Step outline

A step outline (also called a scene-by-scene outline or scene outline) is a detailed telling of a story with the intention of turning the story into a screenplay for a motion picture. It briefly describes every scene of the story, usually in the order in which the scenes will appear in the finished script.

A step outline is distinct from a treatment, which is written as continuous prose, and from a beat sheet, which typically breaks a story into its major dramatic turning points rather than listing every scene.

Format

Each scene is summarized in a few lines, and scenes are often numbered in the order in which they occur for convenience. An entry commonly includes:

• the location and time of day, as in a scene heading;
• the characters present;
• the main action of the scene;
• indications of dialogue and character interactions.

Some writers also note what changes in the scene (a decision, a revelation, a shift in the relationship between characters).

Example

The following fictional excerpt illustrates the format:

1. INT. LIGHTHOUSE – NIGHT. Mara, the keeper, finds the logbook torn. She suspects her brother.

2. EXT. HARBOUR – DAWN. Mara confronts Tomas on his boat. He denies everything but avoids her eyes.

3. INT. TAVERN – DAY. A stranger asks Tomas about the lighthouse. Mara overhears from the next table.

Uses

A step outline is generally written after the story idea or treatment and before the first draft of the screenplay. Writers use it to test the structure of a story, to locate scenes that do not advance the plot, and to reorder scenes before committing to full script pages.

It can also be an extremely useful tool for a writer working on a spec script, and it may be shared with producers, script editors or collaborators for feedback before a draft is written. In television, outlines are commonly submitted for approval before an episode is scripted.

See also

• Treatment (filmmaking)
• Beat sheet
• Screenplay
• Three-act structure
• Index card

References

• Corey, Melinda; Ochoa, George, eds. (2002), The American Film Institute Desk Reference, London: Dorling Kindersley, ISBN 0-7894-8934-1
• Hunter, Lew (2004-05-04). Lew Hunter's Screenwriting 434: The Industry's Premier Teacher Reveals the Secrets of the Successful Screenplay. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-399-52986-3.