A step outline is a detailed telling of a story with the intention of turning the story into a screenplay.
The step outline briefly details each scene of the screenplay's story, and can include indications for dialog or interactions. The scenes are numbered for convenience. It can also be an extremely useful tool for a writer working on a spec script.
The step outline briefly details each scene of the screenplay's story, and can include indications for dialog or interactions. The scenes are numbered for convenience. It can also be an extremely useful tool for a writer working on a spec script.
An example-
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My Step outline:-
My Step outline:-
Begins
with John sat at a B&B apartment on the edge of the bed. Building him up
to leave. [John narrates to himself (as a type of audience leading to
rhetorical questions) throughout the short and doesn’t actually have any
dialogue-he instead narrates his responses that occur]. He narrates about the
loss of his wife. Eventually John grabs his long thick coat and leaves
through the front door onto the street.
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FLASHBACK:
John is making love to his wife, Lucy in bed, lighted subtly by candles. Its
soft, passionate and a strong connection of love is apparent between the two.
During the sex he narrates about his love for her, he makes it out that he
practically worshipped her. They finish having sex but look at each other still.
He narrates that he tells her he loves her. She tells him she loves him too.
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John
is now sat on a stool along a bar counter, he has a tumbler of whiskey in one
hand and keeps his head down. He goes through 3 – 4 glasses of whiskey while
sat there and everyone else in the bar just keeps to themselves and watches
thee TV that is behind the bar; the sound from the TV is low but can be heard
in the background. John puts the last glass down on the counter and stands up
to leave the pub. During this he narrates about how she was perfect and that
he thought nothing could go wrong. ‘She was perfect, life was perfect’
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FLASHBACK:
John is walking down a street over to his house, only the Bedroom light was
on. He narrates how nice it he thought it was for his wife to wait up for
him, he also states he told her he won’t be back from work until tomorrow. He
enters his home and makes his way upstairs quietly, mentioning he wanted to
surprise her. He enters the bedroom to find his wife shot to death and
sprawled out on the bed sheets. Blood up the walls, all over the bed and
looking pretty brutal.
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John
leaves the pub; the barman can be heard in the background thanking him for
the business. During this he narrates
about why he felt he shouldn’t of told his wife he had to work so late; and
starts to blame himself for her murder. He also mentions that it’s all
ultimately Hanks fault, and he worked with him for years.
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FLASHBACK:
John is visiting Lucy’s grave at night, clearly drunk and holding a bottle of
whiskey in his hand. His hat is keeping the rain off his face and his long
coat is keeping him dry. He kneels down and places his hand on her gravestone
very delicately and tears start to roll down his face. During this he
narrates about how nothing is the same without her that he isn’t sure he can
cope and that he is looking for the man responsible.
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John
is walking down one of the alley ways; it has next to no light and casts
large shadows down the alley. John lights up a cigarette and takes a drag and
exhales. He put the lighter back into his coat.
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Man
walks towards him and brushes shoulder. Man retaliates by turning round and
pushing John to the floor. John gets up and swings for the man quickly and
hits him clean. The man hits the floor and is out cold. John picks up his
cigarette, relights it and continues walking. John narrates about how much
his hand hurts and that he thinks it is broken.
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His
narration continues about keeping calm, and he needs to focus on what’s
important as he turns down another short street. Down this street he starts
narrating about how he felt sorry for Hank at first, he felt bad for Hank
when he found out his wife was cheating on him.
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FLASHBACK: John and Hank are sat on
the bonnets of their cars in an otherwise deserted car park. There is empty
beer cans around Hank’s car. Hank is drunk and angry, telling John he has
just found out his wife was cheating on him and that he wants to kill the man
who was sleeping with her. He also punches the bonnet of his car on occasion,
visualising his frustration and anger. John narrates through this about him
listening to Hank and offering him a lift home. John helps Hank into the
passenger seat, gets into the driver’s seat and drives out of the car park.
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John
is walking down a busy street full of pubs and clubs. It is populated by
couples leaving them and walking off in various directions. These people are
loud and drunk but don’t contact John in any way. John walks down and past
people quietly, he finishes his Cigarette and throws it away. He narrates about
not letting Hank go home, he was too drunk and a history of domestic
violence. He just wasn’t thinking about that, that night.
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FLASHBACK:
John pulls up outside Hanks house and puts the hand break on. Hank gives an
appreciative nod and gets out of the car. He stumbles up the path to the
front door and waves at John. He fumbles around with his keys and eventually
gets into his home and closes his door. John can be heard driving off
outside. John narrates he felt stupid letting Hank go home so drunk, he hoped
she was out seeing another man tonight.
