Reading Scripts

Sometimes it's hard to figure out how a script should be written. For me, it's taken several years. I know I half paid attention to this following advice, but I didn't take this as seriously as I should have:

READ MORE SCRIPTS

The more you read, the more you will automatically know what to do.

Provided in the Bookmarks section (on the left) is a link to Drew's Script-O-Rama. That is a valuable resource of many scripts you can read online.

Also, search at your library. They usually have a limited selection, but chances are they will have a few scripts available.

The following information is important: scripts will often vary from a spec script to a shooting script. I will explain the difference.

When a script is finished, you may send it to an agent or a reader at a studio, right? You usually want the script to be easy to read. Avoid superfluous or long description. Readers will usually skip long descriptions and concentrate heavily on the dialog.

Let's say it is eventually sent to a director. Sometimes directors will be offended if you suggest camera angles and panning, as it is their job to figure that out. Proceed at your own risk. Apparently Guillermo Arriaga wrote 21 Grams exactly the way it is, and the editor and director got credit for his creativity.

Note that if you visit Drew's Script-O-Rama that you will come across shooting scripts. They will have numbers for scenes or shots. You do NOT need to write in numbers. In fact if you do, it will look extremely strange.

When I was writing my first screenplay, I didn't know how to use intertitles. So I looked it up on Drew's Script-O-Rama. There are different ways to do that, but it made me feel comfortable seeing how it was done on one script or another.

Finally, I would recommend reading at least one script of a movie you've seen and one of a movie you haven't seen. I would personally recommend The 40 Year Old Virgin (click) whether you have seen it or not. If you have seen it, you may notice minor changes from the movie.