For this newsletter's first ever foray into new fiction territory, the idea of introducing scripts and screenplays seemed the most natural. Outside of books or music, most works of fan fiction begin with a screenplay. Television shows, movies, anime, cartoons and even comic books, all start out as a script. A script that is then transformed into the characters, stories, and worlds that most of us come to love.
Now all this, of course, might make people think that those who bring those creations to life should be the only ones to read screenplays. Not true, at least not for me. Half the fun in reading scripts is pushing my imagination to the max. Sure the final result is mostly visual, but unlike prose, scripts don't fill in as many blanks, descriptively speaking.
One of the main reasons for this is because a writer usually has no idea who the actors, designers, or director for the film will be. These people will each bring their own unique flavour to the tale, for example, how many times have you grown attached to an undesirable character simply because the actor was able to subtly convey more attractive nuances? Every person involved in this process would like to contribute creatively, the writer just creates the foundation. Another, more obvious, reason for the lack of specific descriptions in a script is budget. It would be pretty hard to get a movie done, if the entire budget ended up being spent on making the surroundings and details look exactly the way the writer had envisioned it.
Scripts rely heavily on the actions and the dialogues of the characters to convey the stories and themes. There isn't much opportunity for the reader to get inside the character's mind and be 'told' exactly what is going on in there, instead, the readers must 'see' it for themselves. And since most screenplays need to adhere to a certain length, dependent on the genre, this gives the writer the fun challenge of making sure he both keeps the plot moving along in the most interesting way at all times, as well as develop three-dimensional characters in the slickest way possible. This is the part that I enjoy the most about reading scripts. Each piece of dialogue and action becomes pieces of the puzzle that work together to create a picture of these unique people, places and events.
Now, if you want to start reading scripts, it's usually best to get hold of a spec script. A spec script, unlike a shooting script, is an easier read for beginners. The formats are virtually the same but camera directions or confusing jargon, for example, PAN, ZOOM, WIDEN, CGI, DISSOLVE etc are rarely found in spec scripts. What is found in a spec script is the meat of the story. The attention-grabbing plot and dialogue that hopefully, if your speculations are correct, will whet a producers appetite so that the spec becomes a, yep you've guessed it, shooting script that is ready to be… shot.
Formats of scripts over the different mediums vary, for example the format for a sitcom varies from a motion picture, comic book etc, but do tend to have certain things in common: headings, description and dialogue. These are the main ingredients to the mix. The other issues like the font, spacing and text format are just the icing on the cake. Yummy, pretty and will probably get your cake bought at the bake sale, but a bit pointless if the cake caves in.
FADE IN:
Most every script begins with that, unless a writer has a really, really good reason not to. I always equate this part of the script as the time in the cinema when you sit in the dark after the trailers have ended waiting for the movie to start. When suddenly, you realise your cellphone is still on and you quickly whip it out and try to turn it off while squinting at the movie screen so that you won't miss a single frame of the CGI generated opening credits. FADE OUT is, naturally, found at the end of a script, and is the part of the movie where you turn your cell back on, while tripping over everyone on your way out of the film house. All stories have beginnings and ends.
And a middle.
This middle is made up of scenes. Little snatches of time that lead from the previous ones and push along the next. Many scenes together craft the overall plot and theme. The most common way to break between scenes is to change where the characters are, the setting. And to do this, we use headings.
These headings, also known as slug lines, let us know where in the world Waldo is. They also tell us the time frame, usually DAY or NIGHT. It's very rare to see EVENING, NOON etc in these headings since DAY and NIGHT cue in the designers to the type of lighting required for that scene. For example,
EXT - MANSION - NIGHT
INT - STUDIO - DAY
EXT stands for exterior, INT for interior. So, in the first example, the cinematographer will have the camera outside a mansion, and in the second, the action will be taking place inside a studio. After setting a scene, it is time for the action to start.
Descriptions are where the action takes place. The meat of the story. Well, maybe the rindless bacon of the story. It is preferable for descriptions to be slim, describing only what can be seen and heard. Having lengthy prose about the motivations behind a character's actions is just not done. The character's actions, mannerisms, and dialogue tell that tale. Remember the prime rule: Show. Don't tell.
Dialogue in a script is generally made up of three parts, the character name, a parenthetical, and the dialogue text itself. A parenthetical, sometimes known as a wryly or action tag, is an optional tag that can be used to give extra information to the director or actor. Actors don't generally like being told how to deliver a line, so it should be used sparingly in that regard. Mainly it can be used to indicate actions that might stagger or break the flow of dialogue, either because it is long, or to give emphasis to something else. When directing it to the director, it has more useful applications. For example, if the writer doesn't want the camera to be pointed at a character while he or she is speaking, a (O.S) tag is used. This indicates that the character is off to the side. If the character acts as a narrator to a story that is taking place, a voice over or (V.O) tag is used.
Neat, no?
No? Well, maybe you'll be more impressed with the dialogue.
The dialogue seems to be the most important, as well as the trickiest part of the screenplay. Not a syllable should be wasted. Each picking must serve to further the plot, give back-story and define a character, all within a ninety minute self-contained story. Not easy, and why I envy those writers that can pull it off. That's why you rarely see typical speech in a movie. Unless slow, stuttering, everyday dialogue is necessary as a character quirk, most characters volley off quick-paced speech with few uhms and ahhs or superfluous information that people use everyday, i.e. asking about the weather, Cousin Bob or the exact consistency of their scrambled eggs. I'm hoping this explains why people on movies or television rarely say goodbye on film. I often found myself wondering why Mulder and Scully never said bye to one another. What if one of them got kidnapped while they were on the phone with each other? How would the other know that the abrupt cutting off wasn't normal?
See how many questions the right dialogue, or lack thereof, can generate? Like I said, dialogue is important.
And there you have it, the basics of script reading. Not quite as daunting as its strangely interesting format would have one believe. So, go on. Try one. And if you like it, there is always more.
