The Mind of a Madman | |
Lean and Mean
03:34, 18.9.2006
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I realize it's been a while since I last posted, but I can happily say I've been hard at work prepping for my next short film to be shot this Fall. The title is Repentance, and the logline is as follows:Logline: A mysterious wanderer seeks the confession of an old priest, whose ultimate secret turns out to be his greatest sin. The challenge for me will be to capture the visions that I see in my head on film. (Or in this case miniDV) Which leads me into what I'd like to talk about. Description. How much should we describe as writers without going over the top with our description? From my brief experience, I believe we should capture just enough to allow the reader a glimpse into the world of our story. Not so much that we lose sight of the story, but just enough that it allows the reader a freedom to add their own details to the mix. In short, readers are the directors of our stories. They should be left to feel as if they are the production designers of our words. Often times I'll use descriptive words to convey a mood. (i.e. the dark curtains, rather than the black curtains) Anything that will enhance the experience and thrust the reader into the atmosphere that we are trying to create, but will also allow them choices to expand upon what we have laid before them. Another example of too much description is the infamous direction of actors. There's nothing worse than a play by play description of what the actor should be doing on screen. Actors must feel as if they too are free to play and make creative choices when interpreting our words. A screenplay with too much direction (as in Alex pauses. Shrugs his shoulders. He squints at her for a moment. Takes a deep breath. "I don't know.") tends to drag and oftentimes can be simplified by the dialogue without the excess direction. So try to be lean when writing. Give just enough that the story moves forward at a nice clip, but provide enough that the reader understands the setting and is drawn in to the world of your story. This in another of the perennial battles we must face in the creation of a solid screenplay. But hey, nobody said it would be easy. Good luck, stay up, and keep writing. - J. Leave a Comment { Last Page } { Page 5 of 10 } { Next Page } |
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