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So I guess camera action is up to the director. Would I ever be allowed to pan if it is important? Would I not be able to pick certain angles?
If I can, what would be the best way to specify --for example --that a character is fixing his/hair in the mirror from the mirror's point of view? My instinct is to just simply say: From the mirror's POV (character's name} fixes his/her hair in the reflection. Can anybody think of a better way?
The current fashion in screenwriting is to avoid mentions of camera angles and focus on storytelling, but you can certainly mention POV. Some people do this with a slugline.
INT. BEDROOM—DAY
BILL'S POV
Bill fixes his hair in the mirror.
But if you're going to do the trick where a mirror image turns out to be the real one, you don't need to mention POV at first.
INT. BEDROOM—DAY
Bill smiles.
BILL
You mean everything to me. Everything.
I love you, and I'd do anything for you.
A WIDER ANGLE shows Bill is talking into the bathroom mirror.
As a general rule, write it whatever way it works best for a reader. This is more important than making the details clear for a director (who will ignore it anyway).
Never put camera angles/shots in your screenplay, it screams amateur.
You can however cheat to create visual clues. Example:
INT. PRISON - DAY
A pair of shackled FEET shuffle down the hallway.
Screenwriters who put in camera direction label themselves as amateur. OTH, do NOT leave out the time of day at the end of the slugline. CONTINUOUS is meaningless, and rarely useful. DAY/NIGHT is crucial and must not be inferred; time of day must be explicitly stated. DUSK/DAWN require a short page count because there is a very small amount of shooting light for true Dusk or Dawn. Transitions should be CUT TO: when necessary, ignored otherwise. Leave out suggestions of DISSOLVE:, SMASH CUT:, JUMP CUT: and other meaningless phrases the director will ignore anyway.
