#8 Calling The Shots
Edition #8 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
Sherlock
Written by Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss
To be honest it’s not immediately clear to me if “Text: Interview her?” is on screen, or an insert of his phone. It really brings attention to how clear the simple convention of “On screen: ALL CAPS” like we see in "On screen: PHOTO DOWNLOADING."
I’m sure it was done before Sherlock but it’s the first show I think of when it comes to not showing inserts of phones but rather simply showing the text on screen.
Pretty Little Liars (Pilot)
Written by I. Marlene King
Though earlier in the pilot we see the texts from “A”, here at the end King opts to have the girls read it aloud. Not only does it bypass having to show it on screen, but it’s far more effective for the emotional punch of the moment. For the characters, but for us as well.
The Haunt at Water’s End
Written by Lee Ann Kurr
I think that Kurr pulls out so many tools here, and it never overwhelms the reader but keeps everything crystal clear. The Instagram account functions as our intro to a character (and uses the image first, label second paradigm I mentioned a few weeks ago.)
Caps and bolds here work well, but what I particularly like is the rhythm of the posts in the action block right in the middle of the screengrab above. There’s a feeling of swiping through, and we quickly get an overview of this account and person through incredibly clever use of parentheses.
Image (vibe).
That quick rhythm then aids in the feeling when we land upon the photo of the candle. I don’t know how or why, but this one feels important, plus we get a caption and a link to another account.
Two quotes about screenwriting
“Dialogue should simply be a sound among other sounds, just something that comes out of the mouths of people whose eyes tell the story in visual terms.”
“It can feel brutal to cull your favorite bits. But if you don’t, someone else will and it’s easier to fight for the parts you really think should stay in if there is less to get rid of.”
One thing to think about
What part of your character’s brain is “calling the shots?”
Humans are rational, emotional creatures.
And while these two parts of our brain coexist and interact with each other, there are times when one takes over.
Looking at your characters from scene to scene, even moment to moment, and discovering what’s really driving their decisions is a way to get to the deepest level of motivation.
Even if a character is making a rational appeal, it’s worth looking at what’s behind it. A clear and logical argument may simply be the face of a justification for what the character deep down simply just really, really wants.
I don’t want to say one is more important than the other, but in my opinion the emotional parts of our human psyche often lead to more exciting scenes and performances.
Remember the scene in A Knight’s Tale where the group is telling William he should leave otherwise he’ll be thrown in the stocks? Everybody is making clear, rational arguments about what will happen and how William should react to those possibilities. But there’s a deep emotional part of William won’t be swayed by these arguments. You could say William has an “emotional belief” that he belongs there.
But what’s truly wonderful about this scene is that underneath the group’s various arguments is actually their own deep emotional belief, which comes from a place of wanting to protect and save Will. While they’re debating and proposing their next course of action, the characters’ emotional desires are palpable, but couched in rational arguments. It’s a great piece of writing (and well performed too!)
At any point in your story, it’s always worth taking a second to make sure you know:
What part of your character’s brain is “calling the shots?”
Have a great draft,
David Wappel