Lexicon for beginner filmmakers
If you are starting to enter the film industry, you will encounter a lot of terms, which, not knowing, can cost you a lot of wasted time and rejections. Let's look at examples and terms.
There is a four-week full immersion workshop in New Zealand for screenwriters who, after completing the workshop, have a significantly higher chance of getting a contract to write a film or series in New Zealand. Tāhuna Writers Residency. Only five people a year are accepted there. Among a hundred of applications, the best five people are selected. And there are certain technical requirements, failure to comply with which will lead to failure, even if you are a super-genius creator. That is what happened to me. The requirements indicate to send a sample of script in the application. I sent the story in treatment format. They wrote me a letter of refusal, indicating that it was necessary to send a sample of screenplay. I didn't know that a script is always a screenplay. And I'm still scratching my head why people don't state clearly (if you need a screenplay, then ask a “screenplay”). Let's figure out what is meant in the English-speaking environment, how to figure it all out.
Length-related Types of Story Writing in Screen Industry
Script - Screenplay is a complete story with dialogues written in a specific, very precise format. There are indents, font and margins. It is accepted that one page of such a script corresponds to approximately one minute of running time (screen time).
Treatment is a story, that is, a story without dialogues in the format of a regular narrative. What you would write simply in Google Doc, just in your words, in a regular (any) font. Like a story in a book. It is accepted that one page of such text is about ten times more economical than a script, that is, about 10 minutes of running time.
Synopsis - the same story as a treatment, only even shorter, 10 times shorter, that is, about one page of text for a regular full-length film.
Logline is a few lines of text to draw attention without revealing plot details. It's essentially the most important thing in the film until the turning point at the end of the first act. Given the small size, it is customary that the logline should indicate the hero or heroes, their problems and the decisions they made.
Types of dealing with reality
Narrative film - Fiction film - Staged film - a film directed with actors who play a role according to the script. Don't trust the translators, Google Translate (at least until June 2023) is lying shamelessly. By typing in your native language (especially if it is Russian) the same concept in your language, you will most likely see a feature film in translation, which means just a full-length film. The translator has not corrected this for many years. Don't fall into this trap. Of course it is interesting why a staged film is called narrative. Do you know, why? I don't know. The fact is that the narrative is an integral part of the documentary too. You need a story to keep it interesting. What really happens is still presented to the viewer in a three-act structure.
Documentary film - Non-fiction film is a film that reflects reality, claiming that what is presented on the screen is not a staged video, but actually happens (not figuratively, but exactly what is filmed). In other words, if no one filmed people or events, the same thing that we see on the screen would happen. In the case of an interview, people would say the same to their friend, to the news channel or in court. This is where confusion could occur with documentary-based film. But such films are called "A film based on real events" - this is a narrative film (staged film), the plot of which took place in reality.
Classifying films based on their length
Feature film is Full-length film - a film longer than 40-50-60 minutes (depending on the definition of the festival or association). Given the difference in requirements, it is better to make a film longer than the most severe requirement for this type of film, that is, longer than 60 minutes. One can only guess why the word "feature” is used in this capacity (“Feature Film“). Look for the history of this word for such a meaning.
Short film is a film up to 20 minutes long (sometimes up to 15 minutes). Considering that the requirements are different, it is better to make a short film shorter so that it fits in more venues. I advise you to focus on 5-10 minutes (no longer than 15 minutes including credits).
Other words and definitions you can find here.