not using (in)definite articles ?

[Randall_Oelerich]

I read screenplays where frequently the writer does not use definite ("the") or indefinite ("a", "an") articles. Is that acceptable when writing scripts?

Example from the screenplay Alien: "Ash descends companionway to blister." (page 18) "Ripley presses transmitter." (page 31)
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[Ted Spencer]

As long as the meaning is clear. I don't write that way - it feels a little impersonal to me, but mainly, clarity is the key. As an actor I get a lot of scripts that are quite unclear, and this type of writing is often part of the problem, along with action half-sentences like "shoves it over". If it isn't clear who shoves what over where, then enough instances of this kind of thing can turn a script into a puzzle.

 

[Sad Max]

I suspect that - considering that this is the script for Alien we're talking about - the sparse language is an aesthetic choice intended to influence the experience for the reader.

Or maybe Dan O'Bannon was just trying to conserve valuable typewriter ribbon.

 

[Charli]

I would not worry about that too much. There have been many discussions on the use of strong verbs and passive verbs ending -ing

walks
is walking

conjunctions: and/but

and the overuse of adverbs: -ly - beautifully, adoringly, abusively, etc.

The the grammar to your screenplay can be overlooked if you tell the story VISUALLY and it is ENGAGING to the reader so much so that we want to keep turning the page.

The key is pacing. The more black (action paragraphs) you have the slower the pace (i.e. Ternimator II).

Tell your story concisely and yet as a director as visually as possible as though we were seeing it in our mind's eye.

That's really the only thing you need to know.

Grammar mistakes like overuse of commas, misspelling and a host of other problems are common in Hollywood.

What is not common is a story that you wanna read all the way through.

 

[pmark23]

I confess to writing like that. But it's usually not until the last draft that I go through and kill most of the unnecessary conjunctions, adverbs, wrylies, passives, etc. I have a large list that the document gets grep'd against.

Not everything goes though. It has to be done of a case-by-case basis. Passives for example, are needed where the character is doing or has been doing something for a period of time while the line describing the action takes place. Also, some lines just sound dumb if you take it too far.

All in all though I think it makes the script tighter, easier to read, and give a professional gloss.

 

[JonathanLB]

hehe

hehe

And this would be one of the few times where my background in non-fiction writing and my anal tendencies help me as a screenwriter, haha. There isn't a ton of carryover between writing non-fiction books and writing screenplays, but this is one case where I'm very meticulous about my writing style and quality. It also helps I suppose if you've done something as large as a book, a screenplay is much shorter and considerably easier, and at times more fun.