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Welcome to part two of our how to master screenplay structure posts. Let’s take a look at There’s Something About Mary as an example. In the scene in which Ted is questioned by the police over the highway murders should read something like this:

“At a police station, Ted is interrogated by two cops. Having found a body in his car they think Ted is a serial killer, but Ted thinks he’s been arrested for picking up the hitch-hiker.”

It’s always a good idea to start with a location, as in “at the police station” in order to establish the scene. Only the major beats of the scene need recording, so you should never write anything about how someone’s dressed, for example, unless it’s important to the story.

At the end of the film you should end up with an outline 3—5 pages long. The next stage is to break it down into its relevant acts and sequences. You can do this by double-spacing at the end of each sequence/act and writing the major plot points in bold directly onto the outline.

For example, at the end of Act Two in There’s Something About Mary, you could write:

“Ted comes home to find Mary sitting with a letter. She asks if he hired Healy to spy on her. He admits it and she shouts at him to get out. Ted leaves and opens a note with an address on it.” (Act Two Climax)

The more outlines you write of films in any genre, but particularly the one you’re interested in writing for, the better. You will soon not only start to gain more of a sense of structure but also of characterization, scene construction, dialogue etc. because you are being forced to watch films critically and not just for enjoyment.

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But what exactly are the rules?

The confusing thing is that there are many different rules and theories expounded by many different tutors. Some say the end of the first act has to happen on page 17, while others say between 20 and 25. Some say a script is definitely made up of 7 sequences, while others say 12, or more.

The truth is no one is right. They are all right according to their own interpretation and therefore structure should be approached as a guideline, not a rigid formula set in stone.

It is important, however, to absorb as many of the different theories as you can in order to fully understand the general principals of structure. The more theories you read, the more you realize they are all saying essentially the same thing, only in a different way. Despite what some gurus say, page numbers should only be seen primarily as a guide, so don’t get too hung up about hitting them on the head.

The old adage applies of only being able to break the rules once you’ve mastered them. The New Wave and Neo-Realist auteurs only made anti-structural avant garde films after mastering Hollywood techniques earlier in their career. Much in the same way as Picasso started out as a traditional artist.

If, on the other hand, you want to independently produce and finance a film without any of the structural conformities required by Hollywood, do so. But do so as a labour of love, without any career aspirations attached, because the chances of your work being seen by anyone outside of your immediate family are extremely slim.