Elements of Scriptwriting

Conflict

That which takes place when two or more forces come into opposition physically, mentally, or emotionally.

Exposition

Those parts of the script that present what has happened before and identify the characters, the time and place of the action, and the relationship of the characters.

Dialogue

Conversation between two or more people that advances the plot.

Character

in a film it is a representation of a person exhibiting certain personality traits selected for a dramatic purpose.

Plot

It is the frame upon which the basic idea of the script is hung.

Deus Ex Machina

An entity who appeared in classical plays to resolve the conflict. In film, any character or event brought in arbitrarily or artificially to solve the problem, or a solution reached illogically, e.g., the cavalry arrives unexpectedly in the nick of time.

Drama

In film, a story of human conflict told through a series of related events.

resolved

The story ends when the conflict is ________.

Conflict

The driving factor

suspense

The time lock adds ________ to the basic conflict by adding a fight against time.

**man vs society**

Hunger Games; Thelma and Louise

**man vs himself**

Fight Club; Eternal Sunshine; The Shining; Lost in Translation; Sugata Sanshiro

**man vs another man**

Pulp Fiction; Silence of the Lambs

man vs nature

Life of Pi

premise

The **_______** of the story provides a basis for the conflict. It is the driving force behind why everything happens on screen. This refers to the motive or goal of the story.

Plot/Structure

The ordering and selection of scenes to tell a story and affect an audience.

Plot

it is a literary term for the main events in a story. It's also known as the **storyline**.

chronological

Not all stories are told in _____________ order.

premise

The _______ is really the beating heart of your story.  

Subplot

It is a secondary storyline or plot within a story, sometimes involving the same characters and sometimes involving characters related to the main characters.

A character

It is developed in relation to other characters; he must act upon, react to, and, in turn, be acted upon by others. He is revealed by encounter, decision, action, and reaction.

equal

The antagonist and the protagonist must be _____ to the hero and vice versa.

The Sidekick

This character represents the faithful friend who always stands by the protagonist.

The Tempter

This character is the right hand of the antagonist. It’s a secondary character that can help you create new subplots and obstacles the protagonist will face throughout the story.

The Skeptic

Although the role of the secondary character who complicates the achievement of the protagonist’s goals is usually taken by the tempter, it doesn’t always have to be like that. Sometimes there are characters who help the antagonist by standing in the protagonist’s way without having anything to do with him.

The Driver

The role of this secondary character is to make the protagonist act in order to set the plot in motion.

The Driver

It is usually carried out by the archetype of the wise old man (or woman) – a character with experience, age, and knowledge who provides the protagonist with the key to solving a problem. 

The Mentor

This secondary character requires special mention. Apart from giving the protagonist a key to solving a particular conflict (which is also the role of the driver), he also has the function of guiding the protagonist (for a longer period of time than the driver) and sharing knowledge at crucial moments in order to return him to the right path. 

The Mixture

Not everything is black or white, and the secondary characters we’ve mentioned don’t have to be exclusively limited to their role. Sometimes we can combine different types of characters to create new roles and add depth to the story. The role of the pseudo-villain is a clear example.

Exposition

The point at which the story can go in one direction or another.

Exposition

It conveys the basic theme of the story, and its telling is integrated into the story itself.

less a character

The "good companion" is _________________ than an exposition technique. They may reveal some aspects of character, but their primary purpose is to be spoken to.

conversation

Dialogue is not ____________.

purpose

Conversation is random while dialogue has a _______.