Y12 Film Studies – Screenwriting Do It Now

• Read Scriptwriting Stages to identify HT

targets.
• Goal-setting for completing DCE charts.

Main
• Watch a series of short films from the
syllabus.

Plenary
• What short films will you watch in your
own time?
WALT: to create compelling ideas
for a screenplay extract. Extension
• Take booklet home with you for further
WILF: To develop Component 3
study.
coursework targets.
 Component 3
Short Films Archive
• Meshes in the Afternoon (Deren, USA, 1943)
• La Jetee (Marker, France, 1962)
• La Ricotta (Pasolini, Italy, 1963)
• The Grandmother (Lynch, USA, 1970)
• A Girl’s Own Story (Campion, Australia, 1987)
• Elephant (Clarke, UK, 1989)
• The Wrong Trousers (Park, UK, 1993)
• When the Day Breaks (Forbis/Tilby, Can, 1999)
• About a Girl (Percival, UK, 2001)
• Wasp (Arnold, UK, 2003)
• High Maintenance (Van, Germany, 2006)
• Connect (Abrahams, UK, 2010)
• Night Fishing (Park, South Korea, 2011)
• Pitch Black Heist (Maclean, UK, 2012)
• Curfew (Christensen, USA, 2012)
• Swimmer (Ramsay, UK, 2012)
• The Gunfighter (Kissack, USA, 2014)
• Stutterer (Cleary, UK, 2015)

