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Questions tagged [screenwriting]

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Screenplay storytelling, writing, formatting, and how to put it all together.

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11
votes
6answers
4k views

Can You Hide A Character's Name?

So I'm writing a screenplay and I'm not sure if I can hide my character's name. Do I have to say it in the screenplay but just mention that we don't get their name until later. I've heard I should ...
2
votes
2answers
117 views

Referring to groups and unnamed individuals from groups in a screenplay

The following extract is from a screenplay I'm writing. I could really use some advice on how to format it, particularly around referring to groups of people and an unnamed person from a group. Bob ...
3
votes
2answers
103 views

Screenplay dialogue tags for unintroduced characters

I am writing a screenplay for a TV show in which a character who will become important later in the series has a line of dialogue in the opening scene. However, he is offscreen and will not be ...
1
vote
1answer
238 views

What Does A Person Mean That My Novel Reads Like A Screenplay?

I have recently heard from some literary agents that my book, my opening chapters, reads like a screenplay. Now, this is a minority view. Most agents just think my opening chapters are beautifully ...
0
votes
1answer
37 views

Screenplay Writing Software for Apple OS X

I'm looking for Screen Play Creation Software for Mac OS X that doesn't require internet access. What options exist?
0
votes
1answer
52 views

How do I write a character's name in a short film script?

When introducing a character in a short film script, does a full name have to be used, or is their last name not needed?
0
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2answers
61 views

Is it a bad idea to write two screenplays at once? [closed]

I write scripts. Right now I'm writing a feature. I'm kind of a beginner, so I wanted to ask, is it a bad idea to write two screenplays at once? Sometimes, I sit down to write and start having all ...
0
votes
2answers
187 views

When and how to reveal the details of a protagonist's traumatic backstory

I'm writing a screenplay. The main character has suffered a major tragedy, but we don't know that yet. This, of course, hugely affects the way he acts, due to this tragedy he is now a broken man, ...
1
vote
2answers
126 views

Multiple superimposed supers

I'm trying to figure out the correct formatting for multiple supers for the intro of my film. I imagine four separate superimposed lines, one appears, then fades away, until they are finished. How ...
0
votes
2answers
100 views

Which language to choose: my native language or English? [duplicate]

I want to right screen play, but every time I think about writing, the first question that pops in my head is which one to choose: my native language or English?
0
votes
1answer
85 views

How can I make it so that my story isn't resolved so easily? [closed]

I'm writing a screenplay for a project in my film studies class and I'm close to resolving the conflict, but as I near the end, it feels like it's being resolved far too easily. In summary, the ...
2
votes
1answer
121 views

RNG 109 Watermark

I've been reading up a bunch of Screenplays from movies that I liked and came across a couple of them with a curious watermark on them, saying "RNG-109". I noticed this on a version of the Script for "...
1
vote
1answer
48 views

What are the main aspects to have in mind to write a screenplay or dramatic text? [closed]

I'm an actress but I also want to start writing my own stuff for good so I can develop them into film or play. I've been writing but something keeps missing! So what are the main aspects to write ...
3
votes
1answer
135 views

How to introduce a character properly

I'm working on a screenplay and I know the basics of formatting, however I still don't get why the first time a character speaks some line, it has to be written as He or Man instead of his actual ...
-2
votes
1answer
53 views

Good recess scene screenplay [closed]

I'm wondering if anyone could tell me how to write some very short recess scene at a school? I'm out of ideas. P.S. this would be acted.
6
votes
4answers
124 views

How do we write a movie script with a view towards establishing all of the visual symbolisms and how they should be interpreted?

