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So, there’s a plan. I’m through with thinking about the movie; now it’s time to write. Even though it’s only going to be ten minutes long, the film needs to be planned precisely to ensure each second of those ten minutes gets used well. There won’t be any time to go off track and have a few filler lines of dialogue.

Here’s what I’ll be tackling over the next few days/weeks/months. First the goals; I find it always best to have some sensible goals. Why I’m making the movie and who it’s intended for are good starters. It enables me to focus accurately.

Next, I’ll write the logline, the short elevator presentation. The one that grabs the headlines, the one that goes in big print on the front of the DVD case.

Target three is to write a general list of what’s going to happen in the movie looking at problems and how to solve them.

Four takes me to the treatment. For a short movie this will probably be just one page, but it’ll give me more detail of where it’s all going.

Five is where I’ll list the scene numbers with a description and check to see that the film has a striking start, excellent middle body and a quality finish

Subsequently, I’ll write the scenes in order, establishing what the problem is to begin with. Then the scenes will set out to solve that problem, littered sensibly with setbacks and resolutions to change and move on. There will probably be a large final problem just before the end, which will bring us to that quality finish.

I always know the end before I begin writing, but writing the end in the right order helps move substance along correctly.

Then the rewrites start. Show it to some friends and experts and the second round of rewrites begin.