Scriptwriting Unit Task 2
Scriptwriting Structure
There are many things that you need to consider when writing a script. One of them is the way a script is structured. Firstly every script is structured into a three-acts. The first act is the beginning and is the general build up to the story. The next act is usually the longest and involves the "meat" of the script. The third act is usually the resolution of the conflict in the script.
Scripts are also formatted in a certain order. Here is an example of a script from the film “The Iron Lady”
As you can see from this screenshot, we have various codes and conventions that are associated with writing a script. One of them is that most scripts are written in 12 point, 10 pitch Courier. This is the industry standard for most scripts and you will not be taken as seriously if your script is in anything else. Another convention is that every time there is a new location is in Bold, underlined and in CAPITALS. This is so it can be clearly shown as to where there is a change in scenery. Another convention is having the character’s name in capitals every time it is written in the script, even if they are not talking. The way the speech is set out in a script is to a professional standard too. Speech is shown in the centre of the script and the actual speech is always after the character that as said it. The small sections in brackets are directions, however, they shouldn’t be as detailed as stage directions - this is a film script. The words in brackets should only be for when there is a necessary direction within the speech. There are also a large number of keywords and annotations also associated with scripts. Camera instructions should also only on be on the script when absolutely necessary to the story.
INT: Stands for interior, when the scene is inside.
EXT: Stands for exterior
“”: Quotation marks are used when the character is reading something
INT: Stands for interior, when the scene is inside.
EXT: Stands for exterior
“”: Quotation marks are used when the character is reading something
Film vs. Television
With film, you’re generally telling a story that is contained within the time frame of ninety minutes to two hours plus. Such a story usually follows a basic three-act structure — or a variation of it (i.e. Memento) — where we see a character thrust into conflict, struggle through it, and then eventually succumb to it or work their way out of it. There’s immediate closure unless you’re writing for a major studio franchise that can leave some story elements open to sequels.
With television, you’re creating a world with a cast of characters that will hopefully continue on for upwards of 10-24 episodes (give or take) for multiple seasons, thus the main story will not be resolved by the end of each teleplay or television script. You have the options of hour-long dramas or serials, hour-long procedurals, half-hour sitcoms, and in some cases, either limited series (American Horror Story) or miniseries. While each episode may showcase a certain story that is resolved by the end, the characters, their main stories, and their arcs continue on throughout each season.
In short, a television series is an ever-evolving medium for the story and characters while a film stands alone on its own with complete closure by the end.
Format
There’s little difference between the format of writing a feature screenplay and writing a teleplay. The scene description, dialogue, character headings, and location headings are pretty much the same. This, of course, can change per show, per production company, per studio, and per network, but overall, the format itself is interchangeable.
The real difference between feature writing and television writing is how the story is structured and how that structure is presented aesthetically through the format.
The Structure of a Television Series Script
With an hour-long television series episode, you write a Teaser scene, followed by Act One, Act Two, Act Three, Act Four, and sometimes Act Five, depending upon the show.
Teaser
First, you’ll have a teaser heading centered and then start to write. This teaser will usually be a short opening, maybe one location. Sometimes more. The page number can be upwards of 5 pages. although it’s best to usually stay around 2-3 pages.
If you’re writing a pilot script, the teaser is an introduction to the characters and to the world. It will also tease the conflict in the story. For shows like Lost, Breaking Bad, Grey’s Anatomy, The Walking Dead, or any other hour-long episode, you’ll often see the character either in peril by the end of it, or the conflict of the story will be teased.
Act One
After the teaser, you’ll then start a new page with the ACT ONE heading.
This is where you introduce the current story at hand. After teasing the peril, struggle, conflict, or situation that the episode will tackle, you start setting the stage for where the characters are and what is leading up to the point of the next act where they will be confronted by the situation at hand.
The end of the first act also offers a chance to leave a solid first cliffhanger or hook as well, which is what you really want to do at the end of each act.
Act Two
This is where the characters are dealing with the conflict full swing. They’re struggling with it. They’re figuring out how to get through it. Much like the beginning of the second act of a feature film script, the characters often still have some hope or chance. By the end of this act, the audience feels like the characters may figure things out — until, that is, another hook is introduced that flips that hope or chance on its head, forcing the characters to face the fact that they may not succeed.
