Story counts. Not that it counts any more or any less than the other skills in film hierarchy, but it does come first in order of production. The principle is: why push forward with a weak element? Contrary to what some may think, very little of the later processes in production will "fix" the screenplay. In the best of all possible worlds, a good screenplay will yield a good shoot. That's not to say that there's only one way to pen a screenplay; nonetheless, no writer should be oblivious to their own technique, unique or otherwise.

Structure implies that the story adheres to a steady "stop and go" rhythm of the plot, either compelled by characters and dialog, or by the mechnizations of fate and irony. Think of the structure as the wood framework of a house: it may not be easily visible, but all else is built over and on top of it. Never is there any one way to build a house; that is, all homes can look different. This, here, lies the joy of structure: build it however you may want, and your story will follow.

Tips abound. Just bear in mind that there exists no one rule to create the framework of your story. However, there are principles. One of the common principles concerns a story's opening moments: never be boring. For a more specific example of this principle, the idea is to state (or imply) the main character's want/goal that they will follow for the rest of the movie. This principle, along with others, may come off as anemic and even cliche; but truth be told that stories need to be comprehensible (lest it be a post-modern non-narrative) to your target audience. Nothing is more frustrating than watching the all too personal story of an unskilled storyteller. Stories like that are, for lack of a better word, unrelatable. And movies, unlike more internal art forms, are powerless without a loving audience.

Simply being aware of story structure, rather than of characters by their lonesome, is the one step needed to elevate your storytelling skills. This is true for any form of storytelling, be it a screenplay or stage play. If characters occupy scenes, then structure occupies the entire run time.

Here's the general breakdown: beginning, middle, and end. Rather than following your gut by emotional cues, at least double check the emotional proccesses of your characters by queing them into the structure you want to follow. Ask yourself how their emotional development, their character arc, evolves by the middle: by then, do they feel and act the way you want them to act? Storytelling, especially in screenplay format, adheres to a schedule. It is both inappropiate and inept for characters to fall behind on plot and run time, especially in a complex concept or a larger ensamble cast that demands close attention to detail.

All stories follow a structure, intentional or accidental; the difference between the two is that an intentional structure is sure of its own foundation. Accidental structure may be eployed for experimental reasons, but that doesn't make the rocess any easier.

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