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Subplot Characters
Subplot characters have an action line that is - on the plot level - connected with the main conflict, either as a part of the counteraction or as a parallel “foil” or supporting action of the protagonist’s conflict. In other words, subplot characters either help, initiate, complicate, or fight the hero’s efforts.....
Subtext
Subtext is what the character is really saying between the lines, and it is revealed by character’s actions and reactions.....
Surprise
Surprise is an unexpected occurrence in the story: an encounter, attack, change of mind or circumstance, that creates a feeling of astonishment, wonder, or amazement as it takes the viewer unaware and without warning. It is usually preceded by a contrasting “preparation” scene that shows the character unsuspecting, unaware, careless, or....
Symbolic Characters
Symbolic characters are one-dimensional, usually personifying only one quality or idea, such as love, wisdom, mercy, or justice. Symbolic characters are often found in non-realistic worlds: in myth, fantasy, sci-fi, superhero, and comic-book stories.....
Sympathy
Sympathy occurs when the audience has feelings of pity or sorrow for a character’s misfortune. Sympathetic characters help to engage an audience’s participation with the story; however, we don’t have to feel sympathy in order to care about a character.....
Tension
Tension is a mental, emotional strain for the viewer, a pleasurable anxiety or apprehension resulting from watching an uncertain, undecided, or mysterious situation. It consists of hope for a desired outcome and simultaneously, fear that the opposite will happen.....
Theme
Theme is the meaning of the experience that we have just watched.....
Third Act Twist
The third act twist is a surprising, yet explainable and motivated change in the direction of the action of the overall story line and new third act tension. This moment occurs at the end of the seventh sequence in the middle of the third act.....
Twist
A twist (or reversal) is a surprising, yet explainable and motivated change in the direction of the action - either within a scene, a sequence, or in the overall story line.....
Unity
Unity is the state of being united or joined as a whole, and when it comes to structure all the parts - acts, sequences, plot points - must work together to make an understandable whole.....
V.O.
Voice-over (V.O.) is seen next to a CHARACTER’S name in all CAPS and inside a parenthetical before a specific piece of dialogue. It is a technique where an off-camera voice is used to deliver commentary. The voice-over may be spoken by a character that appears in the film elsewhere or by an omniscient narrator. A less common use of voice-over....
Vertical Reading
Scripts that invite vertical reading have a lot of white space, which helps the reader to skim quickly, shot by shot, and see the film as the writer envisioned it.....
Visuals
Show, don’t tell. Screenwriting is a visual medium; therefore, the writer must avoid explaining to the audience. The screenwriter must reveal information bit by bit, allowing the audience to become active participants as they experience the story. The screenwriter is the first director of the film, and it is his or her job to direct the reade....
White Space
White space is the screenwriter’s best friend because it helps the reader move quickly through the pages. The more white space the page has, the more vertical it becomes, making it a faster read. White space breaks up action into smaller sections as well as allows the story to be delivered shot by shot.....
Women in Film & Video New England
Promoting proactive images of women to the public and works to empower all women in the media industry to achieve their professional potential. We provide an educational forum for media....
MCKEE\'S RESOURCE PAGE
Robert McKee, A Fulbright Scholar, is the most sought after screenwriting lecturer around the globe. He has dedicated the last 30 years to educating and mentoring screenwriters, novelis....
A Screenwriter\'s Utopia
We bring ALL the production companies, literary agents, and indie-producers straight to you in a DAILY E-MAIL. No more searching through every single ad, in every city.......
UK Copyright Service
Known as Copyright Witness internationally, the service supports international copyright protection by securing independent evidence that will help prove originality and ownership.....
Writers Copyright Association UK
Written a Script? A book? Got a great idea? Want to make sure it doesn't get ripped off? We are the number one depository for protection of creative material. Upload it online for i....
Glendon Extended Learning Center
Glendon College, a campus of York University in Toronto, Canada has offers a resource center for writer of motion pictures. The center is being run by Romina Dermardirosian who brings more than 10 years of experience in creative writing. Romina began her career in writing after she graduated from York University in Toronto, Canada ....
