Schellhardt Laura. Screenwriting for Dummies

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This line suggests that the camera lingers on the image of that dragon.

Perhaps it will be important later. Generally, slug lines require no more infor-

mation than in the preceding slug line. The following exceptions to this rule

are called extensions and should be used sparingly.

 An establishing shot. Establishing shots are designed to orient a reader

to a new location. If my film begins during a poetry lecture in a high-

school classroom and then jumps to the dining room of an obviously

wealthy estate, my audience will have no idea where that dining room

is in relation to the school. To solve this problem, I add an establishing

shot of the outside of the estate and then move to the dining room.

In this sort of a slug line, the word ESTABLISHING follows the DAY or

NIGHT direction.

EXT. GEORGIAN MANSION — DAY — ESTABLISHING

 A stock shot. Stock shots are images that will be pulled from previously

filmed footage. They’re clips from other movies, newsreels, documen-

taries, and so on that are now “in stock” at a film library, waiting to be

reused. Skylines and historical landmarks are prime stock material, as

are beach, woodland, or generic neighborhood shots. You format stock

shots in the following way:

EXT. THE CHICAGO SKYLINE — DAY (STOCK)

 An indication of specific time, time passing, or season. If your film

takes place in 1776, the date is an important detail to include in the slug

line. If the film bounces between time frames, doing so becomes even

more important. If your action spans several seasons, you may add that

detail as well.

EXT. THE CHICAGO SKYLINE — DAY (WINTER)

EXT. PARIS — DAY (1885)

EXT. TIIMES SQUARE — DAY (13 YEARS EARLIER)

A reader will read these distinctions, but a movie audience knows only what

it sees. Always follow a slug line with some description of the location that

indicates how an audience might know that it’s winter or 1885.

Sound and special effects

Detail both sounds and special effects in the description of a scene, and

format them with capital letters. With sound cues, capitalize the sound of the

effect — for example, the WHISTLE of a train, or the KNOCKING on a door.

The capitalization is reserved for sounds made by outside forces or off-

camera. Sounds made by characters in scene are not written using all capital

letters.

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Special effects are sometimes abbreviated FX or SPFX, but this term is gener-

ally reserved for shooting scripts. If you envision special effects in a scene,

describe them so that director can envision them, too. For example:

EXT. PARKING LOT — DAY

Without warning, the station wagon EXPLODES, spewing flames and smoke

onto nearby cars.

Location, choreography, and action

Most cinematic description is composed of single-spaced prose paragraphs

that run from the left-hand margin to the right. They’re generally no more

than three or four sentences in length, if that. Readers like to see as much

white space as text, so reserve a separate paragraph for each shot. Double-

space between these paragraphs. Doing so divides the action clearly on the

page. For example:

INT. FAMILY ROOM — DAY

Two small GIRLS press their faces to the window and exhale. They giggle

at the prints they’ve left on the glass. One draws a heart in the print, then

slashes at it with her finger.

A WOMAN tiptoes up behind them, ready to pounce. The oldest girl spins

around seconds before her hand reaches their shoulders.

When describing location, avoid including too many physical details. Close

your eyes, envision the setting, and then describe any essentials that the

camera will pick up. If the shot is of two children in their play room, I might

need to see a trail of crayons leading from the door to where they sit, but I

probably don’t need to know exactly what color those crayons are.

The other type of description appears in the parenthetical portion of the

script. Parentheticals are typed in lowercase letters and are offset by paren-

theses. They generally depict how a line should be said. For example:

SANDY

(softly — after a moment)

I don’t think that’s going to happen.

These descriptions are only necessary if nothing else in the scene suggests

how a line should be read. Strong actors often discover the intent naturally.

All description follows the same basic rules as character introduction: Be

clear, be compelling, and be concise.

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Camera concerns

You’re a writer; your job is to tell the story. The director and cinematogra-

pher will rewrite that story in a language designed for the camera. Therefore,

your concern isn’t the camera or its terminology. In fact, technical jargon will

distance a reader from the world of your story.

The script that you’re crafting is known as a presentation script, or the

reader’s script, which is the version designed to seduce a reader into seeing

the film. Any technical encumbrances, such as camera angles and scene num-

bers, are removed to let the story emerge.

The production script, or the shooting script, is the director and/or cinematog-

rapher’s script. A much later draft, it includes technical notations, such as

camera angles, special effects, and editing requirements.

That said, you may find it helpful to understand the camera and its associ-

ated terms so that you can visualize the scene and emphasize the details of

your film. You can write a scene to suggest an angle, without employing the

technical term. If you know what a close-up is and you want to use it in a

shot, you can rework your description to suggest it.

For example, if Henry proposes to Sarah in the scene and you want a close-up

of the diamond ring, you might write the scene in one of two ways:

Henry pulls a box from his coat pocket. He opens it to reveal a large

DIAMOND RING

He takes Sarah’s hand and slips the ring on her finger.

