The First 10 PagesFrom “Screenplay: Writing the Story” by Robbin U. Russin and William Missouri Downs

A Fact of Life“If your first 10 pages – roughly the first 10 minutes of the movie – aren’t what they need to be, your script

has very little chance of being taken on my an agent or bought by a producer.”

Why?Because there are literally hundreds of thousands of

scripts out there that need to be analyzed quickly and economically by tired readers, agents and producers ... Readers are looking for a good movie for their bosses

to make. They know that the opening must have a gripping, irresistible opening or it will lose its audience.

Seven Pieces of Information

There are seven pieces of information that a movie must explain or show within the first 10 minutes of your movie.

The world

The ProtagonistThe AntagonistThe ToneThe Theme The StakesThe Nature of the Conflict

The World – The Terminator

The World is the setting in which your story takes place. In “The Terminator,” the first world is the future, with human skulls being crushed by machines. The second world, which becomes the main world, is the present (1984). Both are presented within the first minute of the movie.

The Protagonist – Terminator

The Protagonist is the main character who the audience identifies with. In “The Terminator,” Sarah Connor appears in minute nine as a young woman who appears to be the object of salvation (“princess in the tower”), but she is the one who undergoes the greatest transformation from waitress to warrior.

Antagonist - TerminatorThe Antagonist is the main bad guy or gal whose only goal is to thwart the efforts of the protagonist or achieve his or her goals (mostly evil.)“The Terminator” is the “bad guy”; he is introduced in the third minute of the movie. He’s huge, powerful, ruthless and unstoppable.

The Tone - TerminatorThe Tone is the mood or feeling of the story.In “The Terminator,” the movie sets a dark and ominous tone in the first minute of the movie with dark humor. Nighttime scenes represent darkness of the future. Sarah Connor is first seen in daylight, representing hope.

The Theme - TerminatorThe Theme tells the audience the deeper meaning of the story. What is the moral of the story?In “The Terminator,” the theme is: “by giving our power and responsibilities to machines, we may release all the terrible forces of our destruction. Only by retaining our humanity can we survive.”

The Stakes – The Terminator

The Stakes are what’s at risk in the story. What happens if the hero loses?In “Terminator,” the stakes appear right in the first couple of minutes in the prologue. The battle to change the horrendous future will occur in the present day. “In a hundred years, who’s gonna care?”

Nature of Conflict - Terminator

The Nature of the Conflict is the conflict or battle that the story will tackle. In “Terminator,” the conflict is clear in the first 10 minutes: Two people must rise above themselves and destroy the flawless robotic emissary of the future war machines, if the human race is to survive.

Workshop 1Read the first 10 pages of a script. Describe the following pieces? The World __________________________________The Protagonist ______________________________The Antagonist _______________________________The Tone____________________________________

Workshop 2 Read the first 10 pages of a script or watch a favorite movie. Describe what happens minute by minute to draw the audience into the story and characters. (One pages equals one minute of screen time.)