Screenwriting : Let’s Talk About Page 1: What’s Your Approach to Opening a Script? by Leonardo Ramirez 2

The Dark Knight opening is one of my favorites, Leonardo Ramirez 2. It depends on the story and genre. I usually put a scare, conflict, or action scene on the first page(s). And I usually focus on the protagonist, antagonist, or story world/atmosphere on the first page(s).

I love starting with cold opens, throwing you right into the conflict and chaos. Or maybe... mystery of what's happening. I live by the principle that you need to hook your readers/viewers in the first 10 min/pages.

I've read so many times that the first 10 pages are crucial so this has changed how I originally wrote my stories. I now try and 'get to the point' or at least say what the main character wants... something to bring out the main plot in the first couple of scenes. Thank you for asking Leonardo Ramirez 2

I agree Douglas Wilkinson. First few pages has to really hook. I really like your angle of adding a mystery of what's happening. Hints of a mystery can be a good hook.

Dark Knight is one of my all-time favorites Maurice Vaughan. The jail scene between Joker and Batman is a great example of an economy of words - saying much by saying little. That's one thing I'm working on is short bursts that speak volumes and depth. I love the idea of starting with an action scene or conflict as well as a scare. That's a strong hook!

I usually start with a very out of context and chaotic atmosphere, something confusing and terrifying. I enjoy making these openings short and with a lot of detail of the ambience, but without giving away too much. Just leaving a vague first impression. All this before cutting it short and moving next to totally different tone and context. I like using these type of beginnings because it foreshadows future events and then enters a calm and more relaxed atmosphere.

You're right Lauren Hackney in that they are crucial. It's likely why we offer webinars and executive reviews over the first 10 pages. They set everything in motion. You're on the right track if you're pointing to what the character wants in those first 10 pages. I think those are the pages I edit the most.

I love the thought of not giving away too much in those first pages Vlad Zamfir. I love the attention you give to tone. That's awesome.

I begin with the sound of an alarm and the main character waking up...(yawn)...(stretch)...ready to tackle their day.

(I'm kidding. 100%)

Music

Haha Erin Leigh! Too funny!

Oh yeah Tom Demar - got to have a beautiful theme for an opener!

Erin Leigh Don't forget a torn Twinkie wrapper by the alarm clock.

Mood, action, mystery. Setting the world by page ten. Cold opens rock.

Slow pan across a hotel room. Nothing but drunken carnage. All that’s left is to figure out what hap— Oh, wait. That one’s been done.

Seriously, though: I do like to start in the middle of some kind of action. The only times I’ve had a character wake up at the opening were 1) because they were about to get caught in a precarious situation, and 2) b/c I’d already established waking up to face the world was the last thing they wanted, so there was already a big question mark hanging over both narratives.

James Fleming wins the internet today. Nice one James!

Yes sir they do indeed Robert Franklin Godwin III!

I like option #2 Erin Leigh. Adds a bit of mystery.

I really like to set the action up first of what the character is doing then go into dialogue. I just feel it gives a more visual effect of what the scene would actually look like if it was filmed. I think it also depends on the style, subject of the script and how the screenwriter really feels will give the script its best start. What will keep the director/producer interested in reading more?

Launch it with a bang Ramona Frye - love that! I think my first taste of that was Lethal Weapon 2. The Warner Brothers jingle ends with a police siren and a chase.

I have one of my screenplays start with a chase in a container yard at night. Scene endswith an impoossible leap onto a freighter leaving the harbor. 3.5 pages.

Yeah that’s something we definitely need to see on the big screen Robert Franklin Godwin III.

I wrote an opening, many years ago, with a bum stealing the shoes from an unconscious guy in an alley. The bum rounds the alley corner and goes into a saloon. Three down-and-out men sit at the bar discussing how they will pay for their drinks.

After many misadventures seeking cash to pay the bill, the youngest of the three ends up unconscious in an alley. A bum steals his shows - same shot as the open.

