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...
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?
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'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?
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