Act Three
This is where the characters are at their lowest point and the bad guys or conflict is winning. Where the second act gave the audience hope that they’d figure it out, all too often the third act is where that hope was proven to be false. By the end hook of this act, audiences will want to tune in to see how the characters will prevail despite such odds against them.
Act Four
This is where the characters, against all odds, begin to prevail again. They start to triumph and win. They’ve likely learned from their missteps in the first and second act and now they’re applying that to the conflict at hand.
Act Five
This is the closure. Some shows actually end with the fourth act while others end the fourth act with a significant cliffhanger or hook and then use the fifth act to close things up with a finale of sorts.
Page Breakdowns for Each Act
While there’s no exact formula to follow, there are some basic guidelines for writing acts. Generally speaking, hour-long episode scripts can be anywhere from 45-63 pages, although a majority of the time you want to stick with 50-55 pages. The basic sense of it is that one page equals one minute, and with a sixty-minute show, you obviously need to account for commercial breaks. Thus if you go above 60 pages, you’re already over an hour.
With five act television scripts, you generally want to keep each act between 9-12 pages, give or take a page. The old benchmark was 15 pages per act for four-act television scripts, but with additional commercial time these days — not to mention more story — it can now often break down differently.
Here are the page breakdowns for some of the best pilot scripts of now-iconic television series:
Grey’s Anatomy pilot:
- Teaser – 3 pages
- Act One – 11 pages
- Act Two – 11.5 pages
- Act Three – 8 pages
- Act Four – 9 pages
- Act Five – 8 pages
The Breaking Bad pilot:
- Teaser – 3 pages
- Act One – 14 pages
- Act Two – 13.5 pages
- Act Three – 11.5 pages
- Act Four – 14 pages
There will surely be differences throughout each and every show, but these examples I've picked are some of the better examples of a tight pilot script.
You’ll also notice that some pilot scripts like the 70 page The Sopranos, the 55 page Mad Men, and the 61 page Game of Thrones don’t have act breakdowns at all. In the case of The Sopranos and Games of Thrones, both written for HBO, there are obviously no commercial breaks (In the U.S) which may be a factor. That’s not to say that those scripts don’t accomplish the same type of structure explained above — minus the aesthetics of act breaks. In the case of the Mad Men pilot, it was written on spec by the writer to use as a sample to attain assignments on other shows. It was eventually rejected by HBO, Showtime, and others, but was embraced by AMC, a basic cable network. The Lost pilot script is unique because it was written as a 97-page pilot script. Essentially debuting as a feature-length pilot. It does have act breaks, but due to the feature-length script, the page number for those breaks is different.
Sitcoms
Sitcoms are usually just half-hour episodes, the structure and page counts are obviously condensed. Four to Five acts become a more simple two — the standard beginning, middle, and end. Although in this case, the beginning is the TEASER. TEASERS are either referred to as such or writers use the more contemporary COLD OPEN. In the end, they’re the same and are thus portrayed in the same manner.
The page counts for sitcoms vary. From established writers and showrunners, a half-hour sitcom script can be as long as 44 pages. Sitcoms are more often than not dialogue heavy, which would account for the increased page counts.
Like all forms of media, there are many areas and types of radio. As a result, there is no one set format for a radio script. This will ultimately depend on what you need your script for, whether it’s a talk radio show or a link to a music show.
A mistake that is often made when writing scripts for all mediums are not writing the prose for it to be spoken. A script should sound natural when reading aloud. It is often a mistake to write too formally, as it results in a stiff-sounding read through. Radio scriptwriters must always write with the thought of speaking naturally and with a good flow in mind.
Radio scriptwriters try to keep it as tight as possible. They avoid adding unnecessarily flowery words or sentences that do not add to what they're trying to say. Grammar needs concise and succinct as possible, it will allow the presenter/actor to improvise and expand on what is written in the script. Radio is at its best when it doesn’t sound rigid, whether fully scripted or not.
