Script writing tips etc..

Don't Let These Problems Ruin Your Screenplay
Writing visually is not
only about crafting words that flow smoothly and evoke vivid imagery. It is also
about not including words that detract from that imagery or interrupt the flow.
The screenwriter's goal is to create a script in which the writing flows so
smoothly the reader becomes part of the story, watching it from within.
Here
are some problems aspiring screenwriters should avoid when writing a spec
script:
"We hear" or "We see"
Phrases such as "We hear" and "We see"
should never appear in a spec script. They momentarily force readers outside the
story. You want the reader to become so involved in your story she forgets the
rest of the world exists. You want readers to live and breathe your story as
they read it.
The imagery evoked by your words should drive what we're seeing
or hearing as readers. Phrases like "We see" and "We hear" make the reader feel
as if he or she is part of an external audience, not part of the story itself.
Instead of reinforcing the idea the reader is immersed in a powerful story,
those phrases do nothing but remind her she's holding a script.
Camera
directions such as “PAN” and “CLOSE UP”
Avoid the use of camera directions to
describe shots in a spec script. Once your script becomes a film in production,
camera angles and shots will become the responsibility of the director and the
director of photography.
As a screenwriter, your responsibility is to craft
words that trigger the desired imagery so those individual "shots" move
naturally through the reader's mind.
When writing a script, screenwriters
have a very vivid mental picture of the images they are trying to convey. Most
of us think in film, meaning we imagine our story unfolding as a series of
images or visual scenes. The best way for a writer to direct the script is to
format the description in such a way the shots appear to separate themselves.
This is called the White
Space technique. With the correct use of this technique, you can pace your
script and divide each image as if it were its own shot.
As you write your
script, imagine where you would change the camera angle or shot. At that point,
begin a new paragraph of description. Keep your paragraphs shorter for a rapidly
paced scene and slightly longer (but still only a few sentences!) to maintain a
slower paced scene. For more detail on the best ways to use the White Space
technique in your script, check out the article conveniently titled White
Space.
Beginning and ending each page with (CONTINUED)
At one time,
screenwriters were required to begin and end each page with the (CONTINUED)
notation to indicate, obviously, the script continued onto the next page. Later,
the (CONTINUED) at the top of the page was ditched but the one at the bottom of
the page was retained. In the past decade, the use of (CONTINUED) at either the
top or bottom of the page has been almost entirely abandoned. It is no longer a
requirement and is sometimes viewed as more of a nuisance than anything
else.
The main reason you shouldn't bother to include (CONTINUED) at the top
and bottom of each page is that it wastes a significant amount of space. It
requires two lines at the top of the page and another two lines at the bottom.
In a 90-page script, those extra four lines per page can amount to several pages
of wasted space. In a screenplay, space is a precious commodity that definitely
should not be wasted. And, as Denny Martin Flinn notes in his book, How
NOT to Write a Screenplay, "Anyone reading your screenplay who doesn't know
he's supposed to turn the page is a numskull."
POV (indicating the camera's
point of view)
POV is a camera direction, not a writing technique. Do not use
a POV notation unless the imagery seen from one character's point of view is
distinctly different from the rest of the scene and, more importantly, that
difference is integral to the plot.
The scene below provides an example of an
inappropriate use of the POV technique.
**************************
INT. SMITH HOUSE, KITCHEN — MORNING
Martha stands at the counter,
one arm holding the baby at her hip, the other arm working frantically to
one-handedly put together lunch for the three children who mill about the
kitchen.
John sits at the kitchen table, leisurely reading the morning
newspaper. He ignores Martha with deliberate concentration.
JOHN’S POV
Two
of the children scurry on hands and knees under the table at his feet in a game
of chase.
**************************
In the above example, the image
of the children running under the table is part of the overall scene. A shot of
the children crawling under the table could be taken from any of several
different camera angles and does not specifically require John’s POV. The POV is
not integral to the storyline and is not separate from the rest of the kitchen
scene, so it is not necessary.
Always remember, camera angles are the realm
of the director and the director of photography, not the writer. There is no
need to forfeit two lines of space in your screenplay for an unnecessary camera
direction.
Transitions such as “CUT TO” and “DISSOLVE TO”
Spelling out
transitions is another technique reserved for a shooting script. You should not
use transitions in your spec script.
A transition indicates the movement from
one scene to the next. This event is already indicated by the use of a slugline
defining the new location and time of day. Since the new slugline has already
made the reader aware of the shift from one scene to the next, the transition
simply takes up space, and space is a precious commodity in a script.
I've
heard many writers attempt to justify their use of transitions… "I wanted to let
the reader feel the intensity of the scene by cutting it off with a CUT TO," or,
"I wanted to let the reader know time had passed by using a DISSOLVE
TO."
Your story and the quality of your writing, not your transition, should
cause the reader to feel the intensity of the scene. If your story isn't already
intense, no amount of CUT TO's is going to make it that way. CUT TO's are only
going to interrupt the smooth flow of your words and cause the reader's eyes to
jump across the page.
When the script is put into production, the director
and editor will determine which type of transition is used, and their decisions
will be noted in the shooting script.
Capitalization of specific words to
draw attention
In the 80's and 90's, the use of capitalization throughout a
script in order to draw attention to specific words became trendy — so trendy,
in fact, some writers tended to capitalize fifteen or more words per page, not
even including the appropriate capitalization of sluglines, first-appearance
character names, and dialogue headers.
Writers capitalize words in this
manner with the intent to force a more vivid image into the reader's mind, but
using capitalization doesn't necessarily create a more vivid image. Instead, the
capitalization makes the sentence visually awkward and detracts from the mental
imagery of the scene. It cuts into the flow of the sentence and forces the
reader's eyes to stop and adjust. And what happens whenever readers must stop
and adjust? They remember they're reading a script, which is exactly what you
don't want. In order to avoid constantly reminding people they're reading a
script, your writing must flow visually, and capitalizing words halts that
flow.
Many writers mistakenly believe sounds, objects or actions to which the
writer wishes to add emphasis must always be capitalized. Capitalization does
have its uses, and those uses can occasionally have the desired effect of
evoking a sense of urgency or intensity, but only when used sparingly.
Your
choice of words, not the capitalization of those words, should be what adds
focus to a specific object or action. If a word or descriptive phrase doesn't
possess the impact you feel it should, check out my previous article titled Selecting
the Most Powerful Words for Your Novel or Screenplay, or simply open a
thesaurus and find a more intense and dramatic word to use in its place.

