Screenplay structure is fractal.
I approach each screenplay structure as a fractal and have found that the most satisfying screen stories follow this pattern.
Tom Vaughan
The last line of a scene is the impact.
The button is the last line of a scene. It is the final moment before we transition out of one scene and into the next.
The first line of the scene is the first image.
The first line of every scene is special. It has a purpose. This purpose is especially important as there is so much friction for the reader in the transition from one scene to another.
A screenwriting tip from copywriting.
Neither screenwriting or copywriting are the end product. They are a step in a process. Both of these forms are a call to action.
Movies are about moments.
Processing any combination of basic principles is far more likely to lead you down the right path as well as get you out of trouble.
Juice up scenes with YES/NO.
So much of the screenwriting I read just kind of moves along. t's all very polite. No bad pages.
But there aren't any great scenes, either.
Bad notes, unskilled notes, and knowing the difference.
The world will never run out of notes. As long as you keep asking for notes, you will get them.
And even some after that.
Does your character need a superpower?
There are certain common questions or notes we hear in development. You can add, "What's their superpower?" to the list.
Five ways to improve your Dialogue
The challenge is always the same. We must control the puppet strings of these characters so they perform the needs of the scene yet create the illusion of genuine agency.
After the midpoint.
The midpoint doesn't change the character. It just changes their direction.
It's not the plot. It's the emotion.
It's the emotion, stupid. The emotion is what counts. Always, always, always.
How the monster movie structure can help you with any genre.
When structuring your story, you don't have to start from scratch. There are plenty of places to look for inspiration, and one of them is genre.