So, You Want to be a Screenwriter..., Film & One-Hour TV Drama Format Options

[Slipfighter]

So, you have this killer idea for a movie, you see an episode of a show you like and think you have a killer episode idea, or heck, you're sick of the declining quality of a show you like, and think you can do a better job. What do you do?

The thing is, a lot of aspiring writers develop the itch to write a movie or TV show, but often don't know the format, leaving them searching for the next step. Well, let me see if I can't get you started.

Before we get too much into the individual format of the film and one-hour TV drama setup (which are similar), it's important to know the terminology of scriptwriting, and how those parts work.


SCENE HEADINGS / SLUG LINES – These are important and must appear in a script. They give the reader a quick view of where they are and when they’re there. A SLUG LINE looks like this: (Only not in bold, and not blue )

EXT. MIKE’S HOUSE – DAY

INT. APARTMENT – NIGHT

We have three parts to look at here. The fist part – the EXT / INT part – tells us where we are... outside or inside. INT. stands for interior; EXT. stands for exterior. The second part tells us the specific location. In other words:

EXT. MIKE’S HOUSE -- means we’re outside of Mike’s house.

INT. APARTMENT -- means we’re inside an apartment.

The third part tells what time of the day it is. DAY, NIGHT, MORNING, DAWN, ect. This part is not meant to (but can) give specific times, but it’s mostly just a quick overview. So:

EXT. MIKE’S HOUSE – DAY -- means we’re outside Mike’s house during the day.

What if you want to be more specific with your location? I mean an apartment can have a kitchen and a bedroom, right? Of course, so if you want to be more specific and tell where in a place someone is, you simply do this:

INT. APARTMENT - KITCHEN – NIGHT

Now we know where in the apartment we are.

SLUG LINES are always typed out in this order. It’s always INT / EXT first, location and specific location second, and the general time of day third. Slug Lines are also always capitalized.


MINI SUG LINES – This is a little more advanced, but nice to know. Sometime a full SLUG LINE is a bit overkill, so instead of using a complete SLUG LINE, you can use a MINI SLUG LINE. For example, if someone is in the kitchen of an apartment and then walks into the living room, you could simply use a MINI SLUG LINE to convey the movement from one room to the next. Like this:

CODE

       INT. APARTMENT - KITCHEN – NIGHT

       Joe grabs a jug of Milk from the refrigerator.  He pours
       himself a glass, puts the milk back in the frig, then makes
       his way to--

       THE LIVING ROOM

       And takes a seat on the couch.

THE LIVING ROOM is the mini slug line. It would be overkill to write out a full SLUG LINE for a simple movement such as moving from one room to the next. These are also always capped.


ACTION LINES – Now, off the subject of Slug Lines and onto Action Lines. ACTION LINES are just what the name implies... you use them to tell the action. You can also use them to give quick (I stress quick) descriptions of your characters as we meet them. Example:

MIKE, 20s, handsome, stands in line with a basket of
groceries in hand.

ACTION LINES, I must stress, are not used for telling a character’s inner thoughts or story exposition that can’t be seen on screen; ACTION LINES are for telling the action. Those whom are used to writing in prose style (short stories, novels, ect.) may find the transition difficult at times. It’s tempting to write what a character is thinking, or giving background info that can’t be translated to visuals, but scriptwriting is a visual style of writing, and inner thoughts are not action; therefore, don’t translate on screen. Action Lines need not be capped, only SOUNDS are usually capped, and sometime writers choose to cap important parts.

CHARACTER CUES / CHARACTER NAMES – First we’ll discuss Character Cues. A Character Cue is used, as you most likely know, before dialogue. A Character Cue lets the reader know which character is about to speak. Example:

CODE

                                 MIKE
                      Hey, Joe!  What's up?

                                 JOE
                      Not much.  Going to the store.

See? Simple, isn’t it?

Now, Character NAMES are a little different, in my book. For the most part it’s like this:

Mike grabs a doughnut and takes a bite.

However, the first time you introduce a character in the action lines of your script, you must CAPITALIZE their name. That’s the only time you have to cap a person’s name in the action lines; however, CHARACTER CUES have to be capped every time.


DIALOGUE – This is fairly simple. You simply place dialogue under the Character Cue.


EXTENSIONS – There are several extensions to know.

