MY TOP 5 SCREENPLAY ELEMENTS FOR AN AWARD WINNING FILM

You wrote the greatest movie of all time. I know you did. When I watch it, it is going to have me going through a range of emotions. I'm going to root for the hero, hate the bad guy, fall for the love interest, cry when the hero is about to lose and then jump for joy and scream my head off when the hero wins in the end.

One of the reasons we do what we do is so that we can take people on a journey with us through a world we've created. It's awesome when it works that way and when we have the right combination of X-factors sometimes we get recognized for it. Sometimes we get awards for it. So what can you do to help your screenplay stand out so that you might score one of those awards? READ ON!

1 - OPEN STRONG

Having a strong opening is the best way to get your film to stand out. Think about your favorite film and I'm willing to bet that it starts off with a bang. It doesn't have to be an action movie to do this either! When you set the theme up and show us what that world is capable of early it gives you a chance to reinforce it throughout the rest of the screenplay. Use that but use it wisely. You don't wanna beat it into someone, you want to sprinkle it around like a seasoning so that we get the flavor here and there. Screenplays that do this (and do it well) tend to be the kind that have you sitting up at the podium thanking a bunch of people.

2 - STICK TO THE SCRIPT

By this I mean don't let your story go all over the place. Have a single focus and stay the course. Your hero is going to go on a journey and that journey is going to take them through a range of emotions. If in the end your hero decides to do something off the wall, the audience is going to hate it. Can you imagine what would have happened at the end of The Wizard of Oz if Dorthy decided she was gonna join up with the Wicked Witch and rule, of if Neo wanted to plug himself back into the Matrix after all that fighting? Keep in mind that we don't have to know what that character (or characters) is going though internally as long as we can kind of see the progression.

3 - GO BIG

You are only limited by one thing when it comes to writing and that is YOU. Don't be afraid to let your imagination loose on that screenplay and think as grand as you want! Putting the hero in a messed up circumstance lets us think of how extraordinary the hero has to be in order to get out of that because there is no way we could ever do it! This of course goes back to you building a world where the rules have been established so that whatever circumstance the hero is in, as unbelievable as it may be, if and when they get out of it we cheer because we didn't think they could. Don't be afraid to raise the stakes but keep your world in mind. In Die Hard we believe John can handle the bad guys that have taken over the building, so when the sequel rolls around we believe that he can take on the bad guys that have taken over the airport. As the movies go on, we've come to understand that he is able to continually beat the bad guys because of his sheer will. We get that in that universe, nothing can stop this guy.

4 - SAY SOMETHING

Now that you've got our attention, make sure it was worth it by having a message in that story. When you strip a good film down to its core you'll always find there was a message underneath it all. In Arrival, was it really about aliens coming down and talking to us or was it about life and making choices that make you happy? Was Die Hard really about Bruce Willis killing a bunch of bad guys or was it really about the love this man has for his wife and what he was willing to do to get her back? Your message doesn't have to be in our face but it should come out once the credits roll. After watching your movie the audience should feel like they came out with a new view on something no matter how big or small it may be.

5 - MIX IT UP

It's no secret that I love action movies. What folks may not know is that I don't like action for actions sake. I like a nice blend of action and comedy, action and sci-fi or even action and romance. When you're writing your masterpiece you'll want it to blend genres so that it doesn't come off bland. My advice would be to take a look at movies you like and see how well they blend one genre into another.

Used skillfully these few pointers will ensure that you've written something truly spectacular for the world to see. I know I can't wait to take whatever journey you're willing to take me on!