Writing A Short Screenplay: The MMM Information Packet

Writing A Short
Screenplay:
The MMM Information Packet
Materials and resources assembled by
Professor Elisabeth Benfey
Octo be r 1 0, 20 06
Table of co nt ent s
What is the MMM?…..3
About the event & Important Dates
Short Screenwriting FAQ…..4
Some Responses to Commonly Asked Questions & Concerns
Idea to Story….. 5-6
How to start creating the short screenplay
Story to Screenplay…. 7-9
Taking the idea and turning it into a script
How Can I Do All This in 8 Minutes?!…. 10-11
Some tips for staying sane and organizing your Writing
The Treatment…. 12
Example & Tips
The Step-Outline…. 13
Example
The Short Screenplay…. 14
Where to Find Examples & Formatting Tips
Top Ten Tips for Successful Screenwriting…. 15
Taken from “Creative Screenwriting”
The MMM Short Screenplay Competition…. 16-17
Official Rules & Submission Information
Student Filmmaking at Duke…. 18
Ways to get Involved & get MMM Practice on Campus
2
The Movie Making marathon
At-a-Glance
Event Summary
This fall, the MMM will officially begin with a short screenplay competition open to all Duke
undergraduate and graduate students. You will have from October 2 until November 15 to submit
these screenplays online by email. The official rules of the competition, tips for writing, and other
filmmaking resources are available in this packet as well as on our website,
www.duke.edu/web/mmm.
Over Winter Break, a selection committee will choose the top 3 short screenplays for use in the
Marathon during Spring Semester. In late February, students would would like to compete in the
actual filmmaking event will be invited to participate in the MMM Crew Call where they will be
given the chance to become a member of one of 10 student filmmaking teams.
The Movie Making Marathon officially takes place over the weekend of March 24-25, 2007. Ten
student filmmaking teams at Duke University will each work together to produce a short film
based on one of the three winning scripts from the fall competition. The teams have 24 hours to
make their film, 12 hours to shoot, 12 hours to edit. Their films will then premiere the following
day at a campus-wide screening for the Duke community. At this event, industry professionals will
judge the competition and give their remarks, with the entire weekend culminating in an Awards
ceremony and reception for the student filmmakers. Producer Bill Teitler (Mr. Holland’s Opus,
Jumanji, The Polar Express) will be in attendance and the Film/Video/Digital department is giving
a $500 award to the team that produces the best film.
For a more in-depth description of the MMM, please see “About the MMM” on our website.
Important Dates of the MMM
OCT 2 – Screenplay Competition Begins
NOV 1 – 2nd Screenwriting Workshop
(Bryan Center 128, 8-10 PM)
OCT 12 – Meet & Greet in the BC
(9-11 PM)
NOV 15 – Screenplay Competition Ends
OCT 14 - 1st Screenwriting Workshop
(Bryan Center 128, 12-3 PM)
WINTER BREAK – Screenplays are chosen
by the Official Selection Committee
OCT 19 – Meet & Greet in the Marketplace
(6-8 PM)
FEB 15 – The MMM Crew Call
MARCH 24-25, 2007 - THE MOVIE
MAKING MARATHON
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Frequently Asked Questions about
Short Screenplay Writing
a.k.a.
(Don’t worry if you’ve never done this before)
W ha t is a s ho r t s cre e np la y?
It can be as short as a minute, and as long as 40 minutes. In general, one page equals 1 minute of
film. For the purpose of the MMM, we are looking for scripts that are no longer than 8 pages
long, or 8 minutes onscreen. There can be many sorts of short scripts –experimental, animated,
documentary, mockumentary, etc. What we are looking for is a short narrative screenplay, which
means that we are looking for a script that tells a story.
W ha t is a s to r y?