Stage 1: Generating ideas
Mood board - Props, themes,
settings, characters, lighting,
camera techniques
Character profiles – five traits for
each character
Pitch & Synopsis – summing up
premise in a sentence then a
paragraph
Inspiration research
Scene selection – which sequence
will you develop for a formal
script segment?
Narrative arc – what is the overall
narrative arc which will be the
crux of your story?
[Scriptwriting Stages]
Stage 2: Developing ideas
Scene development – slugline (to
establish setting), script conventions
Scenario development – developing
plot based on action
Character development –
descriptions, traits, action/ reaction,
goal/ conflict/ obstacles/ success-
failure
Dialogue development – appropriate
conventions
Script layout conventions – scene
heading (slugline), action, character
name, dialogue, parenthetical,
extensions, courier new (12),
identations
Illustrative storyboard
Stage 3: Writing Openings
Practice task – write the opening to a horror
film
 Introduce your protagonist as soon as
possible.
 Make sure to establish the genre.
 Create conflict immediately.
 Send your protagonist on a journey.
Practice task in multiple genres – Western,
Crime, Drama, War, Comedy, Romance, Sci-
Fi, Crime – identify conventions then apply
Narrative techniques – apply: backstory,
Chekhov’s gun, cliffhanger, deus ex machine,
eucatastrophe, flashback, flashforward,
foreshadowing, frame story, framing device,
in media res, MacGuffin, narrative hook,
ochi, plot twist, poetic justice,
predestination paradox, quibble, red
herring, self-fulfilling prophecy, story within
a story (hypodiegesis), ticking clock scenario,
unreliable narrator
Effective opening techniques –
Introduce your protagonist as soon as
possible, Make sure to establish the genre,
Create conflict immediately, Send your
protagonist on a journey, Make it visual.
Stage 4: Developing characters
Effective dialogue
 It must characterise the personality of the
speaker.
 It must maintain the individuality of the
speaker but still remain in the style of the
screenplay.
 It must reflect the speaker’s mood or
emotion or provide some window into their
life.
 It must reveal the motivation of the
speaker or attempt to hide their emotion.
 It must reflect the relationship of the
speaker to others.
 It must lead into action or help to join the
story from previous action
 It must advance action.
 It must lead into action or help to join the
story from previous action.
 It must aim to carry information or
exposition in a natural manner.
 It must be clear and comprehensible to the
audience.
 You can develop dialogue as a reaction to
an event.
 You can develop dialogue to illustrate an
emotion (use Plutchik’s Wheel of
Emotions).
Stage 5: The Short Film Script
In order to develop these skills, the task
for this activity is to apply the ideas,
characters and perhaps even dialogue
and use them to create a short script of
no more than 3 pages in total.
A short film script has to be especially
short compared to that of a feature
length script.
The script MUST feature the expected
layout and presentational devices and
contain one page that establishes a
beginning, a middle page that
encompasses the narrative developing
and a final page that creates a
satisfactory ending.
Evaluation
Plutchik’s
Wheel of
Emotions
 Component 3
Examiner’s Notes
Screenplay
 Most candidates were able to handle the master scene script
layout with confidence and were able to adhere to the guidance given
in the specification and in the notes for guidance and digital
resources.
 Please be aware that there should be no instructions for
cinematography and editing, these ideas should be expressed in the
illustrative storyboard. In a similar way to the filmmaking, the best
pieces had few characters and had created carefully written and
convincing dialogue for these, which created a clear sense of
character.
 They also wrote highly visual descriptions of scenes including mise-
en-scène and actions which advanced the narrative or created subtle
character points.
 There was a little bit of confusion about the visual nature of
screenplay writing and some candidates included thoughts or feelings
of characters not conveyed as visual instructions, as if they were
writing a piece of prose fiction, this must be discouraged.
 Candidates should avoid over- reliance on dialogue for storytelling
and bear in mind that film is a visual medium and that there are more
interesting ways of telling a story.
Illustrative Storyboard
 The best of these pieces really brought the screenplay to life and
there was an excellent continuity between the screenplay and
storyboard with facial expressions or clothing which had been