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FLASHBACK:
Hank rests against the back of the door he just shut. He sighs with relief;
and slowly makes his way upstairs. He keeps hold of the banister and is
carefully watching where he puts his feet. He makes it to the top of stairs
when the front door opens and closes. His face clearly looks angry, turns and
runs down the stairs yelling abuse at his wife. She panics and starts to back
into a corner. Hank starts throwing punches and starts to strangle her, he does
this for too long and ends up killing her; you see this happen as her body
starts to lack self-defence and just goes limp. While the abuse happens John
narrates about how much he regrets letting that happen, he could have
prevented it.
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FLASHBACK:
(Back to John finding his wife dead) John stays strong and doesn’t get upset,
although does look shocked by it all. He can smell cigarette smoke, but knows
his wife doesn’t smoke. Noticing an ashtray on the bedside table he goes over
to it and inspects the cigarette butt in it. John narrates about him only
seeing this type of smoked by Hanks brother, Jamie. A note is beside the
ashtray which he picks up and reads. “He lost his wife because of you; it’s
only fair you lose yours. Signed J.B” Police sirens can be hear in the
distance and getting closer. John leaves the scene. He narrates about it’s
definitely Jamie and he is bragging about it, he even tried to set him up.
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John
turns off from a noisy street down a quite side road, the noise goes distant.
When walking past the lap dancing club; one of the Dancers is stood outside
the club and tries to entice John inside for one of her ‘private shows’. He
ignores her and keeps walking down the road. John narrates about being half
way to their; and that he was glad to find Jamie. He waited for the right
moment to strike, and found it.
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FLASHBACK:
Jamie is tied up to a chair in an abandoned factory/container with open
doors. John’s car is park just past the doors with the lights flooding in,
causing Jamie’s vision to be minimal. John walks into the path of the light
to Jamie can roughly see him (still squinting) John narrates about what he is
asking Jamie as he hits him. Once Jamie admits he killed Lucy, John places a
gun to his head pulls the trigger; the force of the shot pushes the chair
onto its back and leaves Jamie tied to it. John starts walking away;
narrating how he is half way there. One last loose end.
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John
is now walking through the start of a residential area. A man passes by
walking his dog, but no glances are exchanged. John is starting to hug
himself a little bit to keep warm; this can be seen by his breath. He lights
up one more cigarette for the night. He narrates about this is his only
chance to end it, isn’t it? And how he feels responsible for it. (At this
point he punches a wall).
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FLASHBACK:
John is laid on his bed in his Bed and Breakfast room; a lamp on the bedside
table is on illuminating him a little. He narrates about the police might not
of been after him, maybe he just panicked, he also narrates about feeling
like he kick started it all; that he shouldn’t of let Hank go home that
night. He starts to read through some old letters Lucy had sent him while he
worked away, he starts to narrate about these and apologises to his wife.
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John
narrates about being so close; while walking past a street full of houses a
variety of lights are on, on these houses. He narrates about feeling sorry
for the situation Hank was in; but Hank brought this on himself abusing his
wife so much. It would have been much different if he managed to catch her in
the act with another man. Hell he nearly did.
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FLASHBACK:
John is having sex with Hanks wife in their (Hanks) bed. They climax and John
slowly climbs off and lays next to her on the bed, they’re both breathing
heavily. John reaches other to the bedside table, takes a cigarette out the
pack and places it in his mouth. Hank’s wife mentions that Hank will be home
soon and that he doesn’t have enough time to smoke. John puts his clothes
back on, and leaves the bedroom. During this he narrates about nearly getting
caught, that it’s all his fault.
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John
reaches Hanks house and the living room light is on. The T.V. can be heard
from outside. A hard shadow is cast against the curtains/ blinds of Hank sat
in his chair, the light changes frequently due to the T.V. John pulls out a gun from inside his coat
and puts his hand back down to his side. He walks up to the door and rewraps
his fingers round the gun. He lets himself into the house and Hank doesn’t
notice. John narrates about loose ends and closure; apologising to Hank and
Lucy.
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John’s
shadow appears in the window showing the action that happens with in. He
raises the gun to Hank and shoots. John narrates about loose ends and that he
is sorry for everything. That is almost done. John raises the gun to his own
head, and repeats narration.
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Cut
to black. John narrates he is sorry once more. A gun shot can be heard.
THE END
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