Scriptnotes 134: New Format

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  • Scriptnotes 134: New Format

    The latest podcast has a great discussion about whether the current "standard" screenplay format is actually doing the job it needs to. It reminded me of something Shane Carruth talked about on the Q&A podcast with Jeff Goldsmith. I've transcribed as best I can...

    I'm struggling right now when I'm writing to use the format, the format seems so wrong for what we wind up with... I think what's right about it is that it works perfectly if Cary Grant walks into a room and announces himself and has a conversation and then he leaves the room, then it works perfectly. That makes sense why you would have a slug-line and all that stuff. If you want to stretch dialogue over sixty different locations, it doesn't make sense because you then have something that's thirty pages long and it's nothing but slug-lines and it doesn't make any sense and you're taking huge bits of space for the wrong thing. The [current format] is meant for something that's a completely different experience.
    It's funny, but I'm prepping a short to direct myself and it's lovely to just write it how I want because I know I'll be making it. I'm using the standard format but then adding unformatted text plus spaces for drawings, lighting diagrams etc. It's a trippy thing about memories so it works for the subject.

    It'll be interesting to see what the page-to-screen time is like, and how others feel about working with something that doesn't exactly look like a screenplay. I'm hoping to do some kind of vague, non-wanky blog about the production, so I may post updates.

    What do others think? Is there an alternative that could work better for writers and filmmakers? Thoughts?
    Last edited by Done Deal Pro; 03-11-2014, 09:22 AM. Reason: Fixed coding.
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  • #2
    Re: Scriptnotes 134: New Format

    Talking of format, no idea what's happened there - ignore the break between quotes.
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    • #3
      Re: Scriptnotes 134: New Format

      As a quick note (to all), you don't have to do another post, per se, and try to explain why or note something is wrong, misspelled, or needs to be added to your previous post.

      Click on the EDIT button, which shows in the bottom right corner of your/the post you want to fix or add to, and just correct it. Hit save and voila. No one will even know the better really.

      The problem with your quote, besides all the bad formatting that came over from I assume Word, is that you didn't have the word "quote" in brackets before ALL the text you want quoted and then "/quote" in brackets where you wanted the quote to end. It's simple... copy and paste fix.
      Will
      Done Deal Pro
      www.donedealpro.com

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      • #4
        Re: Scriptnotes 134: New Format

        Thanks Will. I did the edit thing, but the quotation had so much weird stuff all over it I cried and hid from it. Sorry...
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        • #5
          Re: Scriptnotes 134: New Format

          I think the current format is okay.

          Sure, it may be a bit awkward when transcribing very experimental scenes and sequences, but it works perfectly most of the time.

          I don't find screenplay format limiting in any significant way.

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          • #6
            Re: Scriptnotes 134: New Format

            I second what Dr. V said.

            You can probably do anything that you want to do with standard format. You just have to introduce some flexibility in extreme cases. I am not sure what was meant with the comment about dialogue over sixty locations. But if you want a specific line of a long, continuing dialogue to take place at a specific location, you have to indicate the location in some way and link it to the dialogue.

            Unusual situations will lead to extreme format: location A with one line of dialogue; location B with two lines of dialogue; etc.

            The format is just a way of recording your intention in a way that others will easily understand.

            "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." - ComicBent.

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            • #7
              Re: Scriptnotes 134: New Format

              Originally posted by ComicBent View Post
              I am not sure what was meant with the comment about dialogue over sixty locations.
              I don't know if you've seen Upstream Colour, but there are sequences where you begin with dialogue, in a 'normal' scene. Then the dialogue continues over shots from other scenes, then it occasionally syncs with the actors only now in a new location. Then it'll fade in and out of conversations from the same era of that point in the story, but clearly at a different time to the original conversation.

              On top of this, images from a completely different time/place will have visual echoes, so the way someone moves their hands will match-cut to another character doing the same, and the framing will be the same, even though we're now in another time/place.

