![]() ![]() Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns points out the importance of building the documentary script structure around facts as the emotional, interpretive, and anecdotal elements of the script can only work if the writer has researched the facts in detail.Ī short film script is more focused than a feature film script. The writer is not only responsible for researching the subjects that they will be interviewing but also digging deep into work created by other writers or filmmakers that have previously explored the same subject matter.ĭocumentary scriptwriters often don’t know their story’s arc until all the research, ideas, interviews, data, and facts are collected. A writer-filmmaker working on a documentary will usually create a blueprint that will help them organize the sequence of scenes before going into the field and interviewing subjects once the shoot is completed, they will write a script that will bring all these elements together.Īnother characteristic that sets a documentary script apart from other types of film scripts is the research that goes into writing it, particularly during the pre-production phase. ![]() A documentary script can only be written after all the research has been completed, and data and interviews have been collected by the filmmaker. The process of writing a documentary script is unique. When produced well, a great documentary can open the viewer’s eyes to new experiences, situations, people, and even educate them through cinematic filmmaking. ”Ī documentary script is written for non-fictional films that explore the human condition and events that are noteworthy. ![]() Acclaimed writer-director, Werner Herzog, criticized the three-act structure that puts forward the idea that “the leading character at a certain point at the end has to change and be a different. While the three-act structure is followed by most screenwriters, some famous film directors have been openly critical of this construction. Act Three is where the story finally resolves either with the character accomplishing their goal or failing. An inciting incident that takes place during Act One will set the main characters on their journey while building internal and external conflict factors.Īct Two is usually the longest part, taking up approximately 60 pages of the core of the script this is the act where stakes are raised as characters face many confrontations. Act One is where the screenwriter first introduces us to their world and characters. Since a feature film script is such a long piece of written work, it needs to follow a certain structure and various formatting rules developed by the film industry to keep the attention of the reader (and later the audience).Īlmost all feature film scripts are based on a three-act structure. This is the script that most of your favorite movies are written in from Forrest Gump to Birdman, Die Hard, Ocean’s Eleven, Pulp Fiction, and many more.įeature film scripts usually run between 80-120 pages for an approximately 1.5 or 2-hour movie each script page corresponds to approximately one minute of screen time. Perhaps the type of film script that a screenwriter is most familiar with is a feature film script. ![]()
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