Or:

Henry pulls a box from his coat pocket and opens the lid. Inside the box

is a large diamond ring. It sparkles in the light.

He takes Sarah’s hand and slips the ring on her finger.

In both cases, the description suggests that a close-up is needed, without jar-

ring the reader with terminology. A director would have to linger for a second

on the diamond ring itself, prior to the shot where Henry slips the ring on her

finger. Without the close-up indication, the description would read

Henry pulls a box from his coat pocket and opens the lid. He removes a

ring from the box and slips it on Sarah’s finger.

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Whenever possible, imply the necessary camera angle. Doing so not only

keeps a reader locked into your story but also hones your writing skills.

The following sections cover some basic camera directions, but be warned: I

include these terms only as an overview of possible shots. I strongly advise

you not to include the technical jargon in the reader’s script. It distracts a

reader’s attention away from your story and annoys directors and cinematog-

raphers who may envision a shot differently than you do. So if you’re inter-

ested in utilizing one or several of these effects, craft description that

conveys the effect without calling attention to the camera itself.

Intercut

This direction indicates that two scenes are occurring simultaneously in

separate locations. This term appears in all caps as the slug line or in the

description. See the following examples:

INTERCUTTING:

Sarah shops in preparation for the date, Henry dresses in front of his

mirror.

Or:

INTERCUT: SARAH AND HENRY

The scene INTERCUTS between Sarah shopping for the date and Henry

dressing in front of his mirror.

The writer then describes individual moments of each scene without using a

subsidiary slug line to bounce between then.

Insert

A writer uses this direction when he wants to highlight an object in the scene

or include a detail that’s outside the scene but important to it. To complete

an insert, do one of three things: Return to the dialogue, switch locations

with a new slug line, or type BACK TO SCENE at the end.

INSERT — PHOTOGRAPH

Small scissors remove a woman from the image.

BACK TO SCENE:

Series of shots

This technique serves as a way to abridge action sequences into a number of

short moments involving the main character, usually without dialogue. The

format is as follows:

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Type SERIES OF SHOTS in place of a slug line, skip a space, and then list a

short description of each shot. Skip a space between each description. You

may assign a letter to each shot, but many screenwriters opt not to. End the

series by typing END SERIES OF SHOTS.

SERIES OF SHOTS

A) Sarah and Henry notice each other across a dance floor.

B) Sarah and Henry dance together at their wedding.

C) Sarah lies in a hospital bed, watching Henry hold their newborn baby.

END SERIES OF SHOTS

A series of shots has a distinct beginning, middle, and end, and is often used

to dramatize a passage of time. A series of shots can also be scripted tradi-

tionally, as individual scenes with slug lines. Writers generally choose this

method to suggest a certain pace. A series of shots is different from (but

often confused with) a montage.

Montage

A montage is the dissolving of two or more shots into each other to create a

desired effect, usually an association of ideas. These shots need not include

the main character, and they don’t have a beginning, middle, and end.

They’re formatted in the same way as a series of shots.

MONTAGE:

A) Hands shuffle a deck of cards.

B) A screen door SLAMS shut.

C) An unshaven face leers in the darkness.

D) The cards scatter across a table.

END MONTAGE

A montage is often used in dream or nightmare sequences. Because of the

surreal feeling it evokes, your best bet it to use it sparingly, if at all.

Close-up

A close-up is a shot that emphasizes a detail in a scene. It’s often abbreviated

to CU in shooting scripts, as follows:

CU — IMMENSE DIAMOND RING

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Angle on

This shot suggests another view of a previous shot. Here’s an example:

ANGLE ON Sarah staring down at the ring.

POV

Shorthand for point of view, this direction implies that the scene is being

viewed from another character’s perspective. You must identify whose point

of view it is and what exactly he sees. If the POV alternates within a scene,

employ the term REVERSE POV.

SARAH’S POV — HENRY

He stares at her across the table, then pushes the letter her way.

HENRY

He wants you to have this.

REVERSE POV

Sarah takes the letter and rips it in half.

SARAH

As usual, we want different things.

For strong examples of POVs, watch horror films. They’re commonly used

when a killer is following his victim.

Split screen

This shot indicates two subjects in different locations on-screen simultane-

ously. When Harry Met Sally uses this shot when the protagonists share a

phone conversation from separate bedrooms.

Sally dials Harry’s number.

SPLIT SCREEN

Harry and Sally lie in their beds watching the same film on TV.

The split screen shot conveys a distinct film style and is rarely used.

Super

Shorthand for superimpose, this term is used if another element is being

superimposed over the action of a scene. A super is often used to show

dates, locations, or translation texts.

The yacht barrels toward the shore. The mainland looms ahead.

