Is it possible for ChatGPT to write a screenplay? If so, would it actually be good? I couldn’t help but wonder, so I decided to run some tests and am sharing them here today.

By now you’ve all heard about ChatGPT, and know how it can answer just about any question. But perhaps its greatest strength its ability to write and edit huge amounts of text almost instantaneously.

Naturally, I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if ChatGPT were tasked with developing a feature length screenplay idea…

So I tried it out – Not because I want to outsource my writing (that would completely defeat the purpose for me), but to get into the “mind” of AI and see how it approaches the writing process.

In this article I share my process, the results, and my thoughts on whether ChatGPT (and AI more generally) is a viable tool to write a script with.

Keep in mind though, that there are thousands of ways you could use ChatGPT to accomplish the same task. My results only represent how well it works using my personal writing workflow. It could perform much better or worse depending on what you task it with.

The Story Template

To start the process, I asked ChatGPT how to best use it to write a screenplay, and requested a template that filmmakers can fill in to generate a story. I thought this would help optimize the process, since I could give it the input that it deems most valuable right away.

Prompt:

How to use Chat GPT to write a screenplay. Please include detailed step by step instructions with recommended prompts for the writer to fill in. I want a template with a few blanks to be filled in that will generate new story ideas.

ChatGPT response:

Here’s a simple template to help you generate a screenplay with ChatGPT:

Step 1: Define the genre
Provide the genre of your screenplay, for example: “sci-fi”, “romantic comedy”, “thriller”.

Step 2: Define the protagonist
Provide a description of the protagonist, including: name, age, occupation, personality, and goal.

Example prompt: “My protagonist is named Sarah, she is a 30-year-old detective and is determined and sarcastic. Her goal is to solve a string of murders in the city.”

Step 3: Define the antagonist
Provide a description of the antagonist, including: name, age, occupation, personality, and motivation.

Example prompt: “The antagonist is named John, he is a 40-year-old wealthy businessman with a manipulative and cruel personality. He is motivated by his desire to maintain his power and control over the city.”

Step 4: Define the conflict
Provide a description of the conflict between the protagonist and antagonist.

Example prompt: “The conflict is that Sarah is investigating the murders that John is behind, and John will stop at nothing to keep his involvement a secret.”

Step 5: Define the setting
Provide a description of the setting, including: time, location, and tone.

Example prompt: “The story takes place in present day New York City and has a dark and suspenseful tone.”

Step 6: Generate story beats and plot points
Provide ChatGPT with a prompt asking it to generate plot points and story beats to advance the story.

Example prompt: “Please generate five plot points that will escalate the conflict between Sarah and John and bring the story to a climax.”

ChatGPT Story Ideation

Based on the response above, ChatGPT has made it clear which details it needs to tell a story (protagonist, antagonist, etc.)

To fully test the capabilities of the AI, I then asked ChatGPT to fill in the blanks for me, rather than giving it my own input.

Prompt:

“Come up with 5 different story ideas for feature films in the family drama genre. Write a short description of each concept, which should do the following: Define the genre, define the protagonist, define the antagonist, define the conflict, define the setting.”

ChatGPT responded with 5 story ideas, and I picked one at random. Here is the idea it created:

“The Inheritance” – Family Drama. Protagonist: Lily, a 50-year-old widow Antagonist: Her sister-in-law, who is greedy and deceitful. Conflict: After the death of her husband, Lily discovers a hidden family secret and must fight for her fair share of the inheritance. Along the way, she must navigate family politics and confront her sister-in-law’s manipulative ways. Setting: A wealthy estate in the countryside.

Beat Sheet

The next step in my usual writing process is to turn a concept into a beat sheet, so I asked ChatGPT to do the same thing.

I specifically prompted it to write a beat sheet based on the synopsis above (which it generated), and to use the Blake Snyder beat sheet as a template. I don’t necessarily always use the Blake Snyder beats, but for the purpose of this test it was the most straightforward.

His beat sheet contains 15 story beats, which I pasted into ChatGPT as a reference.

Prompt:

Help me write a beat sheet with these 15 story beats:

*I copied and pasted all 15 Blake Snyder beats (and their descriptions) from Tim Stout’s blog here.

