Intent: The invisible navigation quadrant of the Film

A screenplay is not an end in itself but a beginning. It is not the film, but its promise.

A screenplay is above all a tool for transmitting an intent. It is not written solely with the future viewer in mind, but also to guide an entire team towards the realisation of a vision.

The Screenplay as a Blueprint

When writing, we sometimes tend to imagine a viewer already seated in the cinema, absorbed in our story. But between these words on the page and the images on the screen lies a world: that of production.

The screenplay is a model, a project, which must weather the storms of reality to be realised: budgetary constraints, location availability, capricious weather, actors' interpretations, inspirations from the director, the set designer, the costume designer, the picture and sound editors, the music composer and even the colour grader...

What will protect and enrich the soul of the film through these metamorphoses? Intent.

The Unifying Force

A clear intent becomes the collective compass for all the film's artisans:

·       The actor understands the truth of their character beyond the lines

·       The cinematographer translates atmosphere into light

·       The editor knows which emotions to prioritise, what the point of view is

·       The composer aligns with the inner rhythm of the narrative, enriching it

Without this intentional clarity, each department risks heading in its own direction, not or quite the right one. The film then fragments, dilutes, loses its substance at each stage of its production.

Beyond Words

Intent is more than what we explain, it is what permeates every line of the screenplay. It manifests in:

·       The precision of the stakes

·       The coherence of interactions between characters

·       The authenticity of personalities

·       The singularity of ambiance

·       The details, ...

A Shared Promise

Writing with a clear intent means inviting an entire team to share the same dream, the same vision. It enables everyone, from the production manager to the boom operator, to contribute to a work that transcends them individually.

The resulting film will never be exactly what the screenwriter imagined when writing; it can be better, enriched by the collective intelligence of all those who brought it to life.

But for this magic to work, the initial intent must be sufficiently powerful, clear, and generous to withstand the inevitable compromises of production, whilst remaining flexible enough to embrace discoveries along the way.

For a screenplay is a promise made to all those who will bring it to life, including the viewer.

the navigation quadrant of the film