Taken FROM: http://www.kriscramer.com/2008/dont-let-these-problems-ruin-your-screenplay/

_______________________________________________

So I am posting this information As i had been looking for information on using POV shots in a spec script, which is apparently a no-no. However I feel it is neccesary for some aspects of my script to have it's full effect.

So i'm going to probably just risk it all and use it anyways! Who knows, i'm wild that way!

I am done reviewing scripts on Triggerstreet finally and that means I can upload my own works to get reviewed! Thankfully!

Well it's 2:39 am, gotta get some sleep. Although as they say,

there's no rest for the wicked!

Kreg

Open for Business.

So today I have joined the wonderful world of Blogging. I assume I will enjoy it as much as one would using a journal or scratching their back. Which means the result shall vary.
So I have booked an acting gig with macdonald's today. It is a promo for their new coffee cups. I will be walking around in a mall drinking coffee and advertising their coffee.

Read the promo description here:

"TALENT YOU ARE LOOKING LIKE YOU HAVE JUST WOKEN UP AND YOU LOOK LIKE ZOMBIES YOU WILL BE GOING IN AND OUT OF "MALLS."

Sounds hilarious but it's also $18.00 An hour for four hours. Which is pretty easy money if you ask me.

Today I have also Joined Twitter, well I lied, I joined it a while ago, but still.

http://www.twitter.com/kregjmcminn/

Twitter is basically useless compared to facebook, it is only updating status. I can do that on facebook!

I also heard Lily Allen's new single, Well newer. THE FEAR.



Well for right now that is it. It is friday night and I will be doing absolutely nothing, thank goodness too. I have been a little busy recently and could use the break!

Cheers
Kreg

PS: I will be posting a little something more useful next time around!