How to Write a Screenplay In One Minute

Just a little story of how to write a screenplay in one minute!

Yes. You'll try it too. No kidding? Well, a little bit of kidding.

Some years ago I had a niece in 7^th grade who asked me to talk to her fellow students. But by the time I finished, I discovered something quite unknowingly. How to write a screenplay in one minute.

First of all, I am a professional screenwriter with around seventeen written scripts for motion pictures, blah, blah. I also taught extension screenwriting at UCLA. But this one turned out different.

I began talking about the film business but it was quickly dying as one young girl rolled her eyes in complete boredom. Like she'd rather be dead or listening to Taylor Swift. Then, for some unknown reason, I had an idea. I stopped talking about movie business and instead, I approached the blackboard and said “Give me a boy or girl”. Someone said “Boy”. Okay, I then wrote on the board again and asked them what his name was.

A couple of students shouted out, “Bobby”. I wrote his name.  Then I asked them what he wanted more than anything. Someone again shouted eagerly, “He wants to be a basketball player.” I wrote on the blackboard again. Then I asked them what is stopping the boy. And this time, a great answer, “he’s short.”

I wrote again. Then I said, simply, “You all have just started to make a movie with a screenplay.” The assignment later went to a dozen or so 7^th graders who wrote different ends of the story.

Well, okay maybe not the "Whole" screenplay, but enough to say it's a good start to a screenplay  Well, 4 of the students actually finished their story later and mailed their answers. 

So what-ya think? Try it on a group and see how far you go. I tried it on a group of 40's to 60's people and they did the same thing.

 Simple.