Too often short films writers resort to creating a situation, instead of a story. In a situation, a
stock character tackles with a problem for several minutes without success. A final twist
provides the resolution of his troubles –often through no action of his own. The character is often
unchanged by his experiences. In a story, a character must want something more than anything in
the world. The hero must overcome obstacles that create some kind of conflict for him. He must
find ways to resolve his predicament. The hero either succeeds or doesn’t. In the process, the
hero of the story learns something, and is forever changed by his experiences. Those dramatic
elements make a story compelling to watch.
Is a s hor t fi l m e as ie r to w ri te tha n a l o ng o ne ?
Yes and no. On the one hand, a short script is more manageable to write than a typical featurelength screenplay, which is between 110-120 pages long. A short script is about one-twelfth of
that. The cast of the short film is often limited to two or three main characters, often less fleshed
out than in a feature film. The plot of a short screenplay is linear and uncomplicated by the
subplots of the longer form. So in this sense, yes, the short script is easier to write.
On the other hand, you still have to tell a story and you have only eight minutes to do the
following:
-Grab your audience’s attention.
-Set up the location, style and mood of your film.
-Create believable characters –a main one, and an antagonist. The main character must want
something as if his life depended on it, and will have trouble achieving/getting it. This is called
conflict.
-Deliver a satisfying ending.
And all this within eight minutes! You can do it. Turn the page for how to transform your idea
into a great story to write a film about.
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From Idea to Story
Our First Workshop – October 14
12-3 PM in 128 Bryan Center
First, you need to have an idea.
Where do I find an idea to write?
Use as a starting point something that captures your imagination or unlocks a powerful emotional
reaction. It could be, for instance:
-A person (friend, acquaintance, family member, celebrity) so intriguing you cannot get him out
of your mind
-A snippet of dialogue exchanged between two strangers on a bus ride across the States
-A chapter of family lore passed down over generations –like what happened to your great-uncle
the first time he got his hair cut
-An outlandish article in the Enquirer
-The color of the ocean on a stormy day
-The mournful sound of a train whistle at night
-A troubling image in a dream you had a long time ago, but has stayed with you
-A situation that made you laugh
-An abstract concept (intolerance, loneliness, poverty)
What you are looking for is a powerful creative trigger, an event that struck you in one way or
another, and you want to write about it. When you explore your options for a story idea, always
focus on how you feel about it. It’s that FEELING, that EMOTION that are important. Fear,
anger, a desire for revenge, a sense of thrill or elation, all are powerful engines behind the desire
to write. What you write about has to matter to YOU. If you are not passionate about what you
want to tell, you will not be able to make other people care, either.
I have my idea. How do I turn it into a story?
Once you have found the creative trigger for your story, play a game of “What if?” with it.
Playing “What if” allows you to explore all the possible dramatic situations that can develop
from the original idea. It is what professional writers call “Brainstorming”. The important rule is
that you pay attention to the choice you make when you answer the “What if?” question. Each
answer is a choice you make. That choice will determine the next question. Your narrative will
start developing in a specific direction. Little by little, the image you started with will be
transformed through the decisions you make. Your goal is to come up with the most interesting,
dramatic situation possible.
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From Idea to Story (continued)
Our First Workshop – October 14
12-3 PM in 128 Bryan Center
Brainstorming
Brainstorming using “What if” allows you to commit to certain characters (to their appearance,
values, behavior), to certain events that lead to other events (plot), and to a point-of-view (the
lady’s). Your main characters. As you play “What if?” you make important discoveries about
your hero (their physical appearance, attitude toward life, main goal), create other characters,
and imagine their relationships with each other.
A plot and a dramatic moment
You have determined a logical series of events, or plot, for your story. The fulcrum of your story
is the most dramatic moment. It is the point around which the rest of your story is constructed. It
is the moment where the circumstances you imagined intersect with your character’s urgent
need. In our example, it is when the woman sits in front of the homeless man who is eating her
salad.
A point of view
When you played “What If” you could have decided that the more interesting story was that of
the homeless man. In this case, the choices you would have made would have been different and
the story told from his point of you. You would have told a different kind of story.
