5 Let’s Tackle Structure – The Outline

The Outline

Now that you have a logline, you’re ready to write your movie. Right? Not quite. Remember how we said structure is the most important part of a screenplay? If you forgot, well we did say that, and it is true.

The logline gives us a simple, structural spine for our movie. To write a script, we need to flesh out this logline to build a strong structure. We start to do that by creating an outline. Our outline will be a detailed map for writing our movie.

The rule of thumb in screenwriting is that one page of a screenplay equals one minute of screen time. This is not a hard and fast rule. It is also an average. Some pages can be less than a minute. Some pages are more than a minute.

We generally think of most movies being around two hours long, so that makes most screenplays around 110-120 pages.

A simple analysis of three-act structure uses terms like inciting incident (this is what turns the world upside down), first major turning point (the main character has a direction), midpoint (a shift in the direction), second major turning point (looks like the main character will fail), and climax (the moment where the main character definitively wins or loses). You may have heard of these terms. They can be very helpful in breaking down a plot.

However, we need more. The outlining process we will use has 10 steps. This allows for us to more fully understand the structure of our script and the scenes necessary to tell the plot.

(Please note that these page numbers are approximate. The world turning upside down could be as early as page 5; it could be as late as page 20. The page ranges show where this development generally takes place. The spark is not just one thing that happens on one page. There is setup and buildup. The midpoint is not just an event on a single page; there are scenes leading up to that point we need to include.)

Establishment (pages 1-10): Here you establish the world we are in. You establish who the main character is. You establish the main character’s status quo, their normal. We have to know what their normal life is in order to see it turned upside down later. This is also where you establish the genre, the type of movie. If this is a science fiction movie, we need to see some future technology or space ships or something to indicate this is going to deal with science fiction. If it’s a Western, show us cowboy hats and horses. Notice how a James Bond film always starts with some dangerous mission Bond is on. That establishes the genre.

In Winter Soldier, the first few minutes establish several key elements. We see our main character, Cap, and that he has extraordinary abilities. He can run like 13 miles in 30 minutes. We are clearly in Washington D.C. as we get shots of landmarks like the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the Reflecting Pool, etc. We are in the seat of governmental power. Through Cap’s discussion with Sam, we establish that he is struggling to learn about this new time period in which he lives. Then Black Widow picks him up. He’s got a mission from S.H.I.E.L.D. Going on these missions is also part of his normal life.

In a similar way, Elle’s normal life, her status quo, is established early in Legally Blonde . We see this California college campus. It is bright and sunny. We see fraternities playing on a lawn. We see Elle’s sorority sisters preparing a special card for her. We see she is the sorority president and the homecoming queen. She’s a big deal in this world. We see that she is going to have dinner with her boyfriend and expects him to propose.

Also of importance, in these first 10 pages, we get a theme. In Winter Soldier we get the theme of Cap dealing with the past and where he fits in now. In the very first conversation between Cap and Sam, Sam says “you must miss the good old days.” Cap has a notebook where he writes down things he needs to research. In Legally Blonde, we get the theme of how people view Elle as a stereotype. We see this most prominently when Elle is in the boutique buying the new dress. Elle is smart and stands up for herself. Everyone assumes she is shallow and an airhead, but she proves them wrong again and again.

World Turned Upside Down (around pages 10-11): Something happens that upsets the status quo of the main character. Their world is thrown off balance. They get a certain phone call. They find out their partner is cheating. Whatever. Warner breaks up with Elle in Legally Blonde. Her world, her plan for her life, is completely shattered. Cap learns that Nick Fury is hiding things from him. He learns about Project Insight, specifically. He thought he knew what his missions were about. The one thing he thought he COULD count on was being a soldier fighting for what he believes in. But is he really doing that? Maybe not. He is thrown off balance. (In case you are wondering, you can think of this as the inciting incident.)