Love that Stephen Chalmers! Clever irony!

Hi! I think the beginning of a script should depend on the genre of the story, the setting, and the atmosphere. The first page should not be a prologue from the past, as this is cliché and boring. In my opinion, the first page should either describe the main character or show the essence of the main conflict.

Hello Leonardo Ramirez 2 right now that’s what I’m wrestling with not sure. I have two scenes trying to figure it out so I’m going to see which one works better for the script I’m working with

Great points Arthur Charpentier! Curious if you feel this way even if it’s a historical piece?

Feel free to run it by us Tania Ocasio!

To comment on the original question, when you submit a screenplay to a studio, they have a 'reader' read it, and if he can't figure out what the movie will be about, he will write you, "It's not for them, but that you should submit it to other studios." When I write a screenplay that I will direct myself, I make sure that the opening scene leads to the dialogue between the main actors in my story, and I make sure that's what the theme of the story. And I never write a really exciting scene, like a big fight, or an airplane crashing (stock shot) and then get into a boring story about what happens to the survivors of the plane crash.

Great insights Vic Alexander! Thank you!! You’re right-we don’t want a big drop off after the first few pages.

With my murder mystery I started with the discovery of a dead body. My other genres start with the protagonist wanting something in the middle of an action scene causing one to want to know more or wanting to get answers to the questions that were brought out.

I begin with my protagonist in a fast-paced scene, rushing out of her apartment toward the parking lot, breathing heavily. It is dark and cold outside, with fog, and silence permeates the atmosphere as she walks. Her blood runs through her veins with oppressive tension, as if the world were at war. A good number of people are in her hands to be saved. Soon, scenes of the antagonist being elected president of a large company, but he is also the leader of a criminal organization. Soon, she is being pursued by a strange vehicle... she has little time to get rid of those who are chasing her in the darkness that surrounds her.

The first page i.m.o. should (already) relate to the concept advertised by the logline. If the first page / opening image allows for writing a last page / closing image that is a total reversal, it's even stronger.

I personally like to start with a tension building sequence that sets the tone of the story. My goal is to suck the reader in and hook them immediately.

John January Noble Your opening scene sounds more like a novel than a screenplay. How do you visualize "Her blood runs through her veins with oppressive tension, as if the world were at war. " ?

Your best option when displaying your standard is of course lunging out to your viewer. But it must also have meaning, vision, and relative base. The most simple thing about film I feel and stands out with the apex in this field. Is having tendency with your ability as a writer to not only tell a story but create a resonance to your voice that harbors the one thing a person can identify to. Which is reality. Is this project something that can really happen in our everyday world?

Most of the time I like dropping the audience or reader right in the middle of chaos. It gets everything going quickly and efficiently if done correctly. I have a handful of stories where I start off slow and introduce the characters with time, but what I love most is the attack that Christopher Nolan is known for where you're dropped in the middle of something happening and then the story is off and running.

As the first-time screenplay writer of my sci-fi Cactus Loop and the Moon, I started with ZERO pre-concieved notions. But It turned out like this: Transport you to a place you could never have imagined. Present the protagonist with impossible circumstances. Cast them into an event so unexpectedly frightening, it leaves you DESPERATE for more! And of course reward you with a compelling, unusual, unique story...

As a beginner screenwriter, I get so excited about setting the mood that I end up building the whole world like I’m constructing my dream man cave. I throw in every detail, from the smell of the air to the sound of a goat sneezing in the distance. Sometimes I get so attached that moving on to the next scene feels like packing up and leaving a place I’ve grown comfortable in. Is that a normal part of the process, or am I just getting too cozy with my own imagination?”

@Leonardo Ramirez, perhaps in the past, a different approach to historical films was justified. However, I would not want to bore the audience with long panoramas or general shots of ancient or medieval settings. Historical films are not very popular, so it is important to engage the audience from the start.

Oh I don't know Arthur Charpentier - the first "Highlander" film did well and launched a film and TV series. I think it depends on how it's mixed.