              The thing is this all sounds very complicated but visually it's not, on screen it makes perfect sense and has a flow and rhythm which is essential for you to understand the scenes and film as a whole. The only way it could have been done in normal format and retain anything like the pace on screen would be to skip description of each new shot, but then that would defeat the object because the visual echoes across cuts are what makes the scene work.
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              • #8
                Re: Scriptnotes 134: New Format

                Originally posted by Jon Jay View Post
                Thanks Will. I did the edit thing, but the quotation had so much weird stuff all over it I cried and hid from it. Sorry...
                It's all right. When one copies from a writing program most of the time the formatting is carried over. It won't be seen if it was pasted into say a text file but when you drop it into a vBulletin post for example, it is retained. You can manually delete all the font & formatting codes and try to clean it up. Better yet though if you see a problem, copy the text from the post as displayed, then go to EDIT, and remove what is there and paste back in what you copied which will now be clean text. Also the PREVIEW POST button is very helpful to check how something will look before making it live. I use it pretty much every time I post regardless.

                But not the end of the world -- just wanted to note for all to hopefully help.
                Will
                Done Deal Pro
                www.donedealpro.com

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                • #9
                  Re: Scriptnotes 134: New Format

                  Jon,

                  No, I have not seen Upstream Colour.

                  As for the issue of posting on the board ... In addition to what Will said, I would add that what I do is to "launder" everything through a text editor. That removes all the formatting junk from Word and the html codes from internet articles.

                  You do not even have to save a file. Just copy and paste your text into a text editor. Then copy and paste from the text editor.

                  I recommend the free Notepad++, but others are available.

                  I keep an icon of Notepad++ on the taskbar at the bottom of the desktop, so all I have to do is click it once to open it for quick use.

                  "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." - ComicBent.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Scriptnotes 134: New Format

                    You won't find a bigger fan than myself of the Mazin-August podcast. However, I thought they struggled a bit with this show, especially when talking about changing the screenplay format.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Scriptnotes 134: New Format

                      Not a huge fan of the screenplay format. After my first script, I decided I would never use sluglines anymore. Don't like them, no one reads them and they look like sh!t. I basically use CUT TO for every single cut that happens in the story. It adds pages, but reads better in my opinion.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Scriptnotes 134: New Format

                        Originally posted by gpolin View Post
                        You won't find a bigger fan than myself of the Mazin-August podcast. However, I thought they struggled a bit with this show, especially when talking about changing the screenplay format.
                        I felt the opposite actually. Really illuminating and interesting discussion.

                        Novelists are already taking a step in this direction. I'm currently reading 'The Kills' by Richard House on my iPad and it includes images, audio snippets etc... as clickable links within the text. Quite effective imo. There's potential to enhance the medium.

                        @omovie

                        I may try something along those lines with my next script if it feels right.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Scriptnotes 134: New Format

                          Originally posted by pabloamigo View Post
                          I felt the opposite actually. Really illuminating and interesting discussion.

                          Novelists are already taking a step in this direction. I'm currently reading 'The Kills' by Richard House on my iPad and it includes images, audio snippets etc... as clickable links within the text. Quite effective imo. There's potential to enhance the medium.

                          @omovie

                          I may try something along those lines with my next script if it feels right.
                          I hear ya. I just think that adding images and audio is 1) overkill, 2) distracting, and 2) not really writing any longer. To each his own.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Scriptnotes 134: New Format

                            Originally posted by pabloamigo View Post

                            @omovie

                            I may try something along those lines with my next script if it feels right.
                            I basically cribbed it from Goldman. I think he wrote ABSOLUTE POWER like that as well BUTCH and SUNDANCE. Gilroy doesn't really use them; neither do the Coens. As a reading experience, sluglines are terrible.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Scriptnotes 134: New Format

                              Originally posted by omovie View Post
                              I basically cribbed it from Goldman. I think he wrote ABSOLUTE POWER like that as well BUTCH and SUNDANCE. Gilroy doesn't really use them; neither do the Coens. As a reading experience, sluglines are terrible.
                              TRUE GRIT is a lovely script to read, one you can almost read as a novella.
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