Kịch bản phim quảng cáo_Bài 3_Kịch bản

Lesson 3 — Screenwriting

1. What a Screenplay Is and What It Does

A screenplay is a written, present-tense account of a story told through images, actions, sounds, and language. The lesson also cites Article 4 of Vietnam’s 2006 Film Law, which describes a screenplay as a written creative work expressing a film’s complete plot.

A screenplay serves several purposes:

• It lays out the structure of the work.
• It connects creative and technical contributors, helping coordinate their work.
• It provides the framework for the film, including its setting, story, time span, dialogue, camera placement, and costumes.

A short film still needs characters, a plot, an idea, and a suitable length. The lecture gives examples ranging from one or two minutes to 20 minutes, says short films commonly run about 15–30 minutes, and suggests they should not exceed 45 minutes. Because short films have limited time, they often use few characters and compact situations. The lesson recommends the “three unities”: unity of location, time, and situation.

2. Developing an Idea

An idea is the initial thought that sparks further creative work. It may come from:

• The writer’s imagination: for example, deciding what kind of character or place to write about.
• Real life: an event or encounter that inspires a story.

Ideas can help writers express their views about people and life, or transform details from family, friends, and everyday experience into fiction. A suitable film idea should be workable in production and respond meaningfully to social concerns. The lesson identifies three elements to consider in a film script: character, plot, and ideology.

The lecture distinguishes related concepts, although its wording is somewhat unclear:

• Idea: The creative starting point that stimulates further writing.
• Topic or subject: The area of life the writer chooses to explore.
• Theme: The particular central content or aspect developed within that subject.
• Message: The life lesson or philosophical meaning the writer hopes audiences will take from the film.

If a writer does not yet have a clear idea or message, the lecture suggests beginning with an observable subject or issue and developing the story from there.

3. Writing a Logline

A logline is a concise, engaging summary of the film, usually about 20–30 words. It helps a producer judge whether a story is compelling and gives the writer a guide for keeping the script focused. The lecture also describes it as a kind of “sales pitch” for the story.

An effective logline should include:

• The protagonist: Who they are, described by distinctive qualities rather than just a name.
• The protagonist’s goal: What they want. Without a clear desire, the story may lack direction.
• The central conflict: The obstacles or challenges standing between the protagonist and the goal.
• The opposing force: An antagonist, rival, or other source of resistance.
• What the protagonist must do: The struggle or action required to overcome that resistance.
• A source of urgency or heightened stakes: Such as a reward, deadline, or “time bomb.”

The logline should make the story intriguing but should not reveal the ending. The ending belongs in the detailed script.

Logline-writing advice from the lecture:

• Avoid character names if they do not help communicate who the characters are; use vivid descriptive traits instead.
• Describe the antagonist and clarify what the protagonist is up against.
• Use a twist or an unexpected situation to catch the reader’s attention.
• Keep the protagonist active, making choices and pursuing a goal.
• Do not make the summary flat or give away the resolution; aim for an engaging pitch.

4. Scene Headings and Screenplay Presentation

Scene headings tell the production team where and when a scene takes place. The lecture’s format can be summarized as:

INT./EXT. – specific location – time of day

For example: EXT. CANCER HOSPITAL, HALLWAY – NIGHT. A moving car or train is still treated as an interior scene when the action takes place inside it. The heading communicates the space and setting needed for the director and crew to plan the scene.

Other presentation guidelines include:

• First appearance of a character: Capitalize the character’s name and briefly describe their appearance so the reader can picture them.
• Actions and images: Write them clearly and keep distinct shots or beats on separate lines rather than combining unrelated actions into one dense paragraph.
• Dialogue: Use natural spoken language, express the character’s attitude and emotions, and provide information that the visuals cannot. Dialogue should also move the story forward. Add action or emotional directions between lines when useful.
• Sound: Capitalize sounds that are not directly caused by an actor, such as a siren or a creaking door.
• Shot changes: Start a new line when moving to a new shot or distinct visual beat.