Fallout (around pages 12-20): the world being turned upside down has fallout. The main character wrestles with adjusting. Maybe they don’t believe it. They try to deny it (the denial is classic hero’s journey; think Luke Skywalker telling Obi-Wan he can’t go with him at first). Maybe they are distraught. Whatever it is, this is a struggle to adjust. Notice how depressed Elle is in Legally Blonde. She can’t leave her room. Her friends are so worried about her. We can see how her world being turned upside down is devastating to her. Similarly, Cap is lost. He goes to the Smithsonian and looks at a display about his exploits in WWII. Things were straightforward then. He sees footage of Bucky. Now there was a guy he knew he could trust. Cap even mentions to Sam he’s not sure if he should stay in the military. What? This is America’s greatest soldier and he is now unsure if he even wants to do that any more? That’s how his world being turned upside down has knocked him for a loop. We need to see the fallout for our main character.

The Spark (around pages 20 to 28): Something gets the main character out of the funk. They get an idea. They get some motivation. Or something happens to force them forward out of their malaise. That spark grows into a plan. They see a path to take to get what they want, so they know their goal and they know the direction to take to achieve that goal. The goal could be to reestablish the status quo, like in Legally Blonde. Elle is inspired in the nail salon when she sees her ex’s brother’s fiancée. She will apply to Harvard. Winning Warner back is the goal and the path is going to Harvard Law School (to prove to Warner she is serious). There can be some excitement here, some positive energy. (This, at the end, is the first major turning point.)

It doesn’t have to be positive, of course. That depends on the movie you are writing.  Cap has to find out who shot Nick Fury. When Fury shows up at Cap’s place after being shot, Cap is out of his funk. He has direction. He has to protect this flash drive and figure out who is after Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D.

This point is emotional for the main character. When we go over character arc, we will delve into that but do note that this spark is emotional.

Direction (around pages 29 to 40): here the main character is determined and, often, having a good time as they now are on the path from the Spark. There’s excitement here. Elle applies to and gets into Harvard. She gets her sorority sisters involved in her application process and she creates a clever application video; all of this is exhilarating. Then, she has fun at first in this new environment. Sure, Harvard is different but she is trying to make friends and she is around Warner, displaying a new her. Of course it isn’t always fun. That depends on the movie you are writing. It CAN be fun, like Elle, or like Luke learning about the force on the Millennium Falcon after leaving Tatooine in Star Wars: A New Hope, but it does not have to be. Cap in Winter Soldier isn’t having fun. He gets labeled an enemy and is hunted by the STRIKE team (the famous fight in the elevator), teams up with Black Widow as they evade capture at the mall, and learns from the flash drive that they need to go to New Jersey, Cap’s old WWII training base. It is not fun for Cap, but it is exciting for us and Cap is more sure of himself because he does have a mission.

The main plot, Elle trying to win back Warner or Cap investigating S.H.I.E.L.D. is also called the A plot. We do not, however, have just a main plot. We also have subplots. Our primary subplot is called the B plot and we introduce it at this stage. The B plot comes out of the path they are on now. It could be someone they meet that will become a romantic interest. It could be a helper they meet. Through your B plot we see how hard it is on the main character emotionally. They need someone to talk to about how difficult this journey is. The B plot could, also, be a way for the main character to start showing their power. As they grow while pursuing the main plot, the character can demonstrate newfound knowledge and confidence via the B plot.

Think about how Legally Blonde has a B plot that gives someone Elle can talk to, and a way for Elle to show the legal knowledge she is learning. Elle meets Paulette at the salon she visits in Boston and this is the B plot. Paulette will serve as a confidant. Elle will also help Paulette, personally and legally.

The B plot amplifies the theme we previously established, as well. Through her relationship with Paulette we enhance the theme because we see how intelligent Elle is and how she is not a stereotype.

In Winter Soldier, Cap teams up with Black Widow as the B plot. She is an aid in this journey but also someone Cap can confide in. Most importantly, the relationship with Black Widow highlights the theme of trust. Cap has felt out of place in the modern world and that he can’t really trust anybody now. In the B plot, though, he learns he does have people he can trust.

The Midpoint (around pages 41 to 55): The excitement of the direction wears off. This path is hard. We could give up. We could turn back and be done (so this is a POINT OF NO RETURN because we are going to keep going, obviously, but by keeping going we are in it till the end). We are at a crossroads because we get new information based on the obstacles we’ve overcome and the path we have been on now doesn’t seem so clear. In fact, the path shifts. There’s a NEW path to take for the main character to get what they want. For Elle, she has not made friends. In fact, the others look down on her and she is picked on. She thinks that maybe Warner is warming up to her, but then he just reiterates that she is not serious and her being at Harvard is a joke. Even Warner looks down on her and this motivates her. She will show him and the others that she is serious. The path now is to be a better student than the others. This leads to her getting one of the coveted internships.

