some script questions

[emjen]

Hi.

I need a series of events all happening at once in my script. Is that called an intercut? It kind of tells whats happening to different persons at the same time.

Second question. Everywhere where I can leave a white line between actions or whatever, I leave a white line.

Now, one friend said to me "ooh you can do that and that and that all in one 'piece', no need to have so many white lines between them". If you know what I mean. I think it's clearer for the reader. (I also had one of my dyslexic(sp?) friend read it and he said he find it totally nonconfusing).

So the question is: When to leave a white line?

I hope i'm clear enough, dont really know the english words for white lines and such.
->white line
yay.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 26, 2003 11:07 AM: Message edited by: emjen ]</font>

[SoulJacker]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><table border="0" width="90%" bgcolor="#333333" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0"><tr><td width="100%"><table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" bgcolor="#FF9900"><tr><td width="100%" bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"> I need a series of events all happening at once in my script. Is that called an intercut? It kind of tells whats happening to different persons at the same time. </font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sounds like you're describing a 'montage'. No needs for "cuts" in spec scripts.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><table border="0" width="90%" bgcolor="#333333" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0"><tr><td width="100%"><table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" bgcolor="#FF9900"><tr><td width="100%" bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"> I also had one of my dyslexic(sp?) friend read it and he said he find it totally nonconfusing </font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></BLOCKQUOTE>

+

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><table border="0" width="90%" bgcolor="#333333" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0"><tr><td width="100%"><table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" bgcolor="#FF9900"><tr><td width="100%" bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"> So the question is: When to leave a white line? </font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></BLOCKQUOTE>

Go download a few chuffin' scripts. Something with a simialar slant to what you're writing. You'll learn allot from reading how others write... I write action in various ways - whatever suits the given situation.

I'm personally not a fan of single line action slugs.

[digital_biscuits]

I had a similar problem with my script, and when i showed it to an agent the first thing he said to me was "dont tell the director waht to do, you do that and no-one will ever read/option your script". SO how to you get over the problem of action happening simutaniously? You can a) write the script out as normal and then write "Meanwhile" (i dont like this myself). Or B)You select the option in most screenwriting packages to do dialogue at the same time, and write using that set-up. Ideally though, if a script is written well enough, you should be able to determine that the action is happening at the same time- i mean novel writters have been doing it for the last 200 years!

[Curtin-Parloe]

To be honest, a director doing your script might decide not to show it simultaneously anyway...

Paul