I love every single one of these answers. There seems to be a common theme of dropping the audience into an already developing scenario and builds from there.

Marco Pieper Great advice! That's what I aim for, too. That reversal/full circle moment is SO satisfying.

Leonardo Ramirez 2 Hi Leonardo, I think it depends what the stories about. if it’s an action script, then I’ll start with a action sequence. if it’s horror, then yes, you’ve guessed it.

Geoff Hall Hey brother! Always good to hear from you! Appropriate is the key!

Leonardo, I like to start out with dialog...the earlier on Page 1, the better.

Mood comes to my mind, which could follow Geoff train of thought...could be as simple as a quiet zoom in setting a mood that matches the weight of the story.

It really depends on the genre and what you're trying to establish. But I like breaking norms, challenging the tropes. What's something we haven't seen yet? Or something we haven't seen through that angle?

I've reached the point with my screenplays where I like to start in the middle of something, most likely some sort of action that connects the story to the payoff later. I love grabbing attention right from the start. So it must be something pivotal and related to the story. That comes from my background as an improv comedian. We were taught to start in the middle of the scene. That also carried over to short films from advice I received from several connections I've made. I also like to flip the script on things we've already seen, so if I can hook a reader in under 45 seconds, that's fabulous for my creative style.

It's through the characters that stories are told Jim Boston. Good on you, my friend.

A lot of us do forget to set that tone through mood Ray Fontenault. Thanks for the reminder!

I may have to take those on as a mantra Geoffroy Faugerolas. What can we challenge today?

Same here Lindsay Thompson - I have to have something that starts with a bang. Love that you bring in your experience as an improv comedian. Truly unique.

@Robert Franklin Godwein III

Yes, my dear, there are a few genres mixed up in this atmosphere.

Leonardo Ramirez 2 I'd say don't write a single character in a room with a dolly pushing in while we hear their VO but Handmaid's Tale did it brilliantly...

Love that Geoffroy Faugerolas ! I'll have to go back and watch that.

I like to begin with introducing my world and setting up my characters, especially their personalities.

I like a lot of action and kinetic energy on the first page. For my style of writing, it helps prime the reader for the rest of the story. My dialogue for those openings is usually sparse.

You and me both Donovan Cage !

@Leonardo Ramirez, There may be a problem with the translation of the text, and I may have misunderstood something. The movie Highlander is not historical. Or do you mean something else?

Arthur Charpentier As a piece, no it’s not. But there are flashbacks. In all honesty, it’s been a very long time since I’ve watched the film series and would have to confirm that H2 doesn’t start with a flashback. But again, it’s been decades.

Leonardo Ramirez, An author can write a script however they want, as long as it reflects their idea and vision of the story. In the past, flashbacks and scenes from the characters' past may have been justified. However, I would not use a prologue or flashback at the beginning of a script.

There is a standard rejection letter from the studios, all studios follow it. It says, "The screenplay is not for them, but to submit it to another studio."

I start with the atmosphere, mood, though I don't give out much or all in the first page but most times, I start with the carelessness of main characters Antagonist/Protagonist which brings about their whole actions through out the entire work, some of them will never be or were never prepared or expectant but definitely they come in contact with this dilemma of enemies of theirs (that's their carelessness for me), encountering situations which they must do something about. Some would never even be ready to be the main character but destiny chooses them, some of these things I start with but I don't know if these makes sense to anyone else out there.

Impact, excitement and expectation. My Black List evaluation for The Roxburg Legacy read with comments such as "It was impossible to know what was coming next" and more importantly "The script was hard to put down". For me engaging the audience is everything.

That's awesome feedback Helen Bland - congratulations on that!!

Thank you kind Sir.

You are very welcome Helen Bland - happy creative Sunday!

As others have said: give the audience something big that also sets expectations, including tone and genre. Subverting expectations can help with this too. One of my favorite examples of this is "Mission: Impossible III"

That's an awesome example Spencer Magnusson. Gut-wrenching because of what happens but great example. I don't mind saying I was just a little scarred after that scene.

