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Jul 31

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How to write a script - 20 Lessons from Star Trek

LESSON # 1 - Monte Carlo!

A film must deliver a lot - people want drama, the excitement of the journey, the love interest, mystery to solve, and some comedy thrown in to boot! That is a difficult task to fill! But if the script can integrate all the above you have a hit on your hands!

Now the romance does not have to be full blown just indicate an attraction between two people. Star Trek did an excellent job of this between Spock and Uhura.

LESSON # 2 - The characters that we care by

Characters brought to life!

What makes a character worth watching?

1. They are consistent - to constantly have the same reactions.

2. The way the characters interact with each other is what we want to see.

One way to create a character we care about is having I experience some form of suffering - because almost everyone has had some kind of suffering in his life and somehow can relate to their history despite never I fought in a galactic battle or lost a parent the way Captain Kirk has. It is the emotional story that engages the audience.

LESSON # 3 - Respect the Audience

Creative writers came up with a solution by making the story takes place in an alternate reality. The proof that simple is the way forward.

This film does not speak ill of the audience - that respects our need for logic. The alternate timeline means that any thing that happens here that does not or may not occur in previous episodes / movies of Star Trek can be done here! What a great approach to make it work for us! It is a great way to handle what would undoubtedly have been a daunting task.

LESSON # 4 - Plot of survival

We identify with suffering in general and, especially, survival since they are common experiences for most people. Do you know why the film should be a survival plot?

Let me begin by citing the evidence:

Of the Top 35 grossing films are plots of survival! Y the movies IMDB's top ten movies are all about survival.

Because there are so many best movies about survival course if you write a movie based on survival has a chance to succeed at the box office.

LESSON # 5 - Traceability Hero

The public needs to be easily able to identify which character is the hero of the story, which means (their motivation), the problem of hero must face, and how he solves the problem. If we are able to follow the hero this means there is a clear sense of continuity in the script.

LESSON # 6 - encourages emotional argument that the action and Conspiracy Units Forward

Each character has to have something he / She wants. This desire is connected to something that has emotional meaning for them. This desire is called B's story mode and that is what creates the character decides to take action - A History of the Action Line.

The reason the hero is thrown out of their family life must be emotionally connected to the line (B Story Line). The predicament the hero ends up in the stems of its inherent problem, which has faced in his life that has not had to this point. It is quite clear that the hero, Kirk, that looking at its past.

For Spock is obvious that the loss of his home planet, Vulcan, is the people and, more specifically heart for it's painful loss of his mother.

Both Vale and Truby talk about it. Truby, author of Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to become a master storyteller says, "One of the most important success factors is what I call the "double track". Hit films always have a character line and a line of action, or, put another way, a personal story and a case to solve. "

Lesson # 7 - The animosity is necessary between the hero and the character Attachment

Think this way - have more than one person jockying to be heard. Everyone has their own vision of how to make things and can not be identical - you miss a whole level of tension if you delete this!

If you compare any movie you'll see great animosity between these characters:

Kirk vs Spock
Hans Solo vs. Lucas
Cyclops vs. Wolverine

There is a great moment in the film when young Spock is confusing and dismayed when he realizes his own age not only feels a great camaraderie with his opponent, but somehow the Captain Kirk has rubbed off on him changing how to handle things! He never would have expected to cheat (not telling the truth that Kirk could carry and that does not give rise to a paradox). Because deception is the main reason young people did not like Kirk Spock in the first place. It is these moments that makes the relationship between the brightness of the characters.

# 8 - The characters are contrasted LESSON

Church vs Spock !!!!! Each one is so different that makes out another medium. The contrast helps give a clear picture of what each character represents.

Lesson # 9 - The Characters Get to practice before they adopt a Life or Death Battle

The "team" comes to practice before the big threat! Important element! This happens in Star Wars, where Luke is training with Yoda. Also happens in The Lord of the Rings, Hobbits practice their sword skills. And obviously, it happens in Star Trek, where we see Dr. Mccoy learn to practice medicine the Kirk, and of course the great scene where Kirk tricks designed Spock test.

CLASS # 10 - An incident to law enforcement before they are ready

We have to see the plight of these frescos, still in formation, young people faced. They were thrown into positions responsibility and that they assumed because basically they had to if they wanted to survive

They were called to do his duty before the scheduled time inciting incident.

LESSON # 11 - Characters Demonstrate Intelligence

Eugene Vale, who wrote an excellent book for writers called "The Technique of the script" in which he discusses how as an audience we an intellectual need - a longing that we have movies, but almost never get fulfilled. In general, people in the movies says the whole background or how a scientific concept works as if we are not smart enough to understand ourselves.

