The specifics of screenwriting

The role of the screenplay is to help people imagine a film and organize its production. It is for this reason that there are certain characteristics and formal specificities of screenwriting, shared by professionals in the audiovisual sector, so that the script can be directly useful and play its role as a tool for convincing and organizing. Here, I explain the reasons for these formalities in screenwriting, not so as to see them as frustrating constraints, but so as to understand their meaning and integrate them all the better, to the benefit of project realization.

The technical structure of a screenplay

A screenplay is divided into scenes. For example:

• Scene 1: Daytime exterior - Parents’ kitchen.
• Scene 2: Outside day - Parents’ summer kitchen.
• Scene 3: Interior day - Entrance to parents’ house.
• Scene 4: Outside day - Village square.

The scene structure allows you to organize the shoot. For example, if certain scenes take place in the parents’ house, in the garden or in the driveway, the shooting locations may be in different places, or even in different towns. This calls for organization in terms of getting people to these locations, finding the necessary means, etc. This system of organization is not a constraint or a boring formatted protocol, but a real tool for organizing the shoot.

In the same way, character names are capitalized, so that it’s easy to see which main actors are needed in each scene, thus helping to organize schedules. In some screenwriting software programs, additional information can also be associated with each scene, which is not included in the screenplay itself (so as not to overload it), but which remains accessible to organize the following stages: the breakdown (the list of everything needed for each scene) and the work plan (the temporal organization of the shoot). There may also be narrative information linked to the scenes, such as the emotional level of the characters, to help build the overall narrative structure of the film.

The screenplay is therefore the tip of an iceberg, but it must function both as a stand-alone document and as a reference document, whether for reading or for organizing the shoot.

Writing itself

In screenwriting, there are two main elements: didascalia (what explains what’s going on) and dialogue.

Didascalies are very specific to screenplays, unlike novels. In a novel, you’re free to write them as you like, and that’s even what we like, because it takes us into a literary universe. But in a screenplay, you can’t write, for example, “Jean-Pierre is thinking of his mother.” Why not? Because the purpose of a screenplay is to enable the film to be made. If you write “Jean-Pierre thinks about his mother”, how do you represent it on screen? What scenery do you need? How do you film Jean-Pierre so that the viewer understands that he’s thinking about his mother? This doesn’t work. Instead, you have to invent a way of showing and making Jean-Pierre feel that he’s thinking about his mother. For example:

• Didascalia: Jean-Pierre is sitting at the kitchen table, his head in his hands.
• Dialogue (voice-over): “Maman, maman, je t’ai toujours aimée.

This could also be represented in another way, by a flashback:

• Didascalia: Jean-Pierre is driving his car. He turns his head and we see a nursery school with children coming out.
• Next scene: Entrance to a nursery school in the 70s. A small child, Jean-Pierre as a child, runs out of the school and shouts, “Maman!” A young brunette woman in bell-bottom pants shouts, “Jean-Pierre!”

Dialogue is very important here. In the script, we write “Jean-Pierre enfant” so we know who it is, but the viewer doesn’t know yet. The fact that the mother says Jean-Pierre’s name lets the viewer know that it’s Jean-Pierre as a child.

Here, we see Jean-Pierre in his car, looking at the school entrance, followed by a flashback to the 70s. The script describes what we’ll see on the screen, so it helps us make the film.

Even in a novel, writing simply “Jean-Pierre is thinking of his mother” isn’t enough (apart from a particular stylistic choice, of course). It doesn’t tell much and isn’t very interesting. There has to be a dramaturgical reality behind it. Indeed, thinking about his mother, in and of itself, doesn’t constitute a dramaturgical reality. On the other hand, if Jean-Pierre thinks of his mother telling him why she left her father because he was violent with her, then immediately there’s a dramaturgy, you’re immersed in a story, in an experience. “Thinking of your mother”, without more, doesn’t really convey any experience. What we call dramaturgy is precisely this link to experience.

Sound

We can also evoke sounds in the minds of the audience and invite the technicians who will produce the film to work on sound by describing sounds and soundscapes.

• For example: “Jean-Pierre enters a restaurant filled with the cacophony of clattering chopsticks.” Immediately, the atmosphere is set.
• Alternatively, one could write: “Jean-Pierre enters a restaurant where a syrupy, overpowering 1950s American tune is playing.” It’s a completely different vibe. On one hand, we have a lively Chinese restaurant with the sounds of chopsticks, and on the other, an overwhelming musical atmosphere.
• Or even: “Jean-Pierre enters a restaurant where, despite the room being packed, a deathly silence reigns.” Here, the mood is instantly palpable.
• Thus, discussing sound in the screenplay is highly evocative of an atmosphere and a physical emotion felt by the viewer. Cinema is an art of architecture and physical emotion. We are faced with images, immersed in sound, and our bodies genuinely experience physical sensations. This goes even further in cinemas where seats can move, scents are diffused, and rain can fall. Physical emotion is pushed to new heights. But even when watching a simple film on a phone, we are immersed in sound and faced with images, which already creates physical effects. This is fully part of the emotional experience.

