Scriptwriting Introduction to Scriptwriting 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the term 'logline' refer to in scriptwriting?
- A one or two sentence summary of the story (Correct answer)
- The opening line of dialogue
- A list of locations used in the script
- The final scene description
Correct answer: A one or two sentence summary of the story
A logline is a concise one or two sentence summary that captures the core premise of a story.
Question 2: In standard screenplay format, where is a character's name placed before dialogue?
- Centered above the dialogue (Correct answer)
- Flush left in the margin
- Indented to the far right
- At the bottom of the page
Correct answer: Centered above the dialogue
Character names (cues) are centered above their lines of dialogue.
Question 3: What is a 'parenthetical' used for in a screenplay?
- To indicate how a line should be delivered or a small action (Correct answer)
- To number each scene
- To label the act break
- To describe the setting in detail
Correct answer: To indicate how a line should be delivered or a small action
A parenthetical gives a brief direction for tone or action within a character's dialogue.
Question 4: Which term describes the introduction of a story element that pays off later?
- Setup (Correct answer)
- Montage
- Slug line
- Coverage
Correct answer: Setup
A setup plants information or an object early that becomes important (the payoff) later.
Question 5: What does 'O.S.' mean in a screenplay?
- Off Screen (Correct answer)
- Original Score
- Open Set
- Over Shoulder
Correct answer: Off Screen
O.S. stands for Off Screen, meaning the character is in the scene but not visible.
Question 6: Approximately how many pages is one minute of screen time in standard format?
- One page (Correct answer)
- Three pages
- Five pages
- Half a page
Correct answer: One page
The general rule is that one page of screenplay equals about one minute of screen time.
Question 7: What is the primary purpose of a treatment?
- A prose summary of the entire story before writing the script (Correct answer)
- A schedule for shooting days
- A budget breakdown
- A list of camera angles
Correct answer: A prose summary of the entire story before writing the script
A treatment is a prose document that outlines the full story in narrative form before the screenplay is written.
Scriptwriting Introduction to Scriptwriting 2
What does the term 'logline' refer to in scriptwriting?