Dissecting Screenplay Format
A screen story is divided into many scenes and each of these scenes is a location. A location when written in a screenplay needs to be described by the screenwriter to the reader in a certain way so that they instantly understand the most important three pieces of information about it:
Hole Punched: Covers and Pages should be three holes punched. Fasteners should be placed in the top and bottom holes with the center hole left empty.
Font: “COURIER” (typewriter) font 12pt is the one and only font you should use.
Title Page: Double space two lines below and add the words “written by” and your name.
Sitcoms
Sitcoms are usually just half-hour episodes, the structure and page counts are obviously condensed. Four to Five acts become a more simple two — the standard beginning, middle, and end. Although in this case, the beginning is the TEASER. TEASERS are either referred to as such or writers use the more contemporary COLD OPEN. In the end, they’re the same and are thus portrayed in the same manner.
The page counts for sitcoms vary. From established writers and showrunners, a half-hour sitcom script can be as long as 44 pages. Sitcoms are more often than not dialogue heavy, which would account for the increased page counts.
Here are the page breakdowns for some of the best pilot scripts of now iconic sitcoms:
The Office pilot:
- Cold Open – 1.5 pages
- First Act – 19 pages
- Second Act – 20 pages
30 Rock pilot:
- Cold Open – 2.5 pages
- First Act – 18 pages
- Second Act – 13.5 pages
In sitcoms, you’ll also see the use of the TAG. This is a bookend scene, usually after the episode’s story has played out. This is where one last gag or character moment is offered.
Video Games
Video games are created from scripts. Writing these scripts can be challenging. Every decision a player must make is diagrammed and flow charted. Every detail must be described. This requires methodical planning.
First, you need to devise a concept. This defines who the protagonist is and what he or she wants. What does his world look like? What are the obstacles stopping him from getting what he wants?
Next, decide what kind of game it is. First person shooter, role-playing, a game. Is it a simple linear plot
where the protagonist must win each level and then go to the next? If it is more complex than that, you must write numerous branches of plots depending on what the protagonist does.
Each important character, major location, and the significant object will need a physical description and a back story or history. You don’t need backstories for incidental characters or simple objects.
There are two components to writing a script for a video game. There is a Flowchart that lays out the decision making of the game and shows the various logical paths the user can take and there is the prose script that describes what happens.
Here is an example of the flowchart that lays out the decision making for part of the first chapter:
a closer look at the flowchart:
The flowchart helps the designer understand what happens in the game and what decisions need to be made.
Radio
A mistake that is often made when writing scripts for all mediums are not writing the prose for it to be spoken. A script should sound natural when reading aloud. It is often a mistake to write too formally, as it results in a stiff-sounding read through. Radio scriptwriters must always write with the thought of speaking naturally and with a good flow in mind.
Radio scriptwriters try to keep it as tight as possible. They avoid adding unnecessarily flowery words or sentences that do not add to what they're trying to say. Grammar needs concise and succinct as possible, it will allow the presenter/actor to improvise and expand on what is written in the script. Radio is at its best when it doesn’t sound rigid, whether fully scripted or not.
Dissecting Screenplay Format
A screen story is divided into many scenes and each of these scenes is a location. A location when written in a screenplay needs to be described by the screenwriter to the reader in a certain way so that they instantly understand the most important three pieces of information about it:
- Whether it's inside or outside
- Where the scene takes place
- Time of day
These elements form the Scene Heading otherwise know as the Slugline or Slug.
1. THE SLUGLINE
Each introduction of a scene appears on a single line (called the slugline) which contains the location information and time of day. Almost all sluglines begin with INT. (interior) or EXT. (exterior). There are very few exceptions except when either repeatedly cutting back to a scene or moving through locations within the principle location.
For example: INT. BAR - NIGHT
If you have already introduced the BAR as a location you can simply use "BACK TO BAR" as a subsequent slugline. Or if you have introduced a HOUSE as a location and are writing a sequence in which a character moves through each room, you can use BEDROOM or LOUNGE as the slugline in order to maintain the flow of the sequence.
SUPER can also be used to denote superimposed information, such as: SUPER: "Three years later"
INTERCUT BETWEEN can be used as a slugline for a phone conversation after the location of each party is established with prior sluglines. INTERCUT: can also be used to achieve the same effect but as a TRANSITION.
