#11 Downstream Effects
Edition #11 of the Lighthouse miniLetter!
You'll always get:
Three examples of great screenwriting
Two quotes about storytelling
One thing to think about
Plus some fun links at the bottom.
Three examples of great screenwriting
Tár
Written by Todd Field
Not only wonderful tone setting for the read, but this also acts a bit like a filter for possible collaborators.
Doctor Who (503 - Victory of the Daleks)
Written by Mark Gatiss, Terry Nation, and Steven Moffat
Breaks the immersion with very clear directorial choices, then goes right back in. Using “maybe” sets a conversational and collaborative tone.
Station Eleven (Pilot)
Written by Patrick Somerville
A combination of italics, caps and bolds are all used to communicate the directorial choices. This is also early in the script so it’s also setting the tone for the type of show this is. Somerville explicitly writes “But this is not that genre.”
Two quotes about screenwriting
“You are not your idea, and if you identify too closely with your ideas, you will take offense when they are challenged.”
“Good description is a learned skill, one of the prime reasons why you cannot succeed unless you read a lot and write a lot. It’s not just a question of how-to, you see; it’s also a question of how much to. Reading will help you answer how much, and only reams of writing will help you with the how. You can learn only by doing”
One thing to think about
Am I establishing upstream?
Your project might have a specific point-of-view, a bold stylistic choice, or just something that might not be easily apparent.
If that’s the case, then the sooner you can clearly establish it, then sooner everything after is viewed through that lens.
I once read an entire feature, and it was only in a notes call with the writer afterwards that I learned that the flashbacks within the script were all intended to be animated.
Do not be afraid to clearly articulate your vision early on. Ask yourself:
Am I establishing upstream?
Have a great draft,
David Wappel