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Chapter 2
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Screen Play
Writing K.Ramanathan CHAPTER
2
WHAT IS A SCREEN PLAY ? In
the simplest of words the screen play can be defined as
a film on paper, much like the design of a designer or an architect. The
comparison with the architect is more apt to a screen play writer than any thing
else. This is because much like the architect, who needs the
services of some engineers and other technicians to translate his design into a
structure, the screen play writer also needs the services of talented
technicians like the director, cameraman, editor, music director and artistes,
to translate the screen play into a great film, as visualised by the screen play
writer. You may be tempted to ask
‘If the screen play is the basis for a film, particularly a good film, then
what roles do the other technicians play in the making of a film?’ and who are
they anyway?’ To understand this properly, just imagine what will happen to a great design of a great architect, who relies on others, like the construction engineers, masons, carpenters and other technicians and workmen to transform his design on paper into a structure. If the engineers understand exactly what the architect has in mind, they will be able to build a great structure, as designed by him, if not they may spoil the whole project and the resultant structure could be just mediocre if not an eye sore. And the worst part of the deal for the architect will be that the common onlooker will blame the architect for a bad design, as he does not know that it is the engineers who had spoilt a good design. At
the same time, it is also passible that if the architect did not have much
knowledge of construction and had designed something that could
not be easily transformed into a great building, then unfortunately the
engineers will get a bad name, but the result will be disastrous, which is not
the intention of anyone connected with the project, be it the architect or other
engineers and technicians. This means that the architect must have a good
knowledge of the science and technique of construction, apart from being a good
designer of the buildings. This is
true of even the seven wonders of the world. The
same holds good for the screen play writer too. He has to have a good knowledge
of the various branches of film making, so that those who will be associated
with the production of the film, that is intended to transform the screen play
into a great film, will face no difficulty in making a film, just the way it was
visualised by the screen play writer. That’s why before learning the art and
craft of screen play writing, the screen play writer has to have a fairly good
knowledge of the various branches of film making. Points
to remember : 1.
Screen play is almost a film on paper, much like the design of a
building, by an architect.
2. Just as the architect needs the services of other engineers and workmen the screen play writer also needs the services of other creative professionals and technicians to transform the screen play into a great film. . 3.
The
design of the architect must conform to certain widely accepted rules and norms
to enable others to
transform the design just the way the architect thought of. Similarly the screen
play writer must also write
the screen play in such a fashion that it is easily understood by other
technicians, involved in the
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