With your Story ready,
Turn the page to turn that story into a Movie…
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From Story to Movie
(The Short Screenplay)
Our Second Workshop – Thursday, November 2
8-10 PM in 128 Bryan Center
What makes a good story for a short film?
Compelling characters.
The temptation when you write a short film, and have less time to develop complex characters, is
to write your characters in short-hand. If their behavior is simplistic and predictable, your story
will be, too. Characters, particularly your hero’s, is the force that drives your story. Do not shortchange your characters! Give them the full range of human characteristics:
•
•
•
Physical: the character’s height, weight, gender, age, clothes they wear can all influence
how your story develops.
Behavioral: there can be unexpected contrast between expected behavior and actual
behavior (for instance, a psychiatrist who is obsessively re-arranging the pens on his
desk). This disconnect between what is expected and the actual behavior of the character
is immediately intriguing –and often humorous.
A strong need: Character is ACTION. An action is what the character DOES in order to
get what he WANTS. Energize your story by making the hero’s need extreme. What the
character wants, he wants passionately. He wants it more than anything in the world. The
need of the character must be immediate and urgent, especially in a short film.
The element of conflict.
Conflict is the result of what a character “want” (his goal), and the obstacles he must face to get
what he wants. Those obstacles can be another character, nature, society, community. Those are
called external obstacles. Sometimes, the obstacles are purely internal –an addiction,
psychological issues resulting from a trauma, for instance. Watching the hero struggle against
those obstacles is what makes a story interesting. Your job is to make the life of you character
difficult! The character says: “I want this!” Say “NO!” to your character!
In the famous short film The Lunch Date, the worst possible obstacle for this wealthy, bigoted,
hungry woman takes the shape of a homeless man eating her lunch. The more you intensify the
pressure on your hero, the more fun it will be for the audience to watch your movie.
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From Story to Screenplay
(CONT’D)
Our Second Workshop – Thursday, November 2
8-10 PM in 128 Bryan Center
Can you tell your story “in pictures”?
Films are a visual medium. The best stories are the one that you can tell with images that have a
strong dramatic impact. This is not always easy: to be understood by your audience, some stories
require a lot of exposition. Exposition is the essential information that you need to reveal to your
audience for them to be able to understand the plot. There are two types of
information that are the most challenging to reveal. Both deal with the “hidden” aspects of your
characters’ lives.
The first type of exposition deals with the Backstory of your characters: events that took place
before the movie begins, but have a direct impact on what is about to take place. How do you
make Backstory information immediate? It can be done with simple visual details that tell us
instantly all we need to know about the action of the character before the story opens. In The
Lunch Date, a short film by Adam Davidson, the movie opens with a lady carrying shopping
bags from expensive New York department stores through Grand Central Station. This is a visual
shortcut, which rapidly conveys the fact that this is a wealthy woman who spent her day
shopping in the city, without ever having to show this.
The second type of exposition that is often difficult to handle deals with the internal life of your
characters - emotions, thoughts, feelings. In this case, the challenge is to make that information
concrete and visible to the audience. Character behavior, or a potent visual can economically
externalize all the audience needs to know to participate in the story. In Off-Sides, a short based
on a true story which takes place on Christmas Eve 1914, Germans and English soldiers put the
war on hold to play a game of soccer in the “No man’s land” between the trenches. Toward the
end of the game, flashes of bodies on stretchers and bloody images of battle flash onscreen –the
reality of the soldier’s lives is gradually returning. Not a word is exchanged, but the thoughts and
feelings are clear: a ruthless war is on. The game must end. They must return to their trenches.
This short film is told almost entirely visually, and so is The Lunch Date. The dramatic
situations are so well set-up that dialogue is unnecessary. Show, don’t tell!
