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Welcome to the beginners guide to screenplay development! In this article you will find information on the basics of the screenplay development process, with brief descriptions of the index card plot outline system, treatments, synopsis and screenwriting software. There are also some useful links to products and websites that will help you on your way to developing your first screenplay. A screenplay is a visual document; it describes what you want people to see on screen. Typically screenplays are 120 pages long, each page equalling about 1 minute of screen time.
There are a number of standard steps that professional screenwriter’s will work through when creating a screen play.
An outline of the plot from start to finish is normally the first step. Index cards are often used to create the plot outline in an easy to manipulate, visual format. Some screenwriters may choose to skip this step and go straight into writing a treatment of their script; others may decide to do both. Then comes the intense writing period where the first draft of the screenplay is created. Depending on the circumstances, the screenplay may go through a number of rewrites in order to satisfy everyone involved, for example the producer, director or distributors may want certain things changed and thus a new draft will need to be made. Once the final draft is completed, the screenplay can then be copyrighted. At this point a synopsis is often made, this is often sent along with the completed screenplay to producers and other funding organisations.
For more information on the index card plot outline system click here.
You stand alone, vulnerable, heart pounding against your ribs as you draw 
All eyes on you... piercing, judging, scrutinising every heartbeat; you open 
Closing your eyes. It's now or never. Take a deep breath, this is what you 
BEEP! You cry out your final note, exhausted, elated; satisfied. A single 