How do we write a movie script with a view towards establishing all of the visual symbolisms and how they should be interpreted? Often, movie scripts often only have dialogues and some very brief ...
0
votes
0answers
29 views

live or recorded [duplicate]

I'm writing an interview a la 60 minutes or Behind the Music, where the interviewer show footage of the subject's homelife. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to indicate that the "behind the scenes" ...
3
votes
1answer
91 views

Indicating fill pieces in a script

I'm writing a script that involves an interview with a person a la 60 minutes or Behind the Music. I'm a little confused if the "fill pieces" should be formatted as "recorded" or "prerecorded" in its ...
6
votes
1answer
101 views

In the Windows version of Scrivener for Screenplay formatting, how do format for action/dialogue/shot?

There is a way to automatically change the indices to respect whether it is a line of dialogue or a description of the setting, but I can't find a way to bring the menu up consistently when hitting "...
5
votes
1answer
135 views

If I have an idea for an animated series how do I write it out?

So basically I’ve come up with a story that I believe could be an interesting animated series, but I’m not in the stages where I’m ready to try and pitch it or anything. How should I approach writing ...
2
votes
2answers
158 views

Why is the standard screenplay format just plain ASCII? Why don't use LaTeX or Word?

I'm just curious. I don't know anything about screenwriting and I see scripts online have only one format and they are all plain text. Why don't they use LaTeX or Word? It will look nicer and the ...
3
votes
2answers
109 views

About sound effects

I'm writing a script that shows a speaker interacting with their audience. The speaker finishes speaking and the audience reacts. I wrote it like this. Loud CHEERS from the audience. I'm wondering ...
11
votes
1answer
1k views

How to name indistinguishable henchmen in a screenplay?

A large group of indistinguishable henchman feature throughout my screenplay. What is an acceptable naming method for them? Let's say I wanna call them 'Red shirts'. Can I ... A) Call them all RED ...
3
votes
4answers
3k views

How to format quick flashes in a screenplay?

Question : In my screenplay, the main character occasionally suffers quick flashes, like visions. I have been unable to assert if I am formatting these correctly. Please also note the single and ...
15
votes
3answers
4k views

Is Social Media Science Fiction?

I am writing a science fiction story (actually a screenplay for a film, but I imagine that for the purposes of this question the same rules apply) and I have been told that it isn't really science ...
2
votes
1answer
129 views

How many blank lines before scene headings (and secondary scene headings) using Amazon Storywriter

Question : How many blank lines should be before scene headings and secondary scene headings in a screenplay? Note that I am using Amazon Storywriter. Detail : I am writing a screenplay with Amazon ...
5
votes
1answer
104 views

How to format a screenplay scene where the action alternates between 2 or more spots in an open space?

Question : In a screenplay, how should I format a scene in which the action and dialogue alternates between 2 or more spots in an open space? Example: I have a scene where the action and dialogue (...
0
votes
1answer
223 views

Writing an interview in a screenplay

I'm writing an interview in a screenplay where the protagonist is being interviewed a la 60 minutes. The interview shows an interviewer, Sarah Jones, who interviews a politician, Ben Parker. It ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views

How to script two scenes happening simultaneously?

I am writing a movie where a character has an interview with a news reporter. The scenes segues into a character profile of the interviewee that features a voice over from the interviewer. How would I ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views

How to write character's emotional reactions in a screenplay?

Question : When writing my screenplay, I frequently find the urge to describe a character's emotion. However, I have read somewhere (I forget where) that this should be left to the actor to some ...
2
votes
1answer
59 views

News shot in screenwriting

I'm writing a screenplay that incorporates various news shots. I plan to use various news shots as expositions. My story takes place in the future, and I want various news shots that display the top ...
4
votes
1answer
129 views

Documenting story in a videogame

How does one write a story for a story-based videogame. Is it done in the form of a screenplay? Is it written as any normal prose? Is it written as documentation that goes with the other early design ...
3
votes
1answer
104 views

Adapting dialogue from a novel into a screenplay

I would like to adapt a novel I wrote into a screenplay, and I was wondering if there are things to take into consideration before taking the dive. The novel doesn't have a lot of dialogue and I think ...
44
votes
9answers
9k views

Why write a book when there's a movie in my head?