V.O – V.O stands for VOICE OVER. A Voice Over means a character is speaking, but they’re not present in the scene. A good example of this is, for example, when a narrator is talking to us, the audience, telling us a story of something. Or take Season 6 of Buffy where Willow is talking to the gang telepathically while on patrol. We could hear Willow speaking, but she wasn’t speaking physically; it was mentally. That’s an example of a Voice Over, also. A Voice Over is basically used when a character is speaking, but the voice is not being physically projected from the person or from within the scene. Here’s an example:

CODE

 

       EXT. GOLD KINGDOM – DAY

       The Kingdom is a glorious sight to behold.  It’s a mass of
       brilliantly crafted concrete, stone and gold, shimmering in
       the hot, gleaming sun of the day.

                                 MAN (V.O)
                      Once upon a time in a kingdom
                      far, far away, there lived a
                      princess.

What we see in the above is that someone is talking while we’re looking in on the kingdom, which means he’s speaking, but not actually physically in the scene. He’s speaking from somewhere else, in so many words. This is a Voice Over.

O.S – more often then not, new screenwriters mix this up with the idea of the Voice Over, and it’s because it’s a little tricky to figure out at first. O.S stands for OFF SCREEN. This means that the character is physically in the scene, and is physically speaking; it’s just that we can’t see them while they’re do it. In short, the best example to give is when, for example, a character is talking to another character that is in a different room. For example:

CODE

       INT. HOUSE – LIVING ROOM – DAY  

       Mike and Joe sit happily on the couch.  Mike gets up and
       heads for the BATHROOM, shutting the door behind him.

       Joe thumbs through a newspaper.

                                 JOE
                      Hey, Bob's having a sale at the
                      lot today.  Wanna head on over
                      later on?

                                 MIKE (O.S)
                      Sure.

You see, Mike is in the scene and talking, but we can’t see him because he’s in the bathroom. When he speaks, he’s speaking Off Screen, meaning he’s not visible to us, even though he is there in the house and part of the physical scene. I know this sounds confusing, but it gets easier with practice.

CONT’D – This is short for CONTINUED. What this does is let the reader know that a character’s dialogue is continuing after having been broken up by an Action Line. I know, it probably sounds confusing, but it’s actually pretty simple. It works like this:

CODE

 

                                 MIKE
                      Now, we can play this game
                      all night, or we...

       The Thug turns, tries to run.  Mike grabs him by the
       collar.

                                 MIKE (CONT'D)
                      Can do it this way instead.

See, it simply means that Mike's dialogue continues after the action line. It’s not major, and is sort of falling out of practice in Hollywood, but it’s nice to know the rule anyway.

Basically, that’s about it for EXTENSIONS. They don't need to be capped, but usually are.


PARENTHETICALS – Parentheticals are used to tell the reader how dialogue is delivered... emotionally. It’s placed directly under the Character Cue.

CODE

                                 MIKE
                            (Annoyed)
                      The car isn't working!

Because of the parenthetical, we now know that Mike is saying what he says in a tone that suggests he’s annoyed. I do stress, however, to watch the number of parentheticals you use. Only use parentheticals when a character’s tone isn’t clear based on the way the dialogue is written. There are exceptions, of course.

Parentheticals can also be used to convey small (I stress small) amounts of action. For example:

CODE

                                 MAN
                            (Reveals a Lighter)
                      Let me light that for you.

YOU SHOULD NOT, I repeat, SHOULD NOT do the following:

CODE

                                 MAN
                            (He takes out a lighter,
                             flicks it open, and
                             lights the guy's cig)
                      Let me light that for you.

Again, use only SMALL amounts of action.

Parentheticals can also be used to clarify to whom a character is speaking to if there are several characters or more in a scene. For example, if Angel is talking to Spike and then turns his attention to, lets say Wesley; it would look something like this.

CODE

                                 ANGEL
                      Not now, Spike!
                            (To Wes)
                      As I was saying...

SHOT DIRECTIONS – Let me start by saying you aren’t going to be using these very often, if at all. You may use the occasional CLOSE UP / CLOSE ON or ANGLE every so often, but not very much. Shot Directions are used mainly in Shooting Scripts, not in Spec Scripts, which is what you’ll mostly be writing. If you use a shot direction, only use it if it truly does enhance the visual experience. Shot directions look like this:

CODE

       FADE IN:

       CLOSE ON: A pair of EYES.   Female.  They’re a bright blue,
       uncanny bright.  They belong to--


       INT. VIOLET’S BEDROOM - DAY

       VIOLET -- 20’s, pretty, shoulder length hair.