These were the results:

1. Opening Image: Lily standing alone at her husband’s funeral, surrounded by her in-laws and their wealth.
2. Set-Up: Lily’s life as a 50-year-old widow, who devoted her life to her husband and has limited connections outside of her in-laws.
3. Theme Stated: Lily overhears a conversation between her in-laws, who discuss how wealth can corrupt and cause family rifts.
4. Catalyst: After the funeral, Lily discovers a hidden family secret about a large inheritance left by her husband.
5. Debate: Lily struggles with whether to fight for her fair share of the inheritance or to let her in-laws handle it.
6. Break Into Two: Lily decides to fight for her fair share, determined to uncover the truth and assert her rights.
7. B Story: Lily forms a relationship with a lawyer who helps her navigate the legal system and stand up to her sister-in-law.
8. The Promise of the Premise: As Lily delves deeper into the family’s history and the inheritance, she discovers new information and confronts her sister-in-law’s manipulative ways.
9. Midpoint: Lily achieves a victory in court and feels confident in her pursuit of the inheritance.
10. Bad Guys Close In: Lily’s sister-in-law retaliates by revealing further family secrets that threaten to undermine Lily’s case.
11. All is Lost: Lily’s legal victory is overturned, and she feels hopeless and defeated.
12. Dark Night of the Soul: Lily reflects on her life and her relationships, realizing the true meaning of family and what truly matters to her.
13. Break into Three: Encouraged by her lawyer and a newfound sense of purpose, Lily decides to continue her fight for the inheritance, driven by a desire to honor her husband’s legacy and secure her future.
14. Finale: Lily uses her newfound strength and knowledge of the family’s history to outwit her sister-in-law and secure her fair share of the inheritance.
15. Final Image: Lily standing on the steps of the wealthy estate, smiling and surrounded by her family, with a sense of closure and a brighter future ahead.

Expanding To 40 Beats

The next step in my usual workflow is to flesh out my story and come up with 25 additional beats. I typically do this by adding 25 sub-beats in between the 15 main story beats.

With that in mind, I asked ChatGPT to come up with 25 new story beats, which it generated quickly.

Prompt:

Using these 15 primary beats as the core basis of the story, add 25 additional smaller beats that can be used to expand upon on and/or transition between the primary beats. In total, there should be 40 story beats.

ChatGPT response:

Sure! Here are 25 additional beats that can be used to expand upon and/or transition between the primary beats for “The Inheritance”. These beats can be used to flesh out the story and create additional emotional, character, and plot development:

1. Lily receives news of her husband’s death.
2. She is shocked to learn of the family secret.
3. Lily visits the family lawyer to discuss her options.
4. She learns about the legal process for obtaining her share of the inheritance.
5. She discovers that her sister-in-law has been lying about her husband’s death.
6. Lily must gather evidence to prove her sister-in-law’s deceit.
7. She begins to question her own role in the family.
8. Lily starts to reconnect with her estranged family members.
9. She visits her husband’s childhood home and uncovers important information.
10. She learns that her sister-in-law has been manipulating her husband for years.
11. Lily confronts her sister-in-law about her deceitful behavior.
12. Her sister-in-law tries to discredit her claims.
13. Lily receives unexpected support from her husband’s family.
14. She decides to take her sister-in-law to court.
15. The legal battle begins and Lily faces intense opposition.
16. She struggles to maintain her resolve in the face of opposition.
17. She discovers that her sister-in-law has been using her husband’s wealth for her own gain.
18. Lily is determined to protect her husband’s legacy.
19. She finds solace in her husband’s memories.
20. She learns that her husband was aware of her sister-in-law’s behavior.
21. She realizes that her husband protected her from the truth.
22. Lily must overcome her fears to face her sister-in-law in court.
23. She delivers a powerful speech in front of the court.
24. She receives a favorable ruling in her favor.
25. She reflects on her journey and the lessons she learned.

With these additional beats, the story now has a total of 40 beats to guide its development.

I then requested that ChatGPT combine the original 15 beats with the new 25 beats.

It had a hard time understanding that I wanted 40 in total (and couldn’t seem to add 15 + 25). But ultimately I found the right prompt and it sequenced them all in correct order.

Prompt:

Below there are 40 plot points for our movie. Re-organize them in the most logical order for the story, and number them from 1 – 40.

