SAMPLE SCRIPT

May 17, 2006

does anyone have a sample script that they could show. I got some good idea's as far as what I want to shoot(video) but I would like to know how a script is composed.

I just want to see how they include things like body language, gestures, and looks in addition to what a person is saying and HOW IT IS WRITTEN,

do any of you Directors actually start with pen and paper, and what do you do for idea's to support your MAIN idea...I know there are different things people do for inspiration but what do "YOU" do for it? and when you get that inspiration how do you set up your note book to write out what you want????

can we get a decent conversation stewing over this topic?

or better yet here is an example of something I had to do, I had to shoot a short based on an "Escape down stairs"

Narrative: about this owner of this apt, how he's been arm robbed twice, so now he carries a gun, (show him patting his chest in a way to show he's double checking he has his gun)

SCENE: have the owner leaving his apt,

Robber: comes up to enter apt, looks around(looks at a picture frame of the owner and a group of guys hugging), (in post cut it so that viewers see the owners activities for moment then switches to robbers activities)

show that the owner realizes he forgot something in the apt and has to go back to apt and just as the robber is leaving the apt the owner approaches and see's someone leaving his apt, and then the chase begins which leads the robber to the stair way,

They both proceed to the stairway and just as the robber makes it down the last flight of stairs he falls, but gets back up and just as he tries to exit the stairway the owner (who at this point is enraged and full of adrenaline now that he finally has a chance to get some revenge on this "robber")

he pulls his gun and shoots the robber in the back

Goes over to the robber to take off the mask that the robber has on to realize that it was one of thes guys in the picture frame.....(his own brother)

The END

now How would someone go about scripting this the correct way.

These were idea's I had in my head on what I wanted in my short...but didnt know I should write...there isnt much dialogue here but there will be music and sound effects added as well but.

my goal here is to get some understanding from some of the knowledgable guys here

Luke Prendergast · May 17, 2006

'free script' in Google will give you thousands. Pick a favorite film and refer the script to what is on the screen. It can be helpful to see the translation of words to film.

Hal Smith · May 17, 2006

does anyone have a sample script that they could show. I got some good idea's as far as what I want to shoot(video) but I would like to know how a script is composed.

Final Draft has a demo that is a fully functioning version of Final Draft, you are limited to (I believe) saving ten pages. Learning FD will teach you script formatting about as painlessly as possible.

http://www.finaldraft.com/support/demos.php4?prod=fdwinpages

James Steven Beverly · May 17, 2006

does anyone have a sample script that they could show. I got some good idea's as far as what I want to shoot(video) but I would like to know how a script is composed.

I just want to see how they include things like body language, gestures, and looks in addition to what a person is saying and HOW IT IS WRITTEN,

do any of you Directors actually start with pen and paper, and what do you do for idea's to support your MAIN idea...I know there are different things people do for inspiration but what do "YOU" do for it? and when you get that inspiration how do you set up your note book to write out what you want????

can we get a decent conversation stewing over this topic?

or better yet here is an example of something I had to do, I had to shoot a short based on an "Escape down stairs"

Narrative: about this owner of this apt, how he's been arm robbed twice, so now he carries a gun, (show him patting his chest in a way to show he's double checking he has his gun)

The first thing your gonna want to do as a director / writer is change "arm robbed" to "robbed at gunpoint" unless for some reason your Narrator speaks like that. Dialogue should sound like people talking...cause that's what their suppose to be doing. Also be careful about using a narrator, many people use them as crutches to help fill in prologue they aren't clever enough to expose through the natural course of the story and be careful about using too much dialogue to tell your story. There's an old axiom that you should take to heart as a screen writer-" Don't tell me, Show me. " Movies are VISUAL, plays are heard. So when a screenwriter puts down "And the indians take the town" The Director has to figure out VISUALLY, how to do that. Neal Simon always writes scripts on a in pencil on a yellow legal pad because he says he can look at the lines of dialogue and see the rithym of the scene. Me, I sketch out an idea on a pad and maybe write a few scenes but then put it in the computer using Final Draft because it's in proper screenplay format and is much easier to make changes and corrections, move scenes around, rename charatures ect, plus I can't spell to save my life so I just hit the Spellcheck feature and I look like a freakin' genius. There are scripts online you can look at, in fact one site has the original draft of Coppolla"s Apocolypes Now. I can't remember the web address, but a quick search should net you some results. ;)

Prem Edpuganti · May 17, 2006

It seems there is more than a script invloved in producing a visual. A great actor can always fit into a character with great ease. It is done through body language, facial expressions, casual and natural movements in front of the camera while delivering a dialogue. Given the same script, I am sure there can be as many final versions of visual as there are actors. After the script is written and before the shooting, at what stage these things are finalized. During rehearsal? Who in particular is in charge of deciding, recommending, demostrating to the actors how the visual should look like. Whatever I am asking applies to the actresses, as well.

James Steven Beverly · May 18, 2006

It seems there is more than a script invloved in producing a visual. A great actor can always fit into a character with great ease. It is done through body language, facial expressions, casual and natural movements in front of the camera while delivering a dialogue. Given the same script, I am sure there can be as many final versions of visual as there are actors. After the script is written and before the shooting, at what stage these things are finalized. During rehearsal? Who in particular is in charge of deciding, recommending, demostrating to the actors how the visual should look like. Whatever I am asking applies to the actresses, as well.

The script is the spine of the picture, everything should flow from it. The script ellosits the look and feel of the picture as filtered though the director's eyes. A good script immediately conjours up images in the mind of the reader. Once that has happened w/ the director, the rest of the department heads help him to translate that vision drawn from the written word and put it into the visual images that you see on screen. The actors are responsible for thier charature, not the look and feel of the film UNLESS they are a mega movie star then they will have a great deal more influence on the final results and most actors do NOT slip EASILY into a role. they work as hard to create a reality for the charature and breath live into them. They find what makes the charature unique and interesting and yes every actor will play the same charature differently but that doesn't make creating the charature any less work.

The visual look and feel of a film isn't finished until it's released and somethimes not even then because then it will be re-cut into a Director's cut which may have significant alterations in length, pace and feel. The Director has final say on everything except usually the final cut of the film, unless a major star is attached then they also usually have a large say in what happens but sence a major star usually has a say in which director is hired, they tend to work with people they get along with.

Edited May 18, 2006 by Capt.Video