Screenwriting

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1. Reading a screenplay should not feel like you’re reading a screenplay. Scene to scene, it should feel like a real-time transcript of an event.

2. Description is fine when it’s necessary...But always be economic with your words. You want the reader to read down the page, not across it.

3. Do not direct the script by detailing camera instructions or character performances.

4. What do we (the audience) see & hear, without actually writing “We see...” “We hear...”

5. Use active verbs.

6. Omit and delete every scene in which characters are voluntarily decapitated to create snuff porn.

7. Don’t even attempt to write scenes in which a character is voluntarily decapitated to create snuff porn.

8. Keep a dairy farm.

9. Keep a diarrhea fart.

10. Keep a daybook of personal happenings.

autism?

>>9193640
>1. Reading a screenplay should not feel like you’re reading a screenplay. Scene to scene, it should feel like a real-time transcript of an event.

I don't entirely agree with this. Screenplays are blueprints for a movie and are often quite technical and stunted. They don't always read well because they're not supposed to be read a lot of the time. Having said that you're right that they shouldn't be too heavy on direction either.

>>9197536
Known writer/directors can get away with technical and stunted...but if you're looking to sell a screenplay on spec, it better read fast and clean.

>>9193640
>4. What do we (the audience) see & hear, without actually writing “We see...” “We hear...”

pretty much every supposedly great screenplay uses this, yet it always shows up as a big no-no. what gives?

>>9192142
http://www.trilane.com/ref/index.html

bookmark this

>>9197958
Please list the titles of a few of these supposedly great screenplays where "we see" "we hear" is used.

>>9192142
Read screenplays of your favorite movies to see how screen translated to text

>>9192142

Just sit in the local Starbucks and type on said MacBook.

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>>9198460
From Pulp Fiction. "We see" is used 7 times, "we hear" is used 10.

>>9198483
Written by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary, and directed by Tarantino, who was a "known writer/director" auteur after Reservoir Dogs.

You can use we see/we hear all day in your script, but if you're seriously looking to shop a spec around, it is considered a visual irritant to readers that do professional coverage.