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Treatment/Script --> Screenplay --> Storyboard --> Shot List

Adolesence

Poor Little Things

  • A script can be any written dramatic text (short story, stage play, prose narrative, treatment, etc.).

  • A screenplay is a technical document written for film production, formatted according to industry standards and built around visual storytelling.

Adapting into a screenplay means shifting from literary or theatrical storytelling to cinematic storytelling.

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Example of Screenplay in GDrive

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Prose or Script

 

Daniel sits alone in the campus café, thinking about the email he received that morning. He knows he has been rejected from the fellowship, but he hasn’t told anyone yet. Across the room, Professor Harding laughs with other faculty members. Daniel feels small and invisible. He considers leaving before anyone sees him.

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AFTER: Screenplay Version

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INT. CAMPUS CAFÉ – DAY Students crowd the space. Espresso machines hiss. DANIEL KIM (28), exhausted but composed, sits alone at a small table. An unopened EMAIL glows on his laptop screen: "We regret to inform you..." He doesn’t click it. Across the café, PROFESSOR HARDING (50s), confident, animated, laughs with a circle of FACULTY MEMBERS. Daniel watches. Harding raises his coffee in a celebratory toast. Daniel lowers his laptop screen halfway — hiding it. He stands. Hesitates. Harding’s laughter cuts through the room. Daniel grabs his bag and exits.

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What Changed and Why

1. Internal Emotion → Visual Behavior

Script: Daniel feels small and invisible.

Screenplay:

  • He sits alone.

  • The laptop glows.

  • He lowers the screen.

  • He leaves.

Emotion becomes observable behavior.

Film cannot photograph “feels small,” but it can photograph:

  • Physical isolation

  • Blocking

  • Avoidance

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2. Backstory → Subtext

Prose: He knows he has been rejected from the fellowship.

Screenplay:

"We regret to inform you..."

We never explicitly say “rejection.”
The audience infers it.

Screenwriting relies on audience inference, not explanation.

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3. Description → Production-Oriented Writing

Notice:

  • Sound design included: Espresso machines hiss.

  • Blocking included: Across the café…

  • Character intro formatting correct: ALL CAPS + age + defining trait

The screenplay is not literary — it is a blueprint for production.

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4. Scene Organization Analysis

Let’s break this scene structurally:

 

The Core Adaptation Formula

When converting script (prose) to screenplay, ask:

  • What can the camera see?

  • What can the audience infer?

  • Where does the scene shift?

  • What is the power dynamic in the room?

  • Can this moment be shorter?

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Summary: Core Structural Elements

  1. Scene Headings (Location & Time)

  2. Action Lines (Visual Behavior)

  3. Character Introductions

  4. Dialogue

  5. Parentheticals (minimal)

  6. Transitions (minimal)

  7. Scene Objective & Turn

  8. Visual Economy

  9. Proper Formatting

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Components:

1. INT. / EXT.

  • INT. = interior

  • EXT. = exterior

  • Sometimes INT./EXT. for spaces like cars

2. Specific Location
Be precise but practical:

  • INT. UNIVERSITY LIBRARY – NIGHT

  • EXT. RURAL HIGHWAY – DAY

Avoid vague:

  • INT. ROOM – DAY ❌

3. Time of Day

  • DAY

  • NIGHT

  • MORNING

  • LATER

  • CONTINUOUS

Time is a production marker — it affects lighting, scheduling, and continuity.

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2. Action Lines (Visual Description)

This is the backbone of cinematic storytelling.

Rules:

  • Present tense only

  • 1–4 lines per paragraph

  • Only what can be seen or heard

  • No internal thoughts

  • Economical, specific language

Weak:

She feels nervous.

Strong:

She wipes her palms on her jeans.

White space matters. Dense paragraphs slow pacing.

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3. Character Introduction

When a character first appears:

  • NAME in ALL CAPS

  • Approximate age

  • One sharp defining trait

Used sparingly to clarify tone or action inside dialogue.

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5. Parentheticals

Used sparingly to clarify tone or action inside dialogue.

Example:

SARAH (quietly) I know.

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9. Pacing & Page Economy

Industry rule:

  • 1 page ≈ 1 minute of screen time

Techniques:

  • Short paragraphs increase pace

  • Dense blocks slow pace

  • Quick dialogue exchanges speed rhythm

The page visually communicates tempo.

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10. Formatting Standards

Professional formatting typically includes:

  • 12-point Courier

  • 90–120 pages (feature)

  • 10–25 pages (short film)

Proper indentation for:

  • Dialogue

  • Character names

  • Scene headings

Software like Final Draft or WriterDuet ensures accuracy.

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