Secrets of a Blockbuster Opening
Writer/director John Sayles (Passion Fish, Lone Star, The
Brother from Another Planet) is very particular about the
beginning of his screenplays.
Whether the movies are dark and urban or bright and rural, he
likes to let the audience know what kind of world they're
visiting, settling them comfortably into the place where they'll
be spending the next couple of hours.
That doesn't just entail a nice description of the landscape.
Sayles also pays attention to tone and character.
If it's a comedy or tongue-in-cheek piece like Alligator, he'll
include some humor to clue the audience in. That way they're "in
on the joke" and they'll know not to take the story too
seriously.
If he's introducing characters, he creates people who'll
credibly exist in that kind of world: gritty cops, square-jawed
heroes or desert sheriffs.
He's not just setting the scene; he's making the world seem
real, giving it a logic that provides believability. Then he
gets on with telling the story.
If your screenplay's going to a reader, don't be shy to pop some
clues in the first ten pages about the style, setting and
characters.
It will help that reader to understand what kind of movie you've
written, and the audience you're aiming for.
It will help you to establish a rhythm as you're writing, and
get to know your world.
While our own lives are full of coincidences, surprises and
inconsistencies, audiences like their movies to be less uneven.
So look at your first ten pages and set up some events and
locations that you can progress from in a logical fashion.
An example: a hardboiled mystery. We start off in a detective's
office - his personal 'world' - meet the hero and a client who
leads him to another location. He finds a clue and that leads
him somewhere else.
With some noir-ish action along the way, you have set the tone
of the movie and the audience knows what to expect.
Then, you can throw them some curveballs...