The "CLOSE ON" is a shot direction. It's telling the director where to put the camera. Most directors don't like to be told where to put the camera on a regular bases. Equally, they don't like to be told how to move the camera. A lot of aspiring writers tend to write what they’re seeing in their mind, so they try to describe the camera movements. Again: small doses. The job of the writer is to tell the story, not direct it... unless they actually are directing it, and then this stuff will come out in the shooing script. They're always capped.


TRANSITIONS – Transitions are another aspect of scriptwriting you won’t be using very much, only when it’ll help enhance the visual experience of the scene. Transitions move us from scene to scene, but in Spec writing, you only use it when it helps set a visual tone. Some common Transition terms are: CUT TO, DISSOLVE TO, WIDEN TO REVEAL, WIPE TO, SMASH CUT TO, FADE OUT, BLACK OUT, and FADE IN. It gets confusing fast, so to make it easy, you’ll mostly only use FADE IN, FADE OUT, or BLACK OUT. Once you, as a writer, understand how all these terms are used, feel free to play around a bit with them, but never over do it. Transitions look something like this:

CODE

 

       ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CATWALK, the blue door swings
       open.  Guards pile in and spread out.  Examine the scene.
       They don’t notice--

       IN THE RESERVOIR, bubbles are forming on the liquid
       surface.

                                                 FADE TO BLACK:

       SUPER: "Present Day"

                                                 FADE INTO:


       INT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - NIGHT

       Angel sits in his office, thumbing through some papers.

Use Transitions only if it really does set a certain visual tone you simply just cannot convey without using one. However, you’ll almost always start your script with a FADE IN, and end it with a FADE OUT or FADE TO BLACK. They're always capped.


SUPERIMPOSED TITLE – You just saw an example of this above. This is also known as simply SUPER. You know when a show or movie shows a year or date on the screen, or maybe a location or quote? That’s what a Superimposed Title is. A Superimposed Title is simply words that appear on screen. The opening quotes at the beginning of each Andromeda episode are an example of a Superimposed Title.


MONTAGE / SERIES OF SHOTS -- Once upon a time these used to be considered different things, but now they’re pretty much interchangeable. A Montage is used to show a series of events taking place over a period of time, such as lovers meeting, walking in the park, eating ice cream, and getting married. This is usually accompanied by music playing in the background. I’m sure you’ve all seen something similar to this many times. A Series of Shots is pretty much the same; the only difference is that a series of shots is taking place during a particular event in one location. For example: alien ships appear over the Statue of Liberty, people on the island panic, the ship fires at the Statue of Liberty and blows it up, and so on. Don’t worry yourself over the minor differences. In either case, there are different ways to write them, but here are a couple of examples.

CODE

       BEGIN MONTAGE:

       1. Mark and Jane meet.  Love at first site

       2. They go to the park, to an ice cream shop, dance club,
       and other places to do other activities with each other.

       3. It’s their wedding day.  Both look happy as they pull
       away in their car, a “Just Married” sign attached to the
       window.

       END MONTAGE

Equally, a Montage can also be written like this:

CODE

       BEGIN MONTAGE: THE CITY

       A) Various shots.  Aerial panning and whipping past
       buildings, taking in the magnitude of the city’s size.
       People walking the streets; shopping; working; driving.
       The rich eating well, the poor dig through trash, and
       then--

       B) THE WEST SIDE HIGHWAY

       Alice TEARS down the highway at a breakneck speed,
       masterfully weaving through traffic.

       END MONTAGE

The idea is to simply write the Montage or Series of Shots clearly.


POINT OF VIEW – POV, or POINT OF VIEW, is simply when we’re looking through the eyes of one of the characters. We see what they see. It looks like this:

WILLOW’S POV: Buffy and Angel lovingly embracing each
other.


That's about it for the terminology, now on to the more specifics.

The margins for the film and one-hour TV drama formats are identical.

Action Lines -- Left Margin of 1.5 inches, Right Margin of 1 inch

Slug Lines -- L. of 1.5", R. of 1"

Character Cues -- L. of 3.5", R. of 2"

Parentheticals -- L. of 3", R. of 3.5"

Dialogue -- L. of 2.5", R. of 3"

Shot Directions -- L. of 1.5", R. 1"

Transitions -- L. or 5.5". R. 1"

Act Numbers -- If used, they're centered.

