Let’s talk about the difference between FLASHBACK and FLASH. Traditional flashback plays out over a longer period of time. Put the lead-in in the slugline: INT. JIMMY’S ROOM- DAY (FLASHBACK). Be sure to tell the reader when it’s over with END FLASHBACK. A standard flashback might last a full scene, or even a sequence of […]
“… and God help you if you use voiceover in your work, my friends. God help you! It’s flaccid, sloppy writing. Any idiot can write voice-over narration to explain the thoughts of a character. You must present the internal conflicts of your character in action.” This speech by the Robert McKee character in Adaptation is […]
Remember with screen direction, you want the eye to roll down the page, to make the script a “page turner.” How do you do that? Go vertical. Keep the reader’s eyes moving vertically down the page. For example, from Seven: He reaches to the nightstand, to a wooden, pyramidical metronome. He frees the metronome’s weighted […]
There are two uses for INTERCUT. The first is: THE TELEPHONE CONVERSATION: Establish the first location, establish the second, and then INTERCUT between them: INT. JOHN BOEHNER HOME- NIGHT Boehner looks on as a TV plays his news conference from earlier in the day. The phone rings, he picks up. INT. JOHN MCCAIN HOME- SAME […]
“Keep your screen direction tight!” “Don’t overwrite!” It’s all well and good to tell you this, but how much screen direction is too much? How many lines? What are the rules? Here’s my own rule of thumb: When your screen direction can’t be covered by a block of Velveeta cheese, it’s too long. Examine every […]