If in doubt, always begin sluglines with INT. or EXT. and end with DAY or NIGHT, unless a special time of day is dramatically essential, i.e. two lovers watching the sun rise: EXT. BEACH - SUNRISE.
For example: INT. BAR - NIGHT
If you have already introduced the BAR as a location you can simply use "BACK TO BAR" as a subsequent slugline. Or if you have introduced a HOUSE as a location and are writing a sequence in which a character moves through each room, you can use BEDROOM or LOUNGE as the slugline in order to maintain the flow of the sequence.
SUPER can also be used to denote superimposed information, such as: SUPER: "Three years later"
INTERCUT BETWEEN can be used as a slugline for a phone conversation after the location of each party is established with prior sluglines. INTERCUT: can also be used to achieve the same effect but as a TRANSITION.
If in doubt, always begin sluglines with INT. or EXT. and end with DAY or NIGHT, unless a special time of day is dramatically essential, i.e. two lovers watching the sun rise: EXT. BEACH - SUNRISE.
2. THE SHOT
A shot must not be confused with a slugline even though it appears in capital letters in a similar format. A shot focuses the reader's attention on something specific within the scene, such as a person or object.
For example:
ANGLE ON JACK, C.U. ON GUN or JACK'S POV. Sometimes screenwriters use a shot to draw attention to something, then follow this with a little description and then write BACK TO SCENE and continue the main scene action.
For example:
ANGLE ON JACK, C.U. ON GUN or JACK'S POV. Sometimes screenwriters use a shot to draw attention to something, then follow this with a little description and then write BACK TO SCENE and continue the main scene action.
3. THE ACTION ELEMENT
This appears immediately after your slugline, is preceded by one blank line and runs from left to right margin, spanning the full width of the text on the page. The Action sets the scene, describes the setting, and allows you to introduce your characters and set the stage for your story. Action is written in real time. Write cleanly and crisply what the audience sees on the screen. Only create atmosphere through "flowery" description if that atmosphere is essential to your scene, otherwise it is redundant and slows the script down.
For example: If you're writing a horror and are introducing a haunted house, it is necessary to set the tone and so a few sentences of description adds to the reading experience. It also allows the reader to get a "real time" sensation as if watching the movie on screen. But if two characters are in the middle of a heated debate, keep action description to an absolute minimum in order to maintain the flow of the conversation and scene.
When writing action, the best thing to do is to imagine you are having a conversation with someone over a coffee and recounting an interesting story. This way you only explain the key points that move the story along and do not focus on the irrelevant aspects. Try to write in small paragraphs, no more than four or five lines per paragraph, then double-spacing to the next paragraph. In fact, by isolating action and images in their own paragraphs, the writer suggests visual emphasis in the story; subliminally contributing to the visual direction.
Capitalise a character name on introduction only and give them a specific age and gender. This information is critical for not only comprehension of the story, but casting and budgeting as well. Capitalise all major sound effects, avoid describing clothing or hairstyles, unless it's crucial to the story and do not write action in parentheses after a character name, i.e. GEORGE (lighting a cigarette). Also, try to avoid using the word "camera." Use "we" instead. For example: instead of "The camera follows..." use "We follow..."
For example: If you're writing a horror and are introducing a haunted house, it is necessary to set the tone and so a few sentences of description adds to the reading experience. It also allows the reader to get a "real time" sensation as if watching the movie on screen. But if two characters are in the middle of a heated debate, keep action description to an absolute minimum in order to maintain the flow of the conversation and scene.
When writing action, the best thing to do is to imagine you are having a conversation with someone over a coffee and recounting an interesting story. This way you only explain the key points that move the story along and do not focus on the irrelevant aspects. Try to write in small paragraphs, no more than four or five lines per paragraph, then double-spacing to the next paragraph. In fact, by isolating action and images in their own paragraphs, the writer suggests visual emphasis in the story; subliminally contributing to the visual direction.
Capitalise a character name on introduction only and give them a specific age and gender. This information is critical for not only comprehension of the story, but casting and budgeting as well. Capitalise all major sound effects, avoid describing clothing or hairstyles, unless it's crucial to the story and do not write action in parentheses after a character name, i.e. GEORGE (lighting a cigarette). Also, try to avoid using the word "camera." Use "we" instead. For example: instead of "The camera follows..." use "We follow..."