Sounds confusing, doesn't it? It's not that bad once you get going. Not to mention the margins don't have to be pinpoint exact, just as long as the script looks like a script, and the margins are generally right. On top of that, there is software out there that will properly format these margins for you. Professional programs will run into the $100+ range, but there are free scriptwriting templates that work with the various forms of Microsoft Word, which will format these things on the page for you at the simple click of an icon. My personal favorite is Script Smart Gold: U.S Edition, distributed for free by the BBC at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scriptsmart/#

All scripts are written in present tense, never in past tense, never in future tense, but always, always, always in present tense. "Mark hits the ball," not, "Mark hit the ball," or, "Mark will hit the ball." The accepted word font is 12 point Courier. You can use Courier Final Draft font, plain Courier, even Courier 10 BT, most which you can download legally for free. If the font isn't Courier, it's the wrong font. That rule is pretty straightforward as well.

Now for the spacing:

Double space between a Slug Line and Action Line. Double space between an Action Line and Character Cue. Single space between a Character Cue and the Dialogue. If there is a Parenthetical before the dialogue, single space between the Character Cue and Parenthetical, then single space between the Parenthetical and the Dialogue. After the Dialogue, no matter what it is (Unless it's a Slug Line -- more later on that)... more action lines, Shot Direction, ect... double space. If you use a Shot Direction, Transition, or Superimposed Title after an Action Line, double space. If you use a Slug Line after anything -- Shot Direction, Dialogue, Action Line, Superimposed Title, ect. -- you can either double space or triple space. It's up to you.

Confused yet? Again, there is software and templates out there that will do this for you, so don't freak out. And it always starts off confusing, as most things do, and becomes second nature once you've learned.

Now for the more specifics in the two formats.

FILM

The film format follows a three-act structure. The acts are not labeled. Film scripts run anywhere from 90 to 122 pages, give or a take a few. The goal is to have your scripts fall somewhere in that area.

ONE-HOUR TV DRAMA

The one-hour TV drama format follows a four-act structure, with a teaser and an optional tag. All acts are labeled, including the teaser and tag. Most TV shows tend not to use a tag, and instead end the show when Act Four ends. These scripts run between 50 to 55 pages, give or take a few pages. The goal is to have your script fall somewhere in that area, though there are exceptions. Some shows use larger scripts, but unless you know, the rule of thumb is 50 to 55 pages.

After trying to decipher this, you're probably scratching your head, and I don't blame ya. Well, the best way to learn the format, really, is to see it in action. With that said, here's a couple of examples to look at:

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (Movie -- Early Draft: By Joss Whedon)

- http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/buffy_t...ire_slayer.html

SLIDERS "REQUIEM" -- By Michael Reaves (Shooting Script)

- http://www.earth62.net/scripts/requiemscript.htm (Click on the page number to view the page)

Well, that's it for now. I kind of wrote this on a whim, so if anyone has anything to add, or sees something I missed, feel free to add it.

This post has been edited by Slipfighter: Oct 12 2004, 01:07 AM

[parisindy]

(((slipfighter)))

[Christopher]

CONT?D ? This is short for CONTINUED.  What this does is let the reader know that a character?s dialogue is continuing after having been broken up by an Action Line.

This is also used if the dialogue is interrupted by a page break. In that case you put "(CONT'D)" at the end of the first part of the dialogue to indicate that it continues on the next page, as well as putting it after the character cue on the next page.

I do stress, however, to watch the number of parentheticals you use.  Only use parentheticals when a character?s tone isn?t clear based on the way the dialogue is written.

Or when you want the dialogue to convey a subtext that works against the words, like if the character is being sarcastic, for instance.

TRANSITIONS ? Transitions are another aspect of scriptwriting you won?t be using very much, only when it?ll help enhance the visual experience of the scene.  Transitions move us from scene to scene, but in Spec writing, you only use it when it helps set a visual tone.  Some common Transition terms are: CUT TO, DISSOLVE TO, WIDEN TO REVEAL, WIPE TO, SMASH CUT TO, FADE OUT, BLACK OUT, and FADE IN.  It gets confusing fast, so to make it easy, you?ll mostly only use FADE IN, FADE OUT, or BLACK OUT.

I've read my share of scripts and written a few spec scripts, but I've never quite figured out what a "smash cut" is. I deduce from context that it's meant to be a sudden cut for effect or emphasis -- but since a cut by definition is a single-frame transition from one shot to another, how can one kind of cut be more sudden than another? What makes it "smash?"

SUPERIMPOSED TITLE ? You just saw an example of this above.  This is also known as simply SUPER.  You know when a show or movie shows a year or date on the screen, or maybe a location or quote?  That?s what a Superimposed Title is.  A Superimposed Title is simple words that appear on screen.  The opening quotes at the beginning of each Andromeda episode are an example of a Superimposed Title. 

