First Five Pages
The first five pages of a screenplay are your make-or-break moment. This is where you hook your readers, establish your story’s identity, and deliver enough intrigue to make them want more. Here’s a breakdown of what should go into those first crucial pages:
The Hook (Page 1 is Your Handshake)
Why: Page 1 sets the tone and expectations for your story. It needs to grab attention immediately.
How:
Open with movement or action: Even in dialogue-driven stories, start with something happening. For example, in Jaws, the first page has the beach party and Chrissie’s decision to swim alone—immediate tension.
Pose a question: Introduce an intriguing mystery, character, or visual detail that begs an answer (e.g., the spinning top in Inception).
Show the world: Give readers a quick visual sense of the setting. What makes it unique, unsettling, or exciting?
Establish the Tone and Genre
Why: Readers (and audiences) want to know what kind of story they’re stepping into.
How:
Visual and auditory cues: Your descriptions should suggest the tone without over-explaining. A creepy, desolate alley bathed in flickering neon screams thriller or noir, while a sunny meadow with kids playing sets up a family drama or comedy.
First dialogue: The first line spoken often signals the genre. A joke or sharp wit hints at comedy, while a cryptic question points to suspense. Some scribblers even verbalize their theme.
Introduce a Memorable Character
Why: Readers need someone to care about or be fascinated by early on.
How:
Give them something distinctive: A trait, habit, or quirk that grabs attention (e.g., Indiana Jones casually brushing off tarantulas in Raiders of the Lost Ark).
Show them in action: Reveal a key element of who they are by what they do—not just what they say.
Hint at their flaw or goal: You don’t need to spell everything out but plant the seeds of their journey (e.g., Rick in Casablanca is cynical and detached, but the setting hints at a troubled past).
Introduce Stakes or a Problem
Why: Stories thrive on conflict, and readers need a sense of what’s at stake, personal, relational, or world-shattering.
How:
External conflict: Drop your protagonist into a situation that needs immediate attention (e.g., Neo’s hacking job in The Matrix).
Internal conflict: Even in slower starts, hint at unresolved tension (e.g., Lady Bird begins with a literal leap out of a car, signaling her rebellious streak).
Plant the central question: What’s the story about? A murder, a relationship, survival? The audience should have an idea of what they’re signing up for.
World-Building Without the Info Dump
Why: The audience needs context, but they’ll lose patience with exposition-heavy dialogue or overlong descriptions.
How:
Show, don’t tell: Use small details to imply larger ideas. Instead of saying, “the city is overrun with crime,” show a character bolting their door while a news broadcast plays in the background about escalating violence.
Embed exposition in conflict: Characters explaining the world feels natural when it’s part of an argument, a news briefing, or even a joke.
Use visuals: A single shot of the world (e.g., Blade Runner’s smog-filled dystopia) can do more than paragraphs of text.
Set Up Themes
Why: The early pages should hint at the bigger ideas your story will explore.
How:
Symbolic imagery: A broken clock in the background of a story about time or mortality.
Subtle dialogue hints: A character musing on fate, regret, or ambition that resonates with your story’s ultimate message. Don’t be afraid to express your theme aloud.
Parallel action: Show two contrasting scenes to set up opposing forces or ideas (e.g., The Godfather opens with the wedding—a moment of celebration—juxtaposed with the undertones of crime and violence).
End the Five Pages With a Bang
Why: Page 5 needs to solidify interest, setting up momentum for the rest of the script.
How:
A turning point: The first five pages should often conclude with a moment that shifts the story or leaves the audience craving more. (e.g., the inciting incident of Up happens around this time, changing Carl’s life forever.)
A hook that raises a question: What happens next? You want your reader flipping pages to find out.
Checklist for the First Five Pages:
Is your opening image or moment striking and intriguing?
Does the tone/genre feel clear?
Are your main characters compelling in action or dialogue?
Is there a problem, question, or stakes to invest in?
Is the world unique and grounded in detail?
Do the pages flow with dynamic energy, movement, or reveals?
Does Page 5 leave the reader hooked?
Focus on crafting a story that hooks the reader’s curiosity while promising more to come. Every line counts in those first five pages. It’s not just the opening act; it’s your handshake with the reader, and it better be firm.
Facing the blank page alone can be a drag. But you have your scribbler’s toolbox. So, don’t stress. Just ABS. Always. Be. Scribbling.