described, shown visually in a digital photograph.
 The close up is a vital shot here too and was perhaps a little under-
used.
 It is important to follow the specification and choose a section of
the screenplay to storyboard and most chose the opening and
used a frame for each element of the scene, which is excellent.
 Candidates encountered problems when they tried to storyboard
the whole screenplay in the limited number of shots or chose
randomly from it.
 While the setting may be indicative, if not possible to recreate, a
different approach should be taken to characters: candidates
should choose to photograph people to illustrate the facial
expression or reaction which has been described in the screenplay.
 Also where props can be realistically used, they should always be
used over representative objects.
 There was a realistic use of timings on most storyboards seen this
year which is pleasing and some careful consideration of
transitions between shots.
 This is also the place to consider non-diegetic sound which many
did to great effect, in terms of mood and atmosphere.
 It is not acceptable to submit images which have been hand drawn
or are entirely digitally produced.
Evaluative Analysis
 Again, there was an opportunity here to write more than in
previous years and there was some excellent and detailed
consideration of cinematic influences with some centres
encouraging their candidates to use examples and screengrabs
from their influences alongside those from their own work; this is
excellent practice and encourages some detailed and perceptive
analysis.
 As with previous specifications, the emphasis here should be on
how meaning and response has been created for spectators.
 Candidates should not describe the process or discuss what they
could have done differently.
 Some of the cinematic influences were really interesting and it is
essential that these are films intended for a cinema release,
whether from the course or their own enthusiastic engagement
with film as a medium.
 TV shows, novels and other non-cinematic influences are to be
discouraged in the evaluative analysis.
 There was some real evidence of learning about film in the best of
these pieces.
 It is helpful for written components, if candidates could include a
word count on their work.
Screenplay
Conventions
• In the most basic terms, a screenplay is a 90-
120 page document written in Courier 12pt
font on 8 1/2" x 11" bright white three-hole
punched paper.
• Wondering why Courier font is used? It's a
timing issue. One formatted script page in
Courier font equals roughly one minute of
screen time. That's why the average page
count of a screenplay should come in
between 90 and 120 pages. Comedies tend
to be on the shorter side (90 pages, or 1 ½
hours) while Dramas run longer (120 pages,
or 2 hours).
• A screenplay can be an original piece, or
based on a true story or previously written
piece, like a novel, stage play or newspaper
article.
• At its heart, a screenplay is a blueprint for
the film it will one day become. Professionals
on the set including the producer, director,
set designer and actors all translate the
screenwriter's vision using their individual
talents.
• Since the creation of a film is ultimately a
collaborative art, the screenwriter must be
aware of each person's role and as such, the
script should reflect the writer's knowledge.
For example, it's crucial to remember that
film is primarily a visual medium.
• As a screenwriter, you must show what's
happening in a story, rather than tell.
• A 2-page inner monologue may work well for
a novel, but is the kiss of death in a script.
• The very nature of screenwriting is based on
how to show a story on a screen, and pivotal
moments can be conveyed through
something as simple as a look on an actor's
face. Let's take a look at what a screenplay's
structure looks like.
Screenplay – First Page
• While screenplay formatting software such as Final Draft,  Just like the format of a script, there are very specific rules for
Movie Magic Screenwriter, Movie Outline and Montage frees you
from having to learn the nitty-gritty of margins and indents, it's good
to have a grasp of the general spacing standards.
• The top, bottom and right margins of a screenplay are 1". The left
margin is 1.5". The extra half-inch of white space to the left of a script
page allows for binding with brads, yet still imparts a feeling of vertical
balance of the text on the page. The entire document should be
single-spaced.
• The very first item on the first page should be the words FADE IN:.
Note: the first page is never numbered. Subsequent page numbers