Except those aren't technically superimposed on anything, since they're against black.

FILM 

The film format follows a three-act structure.  The acts are not labeled.

Then how do you know they're there?

ONE-HOUR TV DRAMA

The one-hour TV drama format follows a four-act structure, with a teaser and an optional tag.

Or sometimes a five-act structure.

These scripts run between 50 to 55 pages, give or take a few pages.  The goal is to have your script fall somewhere in that area, though there are exceptions.  Some shows use larger scripts, but unless you know, the rule of thumb is 50 to 55 pages.

It can help to "act out" the script in your head, or read the lines aloud, in order to get a sense of the timing. The goal is about 42 minutes these days, what with all the commercials. But of course a lot can change in production and editing. And for a spec script it doesn't matter that much.

An excellent resource for scriptwriters is The Complete Book of Scriptwriting by J. Michael Straczynski.

[Slipfighter]

This is also used if the dialogue is interrupted by a page break.  In that case you put "(CONT'D)" at the end of the first part of the dialogue to indicate that it continues on the next page, as well as putting it after the character cue on the next page.

In the case of a page break, which has a whole set of rules all on its own, you may also use the indicator "(MORE)" at the end of the dialogue, and then use "(CONT'D)" after the character cue on the next page. The rules get fun at this point. It should be mentioned that in order to page break during dialogue, you can only break the page after at least two lines of dialogue, and only at the end of a sentence. For this reason (and others), a lot of writers avoid dialogue page breaks when they can. So everyone can see what we mean about this, here's a visual:

CODE

                              MIKE
                   Come on, Joe!  Lets get moving before
                   the rain comes in a messes up the day.
                              (MORE)

                                                                  2.

                              MIKE (CONT'D)
                   The clouds are geting pretty dark as it
                   is.

Or when you want the dialogue to convey a subtext that works against the words, like if the character is being sarcastic, for instance.

Yup! Good mention.

I've read my share of scripts and written a few spec scripts, but I've never quite figured out what a "smash cut" is.  I deduce from context that it's meant to be a sudden cut for effect or emphasis -- but since a cut by definition is a single-frame transition from one shot to another, how can one kind of cut be more sudden than another?  What makes it "smash?"

Not something that's all that clear, that's for sure. From what I've read, it appears that "SMASH CUT" is used as a fast cut to a dire situation. Something like: Mark is walking happily down a sidewalk, and then BAM, the next scene cuts to him being beaten up in an alley. Still, I don't really see the need for all the different "cuts" myself.

Except those aren't technically superimposed on anything, since they're against black.

Yeah, but I think they're treated as superimposed titles within the script... or at least they can be.

Then how do you know they're there?

Well, the three-act structure is just the way Hollywood likes to say that there has to be a beginning, middle and end, and pay homage to the early playwrights. At least that's how I look at it. Over the years, writers have tried to put a page count on each act, but the thing is: it's different depending on your writer. The idea is that you set up the character or characters' conflict, have them struggle with the conflict, and then have the conflict resolved in one fashion or another. Three Acts.

ONE-HOUR TV DRAMA

The one-hour TV drama format follows a four-act structure, with a teaser and an optional tag.

Or sometimes a five-act structure.

Yup. I should also mention that Two-Hour episodes follow a Seven-Act structure, and usually clocks in at about 110 pages, give or take a few, of course.

It can help to "act out" the script in your head, or read the lines aloud, in order to get a sense of the timing.  The goal is about 42 minutes these days, what with all the commercials.  But of course a lot can change in production and editing.  And for a spec script it doesn't matter that much.

Yes, a script is bound to have scenes cut or shortened for time reasons, but as you've said, that doesn't much matter for spec writing. Just get the story down.

An excellent resource for scriptwriters is The Complete Book of Scriptwriting by J. Michael Straczynski.

Yes, and I've heard great things about Larry Brody's book, Television Writing from the Inside Out.



This post has been edited by Slipfighter: Oct 11 2004, 11:39 PM

[Slipfighter]

(((slipfighter)))

I take it you like this thread.

[Godeskian]

blink

blinkblink

Slipfighter, that is such an awesome post.

I still don't think i' up to writing a script, but if I ever am, then at least i'll now have a pretty damn good idea of how to start.

[Slipfighter]

blink

blinkblink

Slipfighter, that is such an awesome post.

Thank you.

I still don't think i' up to writing a script, but if I ever am, then at least i'll now have a pretty damn good idea of how to start.