Cap finds out HYDRA has been controlling S.H.I.E.L.D. for decades. That could be too much for him. Heck, he is almost physically crushed when the HYDRA agents in S.H.I.E.LD. blow up the bunker where he and Black Widow are. Of course, being Captain America, he is not going to give up. However, there is a shift: getting HYDRA out of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The midpoint is confusing for the main character. Again, this is an emotional point of the outline.

It Gets Real (around pages 56 to 75): This new path gets harder. The obstacles get more intense both physically and emotionally. There is a seriousness to this. Bad guys are closing in. Use the B plot to show how this is stressing the main character and/or how the main character is feeling their power. In Winter Soldier, this is when Cap and Black Widow are on the run. They have to hide. They get captured. Cap is in more physical danger.

In the B plot of Legally Blonde, Elle displays her legal knowledge and her growing confidence by helping Paulette. Plus, we see her sharing with Paulette the ups and downs of the internship, being the stress outlet and cheerleader Elle needs.

Low Point (around pages 76 to 85): We failed. It didn’t work. We are devastated. This is the emotional low point. All of the things the main character feared about themselves seem to be coming true. I can’t do this. Elle decides to quit the case. She thinks the only reason she was chosen was because of her looks after the professor hits on her. Perhaps worse, her classmate that she has become friends with sees this and completely misinterprets it and thinks Elle has been USING her looks to get ahead. Elle is done with all of this.

For Cap, he discovers Bucky, the best friend he ever had, is the Winter Soldier. Taking down HYDRA could mean taking out Bucky. Cap has been grappling with his past and where he fits into the modern world. Now his past has come back. Can he really do this? Can he take down his best friend? In the modern world, it seems friendships might come and go and you can’t trust people who say they are your friends. Can Cap’s values survive? Bucky will be the ultimate test. (If you are so inclined, think of this as the second major turning point.)

But Wait, We Can Win (around pages 86 to 90): The main character gets a bit of inspiration. Often, this comes in the form of a thematic pep talk from someone from the B plot. The main character can now see a way out, a solution. Elle gets a pep talk at Paulette’s salon from Prof. Stromwell. For Cap, it is learning Nick Fury is alive and that Fury, Black Widow, and Sam all have faith in him.

Climax (around pages 91 to 110): This includes the plan for victory. We’ve had the inspiration – the speech, the new insight – now we put a plan in place. We follow the plan and that leads to the most intense moment in the whole script, the moment where we win or lose, the moment of most stress and emotion. The climax is where the stakes are the highest, physically (if it is that kind of movie) and emotionally. The main character’s emotional core is at stake at the climax. Elle wins the case at the climax in Legally Blonde, which means that the real murderer is found. She also proves she can do this and she is not just a pretty face, etc. She proves this to others, but even more importantly, she proves it to herself.

For Cap, he has to stop HYDRA, and at the climax that means stopping Bucky, which means stopping his best friend, confronting his past, and proving his values still matter.

After that climactic moment, we get one last image or short scene with our main character to show what all this meant, how they have changed. Elle wins the case and Warner now wants her again, but she is done with him. She has moved on.  Cap stops HYDRA and does it without having to take out Bucky. We see Cap at the end content that his values can exist in the modern world.

Let’s explain this some more by going into what you should write in an outline based on these 10 points.

Here’s an outline for Legally Blonde.

Establishment: We see Elle’s world, the sorority, how she is comfortable in this world, thrives in it (she’s the president of the sorority, she’s homecoming queen, etc.) Her friends like her. She has her future plan – she is going to marry Warner. So we know her world. We know how she fits into this world. Plus we get character traits – we see she is nice. We also see she is smart (how she catches the sales person trying to trick her).

World Turned Upside Down: Warner doesn’t propose. In fact, he breaks up with her. She is not serious enough. Her whole future is shattered.

Fallout: Elle is depressed. She stays in her room for like a week. She’s not her usual self. We see how her friends are worried. She cries to her dog.

