Master Class in Filmmaking

[Roderick Usher]

#s 1 & 2 are fine. I'd never use the word "camera" in a script, the same effect can be translated by using the "we move" method. But the key is to make the scene cinematic, make the reader feel like they're in a movie.

Here's how I'd write that bit.

EXT. DUSTY ROAD - SUNSET
A small western town looms in the distance. Long shadows fall across the trail with the CLIP-CLOP of horses hooves on packed earth.

Two MEN on horseback pull their mounts to a halt in the center of the road, their faces silhouetted by the setting sun.

MAN #1
Sure as shit don't look like much.

MAN #2
That's the beauty of it, real diamond in the rough.

The Men urge their horses forward with a light kick to the flanks. They ride slowly toward the town, sun at their backs.

[Papillon Noir]

Originally Posted by bwind22

Thanks Pap. I do have another question regarding dialect in describing scenes and actions. Please tell me which, if any, of the following examples would be acceptable.

1- The sun is setting at the end of a dusty road beyond a western town. In the distance, two men on horseback are riding in with the sun at their backs.

(It is my understanding that this option is probably the one I should be using, but every now and then I get the urge to write stuff like the following examples. I just want to know which is correct or incorrect.)

I'm so glad you're asking about formatting, so many people use incorrect formats. Using the correct format is just as important as the characters and plot. The one thing you have to remember when writing a screenplay is that it is not a novel. Whatever you want to relay to the audience about your characters and plot, you must do through actions and dialogue only.

As for your description, some of what you have there will be shown in your slug line.

Example:

EXT. Western Town - DUSK

Two MEN on horseback ride the dusty road into town with the sun setting at their backs.

Or

EXT. Desert - DUSK

Two MEN ride horseback on a dusty road towards the town in the distance. The sun is setting behind them.

You don't want to be overly wordy, just describe what is necessary to tell your story. You can still be detailed, but you always want to focus more on the dialogue, which is what really allows your story to progress.

Originally Posted by bwind22

2- We see a western town at sunset. A solitary dusty road runs through the center of it. In the distance, we see two men on horseback riding in to town with the sun at their back.

(Pronouns. Is it inappropriate to use terms like "we see" in a script?)

You should make your descriptions as simple as possible. You can you use "we see", but only when it's necessary as it's generally implied. I would stay away from it if you can. I have only ever used it once to describe a montage that happened in one location, to differentiate between cuts.

Originally Posted by bwind22

3- The camera pans along the horizon until it settles on a quiet western town. At the end of a dusty road, two riders on horseback approach the town.

(Camera direction. Should it be included or not. I've read that a writer is not supposed to do the director's job for them, but I've also read that a script is supposed to act as an instruction manual for everyone working on the film. Is it inappropriate to use camera directions in a script?)

Thanks.

Camera direction--not a good idea unless you are writing/shooting/editing it yourself. Camera direction is the Directors/Cinematographers job and they are going to do their own thing.

I would only add camera direction (and edit cuts) if it is imperative to the story, like you really need a close-up of an object so that a character can make a plot turning revelation or something. I would first try to find a way show it through action and dialogue and only do it as a last resort. The "CUT TO:" every other line can very annoying and wastes a lot of space. Remember that it's suppose to be about a minute per page.

Now a shooting script is kind of like an instruction manual. But that's after it's been sold to a production company and the Director and Cinematographer have had their hands through it.

All in all, when writing a script there are "rules" and then there are "guideline". The rules are steadfast, but the guidelines should be followed unless it's imperative to your story.

So, are you writing a western or was that just an example? My first screenplay was a western. :)

[bwind22]

Originally Posted by Roderick Usher

#s 1 & 2 are fine. I'd never use the word "camera" in a script, the same effect can be translated by using the "we move" method. But the key is to make the scene cinematic, make the reader feel like they're in a movie.

Here's how I'd write that bit.

EXT. DUSTY ROAD - SUNSET
A small western town looms in the distance. Long shadows fall across the trail with the CLIP-CLOP of horses hooves on packed earth.

Two MEN on horseback pull their mounts to a halt in the center of the road, their faces silhouetted by the setting sun.

MAN #1
Sure as shit don't look like much.

MAN #2
That's the beauty of it, real diamond in the rough.

The Men urge their horses forward with a light kick to the flanks. They ride slowly toward the town, sun at their backs.

Nice! Thanks!

I'm glad to hear #1 is acceptable because that's what I've been using. haha

[bwind22]

Originally Posted by Papillon Noir

I'm so glad you're asking about formatting, so many people use incorrect formats. Using the correct format is just as important as the characters and plot. The one thing you have to remember when writing a screenplay is that it is not a novel. Whatever you want to relay to the audience about your characters and plot, you must do through actions and dialogue only.

As for your description, some of what you have there will be shown in your slug line.

Example:

EXT. Western Town - DUSK

Two MEN on horseback ride the dusty road into town with the sun setting at their backs.