ChatGPT response:

1. Opening Image: Lily standing alone at her husband’s funeral, surrounded by her in-laws and their wealth.
2. Set-Up: Lily’s life as a 50-year-old widow, who devoted her life to her husband and has limited connections outside of her in-laws.
3. Lily receives news of her husband’s death.
4. Theme Stated: Lily overhears a conversation between her in-laws, who discuss how wealth can corrupt and cause family rifts.
5. She is shocked to learn of the family secret.
6. Catalyst: After the funeral, Lily discovers a hidden family secret about a large inheritance left by her husband.
7. Lily visits the family lawyer to discuss her options.
8. She learns about the legal process for obtaining her share of the inheritance.
9. Debate: Lily struggles with whether to fight for her fair share of the inheritance or to let her in-laws handle it.
10. Break Into Two: Lily decides to fight for her fair share, determined to uncover the truth and assert her rights.
11. B Story: Lily forms a relationship with a lawyer who helps her navigate the legal system and stand up to her sister-in-law.
12. She discovers that her sister-in-law has been lying about her husband’s death.
13. The Promise of the Premise: As Lily delves deeper into the family’s history and the inheritance, she discovers new information and confronts her sister-in-law’s manipulative ways.
14. She must gather evidence to prove her sister-in-law’s deceit.
15. She begins to question her own role in the family.
16. Lily starts to reconnect with her estranged family members.
17. She visits her husband’s childhood home and uncovers important information.
18. Midpoint: Lily achieves a victory in court and feels confident in her pursuit of the inheritance.
19. She learns that her sister-in-law has been manipulating her husband for years.
20. Lily confronts her sister-in-law about her deceitful behavior.
21. Bad Guys Close In: Lily’s sister-in-law retaliates by revealing further family secrets that threaten to undermine Lily’s case.
22. Her sister-in-law tries to discredit her claims.
23. Lily receives unexpected support from her husband’s family.
24. She decides to take her sister-in-law to court.
25. All is Lost: Lily’s legal victory is overturned, and she feels hopeless and defeated.
26. Dark Night of the Soul: Lily reflects on her life and her relationships, realizing the true meaning of family and what truly matters to her.
27. Break into Three: Encouraged by her lawyer and a newfound sense of purpose, Lily decides to continue her fight for the inheritance, driven by a desire to honor her husband’s legacy and secure her future.
28. The legal battle begins and Lily faces intense opposition.
29. She struggles to maintain her resolve in the face of opposition.
30. She discovers that her sister-in-law has been using her husband’s wealth for her own gain.
31. Lily is determined to protect her husband’s legacy.
32. She finds solace in her husband’s memories.
33. She learns that her husband was aware of her sister-in-law’s behavior.
34. She realizes that her husband protected her from the truth.
35. Lily must overcome her fears to face her sister-in-law in court.
36. Lily and her lawyer continue to gather evidence and build their case, determined to win the legal battle against her sister-in-law.
37. The court case reaches its climax, with both sides presenting their arguments and evidence.
38. She delivers a powerful speech in front of the court.
39. She receives a favorable ruling in her favor.
40. In the end, Lily uses her newfound knowledge of the family’s history and her husband’s legacy to triumph over her sister-in-law, securing her fair share of the inheritance and ensuring a brighter future for herself and her family.

Clearly there is a lot of overlap in the story details, and it is quite vague overall. This could potentially be improved by using a more detailed prompt.

ChatGPT Writing Scenes For The Screenplay

Next in my usual workflow, I would take each of the 40 beats and start writing them out as scenes.

I asked ChatGPT to do this, starting with the opening scene. I tried getting it to write a full screenplay, and at this point it wasn’t possible. But going scene by scene allows you to get there incrementally.

Prompt:

Write out scene #1 (the opening image scene) in screenplay format, using sparse dialogue and strong scene direction. Make it 2.5 pages long.

ChatGPT response:

Scene 1

Title: Opening Image

Location: Cemetery

Time: Day

Fade in:

LILY (50s), a widow, stands alone at the cemetery, surrounded by her husband’s in-laws. The funeral is taking place, with a priest delivering a eulogy for LILY’s husband.

LILY looks overwhelmed, with tears streaming down her face. She clutches a bouquet of flowers, her eyes fixed on the casket. The in-laws are dressed in their finest attire, displaying their wealth and status.

