What are the best ways to weave multiple storylines into a film script?

A, B and C storylines. Organize the main story in your script, then 2ndary & 3iary storylines. Tie them together thematically. Know the beginning, middle and end of each—even roughly, but know your destination. Then interweave them. Start A, B, C and wrap up C, B, A. Plot out obstacles and revelations along the way. Prepare to be surprised. Don’t start writing until you have a roadmap, or you will surely get lost. You may take some detours, but at least you’re not running in circles. It’s never perfect on the first pass. But you’ll have some version of the story you want to tell. Then you can read it (and have other writers, not your mom) read it too, to see what can be trimmed, moved, deleted or expanded. Writing is rewriting. Good luck.

It all comes down to the story itself. Is it a complex story filled with important details like Herbert's magnum opus Dune or Puzo's The Godfather? Or is it a simple yet captivating tale like Fargo? If the story you are working on is a complex one and is filled with ebb and flow, then you need characters and events effect each other multiple times and come to a satisfying ending (George R.R. Martin, I'm looking at you). If your work is simpler, then you need to move your pieces toward a designated ending in meaningful ways and in the third act, bring them together in an exciting - and maybe surprising - way.

The most important thing for multiple subplots is strong, well defined characters, each with their own story and then making the characters connect with one another somehow - working on a daily soap, this was something I got used to handling. It's a craft, you get better with practice.

It never ceases to amaze me how many writers still don't outline, or if they do, its pages upon pages of story with no regard to structure. It's like an idea soup where they are trying to figure it out themselves. When I read a long outline and then ask the writer to tell me the simple logline of their film - they can't. If they can't, it means they haven't figured it out yet. It's still an unbaked idea. They will always say, "well this story's not like that, it's more complicated" -- pfff.

It can help to pay attention to the moments in between. Great movies create texture and dimension by having strong buttons - hey, they're not just for TV. At the end of scenes, we can work to have that moment or line of dialogue that readers and audiences really feel. It could be an expression of suspense, or humor, or a reveal of some new information. Switching to a different storyline or another character's POV - right after a strong button - propels the piece and keeps folks where we want them to be, which is neither too far behind nor too far ahead of the story they're being told.

The subplots you mention are from a novel, not an original screenplay. Most of novel adaptations into screenplays have to deal with the multiple subplots of the original material. Original screenplays such as Kill Bill, Taxi Driver, Rules of the game, North By Northwest or Seven Samurais are different in that respect. They are written by writers and directors who know the medium's potential.

The subplots you mention are from a novel, not an original screenplay. Most of novel adaptations into screenplays have to deal with the multiple subplots of the original material. Original screenplays such as Kill Bill, Taxi Driver, Rules of the game, North By Northwest or Seven Samurais are different in that respect. They are written by writers and directors who know the medium's potential.

After selection of core team you must keep some very important points ready to talk to your producer and Executive Producer. 1. They must have technical knowledge of film making. 2. Team must know legal knowledge which is very essentials for long format. 3. Selection of film crew knowledge and requirements. 4. Crises to handle These few points are very important at initial stage for the selection of core team.

It is important to find the main idea or recurring element that ties all the storylines together. It could be a shared objective, a consistent backdrop, or a repeating theme. This common thread serves as a glue, creating unity and enabling the audience to link the various narratives.If you don't do that you lose your audience.

Subplots should also be done in a purposeful way. Why is this subplot happening? Is it a part of the journey to solve the main conflict? Is it to help us learn more about the character? Including a subplot that doesn’t serve the story can make your film feel like it drags. On another note, every medium deals with subplots differently, so it’s important to keep that in mind.

I like to outline stories so I can see all the story points in one glance. I can then help plan where the varies story points can intersect. It's easy to get lost with straight ahead writing. I also need clarity to write. If I can't see the whole structure, I tend to avoid writing.

For every long format; -especially TV Series- there are similar documents to be created; like character arcs, and story arcs. In such a document we specify the turning points. Which will give us a measurement for pacing. These are concrete events that will take place. Start by finding the mandatory ones. Say if we have a mystery in an arc; the surfacing moment is a mandatory turning point. And then create the document in two levels; inner and outer levels. You must find the emotional value of every specific turning point alongside the exterior event. Outer: Event1(whatever is happening) / Inner: The emotional value of that event. And then Event2 and so on. Start by listing all these two dimensional points. The rest will be easier.

