Action Lines

TimCollins

TimCollins

Well-known member
Do you guys space out every line of action?
For example...

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

John Doe walks into the kitchen.

He turns on the coffee maker and opens up the paper.

John flips through the pages briskly until he gets to the sports section.


Or should they be a little more condensed? 'Cause I've recently been told my action blocks are too big so what is the norm for this?

Thanks in advance.
 
Each paragraph of action should contain a story beat within the scene.

If a secret agent is sneaking into an office to hack a computer, there might be one paragraph as he enters the room and starts to hack the computer, one paragraph as he has to hide from the security guard who is making his rounds and it looks like he might get caught, and one paragraph as he resumes his work on the computer and finds the file he is after.

In your example, those three lines are just setting the scene, so they should all be one paragraph. I would only create a new paragraph break after something happens that changes the direction of the scene. Does he see something in the newspaper that causes him to react? Does his wife enter the room and yell at him, because he was supposed to be picking the kids up from soccer practice?

Create a new paragraph when something new happens that changes the story.
 
wcmartell said:
No.

Um, how many scripts have you read?
Click to expand...

I've read a good bit of scripts. But recently in the Scriptfest I've seen it done all different ways including the way I described which made me wonder.

agcohn said:
Each paragraph of action should contain a story beat within the scene.

If a secret agent is sneaking into an office to hack a computer, there might be one paragraph as he enters the room and starts to hack the computer, one paragraph as he has to hide from the security guard who is making his rounds and it looks like he might get caught, and one paragraph as he resumes his work on the computer and finds the file he is after.

In your example, those three lines are just setting the scene, so they should all be one paragraph. I would only create a new paragraph break after something happens that changes the direction of the scene. Does he see something in the newspaper that causes him to react? Does his wife enter the room and yell at him, because he was supposed to be picking the kids up from soccer practice?

Create a new paragraph when something new happens that changes the story.
Click to expand...

Thank you, this make alot more sense.
 
Read action scripts and copy the style of those you like best.

If you look at most popular action screenplays you'll see that during an action scene there's usually only one line per unit of action, and as action becomes more frenetic and tense they use progressively shorter sentences until the lines start with verbs.

But some write actions scenes as block paragraphs, which I find impossible to read and visualize the action.

It's an action scene, so should read fast. You want your reader to quickly scan down the page and turn pages in quick succession so that they have a feeling for the action.
 
my 2 cents: When a screenplay is being broken down for production planning purposes it's cut into 8 equal sections per page, starting at the top. These 1/8, or 3/8,or what have you sections, help plan out scheduling: set ups, company moves and typical "making-the-day" concerns during a production. One page approximates 1 minute of screen time, etc... I assume you know this stuff. All of this depends upon the font style, font size and proper formatting layout on the page: I believe the Warner Bros setting is the std. If the formatting is off it can cause some problems for others. While I understand the need to have the words roll off the page for readers and producers, there is still an obligation to respect the needs and assumptions of the full downstream production. In other words, don't stray too far away from expected norms.
 
Last edited:
10s said:
don't stray too far away from expected norms.
Click to expand...

Yeah. Everything I've written to date has been for me to shoot myself so I've never really worried about how it looks to other people except making sure it's clear for the talent to understand.

But I'm about to start a spec-script so I'm really trying to figure out every proper thing to do so if it's read by professionals they aren't distracted from the content by the formatting.

So instead of formatting my scripts on Word as I previously have (pain in the ass)... I downloaded Celtx (which I had no clue was free) and it's made things 100X easier.

But, even though the margins and dialogue formatting are good now, I'm still trying to work out a happy medium for action lines and the advice here has helped alot. It's very true that the big paragraphs of action are daunting and slow the reading which you never want.
 
10s said:
While I understand the need to have the words roll off the page for readers and producers, there is still an obligation to respect the needs and assumptions of the full downstream production. In other words, don't stray too far away from expected norms.
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree, 10s.

When I start a piece I ALWAYS use Garamond 12 pt (personal preference), but that's only while I work and re-work the script. When I send a script out, polished and ready for other eyes, it's always prepared using INDUSTRY STANDARDS. In other words, I change the font to Courier 12 pt and make sure the THRUSTERS (page turners) I've written at the bottom of the page still fall in place. Sometimes they don't.

This is just one of my quirks, so I don't want anyone to take this as a recommendation.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top