Structuring your story
A story, any story, has a beginning, a middle, and an end. In a feature film, each part has a
specific function: you have about 30mns of Exposition (the beginning) to introduce the
characters and their world. The middle, called Confrontation, is about 60mns long. The hero goes
on his quest to get or achieve something, encounters a number of obstacles that become harder to
surmount as the movie progresses. In the third act (also called Resolution) hero must come faceto-face with the antagonist for the final showdown (or Climax). Then the world returns to a new
order, and we get a glimpse of the future for the hero in this new world (the resolution). This can
take 10-30 minutes.
(Next page)
8
From Story to Screenplay
(CONT’D)
Our Second Workshop – Thursday, November 2
8-10 PM in 128 Bryan Center
A short film follows the same basic structure in which to organize all the elements of your story,
and each “act” must accomplish the same function as in a feature. Yet, you do not have only
minutes to do the same job.
What are the main short story genres?
There are several kinds (called “genres” when you talk about feature films) of short films:
docudramas, satyre, mockumentaries, fable, etc. For the purpose of MMM, we will look at the
two types –or shapes- of short stories that are the most common: The Journey, and The Magical
Encounter.
The Journey.
It is the oldest kind of story, and the closest in structure to that of a feature. The Hero leaves
home on a quest. Along the way, he encounters obstacles, but finds the strength to confront
them to achieve his/hers goal. The Hero’s ordeal has taught him/her a valuable lesson that
changes him/her forever.
Example of Journey: “The Lunch Date” (Adam Davidson, Academy Award Winner, short film
category, 1990). On her way back to the suburbs of Manhattan, a wealthy woman is the victim of
a pickpocket who steals her purse. She buys a salad at the Central Station diner (the quest –she
wants to eat). She leaves her table for an instant, to get silverware, only to find a homeless man
eating her lunch (obstacle). Famished, she overcomes her prejudice (confronting the obstacle)
and decides to share the meal with him (she reaches her goal). The homeless man buys her
coffee. When she leaves, she realizes that her meal was in fact on another table and that the
homeless man had not stolen her food (life-changing lesson).
The Magical Encounter.
The Magical Encounter emphasizes a particular happening that will greatly affect the fate of the
main character of the story. This event is often the arrival of a stranger, or of a magical object in
the typical day of the hero, which symbolizes his/her secret dreams or fantasy. For a while, the
hero, enabled by the magical object, crosses the line between his real and his imaginary life. He
follows the magical object and explores the world of his/her fantasy. In the end, the hero must
choose to follow his dream or to return to the reality of his or her life. The resolution shows a
glimpse of the life the hero has chosen.
Example of Magical Encounter: “Le Ballon Rouge”: (“The Red Balloon”, Albert Lamorisse,
1956). On his way to school, a lonely Parisian boy is accosted by a Red Balloon (Magical
Object). The boy and the balloon become friends, skip school, and spend a fun-filled day
exploring Paris together (the boy’s fantasy). A gang of children, jealous about the boy
and his balloon, chase them and “kill” the balloon with a sling-shot. Balloons from all over the
city rally toward the grieving boy, giving him a chance to fly away and escape his joyless life
forever (choice).
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How Can I Do All This in 8 Minutes?
Tips for Organizing Your Writing & Staying Sane
•
The first and most important rule-of-thumb: KEEP IT SIMPLE!
•
Start your story as late as possible: Start your story at the moment something is about to
happen to the hero. In other words, choose the last possible moment to enter the story and
still have it make sense.
•
Create your hero and another main character. Everybody else is an extra.
•
Use polarities to create your protagonist (hero) and your antagonist: think of personalities
that are polar opposites in terms of values, age, tastes, social position, sexual inclinations,
abilities, behavior, etc. This is a simple way to create conflict as you pit one character
against his opposite, and let the situation play out between them.
