I’m editing my screenplay and I always run into the same problem. I don’t know where to begin. After reading Sol Stein’s great book, Stein On Writing, it got me thinking about doing a first edit pass on the larger big picture items: what is my story about? Who are my characters? What is the conflict etc.
Then I started thinking about stakes. What are the stakes involved in my story. I think stakes need to be established right away. And we need some sort of burning bridge. You can’t go back to your old life.
I looked over the first twenty pages of my script and realized there aren’t real stakes. My main character could return to his old life at any time. He had nothing to lose. I’ve identified a problem.
I thought about this some more after watching the Green Book movie because almost right away stakes are established. (I know the movie is controversial but I wanted to see at the beginning because it won an award after all.) I ended up watching about 20 to 30 minutes. You learn right away that the character is violent, loves his family, is racist, lost his job, and has a hard time finding a job. Twin problems are established: he is racist and he needs money to support his family.
(Side note: On lack of money stakes, I’ve noticed that just needing money is not enough. There has to be a higher purpose like the money is needed to help someone or something else: a family member or some higher cause.)
After learning about the Green Book character’s problems, we get the central conflict: he is offered a good job to drive a black pianist but he is racist and he’s going to be away from his family for two months. Also note that we are putting the two main characters into a crucible. The stakes go up because we learn that he doesn’t get half the money until the job is complete.
Thinking about the Green Book movie helps me understand why a lot of these script coverage people will read just the first 20 pages to tell you that your script sucks.
I think it is also helpful in thinking about a short film. A short film could be interesting that sets up all these problems and then takes you to that moment where the main character is given a choice.
I recently saw a logline formula posted online: When Main Character is [OBSTACLE], he/she/they must [DO SOMETHING] or else [FACE CONSEQUENCE].
I was missing that last part: face consequence.
To increase the stakes, I was thinking the main character is going to lose a treasured family cabin. It is important because both his parents are dead and the cabin is a physical reminder of happier memories.
Why is the main character going to lose the cabin? Because he is about to lose his job. Why? Because of his flawed personality trait. Although he is technically proficient at his job, his flawed character trait causes him to rub coworkers the wrong way. The situation boils over at the same time he receives the bad news about the cabin. The solution is money of which he is in short supply. Twin problems established: problematic personality trait causes him to lose job and he needs money to keep cabin.
Is this the solution to my stakes problem? I don’t know. But I think I may have a solution to my editing problem: where do I begin? Begin at the beginning, dummy. Why should anyone care about your main character and this story? What is at stake?