Scripting Actio????

[Adam J McKay]

Hey yall,

I am starting a screenplay of what I think is an original idea. The opening scene of the film isn't going to have any dialogue. What is the proper format for that? Do I just write it like I would a story? Is there anything special I need to do?
I am rocking CELTX and Final draft. So in the action spot would I just write whats going on? I.E

"Bob rolls over and hits his alarm clock and starts to get out of bed" etc etc until there dialogue?

I should mention that Bob is coming nowhere near my screenplay neither is someone rolling over to shut off an alarm clock.

thanks in advance

 

[brianluce]

Hey yall,

I am starting a screenplay of what I think is an original idea. The opening scene of the film isn't going to have any dialogue. What is the proper format for that? Do I just write it like I would a story? Is there anything special I need to do?
I am rocking CELTX and Final draft. So in the action spot would I just write whats going on? I.E

e

Pretty much yes. write the movie you're seeing in your head. Stay in the active voice -- for some reason writing the movie you're watching in your head often expresses itself in passive.

Thank you for NOT opening your script with a guy turning off his alarm clock. Thank you thank you thank you.

 

[Rubbersquare]

when you write action (or any part of a screenplay), it should be broken up so it takes a page to fill a minute of screen time. plus, it may outdated now, but i've always heard you need dialogue on the first page (though i can point to many films that don't).

so you would write it like.

Bob wakes up, rolls over and turns off the alarm clock.

He rubs his eyes.

Then lies back down with a sigh.

etc.

 

[flat9safety]

Bob wakes up, rolls over and turns off the alarm clock.

He rubs his eyes.

Then lies back down with a sigh.

etc.

I'm not sure if that is 100% necessary, but I see where you are coming from. I just always learned when you are writing action, never group more than 3 lines together. So if you had 6 lines of action it would look like.

Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action
Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action
Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action

Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action
Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action
Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Action



I hope that makes sense haha.

 

[Adam J McKay]

I was concerned w ith the page a minute spacing, but ultimately, this will be a film I make so I suppose it won't be all that necassary to have super correct spacing etc. I think I am going to do the 3 line space thing just to break it up a bit, not so hard on the eyes.

For the record I have done the wake up roll over cut away to the alarm clock, I thought I was so badass, felt like a legit filmmaker....until I quickly realised I had just accomplished what every single other generic student film has ever done. Hurray. The currrent film I have in my head is boundry pushing...I hope.

Thanks for the tip.