Film making is a visual medium. Screenwriters are always told that less dialogue is more. Does this axiom also apply to scene description too? Well… kinda sorta… Dialog constitutes the primary colors of your film or TV script. The scene description is the shading. It is more than simply describing physical action. It needs to…
Tag: dialogue
Writing Tighter Screenplays
Jeanne Veilette Bowerman from Script Magazine gives some advice on writing better screenplays. TAKE THE RISK If you ever get the opportunity to learn from someone with more experience than you, do not hesitate. Do whatever it takes to make it happen, even traveling the globe. It is better than any screenwriting course you’ll take. No…
The Seven Deadly Dialogue Sins
Dave Trottier discusses seven dialogue errors readers of this blog never make. 1) OBVIOUS EXPOSITION This often happens when writers tell us backstory or plot. Consider the following: Husband: “Darling, how long have we been married now?” Wife: “Silly, it’s been 20 years. Remember Hawaii—the North Shore?” Husband: “Oh yeah, that little honeymoon cottage.” When…
Creating Dynamic Dialogue
Pilar Alessandra, script consultant, gives a few tips on removing the flatness from your dialogue. COME IN LATE, LEAVE EARLY Begin on a conflict and end on a question, cliffhanger or strong out line. REDUCE MONOLOGUES Screenwriting isn’t speech writing. Can you cut down your dialogue to one line that encapsulates its meaning? PLAY VERBAL…
Why A Screenplay Is Different To Other Literary Forms
Many screenwriters don’t appreciate the differences between literary formats. Newer writers often feel that they are interchangeable and being proficient in one literary form automatically qualifies them to transition into screenwriting. Screenplays tend to be more functional documents which are interpreted and experienced by a movie’s cast and crew in different ways. How is a screenplay different?…
Editing Your Script
Jeanne Veillette Bowerman, Editor and Online Community Manager of Script Magazine talks of the importance of script length. Slashing 25 words is one thing, but cutting 25 pages takes an entirely different approach. When it’s done, your story will be free of everything that’s dragging it down. Often people interchange the words “editing” and “rewriting.”…
Montages, Series of Shots and Sequences
How do screenwriters rapidly write a lot of story? Montages, series of shots and sequences have been used since the inception of cinema to condense time, exposition and space. The terms have been used interchangeably, but there are subtle differences depending on where you studies film. MONTAGES These are typically shots in numerous locations referring…
Transform Your Screenplay Dialogue From Drab To Fab!
Good dialogue in your screenwriting is subjective, but bad dialogue is obvious. Ouch! What Film Genre? Movie dialogue must capture the mood of your genre. It you’re writing a comedy, say something funny. If you’re writing a horror film, say something scary. Do this from page 1 in your screenplay. Sure there can be moments of…
Secrets to Writing a Low-Budget Screenplay
The average budget for a Hollywood movie is well over 8o million dollars according to David Santo. But if you’re waiting for a producer with a Scrooge McDuck sized jack to come along and finance your film you’re begging. A bigshot producer that doesn’t personally know you is not going to trust you to write…
See The Irony?
Story consultant Daniel Manus discusses the use of irony in screenplays. Irony is a dramatic device that expresses an idea which is the antithesis of the underlying concept to draw attention to it such as the super fit Olympic athlete dying of a heart attack after a marathon. There are 3 major types of ironies used in…
Five Things To Nail Before You Write
Paul Peditto, screenwriter of Jane Doe shares some thoughts before committing your thoughts to paper (or keyboard). THEME Know why you’re writing the movie. You really should know what exactly you’re trying to say. Why is what you’re about to write important to you? They say write what you know … that’s probably because what…
The Ticking Time Bomb
Daniel Manus, script consultant of No Bullscript (you read that correctly) expands on this plot device to create tension, excitement, pace and interest in your story. No matter the genre, using the device of a time clock in your story – a deadline, a ticking clock, a moment that must be met, etc – is…
Gideon's Screenwriting Tips: Now You're a Screenwriter 