for those writing screenplays for the first time.
- Three-act structure is a universal framework for effectively telling stories
- Plot points shift story direction and maintain audience interest
- Character actions and choices are the driving force that advances the story
- Screenplays are a succession of rewrites; there's no need to seek perfection from the start
映画を書くためにあなたがしなくてはならないこと シド・フィールドの脚本術
シド・フィールド, 安藤 紘平, 加藤 正人 / フィルムアート社 / 2009-03-31
いい映画は、いい脚本から生まれる! 世界中でベストセラーにな...
Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
This book practically explains the laws common to selling screenplays. By learning how to build stories using 15 structural elements called the beat sheet, you can develop stories that don't bore audiences. Featuring methods actually used in Hollywood with specific film examples, it has content that can be immediately practiced.
- The logline is the most important element expressing the essence of a screenplay in one sentence
- The beat sheet composed of 15 beats becomes the blueprint for selling screenplays
- The protagonist needs to take likeable actions at the story's beginning for the audience
- Genres have inherent rules; understanding them allows writing stories that meet expectations
Basic Techniques of Scenario (New Edition)
This book is the definitive introduction to screenwriting by Japan's leading authority on scenario education. It comprehensively explains from basic screenplay formats like slug lines, action lines, and dialogue to character creation and drama construction. Specialized content for Japanese screenplay writing makes it essential reading for those aspiring to be broadcast writers or film screenwriters.
- Screenplays have unique style and format premised on being visualized
- Drama is born from conflict and struggle; without them, the story doesn't move
- Character actions always require motivation and purpose
- Practical skills and knowledge applicable to Japan's visual media industry are acquired
Writing from Emotion: How to Write Stories that Captivate and Hold Readers
This book explains screenwriting techniques focused on moving audience emotions. Rather than story structure, it deeply explores the emotional mechanisms of why readers continue turning pages and why viewers can't take their eyes off the screen. By learning specific techniques for designing emotional responses, you can write more memorable stories.
- The ultimate purpose of a screenplay is to move the audience's emotions
- It's important to intentionally design emotions like curiosity, tension, and empathy
- Emotional identification with characters is the greatest weapon for drawing audiences into the story
- All techniques exist to enrich the audience's emotional experience
「感情」から書く脚本術 心を奪って釘づけにする物語の書き方
カール・イグレシアス, 島内 哲朗 / フィルムアート社 / 2016-04-11
プロットじゃない、 構成じゃない、 キャラクター造型でもない...
Summary
Screenwriting is a systematic technique for moving people's hearts through stories. By learning basic principles like three-act structure and emotional design and practicing writing, anyone can improve their ability to construct stories. The books introduced here approach the essence of screenwriting from different angles, and reading multiple books provides deeper understanding.