Around a decade ago, I had a dream. An actual middle of the night dream. An entire movie played in my head, all I had to do was write it down. I did a fair bit of research on the topic then I spent ...
1
vote
2answers
110 views

Formatting for a visual medium: Screenplay or transcripts?

I have a specific way of writing when it comes to describing things in a visual medium, like video games, movies, or shows. I'm not a prose writer; I always wanted to write for visual media, not ...
2
votes
4answers
162 views

Screenwriting Techniques: Emotional Projection

NECESSARY INFORMATION Recently I saw someone on the internet say that Revenge Of The Sith was so powerful because of an effect called "Emotional Projection." This means that when you see the movie, ...
5
votes
2answers
256 views

Does every story really represent a life-story, as McKee advises?

In Robert McKee's book STORY, he says that a whole life story of a character must become a story well-told. So, it seems that the concept of "story told" is a representation of a "life story" that ...
0
votes
1answer
121 views

Where to Find Screenwriters? [closed]

I'm currently searching for a new screenplay. So I'm looking for forums/pages where I can find writers. They can or maybe should be non-professional, because the movie is micro-low budget to low ...
9
votes
4answers
2k views

How do you make a scene “tasteful”?

Let's say you have a scene that contains nudity. There are many ways to do it wrong and have it just be a pervy scene, but there are also ways to make it "tasteful" in a way where it's slightly less ...
2
votes
3answers
176 views

I have no artistic skill, but I want to write for animated shows/movies

See title. I love writing stories, but I usually imagine how they are like in show/movie form, specifically 3d animated ones. I don't feel like I have the skill to write a good book, but I do think I ...
2
votes
2answers
103 views

How do I make a repetitive element in a play interesting?

I am writing a playscript these days which includes various characters that are frequently related throughout the story. They all hold special orbs/keys that help the main protagonist progress further ...
2
votes
3answers
139 views

Screenwriting using codenames

I'm currently writing a script where a woman is in a group that only uses codenames when with each other. I was wondering how I should address this in format. Her real name is known to the audience ...
2
votes
2answers
138 views

Class/Course Names in Fiction

sorry if this has already been asked. But how are course or class names written in fiction (both prose and screenplay)? For example, if someone has a second-level algebra course on their schedule, ...
1
vote
1answer
121 views

Introducing characters in a screenplay [duplicate]

In one of my scenes, I introduce "GUEST" at a party. Later, each guest is introduced by name. So if I capitalized GUESTS, do I have to capitalize their name later?
4
votes
1answer
575 views

Can the Final Draft 11 software handle foreign screenplay formats?

I am considering buying Final Draft 11. Of special interest to me is that this version can handle 95 foreign languages, including Japanese. My question is, can FD11 handle foreign (read: non-...
3
votes
1answer
116 views

How do I write transitions between thinking and speaking?

I've just downloaded an open-source script-writing program, and have started converting the scripts for an anime I've been writing into industry-standard formatting. There are a few points in the ...
7
votes
4answers
600 views

Respecting classic dramatic structure in a documentary

I'm planning on shooting a documentary on a potentially important shift in a friend's life. In an attempt to educate myself a little bit before shooting the events, I'm reading about the classic ...
5
votes
1answer
78 views

Example screenplays on the web

Wondering if there are any good "open source" screenplays available on the web, ones that provide a good introduction to screenplays and have lots of "features" of screenplay writing. I would like to ...
6
votes
3answers
178 views

How to pitch TV show with a 'hook' when have a complete bible and treatments?

So, I have a TV show I have been writing and will finish soon enough. I have been working on this for a long time, and have written 9 seasons. The type of show is a sitcom. It is based on my ...
4
votes
3answers
127 views

How to write an online screen name in dialogue?

Might be a bit nitpicky - but I really want to get the formatting correct - especially because this is one of the first lines in the script. The screen name is: ArgyleMan29 Like this? JACK: Online I’...

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