appear in the upper right hand corner, 0.5" from the top of the page,
flush right to the margin.
Spec Script vs. Shooting
Script
• A "spec script" literally means that you are writing a screenplay on
speculation. That is, no one is paying you to write the script. You are
penning it in hopes of selling the script to a buyer. Spec scripts should
stick stringently to established screenwriting rules.
• Once a script is purchased, it becomes a shooting script, also called a
production script. This is a version of the screenplay created for film
production. It will include technical instructions, like film editing
notes, shots, cuts and the like. All the scenes are numbered, and
revisions are marked with a color-coded system. This is done so that
the production assistants and director can then arrange the order in
which the scenes will be shot for the most efficient use of stage, cast,
and location resources.
• A spec script should NEVER contain the elements of shooting script.
The biggest mistake any new screenwriter can make is to submit a
script full of production language, including camera angles and
editing transitions. It can be very difficult to resist putting this type of
language in your script. After all, it's your story and you see it in a
very specific way. However, facts are facts. If you want to direct your
script, then try to go the independent filmmaker route. But if you
want to sell your script, then stick to the accepted spec screenplay
format.
Script Presentation and
Binding
binding and presenting your script. The first page is the title
page, which should also be written in Courier 12pt font. No
graphics, no fancy pictures, only the title of your script, with
“written by” and your name in the center of the page. In the
lower left-hand or right-hand corner, enter your contact
information. In the lower left-hand or right-hand corner you
can put Registered, WGA or a copyright notification, though
this is generally not a requirement.
Below is a list of items you need to prepare your script to be
sent out:
• Script Covers, either linen or standard card stock
• Three-Hole Punched Paper
• Screenplay Brass Fasteners (also called Brads), Acco
number 5 size 1 1/4-inch for scripts up to 120 pages; Acco
number 6 size 2-inch for larger scripts
• Script Binding Mallet (optional)
• Screenplay Brass Washers
• Script Mailers
Follow these directions to properly bind your script:
• Print your title page and script on bright white three-hole
punched paper.
• Insert the title page and the script into the script cover. The
front and back covers remain blank. They are just there to
protect your script. And remember: pictures and text on
script covers scream amateur.
• Insert two brass fasteners in the first and third holes. Do
NOT put a fastener in the middle hole.
• Flip the script over, and slide the brass washers over the
arms of the fasteners. Spread the arms of the fasteners flat
against the script. Use a Script Binding Mallet to ensure a
tight, flat fit.
• Use the flat, self-seal script mailers to send your scripts out
to buyers.
 Scene Heading
• Indent: Left: 0.0" Right: 0.0" Width: 6.0"
Below is a list of items (with definitions) that make up the screenplay format, along with indenting
• A scene heading is a one-line description of the location and time of day of a
screenwriter must have a working knowledge of the definitions to know when to use each one. scene, also known as a "slugline." It should always be in CAPS.
• Example: EXT. WRITERS STORE - DAY reveals that the action takes place
information. Again, screenplay software will automatically format all these elements, but a
outside The Writers Store during the daytime.
Subheader
• Indent: Left: 0.0" Right: 0.0" Width: 6.0"
• When a new scene heading is not necessary, but some distinction needs to
be made in the action, you can use a subheader. But be sure to use these
sparingly, as a script full of subheaders is generally frowned upon. A good
example is when there are a series of quick cuts between two locations, you
would use the term INTERCUT and the scene locations.
Action
• Indent: Left: 0.0" Right: 0.0" Width: 6.0"
• The narrative description of the events of a scene, written in the present
tense. Also less commonly known as direction, visual exposition, blackstuff,
description or scene direction.
Remember - only things that can be seen and heard should be included in
the action.
Character
• Indent: Left: 2.0" Right: 0.0" Width: 4.0"
Screenplay Elements
• When a character is introduced, his name should be capitalized within the
action. For example: The door opens and in walks LIAM, a thirty-something
hipster with attitude to spare.
• A character's name is CAPPED and always listed above his lines of dialogue.