•
Use Characterization: This means that you externalize the temperament, profession,
social status, attitudes, thoughts and feelings of your characters through character
behavior. In other words, you make their Backstory and internal life visible –visual- on
screen. In The Lunch Date, the lady wears a fur coat, brushes past begging homeless
people, speaks imperiously to the short order cook, polishes her fork before using it. All
these elements are telling clues to the lady’s personality. Note that characterization is not
caricature: although certain attributes allow the audience to identify the lady’s “type”
immediately, the details of her behavior reveal her unique personality.
•
Give your hero one Goal: Keep the character’s goal clear and simple. What the hero
wants (or needs) to accomplish must be conveyed quickly.
•
Throw one major obstacle in the hero’s way: The hero faces one major external obstacle,
and/or one internal one. In The Lunch Date, the lady must confront the homeless man
(external obstacle), and conquer her own obsessive cleanliness (internal obstacle) to get
what she wants (the salad). What makes the scene compelling and funny is the attention
paid to the details of both characters’ behavior and on the development of an improbable
relationship.
(More tips on the next page)
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How Can I Do All This in 8 Minutes?
Tips for Organizing Your Writing & Staying Sane (Cont’d)
•
Surprise us: The resolution: there is often a twist at the end of a short film, something that
adds interest, or humor to a conventional ending. Its purpose is to make the audience
think, or to make them laugh (or both). In The Lunch Date, the woman realizes that her
salad –the one she really bought- is left untouched in the next booth. This makes her –and
us- think about prejudice: we never doubted that the homeless man had stolen the lady’s
salad when, in fact, he was generously sharing his meal with her. Beware the twist that
solves the hero’s problem! If the lady had noticed the other salad (her own) sooner, the
conflict would have come to an end without her having any active role in it. The lady
would not have struggled to overcome her social and personal aversions. The story would
be flat and uninteresting. The Lunch Date could have turned into another boring morality
tale instead of winning an Academy Award!
•
Choose a few locations and choose them well. Remember for MMM filmmakers will
only have twelve hours to shoot, therefore, when you write your scenes, keep the
following parameters in mind for your locations:
o Think of access and control: remote locations requiring driving for miles, or busy
locations with a lot of traffic and noise will create insurmountable challenges for
the teams.
o Choose locations that are interesting yet practical: Dorm rooms tend to all look
the same, but sets requiring extensive design will use up a lot of precious time to
dress. You know campus and the immediate environs. Use your imagination!
Organize your story
Two important tools used by writers to organize their story are the treatment and the step-outline.
The treatment is a plotting tool. The step-outline will help you to define the content, function,
and placement of each individual scene of your movie.
Write a one-page treatment:
A treatment is a narrative summation of your story. It is always written in the present tense. It is,
as Syd Field calls it in his seminal book “Screenplay”, the roadmap of your movie, and will
allow you to get a sense of where your story is going by visualizing and dramatizing the scenes.
It is simply a writing tool, which will make the story clearer for YOU. The main purpose of a
treatment is to begin plotting your story. The plot is a series of actions, or events that
cause something else to occur. You can find an example of treatment in this packet.
Write a step-outline:
A Step-Outline is a scene-by-scene template of what happens in your screenplay. This includes
the slug line (INT. CHURCH DAY or EXT. FIELDS NIGHT) and one or two line description of
the scene and includes every scene in your movie. The step-outline of a short film should not be
more than a page long –probably one or two major, dramatic scenes, at the most. You can also
find an example of a step-outline in this packet.
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Writing a Treatment
Example & Tips
Example taken from: Proper Treatment,Screenwriting Column 37 by Terry Rossio
http://www.wordplayer.com/columns/wp37.Proper.Treatment.html
The Mask of Zorro
3/11/94
The opening sequence is told through the eyes of two young brothers, ALEJANDRO and
JOAQUIN MURIETTA. It takes place in Alta California, 1822. Mexico is about to win its
independence. The Spanish Viceroy of California, MONTERO, realizes his time is up. He has
ordered the execution of all political prisoners. The boys sneak into the town Square to watch the
hangings.