The Spark: Elle goes to the manicurist (notice how we introduce another part of her life here that will play a role going forward) and, in a magazine, sees the girl Warner’s brother is going to marry. This girl is a Yale law student. Elle gets an idea on how to prove she’s serious. She’s excited. She’s going to apply to Harvard law.  She is determined to win Warner back and this is the way to do it.

The Direction: Elle does her video application, studies for the LSAT. She’s accepted. She moves to Harvard, tries to adjust. She woos Warner by relying on things that worked in the past (her looks, her charm) But she’s determined here. A lot of this is funny and fun. We introduce the main subplot (the B plot). The B plot is Paulette at the salon. Elle gets advice from Paulette (and gives some too).

The Midpoint: Elle starts to study and do better in school. She helps Paulette. But it is not working on Warner. Her fellow students do not like her and think she is a joke. Then Warner tells her that she can’t cut it at Harvard Law. Bam – we have a shift, a new path. Now Elle is determined to show she can make it in law school. It is not just about getting there. It is about succeeding and being better than everyone else. Donovan picking her for the case is a way to demonstrate she is serious..

It Gets Real: Here the intensity grows for Elle (still in a fun way) because she is using her lawyer skills that she is learning. She helps Paulette (notice how the subplot is used to show Elle’s emotional state plus her feeling her power). She helps on the Donovan case. She actually knows the client and thus has an in with her and can help in specific ways. She is proving herself as a potential lawyer. It is more intense and the stakes are higher now because Elle is working in the “real” world. She and Emmett click while they work on the case. Elle is feeling good about herself, until…

Low Point: Donovan hits on Elle. Elle quits because she thinks she only got this due to her looks and all of her work didn’t matter. People still just see her as a pretty face, a Barbie. Sarah misinterprets Donovan hitting on Elle and she thinks Elle is just using her looks too. Elle is down and depressed.  She’s going back to California.

But Wait, We Can Win: Elle goes to Paulette to say she’s leaving, but Professor Stromwell is there and gives a pep talk. Elle will continue! The B plot is where she gets her inspiration to go on.

Climax: Donovan gets fired. Elle becomes the main lawyer. Elle wins the case! She has changed a bit too – she no longer needs Warner to define who she is. She and Sarah bond.

This is how you can structure your screenplay using this outline. Write an overview of what happens at each point. You do not have to go into too much detail right now. For example, you might not know exactly how she wins the case, but you know she will win. We will go into a breakdown of necessary scenes later. Right now you need this underlying structure.

A Treatment

If you have done some digging into writing movies, you may have come across the term “treatment.”

A treatment is the story of your screenplay written in prose. Like the script (we will talk about format later) the treatment is in present tense. The treatment relates the major events and characters of your movie, kind of like a short story. It also gives the title of the movie. Generally, for a feature-length film, the treatment is around 10 pages, give or take a couple of pages.

Like the outline we have discussed above, the treatment is an organizing tool we can use before we start actually writing the screenplay. People within the movie industry may ask to read a treatment before reading the screenplay. As such, writing a treatment can be beneficial to you, both from a storytelling standpoint and a film business standpoint.  You very well may find a producer asking to read a treatment before they read the script.

Using our story idea about the average construction worker running for mayor, here is the start to a treatment for that movie.

Building the Mayor

BILL SMITH puts the finishing touches on framing a doorway in a new home being built.  He’s quick, efficient, and clearly knows what he’s doing. The foreman, RAY, compliments Bill on a job well done, not that it means much to Bill. It’s a job that he knows how to do and he’s been doing for years.

On the ride home, Bill passes through the main section of this little town, his hometown. Main Street isn’t what it used to be, a few closed up storefronts dot the street, but there is still some charm to this community. Bill’s beat-up pickup truck pulls into the driveway of an old Victorian style house – his house.

This gives you an idea of how we describe action in a treatment. Everything is in prose and in present tense. The first time we see a character, they are introduced in all caps. We paraphrase dialogue (“the foreman, RAY, compliments him”) instead of writing it out with quotations.

Because we include the major plot elements in the treatment, it can be an insightful form for discovering what scenes are needed to write the script. You still should do the outline first. The treatment is not a necessary step, unless someone asks you for it. The outline discussed above will give you the structure you need. However, you might find the treatment to be helpful in fully understanding your plot.