Agreed, it's such an intense scene. One of my favorite villains tbh. But I love the idea of starting movies with a beloved character and having them already be defeated

I have noticed that the best movies don't cheat the audience as to who the hero of the story is. Some of the worst movies are about weak men, or tough men that pretend to be weak and then they kill all the men who seek justice.

I like to open mine with the protagonist setting the mood for the most part, maybe even showing their ordinary life before the call to adventure hits. For my first screenplay, Marisol and Mezzaluna, the entire idea was born from this image I had in my mind of the titular characters as young girls on a beach vacation in a red tent reading futures in a marble lol. I knew right away that that was my opening scene.

For Finding Elpis’s first draft I set the mood with the band getting ready for their farewell show and then getting abducted shortly after, just diving into the adventure and showing bits and pieces of the past through flashbacks often following critical moments.

And for Glass Waltz I knew for sure that I needed a music box playing Shostakovich’s Waltz no. 2 which already has a dreamy feel and to show that the protagonist Richard is trapped in his memories like two dancers in a snowglobe so that’s what I went with (followed by the female dancer, Rachel, collapsing at the end to show visually that she died).

Although I like to include a bang at the beginning Banafsheh Esmailzadeh, I'm with you on including the protagonist's ordinary life before that inciting incident. It does set the stage for what type of character he or she is before starting on their journey. And you just took me back to high school by mentioning Shotakovich - reminds me of my time in orchestra and band. Good to hear from you!

Thank you Leonardo Ramirez 2, good to hear from you as well :D yeah I've been [re]discovering a lot of classical Russian music lately and it's been great for inspiration. I know they're not everyone's cup of tea but sometimes slow beginnings are the best way to begin. When I rewrote Finding Elpis's opening scene I still wanted the inciting incident to happen quickly so I figured I should make use of Ximena as the big fan/stalker character to show the audience snippets of the band through her cellphone (which I also just like as a framing device for opening credits lol). It would pad out the beginning just enough that the abduction doesn't cause huge whiplash while also showing you a bit about the band through a fan's eyes (also to give her more scenes rather than appearing for the first time 20-something pages in). Coverages I got all said it happened too quickly and we didn't get a sense of the band as characters but since I didn't want to spend too much time in the ordinary life section, this was my compromise lol

Love that Banafsheh Esmailzadeh - it's interesting how we shift seasons when it comes to what we listen to that fuels our writing. That's great how well you took the coverage. That's what I'm working on right now - more edits. But it's only getting better!

Thanks Leonardo Ramirez 2, and it’s very true. I also discovered Vangelis’s song “La Petite Fille de la Mer” which is extremely nostalgic to me (turns out they played it often on state television in Iran throughout the 80s and 90s so that’s likely where I heard it) and I do wonder about what it might inspire for RoP’s rewrite (so far I’ve written a subplot scene/thread that I'm quite proud of; might still be a bit on-the-nose but nonetheless it flowed so naturally). The revamped opening scene is proving a bit tricky but I think framing it as a dream was ultimately the right choice (its original draft had everyone volunteering at an animal shelter), especially since it lets me play a little with time progression ambiguity. Sometimes you just gotta play haha

That's exactly right Banafsheh Esmailzadeh. Sometimes you just gotta play!

Leonardo Ramirez 2 my approach is not to psychoanalyse it or yourself. Don’t be too negative on yourself, either. Write without fear.

I read both of William Goldman's books. He talks about having to write an opening for the film, Harper, with Paul Newman. This was the last thing he wrote. He wracked his brain for a bit and came up with the opening - no dialogue, only Paul Newman going through his actions as the character - which perfectly sums up who Harper is and what kind a situation we find him at the outset of the film. For me, I lean toward character development fist, then add in all the other parts of the recipe. Thank you Leonardo Ramirez 2 for posting!

