WebQuest

This WebQuest was developed with the assistance of Celina Pérez. Celina lives in Brooklyn, New York. She writes daily and is working toward becoming a successful screenwriter. You may E-MAIL CELINA with specific questions and a Word-formatted document of your screenplay.

Introduction: A screenplay is a script for a movie. Basically, movies, like any good story or book, are structured with a beginning, middle, and end.

To put this more simply: a protagonist ("the good guy") wants something ("the goal") and the antagonist ("the bad guy") presents an obstacle preventing him/her from getting it. Often this leads to the conflict between good and evil:

Celina Says:

• Most screenplays are about 120 pages.
• Act I ends with a question mark (?)... Will they get caught? Will they get the money? It should be over in 35-40 minutes.
• Act II ends with an exclamation point (!)... new, surprising information that changes the course of events dramatically. It should be over about an hour after Act I.
• Act III ends with a period (.). It's the end. It should last about 30 minutes.

Task: Choose a partner. At least one of you must have Internet access outside the classroom. Use the links to learn about screenplays, especially the format in which they are written. Together write a short, original screenplay. Your screenplay must be type-written in screenplay format. It should consist of 3-4 short scenes (note: every time you CUT TO: a new location, that's a new scene) and be about 4-6 pages in length. See example. Perform your screenplay for the class.

Information Sources: These are links that will give you examples and help you understand more about writing screenplays.

• Screenplay WebQuest Calendar

• Theme, Time, Location Example

• Celina's Character Sketch Example

• Celina's Treatment Example

• Celina's Notes About Characters & Treatments

• Celina's Screenplay Example

• Scriptwriting Program Downloads:
  You can download some free programs to help you format your screenplay script.

  • Hollywood Screenplay (free shareware program)
  
  

• Cinema: How Are Hollywood Films Made?

  Read all the links related to this exhibit.

• ANTZ

  Did you see this movie? Have fun reading the screenplay to a real movie. Can you find the slug lines and wrylies? Look for the CUT TO:'s -- how many scenes are there?

Process: Follow these steps to complete your screenplay.

1. Choose a partner. Remember, at least one of you must have Internet access outside the classroom.
2. Choose a theme, time, and location for your screenplay. Here are some ideas for a theme -- a message about life you want your screenplay to relate to the audience.
   • Moments of Truth
     • Look before you leap.
     • If you do something selfish, you may regret it later.
   • Friendship
     • There's no greater gift than friendship.
     • Don't judge a book by its cover.
   • Honesty
     • Cheaters never prosper.
     • Truth always wins out in the end.
   • Persistence
     • You can either sink or swim.
     • The early bird catches the worm.
     • Where there's a will, there's a way.
     • If at first you don't succeed, try again.
3. Create two character sketches for your screenplay. Copy and answer the following questions for EACH character:
   • What is the character's name?
   • How old is s/he?
   • Where does s/he live?
   • What does s/he look like?
   • What is her/his job, or what does s/he spend most of her/his time doing?
4. Write a simple summary of the plot of your screenplay. This is called a treatment, and it tells what's going to happen in narrative form.
5. Write the screenplay using the treatment as a guide.
6. Perform your screenplay for the class.

Guidance: Here are some questions to think about as you work on your screenplay.

1. Is there a clear cut story?
2. Is the dialogue repetetive? (Make sure it's NOT.)
3. Do the dialogue and the characters actions tell the whole story?
4. Are all the words spelled correctly?
5. Did you follow proper screenplay format?

Conclusion: Discuss the following questions with your partner after you finish your screenplay. Be prepared to discuss them with Mrs. Pérez.

1. What did you learn by writing this screenplay?
2. What more would you like to learn about writing screenplays?
3. How could you investigate screenplay writing further?
4. What other sources besides the Internet could you use?
5. What did you like best about writing your screenplay?
6. How will this project help you in other classes?