Scriptwriting

The first step after deciding what your idea for your short film is going to be, is to write a treatment which should convey a clear sense of the story without dialogue. The treatment outlines the major events in the pilot, in the present tense, without using dialogue. When writing a treatment you should start with the premise, which details over three or four lines the who, what, when and where of the story. The point of writing a treatment is to help clarify ideas; by committing them to paper you can begin to see what is effective and what isn't. It can be helpful to produce a scene outline next, where the skeleton of each scene is written up on an index card. Each card should include the key story events of that scene and the characters involved.
You should now write a screenplay which includes setting, dialogue, character descriptions and actions. The script should be divided into scenes and re-drafting is an essential part of the writing process. Narrative structure is an important part in structuring the script because the story that you choose to tell is unique to you and your perception. The middle of the script is where most of the action happens because the writer needs to keep the audience engaged. Problems can be arisen in the middle section, obstacles need to be placed in the path of the protagonist which create issues, such as;

• an argument with the boss
• a bill they cannot afford to pay
• missing the bus

The list is endless. These are all events that will cause tension and extend the drama. The narrative works by building tension and releasing it, which often subverts the audience's expectations. This technique is known as a twist.
Next, you should inform your audience through these techniques; contextual, this is spoken or written information at the beginning of a film in order to set up the story and provide background information, ie the screen text in Star Wars. Voiceover, this is spoken by one of the key characters at any time during the film, providing insight into who they are and what they think, ie Trainspotting. To camera, where a character talks directly to the camera. This is known as "breaking the fourth wall" because it breaks the screen convention by acknowledging the audience.
The protagonist is the central character in a narrative whose actions propel the story forward. Usually the story is told from the perspective of the protagonist. The antagonist(often the villain) is the one who tries to prevent the protagonist from achieving their aim.