The structure is what is most important, it is the sound of a text in a song that wants to be successful. The structure is the track on which the film, like a train, will pass and the passengers are the ones who will enjoy this journey. This leaves room for the nature of how the director expresses himself or goes into parallel scenes or stays longer in the essence. It's like a pure choreography.

Structuring your story is key because it's like the pillar that holds the story itself. When you have a great story structure, you hold your audience glued to the screen.

in my experience, your storyline needs to be well structured, vividly establishing your Beginning, middle and end. once this has been done thoroughly, then you'd begin to discover other events simultaneously occurring with the main story, you'd then have a choice to decide why should this events be merged into the main story, the answer is to see if the main plot builds your characters, changes them and answers the question of why?

After selection of the story and selection of producer and production team, budget must be worked on. As budget will define the value of the film and categories the commercial aspect of the film. Film production is huge medium as it's consist of many types of films, like Big budget multi star film, or huge animation , VFX films, Web series, Film with medium budget medium star or actor films, Film purely with good story you wants to share, Budget film with good message. Once you have define the project scale, make sure you work out a correct potential budget with correct team.

This depends on your writers producers, and most importantly, production assistance that’s going to generate a whole set for you. Our directors and location, photography directors are the main people are the lender, executive producer or foundation. I have worked for Viacom for about 10 years at a production assistant, and I noticed that when I was with them, I was hands-on in every single field, including Security. A production assistant is all around handsaw, so I think that person is number one person in the field to elevate and expand himself or herself to the level they want to pursue in their career.

This is a delicate issue in which even great films such as I?arritu's Amores Perros have failed, leaving the connection of their sotrylines to the chance of a traffic accident. The concept to look for in this case is: verisimilitude; that is to say, that in the world that the story is being told it is possible, credible or probable that our characters cross paths. Having that clear now we must find an attractive way to do it visually and narratively. To achieve this, it is important to deeply investigate the world we are narrating, its routines, power dynamics and functioning: police, gangs, hospitals, politics, etc... If this process is well done, the plausible paths that weave our story will appear on their own.

Know that at some point they intersect as they near a pivotal point. Show it. Examples of this done well: Amores Perros or Babel by Alejandro González I?árritu.

After defining the main plot and subplot, we should connect them. You can use the script to make the character say something similar or use the visual, which feasts the audience's eyes and brain to auto-link the main and sub together.

Remember who your hero is. Who is the audience following. Write a great villain. Give your them an objective as strong as your hero. That will help fill your story out. Plus, a villain we understand helps our hero's journey. It makes the hero be the best they can be. It adds conflict to the story. Be it thriller, a romcom, or a comedy; a worthy villain shouldn't and doesn't make it easy for your hero. That makes for a fuller story.

Once, you've utilized the story arc method and the three act structure into your plot. In my opinion, you already have balanced your storylines and have crafted a beautiful story. That not only entertains but holds the attention of the audiences. However, if you still haven't utilize your the mentioned method above then just use the story arc to give a smooth flow to the story. Also, I agree with @Joe here.

Remember who you want us to follow and connect with the most. Thats your hero. But do not forget the heros opposite. That character needs as strong a motivator as the hero. If that's not in place you get a 2 dimensional boring character that the audience don't care about. In Avengers you have Thanos that thinks he is a good guy. By killing millions of people he saves the universe. The different storylines doesn't all have to end when the credits roll, but they have to have a path forward so that the audience can come up with the end by them selfs. Take "Leave the world behind" on Netflix for example... I'm not gonna spoil the movie, but the end is in the title.. :)

Break it down. Who is your hero, what is his conflict, what development is he going through? It helps to keep reminding yourself of this.

Balancing storylines extends beyond developing a strong antagonist; it involves finely tuning the mix of climax, humor, and drama to create a rich tapestry of emotions. While valuing the villain's role in challenging the protagonist is key, equal attention must be given to crafting pivotal climactic moments that propel the narrative forward. Humor, when skillfully interwoven, can offer relief and depth, preventing the story from becoming overly somber. Drama, in turn, adds gravity and emotional resonance. The art lies in striking the right balance between these elements, ensuring a narrative that engages, entertains, and emotionally connects with the audience, creating a well-rounded and compelling experience.

