Week 9

INT. HOME - EVENING

The room is dim, the blinds closed and the light coming from the lamp is yellow. The room is a mess and you can see objects in every surface area, the bed is unmade. The WRITER is sitting by their desk writing on their computer which has been elevated a bit higher with the use of a headset box. The Writer looks tired but their eyes are sharp as they type something in. 

WRITER

       (taps their mouse anxiously)

                  Hmm...

The writer squints at the screen.

Today we started a course on Script writing and Storytelling and the night before this class I had already prepared some videos for me to watch and make a blog out of.

So today's class was pretty interesting, though due to some bad sleep schedule for weeks and not that great air I did loose consciousness around 2 pm but everything before that I did hear...I think. 

This post is already a lot lighthearted than what my usual ones are and that is because it is meant as a feel good blog post for myself. To write freely without restraints is so invigorating and refreshing. (Especially after a nap which was longer than intended which results in me not getting as much done and hating myself for it. *sigh*)

Anyways! Script writing! Surprisingly interesting topic really, I used to live with a friend of mine when we were in Community Collage in Kymenlaakso and she was in Comic book side while I was in XR and Game Design. She introduced me to the idea of script writing for comics and today my interest really peaked. For a while I have had a story I have wanted to make into a comic but never had the will to start it because I didn't know where to even begin and how much less work it is than I had made it out to be in my head. I always imagined in a weird sort of a way that first you write it like you would write a book and when the book is done then you just start going, but nope!

I watched these two videos when I got home, "How to format a Screenplay - 5 Basic Elements: FRIDAY 101" as well "Advanced Screenplay Formatting Tips: FRIDAY 101"

What you get from the first video is the parts that make a Screenplay (more specifically Spec Script):

Spec script is a script in which you try to sell your work to someone or eventually produce it. In production script is called a Shooting script and that is the only script where you can indicate how cameras move and work on top of everything.

1# Slug line 

Establishes the location, if it is inside or outside and time.

2#Action

Always write in the present tense. Describes what is happening on the screen. When you introduce the character for the first time you write it in caps-lock. Sum up the character's action not their whole life history. You can also caps-lock certain words if you want there to be special attention put into them, gunshots and explosions are usually capitalized. Always have something between the slug line and the action line.

3# Character name

All caps, centered. If the character is speaking off screen but is still physically part of a screen then you add (O.S) if the character is doing a voice over but is not physically part of the scene you add (V.O)

4#Dialogue

Centered, left side alignment. If the character has a specific way of talking write it here. 

5#Parenthetical

These are extra guides to tell what the character is doing while speaking. The format is a bit further in than the dialogue. They don't need to be complete sentences just short descriptions of what is happening

What you get from the second video is:

Intercutting meaning for example when character is having a conversation via phone with someone or when there is a scene where one character is in one place and another character is in another but their actions somehow affect the other character. In case of Intercutting make sluglines for both of the places once when you start then establishing there is an intercut between location A and B before continuing your script. 

Here is an example I made:

INT. SCHOOL - DAY

MELISSA is in front of her school, which has just now ended and calls her brother MIKE.

MELISSA

Mike did you by any chance steal my lipstick?

INT. HOME - DAY

MIKE

(lying)

What? Noo

INTERCUT between School and Home

Montages usually the director makes the call on when to use these so it is not really the script writer's thing to worry about it. It's more of a visual element that you yourself do not write in. If you can not write it any other way then after the previous slugline you add montage information like this. Note that you do not add every cut you just add every individual scene that will be broken up eventually. If various places are used then add it in either in slugline format or not.

Here is an example I made:

MONTAGE

- INT. MIKE AND MELISSA'S HOME - DAY - Mike sneaking into Melissa's room yesterday

- Mike and Melissa's Parents Room - Mike playing with the lipstick in his parents room while making funny faces

Other things the advanced video talks about is the flashbacks and action scenes and what to do if within the scene characters move location. What to do if two characters speak at the same time. The youtuber also mentions good scripts to read to look at for inspiration.

The videos in question: