Which rule?

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  • Which rule?

    . . .do you never break?

    I think I've broken them all, except one: Don't use CONTINUOUS. I never do.

    That and page numbers. I never break page numbering rules.

  • #2
    Haven't you heard? There are no rules!

    I like to start my screenplays off on page 55. Then I jump back to page 14 or so, and then I get really creative and jump to page 267. Then it's back into the 80's for a long stretch, and then to page 15. It makes for a really memorable reading experience, and it's just one of the things I do to make my screenplays stand out.

    Another thing I do is give all characters the same name.
    It actually clears up confusion in dialogue passages, because, really, aren't all voices you, the reader, reading to yourself?

    I also bind my screenplays with nine brads, evenly spaced around all edges of the screenplay.

    Conventional thinking merely degrades us all.

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    • #3
      "I also bind my screenplays with nine brads, evenly spaced around all edges of the screenplay." :rollin

      That's not a screenplay. That's a coaster.

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      • #4
        I always have at least one protag with an objective.

        btw, nine brads throws off the symmetry. You need to go with ten.

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        • #5
          Rules

          There was that script I spilt my coffee over. Still posted it damp and soaking and all -- its not the presentation, its the words right. Did I break a rule there?

          As for brads -- I bind with two stilettos with t'handles one side of the script, chicken heads t'other and tuck in a little note about the consequences of a 'pass'. Thanks nickj -- for letting me know I'm not the only one who does that.

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          • #6
            Although it's apparently not a "rule" I have not, and will never, use "we see" in a script.

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            • #7
              What about if you wanted to have a character say, "We see what you're doing?"

              Would you use it then? Would ya... would ya... huh?

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              • #8
                Argh! Caught in my own web!! >:

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                • #9
                  -Only what we see and hear. Ever.
                  -No "We see."
                  -No parentheticals.
                  -No Continued.
                  -No Cut To:
                  -No camera instructions.

                  kullervo

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                  • #10
                    I like to think of rules as 'fundamentals'. Too much baggage comes with the word 'rules'.

                    Anyway, I was curious why the author of this thread seemed passionate about not using CONTINUOUS. Out of the bazillion 'rules' out there, this one seems rather low on the list, well, my list anyway. Interesting.

                    To answer the question, I guess a rule I like to stick to is the basic 'show not tell'. It's a broad fundamental, but one missed by many out there. Nothing worse than, 'He wishes he could jump, but he knows it's too far'.....eeks.

                    Learn the rules, master the rules, break the rules. Have some fun, whatever you do.

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                    • #11
                      I think rules are important but for some reason I break them all the time. Sometimes by accident. I'm not a pro, after all. I've broken show, don't tell. I've broken protag with an objective. I've used "we see". I tried to think of a rule I haven't broken and CONTINUOUS was all I could come up with.

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                      • #12
                        i must be clueless.

                        why is it bad to use CONTINUOUS?

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                        • #13
                          i was going to ask that.

                          of course, i use transitions, we sees, voices overs, falshbacks, flashforwards, big blocks of black, my shortest script is 118 pages, and i smell funny, so it seemed of no importance as i am already doomed to failure.

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                          • #14
                            what are falshbacks?

                            i am gonna have to use some of those, too.

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                            • #15
                              There really are no rules (except write a great script) - all of those things are tools to make sure you write a great script. Sometimes you may not use a tool on your script that 95% of other scripts need. So what? If not using that tool still results in a great script, that's all that matters.

                              The problem is - some writers want to ignore or avoid tools, and even frigging chimps use tools. So they end up with a mess that doesn't work. Avoiding tools is silly. Knowing the tools, knowing how they can help you and knowing when to use a tool and *knowing* when you don't need to use a tool is the path you want to take.

                              - Bill

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