Or

EXT. Desert - DUSK

Two MEN ride horseback on a dusty road towards the town in the distance. The sun is setting behind them.

You don't want to be overly wordy, just describe what is necessary to tell your story. You can still be detailed, but you always want to focus more on the dialogue, which is what really allows your story to progress.



You should make your descriptions as simple as possible. You can you use "we see", but only when it's necessary as it's generally implied. I would stay away from it if you can. I have only ever used it once to describe a montage that happened in one location, to differentiate between cuts.




Camera direction--not a good idea unless you are writing/shooting/editing it yourself. Camera direction is the Directors/Cinematographers job and they are going to do their own thing.

I would only add camera direction (and edit cuts) if it is imperative to the story, like you really need a close-up of an object so that a character can make a plot turning revelation or something. I would first try to find a way show it through action and dialogue and only do it as a last resort. The "CUT TO:" every other line can very annoying and wastes a lot of space. Remember that it's suppose to be about a minute per page.

Now a shooting script is kind of like an instruction manual. But that's after it's been sold to a production company and the Director and Cinematographer have had their hands through it.

All in all, when writing a script there are "rules" and then there are "guideline". The rules are steadfast, but the guidelines should be followed unless it's imperative to your story.

So, are you writing a western or was that just an example? My first screenplay was a western. :)

Thanks for the info!!! Very informative & helpful. I've read a lot of places that formatting is pretty essential so I want to make sure I have a fair understanding of it. That was just an example, mine is a vampire comedy, but it's weird... Ive reached a point about 1/3 to 1/2 way through my script and for the last few days I've only been thinking about how I could improve everything I already wrote and not able to concentrate on the rest of the story. haha

[Papillon Noir]

Originally Posted by bwind22

Thanks for the info!!! Very informative & helpful. I've read a lot of places that formatting is pretty essential so I want to make sure I have a fair understanding of it. That was just an example, mine is a vampire comedy, but it's weird... Ive reached a point about 1/3 to 1/2 way through my script and for the last few days I've only been thinking about how I could improve everything I already wrote and not able to concentrate on the rest of the story. haha

Sure thing. I love talking about this stuff anyway. :)

If you're going to be doing a lot of screenwriting, you should consider getting a screenwriting program. It formats everything for you and really allows you to write faster. I use Final Draft, it's awesome. It's expensive though, mine is actually a burned copy.

And don't be afraid to re-edit whenever you need to, usually I edit the beginning more than the end. :)

[bwind22]

I plan on buying Final Draft 7.0 in the near future, but I already wrote 1/2 a script with 100% improper format. I knew I'd be getting the software eventually, but I didn't want to put off writing so I just resigned to the fact that I'd have to do some copy/pasting once I got it. lol Oh well, I hear most people's first few scripts usually suck anyways so I'm not expecting much from this one. I may send it in to a cheap contest just to kinda gauge where I'm at, but this script is more or less a learning tool for me, ya know?

[Papillon Noir]

Originally Posted by bwind22

I plan on buying Final Draft 7.0 in the near future, but I already wrote 1/2 a script with 100% improper format. I knew I'd be getting the software eventually, but I didn't want to put off writing so I just resigned to the fact that I'd have to do some copy/pasting once I got it. lol Oh well, I hear most people's first few scripts usually suck anyways so I'm not expecting much from this one. I may send it in to a cheap contest just to kinda gauge where I'm at, but this script is more or less a learning tool for me, ya know?

Final Draft 7.0 has some really nice features (I only have the 5.0 version), I'll probably upgrade eventually.

Yeah, you'll first screenplay usually turns out to be just "ok", but after you have another one or two under your belt you can usually get back to it and re-edit it into something good.

[bwind22]

If I finish the script and still haven't purchased FD7.0, then I was planning on using scriptbuddy.com They let you use their formatting software for free online but I heard you can only save 1 script at a time unless you get the pay service. Know anything about that site?

[Papillon Noir]

Originally Posted by bwind22

If I finish the script and still haven't purchased FD7.0, then I was planning on using scriptbuddy.com They let you use their formatting software for free online but I heard you can only save 1 script at a time unless you get the pay service. Know anything about that site?

I've heard of scriptbuddy but I don't know much about it. I've only ever used Final Draft because I got it even before I started writing screenplays.

Here's a list of screenplay software that I got from wikipedia, it looks like there may be some other free ones in there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screenw...iting_software

[bwind22]

Originally Posted by Papillon Noir

I've heard of scriptbuddy but I don't know much about it. I've only ever used Final Draft because I got it even before I started writing screenplays.

Here's a list of screenplay software that I got from wikipedia, it looks like there may be some other free ones in there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screenw...iting_software

Oh wow. That's a good list! Thanks. I'll have to look into a few of those.

By the way, does anyone know if Final Draft is Vista compatible, or would it be wise for me to wait for Fina Draft 8 to be released?