5. Character Types and Descriptions

Character categories clarify a character’s function, screen time, and relationships—not simply their importance. The lecture discusses:

• Main character: The central figure around whom the film’s events revolve.
• Allies or positive supporting characters: Characters on the protagonist’s side who may influence their feelings and decisions.
• Antagonists: Opponents who resist the protagonist and may confront them in the final struggle.
• Characters who change sides: Supporting characters who shift allegiance between the protagonist and antagonist.
• Comedic characters: Figures who add humor and balance, especially in otherwise intense films.
• Extras: People who appear briefly in specific scenes, sometimes providing information that advances the story.
• Guest appearances or celebrity cameos: Brief appearances that may attract an audience or provide story information.
• Unseen characters: People referred to in dialogue but never shown, such as a deceased parent or an absent boss.

Character descriptions can cover whichever details matter to the story, including:

• Full name, nickname, and possibly the meaning of the name.
• Age, height, build, clothing, hairstyle, and other physical features.
• Distinctive traits or conditions, such as scars, a limp, deafness, or nearsightedness.
• Personality, habits, hobbies, likes, dislikes, fears, and abilities.
• Health, family background, education, finances, and relationships with other characters.

The general principle is to provide enough relevant detail for readers and viewers to understand the character. Details should be especially specific when they affect the story.

6. Basic Script Terms

The lecture introduces these abbreviations:

• F-in: The scene begins as the image gradually brightens.
• F-out: The scene ends as the image gradually darkens.
• OS (off-screen): Dialogue heard by the audience and other characters, spoken by someone not visible on screen.
• VO (voice-over): Narration or a character’s inner voice heard by the audience but not by the other characters.
• POV (point of view): A shot or camera movement that shows what a character is looking at.

The lecture notes that a fade-out at the end of one scene may be followed by a fade-in at the start of the next.

7. Story, Plot, and Structure

The lesson defines plot as the story’s events and their development, arranged to show the main situations from beginning to end. Structure is the way those events and scenes are organized to express the plot and communicate the writer’s intentions.

The Three-Act Structure

The familiar three-act model is presented as follows:

1. Act I — Setup: Establish the story world, setting, characters, problem, and protagonist’s main goal. The protagonist sets out to pursue that goal by the end of the act.
2. Act II — Development: Build the main story through obstacles, conflict, tension, and changing relationships. The protagonist’s actions and experiences reveal more of their character and drive their development.
3. Act III — Resolution: Bring the story to its climax, resolve the central difficulties, and show the outcome of the protagonist’s pursuit.

A rough allocation is one-quarter of the film for Act I, one-half for Act II, and one-quarter for Act III. The lecture stresses that these proportions are approximate.

It also recommends planning backward from the ending or the climax of each act: decide where the section must arrive, then build the preceding events so they lead to that point and create emotional impact. The three-act structure can be used not only in films and television series but also, with adaptation, in documentaries, YouTube videos, and advertisements.

Three Other Story Structures

• Linear: A chronological structure organized into three acts and eight beats: two in Act I (the initial event and the first major conflict peak), four in Act II (conflict, turning point, escalating conflict, and a further conflict peak), and two in Act III (the story climax and resolution). The lecture presents it as the foundation for other structures.
• Circular: Retains the three-act, eight-beat framework but begins and ends at the same point. It often suits an adventure or exploration story in which the protagonist returns to where they started.
• Inverted: Opens with a major event or climax from later in the story, then gradually reveals how it happened. The lecture suggests this can work well for crime thrillers and horror, where the opening situation creates questions the audience wants answered.

8. Overall Scriptwriting Process

The lecture presents scriptwriting as a step-by-step process and cautions against skipping stages:

1. Generate a story idea.
2. Develop the story, including its subject or theme.
3. Choose a title.
4. Work out the plot and characters.
5. Build an outline.
6. Write the screenplay.
7. Revise the screenplay.

Speakers and Sources

• Speaker: One unnamed instructor or narrator delivers the lesson; no other speakers are identified.
• Source cited: Article 4 of Vietnam’s 2006 Film Law, referenced for the definition of a screenplay.