But Montero is foiled again by ZORRO, who sails in and frees the prisoners. Completely heroic,
a black apparition in the moonlight, Alejandro and Joaquin watch him in wonderment. But
Montero was counting on Zorro's arrival; more soldiers wait in ambush. Zorro is unaware of
the trap.
Alejandro and Joaquin give warning. Zorro defeats the soldiers. He thanks the brothers, and
presents them with the medallion he wears around his neck, and then he is gone. Joaquin, the
eldest, claims the medallion over his little brother's objections. Joaquin also finds an abandoned
sword ...
Zorro rides back to his secret cave behind the waterfall. He emerges in his hacienda as Don
DIEGO DE LA VEGA, a wealthy caballero with a wife, ESPERANZA, and two-year-old
daughter, ELENA. He starts to tell Elena what he did that night, but Esperanza points out that
she's not paying attention. Diego says that someday, she will listen to his stories.
And so on….
Tips on Treatment Writing
A treatment is not a psychological analysis. Write ONLY what is going to take place on the
screen. You can write in the style of the film to give an idea of the tone of your movie.
Emphasize the visual action of each scene; Strong descriptions or bits of dialogue can effectively
give a sense of the specific world of your movie.
You want to grab the reader’s attention: try to provoke an emotion; Highlight what makes your
movie special.
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Writing a Step-Outline
Example
From http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/eastevens/SceneBreakdown.htm
"THE ALLEGATION"
Written by: Allison Burnett, draft date: 02/2001
EXT. WESTBROOK, CONNECTICUT HOME - SUMMER EVENING
A man and woman make passionate love while discussing the fact that they're going to be late to
an event.
INT. FORD EXPLORER - DUSK
JENNY BARRETT (mid 30s) tells her husband RICHARD BARRETT (late 30s) that her mom's
mad at him for not recognizing her in the West Village yesterday; Richard finds it strange as he
was in Stamford all day for a meeting. They reach their destination, an old-world estate.
INT. BRANCH MANOR LIVING ROOM - AN HOUR LATER
Jenny and Richard join a large in-progress party. Richard greets friends and associates and
brother-in-law.
TOM BRANCH (late 30s);politely turns down the many women who'd like his
attention. He gets jealous seeing Jenny dancing with another man, and cuts in.
INT. BRANCH MANOR LIVING ROOM - LATER
Jenny's father JUDGE ELLIOT BRANCH (late 60s), his wife ESTELLE (60), daughter-in-law
SALLY (30s) and the crowd toast Jenny and Richard. Elliot praises Richard. Richard's response
tells us that this is their 10th anniversary party. Jenny announces her pregnancy. The
BARTENDER (30) glares.
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The Short Screenplay
Examples & Formatting Tips
EXAMPLE OF A SHORT SCREENPLAY
Go to http://www.dartmouth.edu/~shortflm/mama_script.htm to find the script for “Because of
Mama” More short scripts will be published here shortly.
The Lunch Date
A Transcript of The Lunch Date is available on our website and at both workshops.
FORMATTING YOUR SCREENPLAY
There are only three essential format elements
(1) THE SCENE HEADING (INT OR EXT, LOCATION, TIME)
The scene heading is positioned on your first indent, one-and-a-half inches in from the left hand
side of the page.
(2)
THE VISUAL EXPOSITION or what you would see on screen.
Generally, the first time a character appears in the script, the name is CAPITALIZED, but only
the first time he or she appears in the script. Visual exposition should line up below the Scene
Heading at the same indent position, one-and-a-half inches in from the left hand side
of the page. Both dialogue and visual exposition should be single-spaced. Note: do not use
camera directions in your descriptions (such as PAN right, ANGLE ON etc.)