4. CHARACTER NAME
This appears in caps, tabbed toward the center of the page and is followed by dialogue. A character name can be an actual name (JACK) or description (FAT MAN) or an occupation (DOCTOR). Sometimes, you might have COP #1 and then COP #2 speaking. It is okay to identify the speaking parts like this, but actors will like you more if you personalize their part with a name. Try to be consistent. Don't call a character JOE here and MR. JONES there.
5. DIALOGUE
This appears tabbed between the left margin (where sluglines and action are) and the character name margin. Writing good dialogue is an art in itself and sometimes novices tend to over-write it, making scenes slow, chatty and "play-like." Remember, people don't talk as formally as they write but on the other hand, keep slang and vernacular to a minimum and don't write out accents or regional dialects.
Your dialogue should reflect the personality of each character and give an insight into them. Try to personalize dialogue from one character to the next (but don't over do it) so that the reader can distinguish between the key players in your story. Make it sound real and conversational, so that the audience feels like a fly on the wall, and try where possible to subtly express inner feelings or conflicts rather than using dialogue that's too "on the nose".
People rarely say exactly what they mean. There is always subtext. Even when people are being candid, there's still subtext. Indicate the truth and let the audience fill in the gaps or read between the lines. This is far more interesting than being told outright what to think. For instance, in the Hollywood movie Jerry Maguire, Tom Cruise's character says "You complete me" rather than "I love you" to Dorothy and this was set-up earlier through an encounter with a young couple in love who used sign language. The key is to make the audience think where possible rather than handing everything to them on a plate, and this means being clever with your dialogue which sometimes may not even be necessary if the same sentiment or message can be expressed visually.
Your dialogue should reflect the personality of each character and give an insight into them. Try to personalize dialogue from one character to the next (but don't over do it) so that the reader can distinguish between the key players in your story. Make it sound real and conversational, so that the audience feels like a fly on the wall, and try where possible to subtly express inner feelings or conflicts rather than using dialogue that's too "on the nose".
People rarely say exactly what they mean. There is always subtext. Even when people are being candid, there's still subtext. Indicate the truth and let the audience fill in the gaps or read between the lines. This is far more interesting than being told outright what to think. For instance, in the Hollywood movie Jerry Maguire, Tom Cruise's character says "You complete me" rather than "I love you" to Dorothy and this was set-up earlier through an encounter with a young couple in love who used sign language. The key is to make the audience think where possible rather than handing everything to them on a plate, and this means being clever with your dialogue which sometimes may not even be necessary if the same sentiment or message can be expressed visually.
6. PARENTHETICAL
Parentheticals (or "wrylies") appear left indented (not centered) within brackets beneath the character name and are used to express an attitude for the actor who is speaking. i.e. upset, crying, laughing, irritated, angry, etc. Parentheticals should be short, to the point, descriptive, and only used when absolutely necessary.
7. THE TRANSITION ELEMENT
Scene transitions such as CUT TO: and DISSOLVE TO: are optional and when used should be right-indented (but not flush right) and preceded by one blank line and followed by two blank lines. When breaking pages, the scene transition must remain with the shot just completed. In other words, it is never permissible to start a new page with a CUT TO: or a DISSOLVE TO:. It must be placed at the bottom of the previous page.
Transitions should be omitted if you are rapidly cutting between scenes since inserting them would disrupt the flow of the sequence; such as in a montage or a chase through each room of a house. Transitions are primarily used to denote a major shift in time or location, and sometimes, like using MATCH CUT TO:, for effect.
Transitions should be omitted if you are rapidly cutting between scenes since inserting them would disrupt the flow of the sequence; such as in a montage or a chase through each room of a house. Transitions are primarily used to denote a major shift in time or location, and sometimes, like using MATCH CUT TO:, for effect.
Professional Screenplay Format
Materials:
Paper: 8 1/2" X 11" plain white 20 lbs stock (i.e. US Letter) with no watermarks
Binding: Two solid brass paper fasteners (1 1/4") a.k.a ‘brads’ should be used to bind the script.Hole Punched: Covers and Pages should be three holes punched. Fasteners should be placed in the top and bottom holes with the center hole left empty.
