- As a new writer, keep your feature-length movie script between 95 and 120 pages. Established writers, and those on assignment may get away with more (or less), but getting in the door is difficult outside these limits.
- Eliminate all camera directions.1 This includes words like CAMERA, CLOSE UP, LONG SHOT, DOLLY, PAN, or anything else that refers to the camera. This applies also to references to editing such as CUT TO. Dissolves are also disdained by directors and studio readers. Use FADE IN at the beginning of your script and at the end use FADE OUT. Any more and you're taking a risk.
- Keep dialogue to one to three lines long. Only occasionally should dialogue exceed four lines. Keep it short and simple. A few monologues may be acceptable, but even they should be broken up with action (e.g. ‘he drags on a cigarette’), so they are under ten lines in length. Long stretches of one character talking are boring and hard to read.
- Keep scene description to a minimum. Many studio executives and readers may actually skip over scene description. If they can’t get the story from the dialogue, some may feel frustrated and stop reading. Scene description should be one to three lines in length, and never more than five lines without a break. When describing significant amounts of action, break the description into logical paragraphs, separated by double spacing.
- An entire scene – from one slug line to the next – ideally runs three pages or less (it can be as brief as a small fraction of a page). Never more than five pages in length. The average scene should be a page and a half or less. Larger, important scenes can run three or four pages. Keep the script ‘moving’ or ‘flowing’ for the reader. If you have a great deal of dialogue or information, experiment with breaking the scene up into multiple locations (e.g. “Let’s get to the restaurant, and I’ll explain…”).
- Begin character names with different letters so the reader can more easily distinguish them. Different numbers of syllables can also help (e.g. Stan, Sue, Sam and Sara is far more challenging for the reader than Susan, Drew, Alyssa, Charlie). In particular, characters that talk to one another should have uniquely different names (e.g. not ‘Lyle’ and ‘Kyle).
- If a particular character has few lines (half a dozen or so) and only appears in one or two scenes, it’s best to refer to that character by occupation (e.g. POLICEMAN, MAID, BARTENDER). This lets the reader know they do not have to worry about this character fitting into the story. Use a proper name only if important to do so or the character has a signficant effect on the story.
- Use parentheticals only when absolutely essential. Typically, a parenthetical is used to introduce a line of dialogue, describing how that line should be read (e.g. angrily, laughing, nervously). Avoid this device; limit to four or fewer parentheticals the entire script. The litmus test is: is it likely the reader will misinterpret this line without a parenthetical?
- Begin slug lines – the first line of scene, describing time and place – with INT. (interior) or EXT. (exterior). Always end with NIGHT or DAY. ‘Magic Hour’, ‘Late Afternoon’, or any other such departure irritates and aggravates the reader. Only use ‘Morning’ or ‘Sunset’ if it is critical to the timeline of the story.
- Capitalize character names in scene descriptions only once, the very first time that character appears in the screenplay. Sounds are capitalized (e.g. BANG). Please don’t use this often or get carried away with capitalizing sounds (e.g. PATTER, PATTER, PATTER of feet as he SHUFFLED; or the faucet went DRIP, DRIP, DRIP as the kettle WHISTLED). Stick to loud, important sounds. If in doubt, don’t capitalize. Nothing else in scene description should be capitalized.2
1. Historically, writers used to indicate camera directions, but the practice is no longer in vogue.
2. Long ago, writers sometimes capitalized lighting effects, props, and other items that might cost the producer a bunch, but this no longer accepted practice in Hollywood.
No comments:
Post a Comment