(3)
THE DIALOGUE
The Dialogue follows the visual exposition, with each character's name CAPITALIZED in the
center of the page, followed by the words that are to be spoken, on the next line, centered with
the left and right margins approximately two inches in from each side of the page. Do not
include emotional or physical direction in parentheses below a character's name before the lines
of dialogue.
Template Help & Software
Try Simply Screenplay, which is a template for WORD, an easy and
powerful program to use (download the Read Me File). You can compare
the most popular freeware and shareware programs as well as get some
good advice at http://www.online-communicator.com/swsoftin.html.
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Th e T op T en T ip s fo r
Writ ing Sh ort Scr een plays
(Excerpted from “A short-cut to Hollywood Success” by Linda
Cowgill, Creative Screenwriting 05/11/2004)
1. Know who you're making your film for. If you're making it for yourself, that's who you have
to satisfy. If you're making it as an
entry into the industry, your film needs to work dramatically as well as technically. Competition
is stiff.
2. The longer the story, the better the film has to be. Length comes down to what the story
dictates. But if a film is over 15 minutes, it
really has to be great to keep people watching. I can't tell you how many boring "short" films I've
seen because directors can't figure out what they can cut to make it better.
3. Write the script you can produce. Don't write a script with production values you can't
achieve.
4. The best ideas are simple. Focus on one main conflict, then develop and explore it in
surprising ways.
5. Set up your film in the first 60 seconds. If you're writing a ten-minute (10 page) movie, you
can't take the first five pages to introduce your characters before getting to your conflict.
Establish your conflict as soon as possible.
6. Make sure conflict escalates. Know what your character wants (the goal) and what's
preventing him from getting it (the obstacle), and
make sure your audience understands it, too.
7. Try to develop the conflict in one main incident as the set piece of your project. Many great
short films develop the conflict in one
incident to great effect, exploring character in ways feature films rarely do because they rely
more heavily on plot.
8. If your film is less than five minutes, one type of conflict might be sufficient to satisfy your
audience. But if your film is over five minutes, you're going to need to various obstacles or
complications for your hero to face.
9. Just because your film is short doesn't mean it's impossible to have an effective midpoint and
reversal. Anything that keeps your audience from guessing your ending is an asset.
10. Make sure your ending is the best thing about your great film. Your payoff is what you're
leaving the audience with, and it's how they're going to remember you.
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The MMM Short Screenplay Competition
Official Rules & Submission Information
(also available on www.duke.edu/web/mmm)
Participants
* There can be up to three writers for each
screenplay.
* Writer(s) must be currently enrolled in a
Duke undergraduate or graduate program.
Formatting
* Scripts must be submitted in proper
format, an example of which can be found
here.
* Scripts must not exceed 8 pages in length
(excluding the title page)
Content
* Only original scripts will be considered (i.e. scripts that have been previously produced are
ineligible. This includes work done at the University).
* While writing, keep in mind that scripts must be able to be realistically shot
within and edited the 24 hour time frame.
* Successful short films usually have 1 to 2 main characters.
Please limit your scripts to no more than 4 main characters.
Submission
* Scripts will be submitted by email and should be in a widely-read format such as .pdf or .doc.
* Scripts should only be labeled with a title.
(All other information should be submitted in a separate document title page.)
* The separate title page document must include the following information:
-Title of the script
-Name of the writer(s)
Please include the following for each writer if there is more than one.
-Email address
-Contact phone number
-Class Year
-Major/Minor
* Students may submit as many scripts as they would like to the competition.
* Screenplays can be submitted at anytime between
October 2, 2006 at 12:00 AM and November 15, 2006 at 12:00 AM.
WHEN YOUR SCRIPT IS READY
EMAIL IT (WITH YOUR TITLE PAGE) TO
MOVIEMAKINGMARATHON@DUKE.EDU
Questions? Email us.
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NEED HELP WRITING?
