Archive:Scriptwriting

2008-08-27T08:35:41Z

196.12.217.240: /* External Links */

'''Scriptwriting: The Five Key Points of Story Structure'''

One thing is true of all stories. They all have a beginning, middle and end. Film scripts typically run from 100 to 120 pages with each page representing about a minute of screen time. Within these script pages there will be five vital events.

There are five key points of story structure which are incredibly important in scriptwriting.

== '''The Inciting Incident''' ==

The Inciting Incident generally takes place about fifteen minutes into a script and is the first major turning point of the story. The normality of your main character’s life will be broken in a big way.

In the movie Dodgeball the Inciting Incident would be when Peter La Fleur finds out that Average Joes Gym will be sold unless he can raise enough money to pay off the bank.

== '''Plot Point I''' ==

Towards the end of Act I, around page 25, comes the first Plot Point. So far your story has been going in a certain direction but now the story will be grabbed, shook and pointed to it’s true course. This is where you realise what your main character is going to do to set about returning his world back to normal.

In Dodgeball this would be where Gordon points out that there is a large cash prize for winning a Dodgeball tournament, enough to save Average Joes Gym.

== '''Midpoint''' ==

To a scriptwriter the Midpoint of the script is the anchor in the vast sea of Act II. This is yet another turning point where the need of the main character is brought into focus. Often this is done through the introduction of a new character who forces the main character to sharpen his eye on the goal.

The Midpoint for the film Dodgeball would be where Patches O'Houlihan is killed in an accident, leaving the team without their coach.

== '''Plot Point II''' ==

Towards the end of Act II and the beginning of Act III we come to a crisis point, Plot Point II. Right now the main character in your script has had enough. They’re sick and tired of all the obstacles being thrown in their way. Their world is a dark place with little light left. Plot Point II should:

1. Force the main character to take action in attempt to solve the problem created by the inciting incident.

2. Make note of the “ticking clock”. Time is running out for your main character to finish the job.

3. Focus the character on their goal.

Plot Point II would take place in Dodgeball where Peter La Fleur storms out of a team meeting and contemplates selling the gym to his rival White Goodman.

== '''Climax''' ==

The climax is the biggest scene in the movie, the final battle between right and wrong, good and evil. Your main character will save the day and resolve their problems in dramatic fashion.

In Dodgeball the Average Joes team beat the team from Globo-Gym only for White Goodman to reveal that Peter La Fleur had already sold him the gym, so the victory was all for nothing. La Fleur counters with the revelation that he placed all the money White had given him and bet on Average Joes to win, leaving him with enough money not only to buy Average Joes but White Goodman’s Globo-Gym as well.

== External Links ==

* [http://www.filmscriptwriting.com Scriptwriting] free resources
* [http://forum.filmscriptwriting.com/index.php Script Writing Forum]

[[Category:Filmmaking|script|scriptwriting]]

Software industry

2008-03-18T04:30:25Z

196.12.53.9: /* Overview */

{{globalize}}
{{Expand|date=January 2007}}
[[Image:Packagedsoftwareatretail.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Starting in the 1980s, application software has been sold in mass-produced packages through retailers]]

The '''software industry''' comprises businesses involved in the [[software development|development]], maintenance and [[software publisher|publication]] of [[computer software]]. The software industry started in the mid-1970s at the time of the personal computer revolution. The industry also includes software [[Service (economics)|service]]s, such as training and consultancy. The largest and most profitable of software companies are located in the [[United States]]. As of 2006, the client software industry is dominated by [[Microsoft]]{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. [[Software Magazine]]'s 500 list in 2005 shows the total amount of revenue brought in by software companies per locale, with the highest being [[California]] due to [[Silicon Valley]] and the amount of [[Fortune 500]] software companies residing in that area. <ref>[http://www.softwaremag.com/SW500/index.cfm?StartRow=1&RowsPer=50&BusCat_Search=&PrimBus_Search=&PrimBusCat_Search=&RankSort=ASC&CompSort=&trk=n&id=5 Software Magazine 500] (2005)</ref>

== Overview ==
There are mainly two types of businesses in the software industry; those developing [[proprietary]] software such as [[Microsoft]], and those developing [[open source]] software. Developing proprietary software is costly and involves software licensing and the need to protect the software from [[cracking]] and [[piracy]].

