101: The Rule of Page One
Thanks for launching the 101!
I thought it would be appropriate to introduce the 101 with what I call the Rule of Page One due to how definitive it’s proven to be. As a reader in Los Angeles, I read a lot of screenplays; and one thing I’ve noticed is that this rule seems to be the only one that’s still standing (aside from formatting rules).
The Rule of Page One:
Look at page one of any screenplay. You’ll probably notice a lot of things, but one thing you won’t notice is the page number. This is because it’s missing. It’s industry standard practice to leave out the number one of page one. Why? Because it’s redundant. And this is the key word behind The Rule of Page One.
Over the years, I’ve never really been able to give one solid point of advice to screenwriters, including myself, regarding how to approach their screenplay (probably part of the reason why I started this blog); however, after flipping open a random script from the slush pile one day, I was shocked and appalled to see a fat number one sitting upon the upper right corner of the first page. This triggered thought, and the thought finally articulated this:
Screenwriting is all about concision.
The absence of the number one on the first page is a message from Hollywood, and it’s warning you not to be redundant. Honestly, why announce page one with a number when it’s obviously number one?
This goes for everything in a screenplay. Redundancy is considered extra fat, which is why you might have heard the advice to trim the beginning and ends of your scenes; It’s also why you’ve heard you should enter your scenes as late as possible and leave as early as possible; It’s also why you’ve heard to cut to the chase; And it’s also why most screenplays are passed on by story analysts.
The bottom line is this: screenwriting should be consider the art of telling a story with as little ink as possible. Unlike novelists, screenwriters simply don’t have the time to explore their world of story, they don’t have the luxury of exploring the inner thoughts of a character, and they certainly don’t have all that much time to articulate their plot. This is why redundancy is frowned upon.
Be a concise screenwriter by clearly articulating what you need to include in your screenplay and story (there’s big difference between what you need to include and what you want to include).
This is the Rule of Page One, and I think it’s pretty solid. What do you think? Dare you risk your screenplay’s rating in order to add more detail to your scenes?
I think it’s a pretty solid rule. I personally am very detailed when it comes to writing my stories; then I cut them down later, particularly when I am about to put them into screenplay form. I like this method because it’s a lot easier to cut from a fully formed story than it is to flesh a story out from a skeleton. I agree with concision as long as the story and the neccesary elements are still intact. You don’t need the first page number but you need the details of the world to make the story come to life, and I think that is the balance that most screenwriters go for.
I definitely agree with you.
Go on.
very good point. someone i should point out is Samuel Fuller. No bullshit. always gets to the point. Doesn’t waste a second explaining anything out of the way. again, i affirm this point.
Awesome. Thanks for reading & commenting!
Dismissing a text because it has a one in the corner is illogical, even if it is a ‘message from Hollywood’ warning us not to be redundant! It makes no sense. If Hollywood was truly scared of redundant scenes, then I dare say there would be far fewer car chases and gun fights in films.
The idea of segregating character and plot and hacking off the end of scenes has always distressed me. ‘Arriving as late as possible’ and ‘leaving early’ is as equally disturbing, as it implies a form of absolutism, that something is either ‘relevant’ or ‘irrelevant’, and that successful screenwriters are like surgeons, merely cutting away the bad flesh. If you only give the audience the bare bones of a story, their will be nothing form them to sink their teeth into!