Just looking for some direction. I written an outline to my script. I started on page 1 with my opening scene introducing the antagonist. Would this be a problem or should I change it up and introduce the protagonist first?
Screenwriting : First 10 pages by Peter VM
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Lisa, thank's very much for that excellent advice. Much appreciated, that really helps.
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I think as long as you open with protagonist, antagonist, or the big dramatic situation, you are okay. But Lisa's advice is great: the ending tells you what the beginning will be (and vice versa).
Great question and great advice given by people. Actually if you write your outline before starting to write the script it will help you overcome the writer's block. You will be surprised to see hows your fingers fly over the keyboard when the outline tells you exactly where to go and bring you back from sub-plots..
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it's a first draft........doesn't matter. do both, write one with the villain opening, then one with the hero opening.
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It depends on your story...
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You can do either. Just make sure something happens in your opening scene. The protagonist brushing their teeth is probably not a good opening scene....unless something happens while they are brushing their teeth.
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Bring the already intriguing story into the dead end in the first 10 out of 90 pages. From here have your story face multiple switches. Have your protagonist to make wrong action - preferably twice. Have him endangered of loosing his life or the life of his loved one. Hide his intend not only from the antagonist, but more so from the viewers. Delay hero's success up to the end. Have the story become clear to the viewers on their way home.
Thanks John and Vladimir for your input.
Oh I forgot to thank Winter. I will try both.
It appears to me that too often the protagonist(s) act stupidly at turning points. This has always annoyed me in movies, especially thrillers and crime movies. Does it make sense to either have as a lead-in or foreshadow WHY they select an uncharacteristically foolish choice? I saw a great commercial about some teens in a horror piece, I think a GEICO ad, actively choosing to put themselves at the business end of a chainsaw, instead of escaping. Do you think this attitude will make me a poor screenwriter?
Lawrence, I have the antagonist to be extremely smart in terms of confusing the protagonist, and having him dead-ended. In this case it's intriguing to watch how my protagonist will get out of the maze victorious. Naturally, the love theme is integrated into the story.
I remember Sid Fields saying that the protagonist must be in every scene from pages 10-20. Save The Cat says you must introduce all your important characters in the first 10 pages. There is nothing wrong with opening your story with the bad guy. The important thing is to make him real bad right from the start.