Close-up on LILY, who looks lost and out of place.

Priest: (O.C) “We come together today to mourn the passing of a dear husband, father, and friend.”

Cut to:

LILY overhearing a conversation between two of her in-laws, who stand a few feet away from her.

IN-LAW 1: “It’s a shame. All this wealth and it still couldn’t save him.”

IN-LAW 2: “Money can corrupt even the strongest of families. Look at us, tearing each other apart over his will.”

Cut back to:

LILY, who looks shocked and disturbed by the conversation. She walks away from the funeral, leaving the in-laws behind.

Cut to:

A shot of LILY walking alone through the cemetery, looking overwhelmed and lost.

The theme of the story is stated as LILY overhears the conversation about wealth corrupting families, setting the stage for the conflict to come.

Fade to black.

End of Scene 1.

The scene was much shorter than I requested, but again that could likely be fixed with some better prompts. The bigger issue is the quality of the writing, which we’ll discuss soon.

Character Bios

One other thing I wanted to see was how well ChatGPT could write character bios. I did this after asking it to write some scenes, but in the future I would actually do it before.

Perhaps the AI can learn about the characters by writing about them (just as we do), and then write better scenes and dialogue. Or not!

Prompt:

Using the 15 primary story beats above, write compelling character bios of each of the main characters.

ChatGPT response:

Lily – A 50-year-old widow who has devoted her life to her husband and in-laws. She feels isolated and disconnected from the world, but after discovering a family secret about her husband’s inheritance, she transforms into a determined woman who fights for her rights and uncovers the truth. She learns to reconnect with her estranged family members and finds solace in her husband’s memories, as she sets out on a journey of self-discovery and redemption.

Lawyer – A smart and resourceful legal professional who helps Lily navigate the legal system and stand up to her sister-in-law. He becomes Lily’s ally and a source of support, as she embarks on her quest for justice. He represents a beacon of hope for Lily and helps her find the courage to face her fears and fight for what she believes in.

Sister-in-Law – A manipulative and deceitful woman who has been using her husband’s wealth for her own gain. She tries to discredit Lily’s claims and thwart her efforts to obtain her fair share of the inheritance. She represents the opposing force in Lily’s journey and represents the corruption and greed that threatens to tear the family apart.

Husband (deceased) – A successful businessman who left behind a large inheritance and a legacy that Lily is determined to protect. He was aware of his sister-in-law’s deceitful behavior and protected Lily from the truth. His memories and the lessons he taught Lily inspire her to continue her fight for the inheritance, even in the face of adversity.

Estranged Family Members – Lily’s distant family members who have been affected by the family rifts and the corruption of wealth. They provide Lily with support and encouragement, as she sets out to uncover the truth and assert her rights. They serve as a reminder of the importance of family and the values that Lily holds dear.

ChatGPT For Screenwriting: Takeaways

I decided to end the process here, but could have taken it even further. There is really no limit to the experimentation with AI –

You could use it to create synopses, loglines, investor pitches, dialog exchanges, and more. How well it would perform in any given area is the real question, but there is no ceiling on how far you can push it.

In any case, the results from this initial test were clear enough to draw some conclusions.

My biggest takeaway:

AI is great at thinking big picture, but poor at creating specificity and nuance.

At least for now…

It can write in clichés and tropes, but sorely lacks the emotional depth and originality that a great screenplay needs. It also needs to be prompted very specifically, or else it may interpret your requests in a bizarre way. Not to mention, it seems to struggle with basic math, which adds more complications.

That said though, I tried a similar experiment about a year ago with another platform and didn’t get anywhere near these type of results.

As the technology matures, it’s very possible ChatGPT will be able to write a truly compelling screenplay. We’re just not there yet.

At this point, it’s probably best used as a springboard to inspire new ideas, or see which clichés it will generate that you should avoid.

Another thing it might be great for is research. I could see it as an alternate to Google when researching anything from story details to character backstories.

Personally, I’m sticking to pen and paper (and laptop). The process is the reward, and using AI to write on my behalf is no different than using a ghost writer, which I also have no interest in.

But it’s always fun to see what’s on the horizon and keep a finger on the pulse… 

What are your thoughts on ChatGPT as a Screenwriting tool? Leave a comment below.

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