That's a great encouragement Geoff Hall - love that! Good to hear from you!

Sounds like a very interesting read David Horton! I love the idea of opening with no dialogue and focusing on actions - gives the viewer a hyper-focus on Newman's character as opposed to hearing dialogue and giving the audience something else to distract from his actions. Will definitely keep this in mind. Thank you!

Leonardo Ramirez 2 off topic, but just wondering why there is a number two after your name? Is this your doppelgänger that I’m talking to?

Geoff Hall He's the sequel to his parents first child!

Norman Welthagen Geoff Hall Leo 2.0. He writes screenplays, empties the dishwasher and responds to work emails. Seriously, it looks like a glitch. I woke up to it this morning.

I try to put a bit of mystery into it. Something short but memorable that I will explain later,

That's a great hook Bill Albert - don't give everything away on the first page.

I love that idea, Bill Albert!

Bill Albert Citizen Kane and Rosebud. Not quite the first page but the mystery presented drives the rest of the story all the way to the last frame.

Bill Albert Of course, we all know what 'Rosebud' really referrenced.

In a way, all scripts containing small mysteries or big ones give the audience a way to be involved in the , “What’s going to happen next and why,” and that keeps people engaged.

Very true Nancy Wilkinson!

I should've mentioned Ernest Hemingway's technique. He always wrote the opening to his novels completely, describing the setting, the characters, and the first lines of dialogue. Then he cut everything at the beginning, and began with the first line of dialogue. All Hemingway novels were made into feature films -- Vic Alexander, filmmaker.

Writing is just so fun and sweet, am on the top of everything else when I write, I don't know about you but that's my status when I write and I don't need disturb from any angle.

I’m still early in my journey, but I opened my pilot Mickey with a cold, atmospheric scene in an abandoned warehouse — one man bound and bleeding, another narrating over the silence. I wanted to set tone first: isolation, consequence, and dread.

The first line of V.O. is “You see this in movies — people getting hurt, threatened, killed.” From there, it becomes personal and claustrophobic.

I’m learning to trust the visual and let mood do the heavy lifting. Curious how others decide between dialogue, action, or emotion as their page one opener.

That's really good Philipp Müller - seriously...that grabbed my attention.

Thank you so much, Leonardo Ramirez 2

I spent a long time trying to get that opening just right, so hearing that it grabbed your attention really encourages me. I’m learning a ton here every day thanks to feedback like yours. Appreciate you taking the time!

A big lesson that I had to learn was trusting the visuals Philipp Müller. You’re doing great. Keep at it!

"For me, the first page is the very first moment that touches the audience’s heart. I usually start with a quiet yet powerful emotional scene—sometimes a gaze, sometimes the calm before the storm. In my true-life inspired story, I like to let the audience feel the emotional conflict the character is in from the very beginning. My goal is not just for them to see it, but to deeply feel it.

In my opening scene, a little girl sits silently beside a grey German Shepherd; her eyes fixed on the distance, waiting for someone who will never come."

Ilay Yılmaz Think visually. Howdo you film "waiting for someone who will never come"? This more of a novelistic style of writing. The script needs to describe what is seen on the screen.

That really does sound heartfelt and beautiful Ilay Yılmaz!

You are welcome, but she is still 'Silently waiting for someone who will never return." Instead, suggest some body language that indicates looking. "She looks up. Stands and shades her eyes from the setting sun. Her hands drop to her side. She reaches over, pets the dog, sighs, and they exit the scene wth the camera still viewing the distant horizon as the sun slips away and darkness takes hold."

Thank you so much for your thoughtful suggestion, Robert. I truly appreciate the way you’ve turned the statement into visual actions — it gives the scene a much deeper emotional impact and makes it far more cinematic. I can already picture how beautifully this will work in the moment.

You’re very welcome Ilay Yılmaz. All the best to you and thanks so much for the connection!

Thank you so much Wishing you the very best as well, and I’m truly glad we’re connected here.