Check out our Resources page where you can find many examples on the web of how to write a
screenplay for a short film. On that page, you’ll also be able to download this screenwriting
packet. Or, come to one of our MEET AND GREETS and talk with other students about their
screenwriting experience. Please stop by, grab some popcorn, and get some helpful advice and
tips from experienced screenwriting and film students.
Meet & Greets - Thursday, October 12 from 9-11 PM in the Bryan Center
Thursday, October 19 from 6-8 PM in the Marketplace
COME TO THE WORKSHOP
On Saturday, October 14 from 12-3 PM and Thursday November 2 from 8-10 PM, the MMM
team will be holding screenwriting workshops on in Bryan Center Classroom 128 led by
Professor Benfey. Come with anything- even if it’s just an idea for a film and we’ll help you take
that idea and turn it into a short screenplay. Register to attend by clicking here.
IMPORTANT DATES
The competition officially begins on October 2, 2006 at 12 A.M. and ends on November 15,
2006 at 12 A.M. During this time period, you can submit your screenplays by email.
Meet & Greets - October 12, 9-11 PM in the Bryan Center, Shaefer Mall
October 19, 6-8 PM in the Marketplace
Screenwriting Workshops - October 14, 12-3 PM in Bryan Center 128
November 2, 8-10 PM in Bryan Center 128
Still have questions?
Contact our team at
MovieMakingMarathon@duke.edu
Or visit our website at
www.duke.edu/web/mmm
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Stu dent Filmmak in g at Duk e
FILM/VIDEO/DIGITAL
Officia l Su pp or ter of t he M MM * ww w. duke. e du /w eb/fi lm
Offering classes in everything from film sound design to film animation, the Film/Video/Digital
program gives students an opportunity to study the art of filmmaking as part of their curriculum
at Duke. Whether you pursue a certificate in the field or simply take a class or two, the
Film/Video/Digital department aims to invigorate the study of film and student filmmaking for
students of all majors.
FROSHLIFE
Crea te d by t he Office of Inf or ma tio n T ech no log y, a n Offi cia l S up p ort er
of t he M MM * ww w. duke. e du /we b/fr os h life
The famous iMovie festival created by OIT & Student Affairs is sponsored by Apple Computers.
Freshman dorms compete against one another to produce a short film that best captures their first
year in college. Now in it’s fourth year, the festival has become a tradition and a rite of passage
of the Duke University experience.
CABLE 13
Officia l Part ne r of th e M M M * w ww. ca ble1 3.co m
Duke Union Community Television (Cable 13), Duke's student-run television station, informs
educates, and entertains the entire Duke community through diverse and unique programming on
a regular basis. Cable 13 offers hands-on television production experience, coverage of campus
activities, artistic freedom, and a forum to develop and showcase innovative student productions
and alternative perspectives on campus, state and global issues. Working on Cable 13
productions is a great way to get some valuable MMM experience!
FREEWATER PRESENTATIONS
Officia l Part ne r of th e M M M * w ww. du ke.e du/w eb/ m ovie s
If you’ve ever been to a movie at Duke, you should probably be very grateful to Freewater. Year
after year, Freewater continues to bring diverse cinema choices to campus, from huge
Hollywood-blockbusters to important independent films. Not only can you see a great movie for
a decent price, there’s always the free water. A division of the Duke University Student Union.
FREEWATER PRODUCTIONS
Officia l Part ne r of th e M M M * w ww. du ke.e du/w eb/fr ee wat er
Freewater Productions is a committee of the Duke University Union dedicated to the production
of short Super 8 and 16mm films. All styles and genres are encouraged. They operate as a
cooperative, with members teaching each other filmmaking and forming the crews of each
other’s productions. They offer a series of workshops on every part of the filmmaking process,
from writing to shooting to editing. Members are eligible to apply for grants given out each
semester to make short films. They are an entirely student-run group. No previous experience is
necessary to join, and everyone—student and non-student—is welcome. Freewater films are
shown to the public at the end of each academic year at our annual screening in Griffith Film
Theater.
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