Movie Makers (Jan-Dec 1948)

148 SEVEN STEPS TO SCRIPTING WILLIAM HOWE, ACL TOO many amateurs look upon the idea of writing a script as a formidable proposition — -fine for the 35mm. boys, but wholly beyond the home filmer. These are the same folks who wouldn't think of shopping without a grocery list, touring without a road map or making a dress without a pattern. The waiver of a similar guide in the case of a movie is hard to understand, since economy, a predetermined idea of where you're going and the overall effect of the finished product are also important considerations in making a family movie. "But I can't write!" you say? So what? A script is only a means to an end, not the finished product by which you will be judged. No one can challenge your syntax by the time your movie is transposed to film. Cut all the corners you like — abbreviate, ditto, or scribble; a script for a home movie should be regarded as a memo, not a manuscript. You can tear it up when you're finished, just as you tear up that grocery list. The arguments for a simple script are manifold; it will save you production time and, better still, duplication of effort; it will give you an indication of the amount of film you will need; and it will certainly minimize your hours over a hot splicer. There are seven steps you can follow, in setting down your data, that will help you to make a cogent and comprehensible movie. A handy way to record these steps is on an 8% by 11 inch sheet of typewriter paper, reserving a column for each step, since this makes for easy reference and legibility. The first step is to number your scene in column 1. Should you decide to shoot your story or episode in a different order from the way it will develop on the screen Lass from Frederic Lewis ' 2 £ i * 3 3 Local* and letloa !S SJ £ ftffacts ? Zf $ s*/l' 7 c4*£^ V 1»£ C> -/o' t *) A <t. r / V JiS C /o' C i^-"Sfi£j^A 0 TiJ c -/<?■ 5 c) ezt 2 ■/' 2 7) dzt 2 </' z g) i A**£2^ ^^iff' *-*"&* 1 </ f 3 SCENE NUMBER, camera position, locale and action, lighting, exposure, footage and effects are listed on script. MEDIUM SHOT, scene 5, Bobby climbs on chair to reach cookie jar, is how this action might appear on your script. (so you won't have to duplicate a lighting setup or a location trip to some spot that recurs in your story), a numerical note of these scenes will help you to schedule your shooting with more efficiency (i.e. Central Park Mall— 6-10, 28, 36-43). Column 2 should list a designation of camera position, using the familiar abbreviations LS, MS, SCU and CU for long shot, medium shot, semi-closeup and closeup. The placement of your camera is all important, and this should be decided in the snug confines of an armchair rather than under pressure from your performers or the blaze of four No. 2 lamps. The facile advance of the camera from establishing long shots to detail closeups is your insurance of smooth continuity. You put the emphasis where you put your lens; so restrict your field of vision to just those subjects or objects that you want to be noticed. The Story Board (as described elsewhere in this Movie Makers) is graphic evidence that camera position— the angle from which you shoot a particular scene — is the key to fluent and compelling films. In column 3, indicate what the locale and action of your scene are to be, as briefly as you like. There is no need to go into an elaborate and subtle account of the action, since you will be your own interpreter. Hollywood scripts require detailed exposition, for they must in most instances run a gamut of executive approval to the hands of a director who had no part in concocting the tale to be filmed. Luckily, the amateur movie maker is all things — boss man, writer, director, grip and cameraman; a simple notation like "Laura Anne waves goodbye" is adequate for his script, since whatever emotional refinements and mood [Continued on page 169] Time, tempers, film and the family peace are all saved by simple planning. Besides, you get better pictures