Sound, therefore, can be said to be the key to immersion in the film’s universe. It is essential not to overlook it in screenwriting.

One Minute per Page

Screenplay pages are not very dense. The principle is that the time it takes to read one page of a screenplay corresponds to one minute of film. This equates to a maximum of 1,500 to 1,800 characters. It is, therefore, a very strong writing constraint, as one must respect everything I’ve outlined earlier while also managing to condense the content so that the reading time does not exceed one minute.

So, why this constraint? One might find it frustrating, thinking, “I have so many important things to say for the film, everything needs to be in the screenplay!” Well, no. The screenplay is a synthetic object, and it is not the only tool for preparing the film. In screenwriting software, one can include many additional elements: character profiles, location notes, or even extra details for each scene. These elements can be consulted, printed, etc., to aid in the film’s production.

The screenplay itself must be readable in one minute per page, and this is essential. This rule allows the reader to immerse themselves in the film’s rhythm, feel its temporal energy, and judge whether there are pacing issues or elements that could be further developed. Moreover, it has a significant impact on production and distribution. A 90-minute film is not perceived the same way as a 150-minute film. The audiences willing to commit two and a half hours are not the same as those willing to commit an hour and a half.

Thus, the one-minute-per-page rule is essential, even if it requires considerable effort to adhere to. It structures the screenplay, guides its reading, and influences the overall perception of the film.

The Documentary Screenplay

The documentary screenplay is a controversial topic because, a priori, how can one script a documentary, which represents reality? It seems impossible, even inherently absurd; after all, one films reality, so how can one know in advance, for example, what an interviewee will say? Precisely, the appeal of a documentary lies in sharing the discovery of the world and the openness to new insights. And yet, to secure funding for a documentary, to assemble a crew, etc., a screenplay is needed.

One can choose to shoot a documentary independently, without a screenplay, and that is entirely legitimate. But to secure funding, just like for a fiction film, one must present a screenplay, which seems particularly absurd. However, this can be understood and explained, as how else can one evaluate a documentary project? Therefore, the advice for writing a documentary screenplay is to begin by exploring the subject of the documentary one wishes to fund, by meeting people, etc. And at this stage, perhaps recording, using a tape recorder, or even filming, why not. But this is not the actual filming of the documentary; it is preparatory work.

Based on all this information about the subject—because, just like in fiction, if one decides to film in a specific location, it must be organized—one can then write a screenplay. This may evolve during filming, but still, organizing a documentary shoot, especially for projects requiring a crew and funding, is necessary. If you shoot a documentary entirely on your own, you are completely free. In fact, you don’t even need a screenplay, as you are free to start filming whenever you want. And today, digital tools make this possible. But if the documentary requires, for example, a historical reenactment, a budget will be needed, and thus a screenplay.
Moreover, a self-produced documentary will be harder to distribute, as you are also on your own for distribution. Whereas if, thanks to a screenplay, you convince a producer, a distributor, or a television channel of the project’s merit, you have the assurance that it will be seen by an audience.

Of course, today we have more freedom; one can distribute their film independently on social media. And it is entirely respectable to produce films completely autonomously, without asking for anything, without writing a screenplay, and to distribute them yourself. However, this operates outside the traditional economy, and you won’t be paid for your work, for example. But this isn’t mandatory, as work isn’t solely about earning a salary. One just needs to be aware of the framework they are operating within.

But if you position yourself as a professional and need to be paid to make your film because you consider it your job and have no other sources of income, then you will be somewhat obligated, perhaps not for all your documentary projects, but for a significant number of them, to write a documentary screenplay.
So, back to the research phase. First, you conduct research, and ultimately, you write a screenplay, much like a fiction screenplay with the same rules, but for a documentary you envision based on the research you’ve done. So there are dialogues, specific situations, stakes between characters—real people who become the characters of a film.

And everyone knows, including the readers, that the final documentary may differ significantly from the written screenplay, but it reflects the author’s thought process on how best to convey this real story, with which main character, with what dramatic stakes, etc. This allows others to judge not only the subject’s interest but also to understand that the person behind the project wants to tell this story in their own, particular way.

Thus, this seemingly absurd object, the documentary screenplay, can be understood. It’s a somewhat strange effort because you’re writing a screenplay that will likely guide you, give you ideas, but the final film may be very different. So it’s a bit like making two films at once. But why not? It’s a process that can also help create a better film.