Font: “COURIER” (typewriter) font 12pt is the one and only font you should use.
Title Page: Double space two lines below and add the words “written by” and your name.
In the bottom right corner add your contact information, including your address, phone, and e-mail.
Below is an example of how the cover page and script binding works
4. Length
The general rule of thumb is:
1 script page = 1 minute of screen time.
Avoid submitting scripts longer than 120 pages or shorter than 90 pages.!
The final draft should ideally weigh in at 18,000 - 22,000 words. The lower end of the scale for comedies and the upper for dramas or action.
5. Margins:
There is no 100% rule to margins, but rather very firm guidelines
The left side of your script should have a 1 1/2" margin.
The right side of the script should have 1/2" to 1" of margin.
The top and bottom margins of your script should be 1".
Sluglines or Scene Headings are spaced 1 1/2" from the left side of the page.
Dialogue should be spaced 2 1/2" from the left margin. That's 1" from the Slugline or Scene Heading margin or about 10 spaces.
Character names should be 3.7" from the left margin or 12-13 spaces from the start of Dialogue
Parentheticals aka Dialogue Directions should be 3.1" from the left margin or 6 spaces from the start of Dialogue.
MAX lines per page: 52 – 56 (including blank lines).
Pictured below is a screenshot
showing a correctly formatted screenplay
showing a correctly formatted screenplay
6. Screenplay Terms:
V.O. - Voiceover: This is narration that does not originate in the scene itself. It can be a Narrator or Inner thoughts of a character on screen, or it can simply be a disembodied voice coming over a radio, telephone or speaker that the filmmakers can later add in post-production.
O.S. - Off Screen: Dialogue or sounds that are heard in the scene/location, but not actually seen. For example, FBI agents outside a bank siege who are shouting through a megaphone. Or a on a lighter note, maybe a sweet little ole granny calling her children in for dinner when the scene itself is set with the kids out on the playground.
P.O.V. – Point of view: This is a way of showing a scene as seen from a specific character's perspective.
Insert or Cutaway: This is used when you need to draw attention to a specific object in a scene that is away from the main action or dialogue.
Superimpose: This is for written information (time, date, location, etc…) given to the audience that appears on the screen. i.e. “One month Later” or “The Pentagon, D.C. - 08:00 hours”.
Intercut: This is often used when showing two or more characters interacting from two separate locations… A telephone call is the most obvious use, but it is also quite handy for parallel activities such as the opening of Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train.
Montage: This is used for a series of related or contrasting images that are often set to music.
Series of Shots: Varied shots and locations used to establish a scene or sense of place.
7. Camera Cues:
ZOOM, PAN, TILT, DOLLY IN/OUT, BOOM UP/DOWN, ANGLE ON, etc should be avoided if at all possible
8: Spelling
Poor spelling disrupts the reader’s suspension of disbelief and really irritates a professional.
Compliance with Guidelines distributed by broadcasting corporations or organisations:
OFCOM:
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/information-for-industry/guidance/programme-guidance
Interpreting Tone through Writing
two tools are very useful when establishing tone.
- The very first pages are key to setting up the tone for your world, and a reader (and later an audience) will use this introduction to inform how the remainder of the script should be interpreted.
- Imagery. What you show us, how you show it to us, and how you might juxtapose this imagery with other imagery.
If you take two very different war movies, like The Hurt Locker and Pearl Harbor, you can tell by the way we're introduced to the movies that the establishing tone will be. Pearl Harbor opens in the American heartland, and we see two young boys playing in a field and dreaming of being pilots. We later cut to them as adults, pushing the limits of what a plane can do. It's a romantic, idyllic introduction to war.
Compared to The Hurt Locker, a very harsh introduction to a bomb disposal unit in Iraq. It's a slow buildup, opting for tension instead of kinetic action. The first scene is patient and methodical. This isn't an idealized look at war.
Let's look at the imagery.
Both screenplays introduce the world with a flying view of the very first locale. From Pearl Harbor:
Flying over American heartland. We see the earth through the pilot's perspective as sky and ground swap positions, the plane swooping down and storming over the ground.
