A film’s story is converted into a screenplay. Screenplay writing should not be an intimidating task. Of course, there are rules, formatting and binding. All these elements need not make you scary.Screenplay writing is a craft which is to be mastered.Half the battle is won, once you understand the basics of this craft.

A screenplay consists of 90-120 pages. It is a  document that is typed on 8.5″ x 11″ white paper where three holes are punched. The font used is 12 point Courier. The idea behind using this font on this particular size of paper is that a page typed in this font corresponds to one minute of screen time. That means that these 90-120 pages will translate into 1.5 hour to 2.00 hours of screen time. A screenplay can be original or it could be based on some novel or play that has been adapted for screen.A screenplay is a blueprint for a movie. Those who translate this document into a movie are the director, set designer and actors. A writer must be aware of the roles of these persons.

As a film is a visual medium, a screenwriter must think in terms of images. He has to narrate what is happening. What works in a novel, say a long monologue, may not suit a film script. Some crucial moments could be shown just by facial expressions, shrug of shoulders or twitch of an eye.