Story, Script, Screenplay - Page 3

Originally posted by: Kaapi

^^ Do the directors write the screenplay too? If I look at it as a third person, seems like Screenplay writing has many technicalities associated with it, unlike the story and script. So, while a fresher can come up with story/script without much knowledge about movies, screenplay writing does require some insight into the working of films. Isnt it? I know this probably like those silly questions but I'm just curious. 😆

Originally posted by: -Arsal-

Yes they do. Very often at that but very few of them are good at both.

I gave The town as an example in my first post.

That movie was witten (story and screenplay) and directed by Ben Affleck. He even starred in it as the lead. But everyone is that talented. And The Town was a brilliant, brilliant movie.

Writing a screenplay and telling a great story is a very difficult job. The whole base of a movie is its screenplay. Thats why most directors/studios take good screenwriters on board. There are very few who can manage all three jobs.

Now a director usually adds his bit to the screenplay, atleast good directors do. But thats just limited to the setting, the mood etc. of the said scene.

Another difference that I forgot in my initial post is that a screenplay is divided into acts and scenes. For example a page will read Scence 15 Act 1. There are three acts; begining/first, middle/second and final/third.

A script however is not.

Story writing is diffucult in its own right; dont get me wrong; but from a movie making point of view its easier than a screen play.

A screen play has the added difficulty of a visual dimension, of bringing the story to life on screen. It is bassically a written movie with all the visuals, color and locations.

But then again only a good story can trasnlate into a good screenplay. Twilight will be crap no matter how good a screen writter you get onboard.