It was great to see the characters main ideas and come with some solutions that worked and others did not.

And we got to see them put these ideas into action.

CLASS # 12 - Decisions to be Made Moral

Write this part yet *

CLASS # 13 - Humor through characters and situations

How do you know something is funny? Every time you think about it that makes you laugh again.

As a writer you get to determine the sense of humor to each chara: funny, playful, sarcastic, etc. We see the humor in the character of Dr. McCoy.

The humor is not an afterthought to try to get into your script. It is something that developed from the sense of your characters of humor. This is where a out of himself for inspiration and look to surround yourself with - friends, family, meet interesting people, etc. His characters have a sense of humor that is not like yours. They will say something funny that makes you laugh and you know it's not something you say or think. It is quite interesting to see your characters take off well. Sometimes you will able to identify the influence of your character's senses of humor - "Hey my friend would have made a joke like that!"

Humor - a time for everyone in the theater at the same time laughed in unison - was when the voice recognition software does not recognize your Russian Guy because of his accent. It was clear that the reason everyone laughed was because each of them has had a frustrating experience with voice recognition. In fact on the way to the theater I did not know the address so I called a number of free directory to get the damn machine and could not understand what he was saying. After four attempts to finally hung up and went to a different theater. It is universal experience that strikes a chord with the audience.

Humor: spock would be selfish when he says that his younger self "long live and thrive. "

CLASS # 14 - Crunch Time Life or Death

They do not have the luxury of time to sit and watch - had to move now as it was a life-threatening situation not only for themselves but for its civilization, which would be destroyed if they failed.

CLASS # 15 - Track!

Spock intimate moments with each of their parents. The writers took advantage of this excellent opportunity to get through the theme of the film (the message that is important for those who want to learn).

CLASS # 16 - Keep the audience engaged for not responding to all
Without knowing what is happening.

ex. knew that the evil is out to get Spock did not know why - and this intrigued us.

As a writer your job is to spread the information a little at a time.

CLASS # 17 - Curve Balls

Example: The hero receives the affection of his love interest. And definitely do not expect Spock old to be waiting in a cave for the young Kirk at the time. Fun!

CLASS # 18 - The audience has to believe at the time of Hero will fail!

It was a bit over the top when the villain, Captain Nero, unabashedly says prefer to deal with a death hard to accept his help - pa-lease - even though I offered to help Kirk, a shadow seems incredible church could not extend that help when it just may save your own ass from being sucked into the black hole! I can see why put the writer / lead this in the film, because although it only gives us a time when the roles are reversed suddenly church is the moral and Spock are still angry about the murder of his mother is vindictive and has said that he would not have extended an helping hand to the villain.

When they were sitting around the edge of the black hole for no apparent reason it was "like what are you doing? This black hole is going to suck at anything near their haul their butts imbeciles! "Then they start to shoot the damn boat being sucked in the black hole - pretty silly. Unfortunately I felt this was all in the face of credibility on the part of the character of Captain Kirk. Somehow in a dazed state was able to reconstruct a phrase he heard on the loudspeaker that the Romulans Vulcans have used to plant a trap star fleet but suddenly can not detect the imminent I must say that overt threat of a black hole EVEN though old Spock has just finished saying what he was sucked into a black hole!

Of course, then you get to see that fight for safety and there is a time when the shit I do not think we'll do it (which of course is why they stayed in - which is a point that a film should nail). But our rational mind tells us, of course, would do it or not there have been stories of the future of these characters that have already been written and read!

CLASS # 19 - Hero Saves the Day!

Save the day - you feel like you're there with them - that's something many movies do not offer and is an element so necessary for the movie buff looking for! These were the moments in the film when I wanted to belt out "Whoooo!"

CLASS # 20 - characters learn something from each other

Characters learn something from each other, even if they do not want to admit it because they are adversaries.

By example, Spock will not admit that he learned something from Kirk - but eventually asked permission to board, as his first mate and says he can provide references - Hilarious! Because, obviously, the best reference might have been greater had their own language to the young Captain Kirk about his friendship in the future.

So there you are 20 lessons that Star Trek has taught us about writing a hit movie! I'm currently writing a book called "7 Steps Script to create a marketable "and you yourself can see how these seven stages of the studies work with these steps successfully any blockbuster. And check out to my article on my website how to use Star Trek 2009 to illustrate how the seven steps of work.

About the Author

I'm a screenwriter who likes watching and writing good movies. I have devised a process which allows me to complete a script in one week. I call it: 7 Steps to Create a Marketable Script. Check out my website for free tips on how to write a screenplay!

Scriptwriting staff and students speak about the discipline Edith Cowan University