Again, writing is rewriting. The first time you write "The End", that's where the work begins. Celebrate, yes. Walk away from your script. Let the dust settle. Then dig in. See what your story needs. See what your characters need. This is a time to make sure your story moves forward logically. This is when you look to see if your scenes track, that their flow moves the story forward smoothly. Where the scenes build and add to the dramatic tension. If a scene doesn't move the story forward or reveal character you don't need it. Make sure you build your story clearly and logically. You want to keep the reader/audience engaged. Before you give your script out for notes, do all the work you can do.

A tip to help new writers: Just because a colleague gives you advice to change something, that doesn't mean they are correct. Though there is likely something to explore based on their feedback, sometimes peers will give you the "what I would do" advice that doesn't actually contribute to the overall story you are trying to tell. I know a few screenwriters who write themselves into insanity grasping onto the advice someone gave them. Now if several professionals are pointing out the same issue(s) with your work, then that's probably something that should be examined with more significance.

Wanted the best ways to objectively review your story is through a "table read". Get together a group of friends, professional actors or not, assign everybody a role, including someone to read the stage direction and descriptions, and as the writer, just sit back and listen. Doing this allows you to get a tangible feel for the "weight" of each storyline. As you objectively listen, you can hear when one storyline is monopolizing (or being lost) amongst the others. As an added bonus, this simple exercise allows you to hear which lines of dialogue are weak, don't sound as good as they did in your head, or are simply under or overwritten.

I do not agree with Mr. Basile. If writing is rewriting, then you're not a good writer. The rewriting process is one of fixing what doesn't work. If you're making sure "your story moves forward logically" in the rewriting stage, you probably need to go back to the structure and start over.

It is common to forget that writing is a three-part process: prewriting, writing and postwriting. Generally we forget the first and the last. It is essential to do a research and structuring work prior to the script, to exhaust the stages of treatment and outline, because it is there where we can highlight errors and correct them efficiently. It is also necessary to always remember that the post-writing and editing process is crucial, where we become critical readers of our own work. That is why it is important that we are not condescending, that we can analyze from the outside what we have written, be critical of our text, be demanding with the script. Writing is rewriting.

Establish clear connections: To successfully weave multiple storylines, it is crucial to establish clear connections between them. Whether it's through shared themes, locations, or characters, these connections create a sense of unity and coherence. By doing so, the film becomes more than just a collection of individual stories; it becomes a tapestry where each thread contributes to the overall narrative.

Develop compelling characters: Strong and well-developed characters are the backbone of any successful film. When dealing with multiple storylines, it becomes even more important to create compelling characters that audiences can invest in. Each storyline should have its own set of interesting and relatable characters, ensuring that viewers are emotionally engaged throughout the film.

Every film has its own logic. "Establish clear connections" - what does that even mean? The world your screenplay lives in has ground rules. Whatever they are must be logically consistent. That world can be without clear connections, if you maintain the logical consistency you establish. The audience will follow you anywhere until you break their willing suspension of disbelief. And then, good luck getting them back.

Often, we forget how special and wonderful writing is, the pressures of work and deadlines blur the artistic and deeply human side of this profession, this vocation. Don't forget that you are privileged to live from what you love to do. If you have a blockage, go out and give the text some space, let it breathe, it is useful sometimes to look for inspiration in other artistic expressions. Finally, be a good reader, the older I get the more I have been proving that the advice a great Colombian historian gave me years ago was irrefutable: to be a good writer you must be a good reader and you must have lived, that is what gives verisimilitude, depth, textures, nuances and humanity to your writings.

Lots of ways to go about this, but some of my favourites are through: - objects, symbols or motifs (eg: clocks & time) - interconnected characters (eg: strangers on a plane) - shared motivation or goal (eg: climbing a mountain) - shared trauma or conflict (eg: terror attack or natural disaster) - parallel timelines (eg: story panning generations) - central themes or concept (eg: circle of life, revenge etc)