Read your Discovery screenplay.
Topic · 4 minutes
For the next two weeks, part of your work will be the study of a feature screenplay. You have the choice from two scripts, and before you take your pick, let’s look at what is expected every day.
The Task
To allow you to stay sharp and focus format, style, and technique, you will only read for about 10-15 minutes every day. We don’t want you to get too engrossed and lose yourself in the story.
Don’t forget you’re reading like a pro, not an amateur.
Today we’re going to read what roughly constitutes the first act, and the idea is that you try to discern how the writer gets us hooked into the character, the world, and later: the story.
On the days that you’re not reading, you will be processing the story by writing a synopsis and a report, aiming for 500 words each.
The Synopsis
The work on the synopsis will force you to focus on structure, while the report emphasizes more the writing styles and techniques you have encountered.
To allow you to complete the synopsis within a reasonable amount of time, it will be useful to quickly summarise what you have read at the end of each daily Discovery session.
A paragraph of about 100-150 words will help you immensely when you start building your synopsis next week.
And don’t forget to record in your script journal what you discover in terms of technique or other observations.
Enjoy!
THE SCRIPTS
OPTION 1: WAIT LIST (2021, C. Hallman)
Wait List, written by Carly Hallman ended up high on the 2021 BlackList, and people love it for its lean, seductive writing style. However, some find its darkly comedic story and characters unappealing, as the script balances satire, cynicism and nihilism.
WARNING: Some graphic descriptions of violence may disturb sensitive readers.
QUOTE: I loved this script. One of the best I’ve read so far. It was dark, it was captivating, it was stress inducing. This script really made my skin crawl in the best possible way. I hope this one gets made because I think the lead character “Kate” was exceptionally well-written.
_Matterhorn1612
The BlackList collects the most loved unproduced screenplays that are circulating among film production executives in Hollywood. These scripts are technically specs, but they already have representation. Some people will say that the writers get away with more liberties than you would in e.g. a contest.
WAIT LIST: S01 – S29
A few notes to accompany the reading:
You’ll often read scripts that have “TITLE/CREDITS” included, like Wait List does at the bottom of page 2.
You may well have your own opinion of where these go best, but ultimately it is the director’s job to make this call; not yours.
So be aware that including them may summon the irritation of the reader.
As you may notice, the previously standard transition CUT TO: is going out of fashion rapidly. You can save a few pages by omitting it.
This doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to use it – ever. But only use it sparingly, for effect.
Email and text messages are used in almost every script these days. It is critically important that you find an elegant way to format these in your script.
While I am happy to read anything that does the job effectively without pulling me out of the story, be aware that contest readers may have very different standards. They may have studied The Screenwriter’s Bible or read Dave Trottier’s online advice, and penalise you for not adhering to it.
At the end of the day, Trottier’s book is a descriptive reflection of Hollywood practice, and if enough writers use a particular method (like you find in Wait List), it will make it into the next edition of the bible.
Until then, tread with caution if you don’t want to distract industry readers.
Did you notice the lonely dash on p.5? It’s part of the double-dash used for the interruption in the dialogue. Something went wrong with the formatting, and it ended up in the Description element. This type of error stands out like a sore thumb, and you want to avoid it. Lucky, Final Draft has a Formatting Assistant that will help you avoid most of these. Most… not all!
OPTION 2: LEAVE NO TRACE (2018, D. Granik)
Leave No Trace, written end directed by Debra Granik was the follow-up to her critically acclaimed debut feature Winter’s Bone, introducing – and starring – Jennifer Lawrence.
“Leave No Trace” is, at times, heartbreaking, but it’s also filled with glimpses of almost casual human kindness, throwaway moments of good will and inclusion piercing through what could be the bleakest of tales.
–Roger Ebert
LEAVE NO TRACE: S01 – S32
A few notes to accompany the reading:
Leave No Trace is an exceptionally well-written screenplay. However, we need to remember that Granik had clout when she wrote this. Your script will be more closely scrutinised, and even lesser annoyances may take the reader out of the experience.
Let’s look at a few elements that Granik gets away with, but that you may want to handle differently:
- The descriptions of Will and Tom are non-existing. When you introduce your main character(s), it is expected that you give us a basic idea of their physiognomy, sociology and/or psychology. Lajos Egri calls this the character’s bone structure.
- S1 “for the man who lives in the lot”. We don’t see this, and you may leave out info like this.
- S4 and S5 have long-ish descriptive paragraphs. For the sake of readability, you might want to break up sections like these into smaller units.
We won’t hold your hand for the remainder of this script. Do your own research, and keep a copy of Dr. David Trottier‘s The Screenwriter’s Bible at hand to find out what is acceptable format and style.