What Are 10 Ways to Start Your Screenplay?

The opening scenes of your screenplay are crucial in hooking the reader to continue with the rest of the story. But how do you start? It can be tough to figure out the perfect way to get the plot flowing and pages turning.

That’s why I want to give you ten different options of ways to start, that could, hopefully, get your brain working in different ways to start your script.

Let’s dive in.

10 Ways to Start Your Screenplay

The best opening for your screenplay depends on the story you want to tell and the effect you want to create. Experiment with these different approaches to find the one that best suits your project.

1. In Media Res: Start in the middle of the action. This immediately hooks the audience.
   • Example: Mad Max: Fury Road opens with a high-octane chase across the desert wasteland, immediately throwing the audience into the action.
2. Compelling Visual: Open with a striking image that sets the tone or theme.
   • Example: In Interstellar, we open talking heads speaking about what we think is the dust bowl, and then transition to a space shuttle crashing. It sets the stage for the failed NASA and where society is in the future.
3. Character Introduction: Introduce a key character in a way that reveals their personality or conflict.
   • Example: In Avengers: Endgame, we meet Hawkeye showing his daughter how to shoot, when his whole family begins to fade away. It sets the stage for the trauma he feels later.
4. Provocative Question: Pose a question that the story will answer or explore.
   • Example: The Matrix opens with the question “What is the Matrix?”, sparking curiosity and driving the plot.
5. Voiceover: Use a voiceover to establish the story’s world or protagonist’s perspective.
   • Example: The Shawshank Redemption uses Red’s voiceover to introduce Andy Dufresne and establish the prison setting.
6. Thematic Statement: Begin with a quote, text, or symbolic object that embodies the story’s central theme.
   • Example: Fight Club opens with a warning message about the dangers of consumerism, setting the stage for the film’s anti-establishment themes.
7. Everyday Life Disrupted: Show a normal day that takes a sudden, unexpected turn.
   • Example: Jurassic Park starts with a seemingly routine dinosaur transfer that quickly turns into a thrilling disaster.
8. Dream Sequence: Open with a dream that hints at the character’s desires or fears.
   • Example: Inception opens with Cobb washing up on a beach, blurring the lines between dreams and reality.
9. Flashforward/Flashback: Jump to a future or past event to create intrigue and raise questions.
   • Example: Memento uses a non-linear narrative, jumping between past and present to create suspense and mystery.
10. Dialogue Hook: Start with a conversation that sparks curiosity or tension.
    • Example:Reservoir Dogs opens with a debate about the meaning of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” establishing the characters’ personalities and dynamics.

There are many different ways to open your script, but only you know what fits your story the best.

Did I miss any other ways to get started?

Let me know what you think in the comments.