Film Opening Script

Hi blog!

Today I finished writing the script for our film opening. It might still need some revision, I have to wait until next week to ask my teacher in person, but I'd like to document the process and show you the script.

To write the script, after researching different free screenwriting software I settled on Arc Studio Pro. The interface was helpful in developing a properly formatted script. It helped me follow the conventions of film scriptwriting, autocompleting things like "INT" which indicates the start of a scene and properly formats dialogues and actions.

Here's my script:

INT. HIGH SCHOOL GYM - EVENING

(OPENING CREDITS ROLL OVER GYM FOOTAGE)

FADE IN AS SFX: faint bouncing basketball, shoes screeching, heavy breathing

JD stands at the top of the key, dribbling, focused.

Opponent crouched low, watching his hips.

JD [VO]

This moment. It's the kind you dream about. A single shot. Win or lose. Everything slows down. Every breath, every step, calculated. It's do or die.

He shifts left then right, testing his defender.

JD [VO]

You tell yourself it's just another shot. But that's a lie.

Explodes into a quick crossover. Dribbles between the legs.

Defender bites. JD steps back, separates.

SFX: Heartbeat thumps

SLOW MOTION: He rises. Shoots. Perfect form, release, arc.

LONG SHOT SLOW MOTION: Ball completely misses the hoop.

Silence, then:

PLAYER 1

Yo, was that a lob?

PLAYER 2

Nah, that was a prayer.

COACH MARCUS

Davis, you tryna take out a bird?

JD just stands there.

LONG SHOT REVEALS THIS WAS JUST A 2 ON 2 PRACTICE

CUT TO:

INT. COACH'S OFFICE - LATER

Coach Marcus leans back, arms crossed.

2.

JD slouches.

COACH MARCUS

Let me guess. You thought that was going in.

JD

I knew it was going in Coach.

COACH MARCUS

Confidence is good. But delusion?

That's another story.

JD

I just... I gotta get better. Jason was -

COACH MARCUS

Jason ain't you. You ain't him.

COACH MARCUS (CONT'D) But hey, keep throwing bricks like that, and maybe we can build a new gym.

JD forces a laugh but it stings.

CUT TO:

INT. JD'S BASKETBALL THEMED BEDROOM - NIGHT

SFX: DIEGETIC SOUND OF CRICKETS CHIRPING, WINDOW OPEN

JD stares at a framed photo on his nightstand - him and his older brother (Jason Davis, college basketball star)

SFX: KNOCK ON DOOR, CREAKS OPEN

MOM (O.S.)

You'll be late for school again if you don't sleep.

JD doesn't answer.

MOM (CONT'D)

You don't have to be Jason, baby.

JD finally looks at her. Nods.

JD

Yeah, I know.

He turns away and looks at the ceiling again.

3.

Mom watches him for a moment, then turns off the light in his room.

CLOSE UP: JD's face in the dark.

His eyes don't close.

TITLE: AIRBALL (NO COPYRIGHT RAP PLAYS)

INT. HIGH SCHOOL WEIGHTLIFTING GYM - MORNING

Music revealed to be diegetic from his headphones/speaker.

JD alone, training.

CLOSE UP: Sweat drips

CLOSE UP: Legs shaking during squats

SFX: Diegetic music pauses.

JD sits on the bench between sets, resting, scrolling through Jason's old highlight reels.

He exhales, locks the phone, and stands back up.

SFX: Diegetic music resumes. Back to work.

CLOSE UP: Struggling with bench press

WIDE SHOT: Reveals empty bar

THE END

Let's break it down. 

We start in the gym with the credit sequence playing over the basketball. We're going to incorporate diegetic sound in the background and the voiceover. We might even add non diegetic sound like music, but for now I didn't include that. As we build up to the shot I add sound effects like his heartbeat, which we can easily create ourselves, and then the shot which I made slow motion to really stress. I think it's important in production that we make sure the slow motion looks good and not tacky. 

The first real dialogue comes in from player 1 and player 2 and then the Coach, which I tried to make witty because it's a comedy. Then a long shot reveals it was a 2 and 2. Making this reveal better might mean adding non diegetic "crowd" sounds which would come from the protagonist's head (like the voiceover), however I'm not sure if that would confuse the audience.

For the second scene, dialogue with the coach builds both their characters and offers a hint at the larger theme of JD trying to live up to his brother's legacy. 

The third scene will be in his room, full of basketball props which we've already started to think about - including a signed heat jersey, basketballs, and a picture of his "brother" (an older player on our school basketball team that resembles the protagonist's actor). The dialogue with his mom contextualizes this theme of living up to his brother even more, and although JD says "Yeah, I know.", him looking at the ceiling suggests he doesn't. 

I put the title here because embedding it within the surrounding scenes would be too hard. Maybe we could have it right after the credits at the start but after he actually airballs, but this is a choice we'll have to discuss amongst ourselves and with our teacher. 

The final scene, in the weightlifting room will have what seems to be non diegetic (no copyright, preferably rap, we'll have to find the specific song later) music playing as JD trains alone, sweat dripping, squatting. Then, he'll take off his headphones and the music will be "revealed" to be diegetic (something I've seen in other movies like in Baby Driver's opening scene, but less exaggerated).

Then we'll have him go through his older brother's highlight reel while resting on the bench, building more character. We'll get the highlight reel from the actual basketball player's highlight reel with his permission.

Finally, the funny scene where he struggles to bench press, only for us to reveal there were no weights on the bar at all.

See you next time with the storyboard.