Minor characters may be listed without names, for example "TAXI DRIVER" or
"CUSTOMER.“
Dialogue
• Indent: Left: 1.0" Right: 1.5" Width: 3.5"
• Lines of speech for each character. Dialogue format is used anytime a
character is heard speaking, even for off-screen and voice-overs.
Parenthetical
• Indent: Left: 1.5" Right: 2.0" Width: 2.5"
• A parenthetical is direction for the character, that is either attitude or
action-oriented. With roots in the playwriting genre, today,
parentheticals are used very rarely, and only if absolutely necessary.
Why? Two reasons. First, if you need to use a parenthetical to convey
what's going on with your dialogue, then it probably just needs a good
re-write. Second, it's the director's job to instruct an actor on how to
deliver a line, and everyone knows not to encroach on the director's
turf!
Extension
• Placed after the character's name, in parentheses
• An abbreviated technical note placed after the character's name to
indicate how the voice will be heard onscreen, for example, if the
character is speaking as a voice-over, it would appear as LIAM (V.O.).
Transition
• Indent: Left: 4.0" Right: 0.0" Width: 2.0"
• Transitions are film editing instructions, and generally only appear in a
shooting script. Transition verbiage includes:
• CUT TO: // DISSOLVE TO: // SMASH CUT: // QUICK CUT: // FADE TO:
• As a spec script writer, you should avoid using a transition unless there
is no other way to indicate a story element. For example, you might
need to use DISSOLVE TO: to indicate that a large amount of time has
passed.
Shot
• Indent: Left: 0.0" Right: 0.0" Width: 6.0"
• A shot tells the reader the focal point within a scene has changed. Like a
transition, there's rarely a time when a spec screenwriter should insert
shot directions. Once again, that's the director's job. 
Examples of Shots:
• ANGLE ON -- // EXTREME CLOSE UP -- // PAN TO -- // LIAM'S POV --
Sample Title Page Sample Script Extract
 • CONTEXT AND CHARACTER ARE EVERYTHING. As you’ll notice from the famous examples given above, the best dialogue won’t make any sense to anyone who hasn’t
seen the movie. Make sure your dialogue fits the character who is speaking it, and that it springs directly from story context instead of feeling “grafted on.” Even in
comedies, if a line isn’t true to the character and situation, it won’t work.
• NO ONE SHOULD TALK LIKE ANYONE ELSE. As in life, each character in your script should have his own distinctive speaking style. To test for this in your script, cover up the
character names and see if you can still guess which character is speaking at any given moment. If your characters talk too much alike, fix this problem right away.
• NO “SMALL” ROLES. Actors like to say, “There are no small roles. Only small actors.” When I read and evaluate a script, I worry when I see characters with generic names
like “Thug #1” or “Waitress #2.” Too often, that naming convention results in equally generic dialogue. Each character in your script should have a name (or at least a
persona, such as, “Nervous Bank Teller”), and a distinctive personality—reflected in his dialogue.
• ARGUING IS GOOD. Arguing probably isn’t a good approach to life. But conflict is great for your story. Make sure that every character in your script gives your hero a hard
time. I don’t care if all your hero wants is directions to the nearest gas station. Nobody should cooperate with him—at least not without a lot of persuasion.
• EVIL IS AS EVIL DOES. Amateur writers create heroes whose dialogue drips with the milk of human kindness, and villains whose every syllable drips venom and evil
intentions. But what do the pros do? They write heroes who may talk cynically, but behave in the opposite way and demonstrate compassion or idealism. Their villains are
often elaborately polite, but evil in their behavior. This technique adds depth to your script—when dialogue doesn’t always directly reflect a character’s true inner being.
Always remember your character’s actions—not necessarily what he says—determine whether he is good or evil. For reference, see the quintessential cynical hero,
Humphrey Bogart’s Rick in Casablanca; and for a classic, polite villain, see Calvera (played by the great Eli Wallach) in The Magnificent Seven.
• DON’T TELL US THINGS WE ALREADY KNOW. In some of the scripts I analyze for writers, we get story information in one scene, and then in the very next scene one
character tells another the same “news.” Never tell us things we (the film audience) already know. How to avoid this mistake? Start the next scene later, after the “news”
Screenwriting: Dialogue – Basic Tips