Well, I'm glad you at least found this useful. It sounds like a lot, but it's pretty easy once you get the basics down.

This post has been edited by Slipfighter: Oct 12 2004, 01:27 AM

[Godeskian]

Does this format also work for non-drama tv shows like half hour comedies and the like?

How do you judge how long it actually ends up being?(edit to clarify, with a 30 minute show. You've already said how long a script should be for a movie/1 hour drama)

This post has been edited by Steven_Q: Oct 12 2004, 01:35 AM

[Slipfighter]

Does this format also work for non-drama tv shows like half hour comedies and the like?

How do you judge how long it actually ends up being?

This particular format works for half-hour dramas such as The Twilight Zone, but in that case it follows a Two-Act structure with a Teaser, and clocks in at about 27 pages. It also works for half-hour animated series, which follows the same basic format as the half-hour drama; only in animation scripts there actually is an emphasis on shot direction and transitions. The format for a half-hour comedy is different from what's covered here, though all the terminology remains pretty much the same.

Determining how long an episode is going to be is pretty hard to tell based on the script. The “one minute per page” theory doesn’t always pan out. Determining how long your script will be generally comes from planning out your scenes. Chris mentioned some great tactics for this.

This post has been edited by Slipfighter: Oct 12 2004, 02:26 AM

[Christopher]

Not something that's all that clear, that's for sure.  From what I've read, it appears that "SMASH CUT" is used as a fast cut to a dire situation.  Something like: Mark is walking happily down a sidewalk, and then BAM, the next scene cuts to him being beaten up in an alley.

The abruptness can also be used for humorous intent. For instance, in the script to Buffy's "Once More with Feeling," a SMASH CUT notation is used to describe the part where we abruptly cut away in the middle of Tara's song to Willow in the bedroom to a shot of Xander at the magic store saying "I bet they're not even working."

I guess what makes it a smash cut is not so much the abruptness of the actual cut itself -- since one frame is one frame -- but rather what's around it. Say, if you let a scene trail off to an ending, give the audience a moment to absorb it, then cut to a new location and allow the audience a second or two to adjust to it, and then start the next bit of dialogue or action, that's just a cut; but if you cut away a few seconds earlier and throw the audience into the next scene without giving them a chance to catch their breath, then that's a smash cut.

Also I'd imagine the abrupt change of other details, like the music cutting off in mid-phrase, the whole audio ambience and tone of the scene undergoing a sudden, jarring transition, would be part of it.

[Slipfighter]

Not something that's all that clear, that's for sure.  From what I've read, it appears that "SMASH CUT" is used as a fast cut to a dire situation.  Something like: Mark is walking happily down a sidewalk, and then BAM, the next scene cuts to him being beaten up in an alley.

The abruptness can also be used for humorous intent. For instance, in the script to Buffy's "Once More with Feeling," a SMASH CUT notation is used to describe the part where we abruptly cut away in the middle of Tara's song to Willow in the bedroom to a shot of Xander at the magic store saying "I bet they're not even working."

I guess what makes it a smash cut is not so much the abruptness of the actual cut itself -- since one frame is one frame -- but rather what's around it. Say, if you let a scene trail off to an ending, give the audience a moment to absorb it, then cut to a new location and allow the audience a second or two to adjust to it, and then start the next bit of dialogue or action, that's just a cut; but if you cut away a few seconds earlier and throw the audience into the next scene without giving them a chance to catch their breath, then that's a smash cut.

Also I'd imagine the abrupt change of other details, like the music cutting off in mid-phrase, the whole audio ambience and tone of the scene undergoing a sudden, jarring transition, would be part of it.

Yes, that does make sense, in that the idea of a SMASH CUT is to move the audience from one thing to the next without giving them a breather. The next scene comes in with a hit instead of gently easing the audience in. It can work for humor just as well for a dire situation.

All in all, I'd like to add (for everyone reading) that even with all this formatting stuff, the story is boss. If the story totally kicks, minor formatting issue won't hurt much.

This post has been edited by Slipfighter: Oct 12 2004, 07:02 PM

[parisindy]

(((slipfighter)))

I take it you like this thread.

yup!


what i always have trouble with is the margins and indents and stuff

[Slipfighter]

(((slipfighter)))

I take it you like this thread.

yup!


what i always have trouble with is the margins and indents and stuff

That's what most writers have problems with, so you're not alone. Glad this helped you a bit.

[Consubstantial]

This is a great thead for advice on single scripts.

Just out of curiosity, anyone out there got any advice or info for creating a series bible?