THE PLANE
is a biplane, racing over a field lush with young plants. It releases a trail of crop spray, and climbs again…
Up into a crystalline blue sky where sunshine pours like honey over family farms stretching to the horizon. Maybe it's not heaven, maybe it's just Tennessee. But as long as there's been an America, men have fought and died for this place -- as volunteers.
Again, this description suggests a film of beauty, grace and an idealized look at what's to come.
Compare with The Hurt Locker's aerial intro:
A grainy, low-resolution view, seen from sixteen inches above street level. And we’re moving fast -- nauseatingly fast. From this angle close to the ground we FLY down a road strewn with war garbage: munitions, trash, rubber, animal shit -- all of which, from this odd, jarring perspective, looks gigantic, monstrous.
We zoom towards a crumpled COKE CAN, the white ‘C’ growing enormous on the screen, filling the screen like a skyscraper.
We SMASH into the can and barrel ahead.
A RAG flutter blocks the view, then tumbles away, as we --
-- zoom downhill, see nothing but gray sand, then zoom back up hill and off, catching air, a flash of the horizon line, BRIGHT SUN, and land hard on a packed road.
We zoom towards a crumpled COKE CAN, the white ‘C’ growing enormous on the screen, filling the screen like a skyscraper.
We SMASH into the can and barrel ahead.
A RAG flutter blocks the view, then tumbles away, as we --
-- zoom downhill, see nothing but gray sand, then zoom back up hill and off, catching air, a flash of the horizon line, BRIGHT SUN, and land hard on a packed road.
This is a harsh, ugly, realistic look. Nothing is idealized here.
What we have here are two war films, but with very different tones. The tones are established by early scenes, and the images in those scenes.
Colloquialisms in Scriptwriting
The successful use of colloquial speech in dialogue is a key element of character development. Done right, it can impart a strong sense of realism – of time, of place, of character – to your work. It can draw your readers into the story and help them relate to your characters.
Colloquialisms in Scriptwriting
The successful use of colloquial speech in dialogue is a key element of character development. Done right, it can impart a strong sense of realism – of time, of place, of character – to your work. It can draw your readers into the story and help them relate to your characters.
There are no hard and fast rules when using colloquialisms other than the most basic: be true to your character by understanding how their experiences, education level, background, and personality factor into the way they speak. That said, the following are some tips that I like to keep in mind in order to maximize the impact of colloquialisms on the dialogue:
Further the Story
As with other elements of storytelling, colloquialisms should further the story. They do this by adding depth to characters through realistic dialogue. When using colloquialisms, think through your character and how he or she would speak, as well as why they speak that way. Do it well and readers will become emotionally connected to the characters, and care what happens to them.
Listen, Listen, Listen
Dialogue, including colloquialisms, feels more authentic when pulled from real life. Turn on your inner tape recorder and listen to how people around you talk. The goal is inspiration, not a transcription, as you will want to combine bits and pieces from various conversations.
Keep it Realistic
Fiction doesn’t have to be real but it has to feel real. It is this believability that draws readers into your story, whether you are writing about 19th century Paris, the house next door, or a battle on the planet Neptron. Using colloquialisms to strengthen the sense of place can pull readers into the story and make characters feel more believable. But that doesn’t mean you need to include every ‘um’ or ‘err’ or stutter. The author’s job is to include just enough to impart realism.
My personal favorites when it comes to believable colloquial writing include Mark Twain, Michael Chabon, and Stephen King.
Avoid Clichés and Stereotypes
It can be tempting to latch onto something readily identifiable or stereotypical when writing dialogue, such as a Southern twang or the word “ain’t”. In fact, doing this can achieve just the opposite: a cardboard cutout of a character. The goal is to tailor speech just enough to create a unique, three-dimensional character.
Don’t Detract or Overdo It
With colloquialisms, less is often more. One solution – taken by many authors is to keep the narration clean and confine colloquialisms to the dialogue.
Colloquialisms can help form unique, three-dimensional characters, powering their dialogue with authenticity. But as with all literary devices they should be used with care. The goal is to find a balance that will add to, not detract from, the story you are trying to tell.
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