has already been transmitted—or cut it off earlier. For example, if a character dies in one scene and the hero must transmit the sad news to the deceased’s next of kin, all
we need to see in the follow-up scene is what happens right before the relative is told—or what happens right after. In fact, that “aftermath” scene probably won’t need
any dialogue at all. All the hero needs to do is walk in the door and make eye contact with the person he must tell. Cut! Also, never write a line of dialogue that begins
with: “As you already know … ” If information is being transmitted solely for the audience’s benefit, it doesn’t belong in your script.
• AVOID “ON THE NOSE” DIALOGUE. When I was in film school, they warned us never to write dialogue that was too “on the nose.” By this they meant that characters
should never simply state exactly what’s on their minds, without nuance or subtext, nor appear to be giving “exposition.” That’s tantamount to being boring, a cardinal sin.
In life, people rarely say directly what’s on their minds. In movies they shouldn’t either.
• LESS IS MORE. If you can “say” the same thing with a visual image, action, behavior, or sound effect instead of through dialogue, omit the dialogue.
• AVOID “VOICE-OVER VERBATIMS.” Voice-over narration should never merely repeat what we’re seeing in action unfolding on the screen. It should act as a counterpoint to
the action rather than echoing it.
• GIVE ACTORS SOMETHING TO ACT. When writing for a star (and even if you are writing a spec script, you should have a star in mind), your dialogue should give him
something to sink his teeth into to “chew the scenery.” If, to Gordon Gekko, “Greed is good,” for movie dialogue, “Over-the-top is good.” The star of your movie should
have at least one “big speech.” Give him all the best lines. And make sure that your protagonist is introduced very early in your script—preferably on page one.
• BONUS TIP: Write characters that are quirky and unpredictable in what they say and do. Whatever someone would normally say in the situation at hand, have your
character say something totally unexpected instead.
 The Biggest Problem
With Script Dialogue:
“Shooting The
Breeze”
• Many screenwriters fall in love with writing
dialogue—letting their characters loose to
just talk and talk and talk because, well, they
have a lot to say. In reality, the skill in writing
great dialogue is knowing when and how to
shut characters up.
• As you’ve probably heard before, every line
of dialogue in a screenplay should be in there
for a reason. If not it can be cut. However,
this advice can be a tricky thing to adhere to
because writers often approach script
dialogue as characters “just talking.” But it
isn’t…
• Rather, a script’s dialogue should nearly
always put the characters under some kind of
pressure. A character’s words should be
either hard to say or hard to hear. What we
often see in spec screenplays, however, is the
opposite: words that are easy to say and easy
to hear.
• When characters are continually left to
“shoot the breeze” like this—chat in a
friendly manner with no real purpose or
conflict—the reader loses interest. Often not
only in the scene, but in the whole script.
• It’s okay to have characters begin a scene by
talking in a relaxed, friendly manner, engage
in small-talk, order food, etc. But if they
continue to talk like this for the entire scene
—as in the dialogue examples coming up—
then you have a conversation that’s “just
talking” rather than pushing the story
forward.
A Script
Dialogue Audit
• Rather than just being told
what your script’s dialogue
should or shouldn’t do,
we’ve come up with an
exercise that should help you
see the problem more clearly
in your own screenplay. And
the way to do this is to first
see dialogue examples of it
in another writer’s.
• The exercise is divided into
three parts:
• Read three examples from
spec of “shooting the
breeze” dialogue
• Discover the kind of
fundamental questions you
should ask yourself about
the dialogue in a scene
(which you’ll find after each
dialogue example)
• Read your own script and
apply the same questions to
every conversation
• Doing this will hopefully
enable you to better identify
the problem of chatty script
dialogue in your own work
and then give you the tools
to either rework the scene or
cut it altogether.
Advanced Tips
• Start by going through each scene in your screenplay and noting how many questions are being asked. If the
characters are engaged in a Q&A session, there’s a strong likelihood they’re just amiably chatting and their
dialogue is purely for the audience’s benefit.
• Seek out banal questions and answers and rework every conversation so the characters are making life difficult for
themselves, hiding something, revealing something or engaging in an escalating war of words.
• We understand that this can be hard to do as on the one hand screenplay dialogue needs to feel casual and “real,”
just like how people talk in real life. On the other hand, dialogue isn’t how people talk in real life at all.
• It’s a heightened reality in which characters hardly ever stumble over their words or go off-track, are much wittier
than usual and always know just the right thing to say at just the right time.
• When it comes to dialogue in a script, every word is selected for a reason, because they want to conceal something,
find something out, kiss the other person or hurt them and so on.
• The trick, then, is in making script dialogue feel like real life, but with every single conversation earning its place
in the script. And the best indicator is: if the discussion isn’t making the characters uncomfortable or revealing
something, it probably needs cutting.
• Writing easy-going “shooting the breeze” script dialogue like in the examples in this post is an easy trap to fall into.
While there are no obvious glaring dialogue mistakes in these scenes and they’re competently written, this is
actually half the problem.
• It’s because this kind of genial, laid-back dialogue is so easy to write that it feels normal and safe and ends up
becoming a default position for the whole script. The trouble is, happy-go-lucky conversations are not particularly
interesting to read and definitely not exciting to watch up on screen.
• Another good way to eliminate screenplay dialogue that’s just “shooing the breeze” is to always remember that
your characters’ speech should serve the needs of the scene, not the other way around.
• In other words, script dialogue should not the be-all-and-end-all of a scene. It should be the last thing added to it
—layered on top of the reason why the scene’s in the script in the first place—with stakes attached that relate
back to the protagonist’s central dilemma.
• The main purpose of a scene should be to push the story forward, from one beat to another. Therefore, the
primary cause of bad script dialogue writing isn’t necessarily bad dialogue. It’s often a bad scene. Great script
dialogue depends on your characters being in an already great scene.
• So if you want to know how to write good dialogue between your characters, the first step may be to take a look
at your scenes and ramp up the stakes and conflict within them until there’s something emotionally interesting
happening in each one—regardless of the dialogue.
• If you can’t find a reason why, say, Abby and Monica’s conversation during a yoga class should be uncomfortable,
difficult or revealing in some way, then it probably means the scene itself isn’t uncomfortable, difficult or revealing
and can be cut.
• Be ruthless when it comes to editing script dialogue. If your characters are having too easy a time of it during a
conversation, it probably means you’re not putting them under enough duress in the script as a whole.
 Script Example #1

