A Few Tips for Writing a Futuristic Screenplay

Eric Owusu reports:

"Audiences love movies set in the future. Classic Science Fiction is always welcomed. Well, at least mostly. Audiences get interesting glimpses through these kinds of films of how writers imagine life will be years, decades, even eons from now. Several Hollywood blockbusters and cult classics alike have been set in the future, earning awards and fans who pick the screenplays apart for deeper or alternative meanings...When writing a screenplay of your own that’s set in the future, keep a few of the following aspects in mind...If you’re like most writers and have a very vivid imagination, narrowing down the most important parts for your screenplay that you come up with to a few futuristic aspects can be daunting. Pick things that will help best illustrate the themes and messages of your screenplay’s story...In your screenplay, paint a picture that accurately depicts the world you want to present. If your future is grim, use grim adjectives to describe characters, settings and objects in their world...In your screenplay, set in the future; help your audience see what you want them to see by captivating them with things you want your future world to have. Flying cars, laser guns, androids, artificial intelligence systems that are commonplace and other things that don’t exist for public consumption currently will help transport your audience to your world and set it apart from the one we all currently inhabit...Take your time in displaying the characteristics of your main and supporting characters when writing your screenplay. Remember, the audience needs to feel a specific way (positive or negative) for each character to some degree. You have roughly 90+ pages to get audiences invested in who they are, what they’re doing and why they’re doing so. Even in a world set in the future, age-old storytelling techniques drive the story forward, in time and progression. Also, be sure to include situations where your characters are conflicted and the human story and [characteristics] can transcend, causing the characters to make choices that only exist in the futuristic world you’ve let your audience in to observe...Are you making statements in your futuristic screenplay? Why or why not? If so, what are they? Remember, Science Fiction's backbone is the human characters and story that shine through the foreign environments we are watching."