The Script!

Before we write our script we need to settle on a theme, this is the real meaning of the film.
It’s to do with RE-CYCLING and our theme could be:

Reduce – Reuse – Re-cycle – you know it can save the world!

Three Acts

Most film scripts are written in three parts called acts; act one, act two and act three.

A long feature film which lasts for hours or a short cartoon which lasts just three minutes can both be written using 'The Three Act Structure'.

Act One

This is at the start of our film, here we set up the story, introduce the characters and the setting where the action takes place. This part usually takes up about a quarter of the whole script.

It's best not to give everything away here at the start, imagine driving up a hill and not being able to see the other side!

Act Two

This part usually takes up about half of the script, it's a good place to put most of the action like chasing around. At the end of this act is often a point where it looks like the hero will lose out, he has to summon all his strength to overcome the 'baddie'!

Act Three

The last part of the script is where any questions must be answered, who did it? Why did the do it? What things have the main characters learned along the way? We have to satisfy the audience. This part, the resolution, usually takes up about a quarter of the script.

This diagram illustrates the three act structure.

We also looked at how some script writers use these seven points to help write a script.

1. Introduce your main character and setting – Where is s/he? What is s/he doing? What is his/her character weakness?

2. What does s/he want - The main character finds out or reveals that s/he wants something, or discovers s/he has a problem that must be solved.

3. Initial actions - The character then sets out to solve his/her problem or get what s/he wants. 4. Set-backs - Because s/he is not aware of what it is s/he really needs, s/he will usually go about getting what s/he wants the wrong way. This will bring him/her into conflict with other people (both enemies and friends) who don’t like what s/he is doing.

5. Conflict - The arguments and fights become increasingly heated until it looks like the main character will be defeated.

6. Final Struggle - The main character summons his/her strength for a final attempt to achieve his/her goal.

7. Endings - Whether the main character succeeds or fails, s/he discovers from what’s happened that there is more to life than they thought.

We then watched Wallace and Gromit in – The Wrong Trousers

to see if those seven points worked in the script for that film.

1. Introduce your main character and setting – Wallace and Gromit live alone in a large house.

2. What does s/he want – Wallace wants company (and money), but he is forgetting that he already has his faithful dog Gromit.

3. Initial actions – Wallace takes in a shifty lodger, the mysterious penguin.

4. Set-backs – Gromit thinks the penguin is a known criminal and tries to make Wallace suspicious too. Since Gromit can’t speak, Wallace thinks he is just being jealous and banishes him to the doghouse.

5. Conflict – The penguin tricks Wallace into putting on the radio-controlled techno trousers and forces him to commit a robbery. Wallace tries to fight against the trousers, hilarious

6. Final Struggle – Gromit rescues Wallace and together they capture the penguin after a dramatic chase.

7. Endings – Wallace admits that he was wrong and should have trusted Gromit all along.