SUPER — MARSEILLES 1921

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Terms that defy categorization

A few formatting details don’t fit into a particular category. I tentatively label

them transitional directions. These terms help readers follow your action, and

they tell them how to read the script.

Fade in

Screenplays usually begin with these words. They suggest the movement

from darkness to an image on the screen. They’re typed in all caps at the left-

hand margin followed by a double space and the first slug line.

FADE IN:

EXT. COLLEGE LIBRARY — DAY

Fade out

These words usually end a screenplay. They’re typed two spaces below the

final line of the script, flush to the right margin. After FADE OUT, writers gen-

erally space down six lines and type THE END in the center of the page.

Henry and Sarah link arms and walk into the sunset.

FADE OUT.

THE END

V.O.

VO is shorthand for voice-over. This direction is used when the audience

hears a character speak who’s not in the scene. It’s often used to underscore

a scene with narration.

EXT. SUBURBAN HOUSE — DAY

The ranch-style house is in desperate need of attention. Weeds obscure

the front path, and the remaining shutters threaten passersby.

HENRY (VO) or (V.O.)

I’ve always thought my neighbor’s house would look better as a parking

lot or a strip mall.

O.S.

Shorthand for off-screen, this abbreviation is used when a character speaks

outside the camera’s view, or when the audience hears a sound but doesn’t

see where it’s coming from.

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A door SLAMS OS then FOOTSTEPS hurry toward him.

Or:

SARAH (OS) or (O.S.)

As usual, we want different things.

Remember, both V.O. and O.S. are abbreviations to be placed after a charac-

ter’s name. Use the whole phrase (off-screen and voice-over) when utilizing

them in description.

Cut to

This term was used to cut quickly between scenes, but it’s rarely used any-

more. It appears at the bottom of a scene, to the right-hand side.

Henry pulls Sarah close, and they begin to waltz.

CUT TO:

Dissolve to

This direction is used in place of the CUT TO when you want to suggest a

slow transition from one scene to the next. You may dissolve to suggest the

passage of time between one shot and another, or because you want the

effect of one image fading into the next.

Continuation

When a scene or a speech is interrupted by a page break, type MORE in

parentheses at the end of the last line on the first page and then type CONT’D

after the character’s name on the next page.

Many of the preceding considerations are automatically formatted for you

with screenwriting software. While it’s helpful to know how they’re useful and

where they belong on your page, it will certainly save you time to allow a

computer to place them there for you. I overview several software options in

the first part of this chapter.

HENRY

I wish you’d thought of this sooner. It would have

(MORE)

-----------------------page break--------------------------

HENRY (CONT’D)

Saved us so much time if you had.

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When a speaker is interrupted by an action, use a dash to suggest the inter-

ruption, type the action, and then type “continuing” in a parenthetical after

the character’s name when he starts speaking again.

HENRY

I do wish you’d thought of this sooner. It —

Sarah hands him the plane tickets and her purse.

HENRY

(continuing)

Would have saved us so much time.

You can also script that last line as:

HENRY (CONT’D)

Would have saved us so much time.

As with all creative elements, formatting takes time. Screenwriting is an art,

and as every artist differs, so will every format a little. Notice I say “a little

here,” though. Clear screenwriting format is vital to being taken seriously in

the industry. The key rule to remember with presentation is this: If it doesn’t

look right, it’s probably not right.

A Sample Scene

The format becomes clear when you see it on the page. I’ve included a small

sample in Figure 15-1 to help clarify both the spacing and several key format-

ting components. You can also find screenplays online or at your local library

or bookstore. The more you read, the more ingrained the format will become.

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“A DIME A DOZEN”

FADE IN:

EXT. A COUNTRY ROAD – DAY

The road is empty. Fields of corn stretch for miles along

either side. Nothing but green and gold.

ELLEN (V.O.)

I used to think there were places that time

didn’t touch. Places too small to consider.

An abandoned tractor lies by the side of the road. A scarecrow

leans awkwardly in one of the fields.

ELLEN - (V.O.)

Where people do as they’ve always done and

days go on and on and... on. Places like

my home town.

The sound of a car ENGINE RUMBLING farther off. It grows louder

over the following speech.

ELLEN - (V.O.)

Now though, I wonder if time’s just waiting.

Waiting for its moment to pull everything apart.

A sleek black car barrels down the road spinning dust in its

wake.

EXT. A ROAD-SIDE FRUIT STAND – DAY

DARRYL HOPKINS, the 75 year old owner of the stand helps RUTH

MADSON, 60, load bags into her vehicle.

The black car streaks past them. Pebbles fly up around its

tires. A few of them slam into Ruth’s shoes.

Darryl spins around fast enough to catch the

LICENSE PLATE

which reads PUMA 30.

DARRYL

Puma.

Figure 15-1:

A sample

scene.

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