• Is this a hard conversation for one

or both of these characters to
have?
• Does it put one or both of the
characters under pressure?
• Does the conversation involve
conflict as one character tries to
“win a battle”?
• Were you engaged and excited
while reading this screenplay
dialogue?
• Has a fundamental shift in the
story occurred by the end of the
scene?

The answer to these questions is no. Neither Paster Ed or

Ray are feeling particularly uncomfortable during this script
dialogue. Despite addressing difficult subject matter, the
tone is friendly and relaxed.

Neither Paster Ed or Ray are attempting to outwit the

other in a “verbal battle”—back them into a corner, trick or
intimidate, etc. We have a post here on 
how to write dialogue between two characters that shows
how to inject conflict into a conversation by equating it to
a game of tennis.

Note also how both Pastor Ed and Ray’s dialogue also

regularly strays over the recommended three lines
maximum quota. Read screenplays and watch films paying
particular attention to how much each character actually
says all at once. You’ll find it’s really not much at all.
 Script Example #2

• Is this an important conversation

that deserves to be in the script?
• Does this script dialogue interest,
amuse or shock you in some way?
• Does it feel like a natural
conversation between two real
people?

• Again the answer to these questions is no as it’s

another example of characters “shooting the
breeze.” Abby and Monica don’t discuss anything
particularly important to the story and nothing
surprising is revealed at the end to push it
forward.
• Overall, they spend most of the conversation
complaining about the job market, rather than
actually putting the other under any kind of real
pressure with their dialogue.

Note also the frequent use of questions. Abby asks

Monica five questions in the scene:
• “Any luck finding anything?”
• “What happened?”
• “What about the other one?”
• “Isn’t the state unemployment rate 11%?”
• “By the way, where’s your friend, Chloe?”

• This Q&A-style of script dialogue is very common in specs and is another symptom of letting characters “just talking” rather than forcing
them to use their words as weapons. When characters are continually asking each other questions it feels unnatural and “on-the-nose”
because this isn’t how people talk in real life.
• As in the scene above, it’s hard to really imagine Abby and Monica as real flesh-and-blood people because they’re talking in such a direct,
obvious way—asking each other questions for the benefit of the audience rather than themselves.
• This also makes the script dialogue very uninteresting to read as it feels like the writer is force-feeding us information. There’s no intrigue or
surprise here as characters invariably end up answering these sort of questions exactly as we’d expect them to.
 Script Example #3

• Is this a conversation you’ve never

heard in a movie before?
• Does each character have a distinct
personality?
• Does this conversation reveal
anything new about these
characters?

• As you can see the answer again to these questions is no. This
dialogue feels uninspiring and generic because yet again
these guys are just “shooting the breeze.” The conversation
never escalates into anything approaching conflict and as a
consequence there’s no real reason for it to be in the script.
• Note as well how there’s nothing particularly fresh or
surprising about it. We feel like we’ve heard this kind of script
dialogue a million times before and this is another major
symptom of just letting characters chat without
defining why they’re talking.
• In real life people have these kind of inconsequential
conversations all the time, but they don’t belong in a
screenplay in which dialogue should be a heightened reality
as previously discussed.
• Finally, there’s nothing to differentiate these characters from
each other. Kalvin kind of has his own voice, but you could
swap out Jay’s name for Dutch’s and Wally’s name for Jay’s
and nothing much would change.

• Go through your script highlighting one character’s dialogue at a time. Do they all sound the same? If so, it probably means you don’t know the characters
as well as you could. But once you know them better, they’ll also begin to develop an individuality to the way they talk, what’s known as a “voice.”
• Creating a “voice” with a character’s dialogue can definitely be tricky but it’s ultimately what makes them interesting: the way you show us who they are by
how they talk andwhat they choose to talk about.
• In Sex and the City, for example, we have four women who are all roughly the same age, live in the same city, come from similar backgrounds and all have
good jobs, and yet each character’s dialogue has a “voice” because each one has a different worldview, attitude and outlook on life. And this comes out in
what they choose to talk about and how they react to things.
• Once you know your characters a little better in this way, then their dialogue will naturally begin to sound different because you will be able to write it
according to their individual personalities.
 Recommended Filmmaking Books
Chris Jones
Robert McKee Robert McKee The Guerrilla Film Makers Robert Rodriguez
Story Dialogue Movie Blueprint Rebel Without A Crew
 Recommended Filmmaking Books
Steven D. Katz Blain Brown Harry C. Box
Film Directing:
Walter Murch Cinematography: Set Lighting
In The Blink Of An Eye Theory and Practice
Shot By Shot Technician’s Handbook
 Recommended Filmmaking Books
Assorted Film Daniel Arijon Tino Balle Robert Bresson
Grammar of the Grand Design: Hollywood
Studies Books Film Language as a Modern Enterprise
Notes on the Cinematograph