The main financial return on open source comes from selling services, such as training and support, rather than the software itself. Many contributors to open source software (especially those developing software tools) also feel that there is a significant long-term return in the form of improved resources and capabilities within the software industry. Despite doing much business in properietary software, some companies like [[Sun Microsystems]] and [[IBM]] participate in developing free and open source software to deter from [[monopoly|monopolies]] and take a portion of their [[market share]].

== Sectors ==
=== Freeware ===
[[Freeware]] is [[copyright]]ed computer [[software]] which is made available for use free of charge, for an unlimited time, as opposed to [[shareware]] where the user is required to pay (e.g. after some trial period or for additional functionality). Authors of freeware often want to "give something to the community", but also want credit for their software and to retain control of its future development. Sometimes when programmers decide to stop developing a freeware product, they will give the source code to another programmer or release the product's source code to the public as [[free software]].

=== Shareware===
[[Shareware]] is a [[marketing]] method for [[computer software]]. Shareware software is typically obtained free of charge, either by downloading from the Internet or on magazine cover-disks. A user tries out the program, and thus shareware has also been known as "try before you buy". A shareware program is accompanied by a request for payment, and the software's distribution license often requires such a payment.

=== Open source ===
[[Open source]] describes the principles and methodologies to promote open access to the '''production''' and '''design''' process for various goods, products, resources and technical [[conclusions]] or advice. The term is most commonly applied to the [[source code]] of software that is made available to the general public with either relaxed or non-existent [[intellectual property]] restrictions. This allows users to create [[user generated content|user-generated software content]] through either incremental individual effort, or [[collaboration]].

=== Commercial ===
Commercial software is [[computer software]] sold for [[commerce|commercial]] purposes or that serves commercial purposes. Commercial software is most often [[proprietary software]], but [[free software]] is also used as commercial software.<ref>[[Free Software Foundation]]. ''Categories of Free and Non-Free Software''.[http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/categories.html]</ref> All or parts of software packages and services that support commerce are increasingly made available as free software, including products from [[Red Hat]], [[Apple Computer]], [[Sun Microsystems]], and [[Google]]. [[Microsoft Corporation]] uses "commercial software", rather than "proprietary software", to describe their [[business model]].<ref>http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/craig/05-03sharedsource.mspx</ref>

== Size of the Industry ==

[[Software Magazine]]s' ''Software 500 survey'' can be used to gauge the value of the commercial software industry. The ''Software 500 survey'' consists of data of the top 500 software companies, as ranked by [[Software Magazine]]. Total worldwide revenues in 2006 for companies in the ''Software 500'' list were $394 billion, representing a growth of 3.5% from 2005, when total Software 500 revenue was $381 billion.<ref>[http://www.softwaremag.com/L.cfm?Doc=984-10/2006 Software Magazine - 2006 Software 500: Deep Concerns Over Security]</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Professional open-source| Professional Open Source Business Model]]
* [[Software]]
* [[Software development]]
* [[Software publisher]]
* [[Software engineering]]
* [[Software engineering economics]]
* [[World's_largest_software_companies]]

== References ==
<div class="references-small"><references/></div>

== External links ==
* [http://www.sao.org/ Software Association of Oregon website]
* [http://www.siprofessionals.org/ Software Industry Professionals website]
* [http://www.siia.net/ Software and Information Industry Association website]
* [http://www.softwaremag.com/ Software Magazine website]
* [http://unisoft-technologies.blogspot.com/ Software Development News]

[[Category:Industries]]
[[Category:Software industry|*]]

[[es:Industria del software]]

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Archive:Scriptwriting

Software industry