5 Reasons Why Screenwriters Should Call the Shots
I can’t recall how many times I’ve read the advice not to direct your screenplay, but I do know that I’ve even written about it before here at ScriptXRay.
It’s a perfectly sound guideline to write by – however, I’ve also been noticing a lot of screenplays coming in that feel safe, tame, and molded … as if forced into a suit and told to conform if they want to fit in with the industry standard. I can’t help but imagine a lot of screenwriters out there are reducing their voice, style, and vision in order to fit what they think Hollywood wants – in other words, they’re not writing to their full potential.
It reminds me of a similar issue I wrote about a while back regarding screenwriters writing with a budget, and how budget limitation is just another word for imagination limitations. Read more about this at Screenwriters! If You Want to Write a Screenplay, Write a Book.
Anyway, I thought this might be a good time to say forget what you’ve learned! You should be directing your screenplay at all costs – as the screenwriter, it’s your story … your vision and baby … your art and creation – take control of it and break from the mold.
Now, just to clarify – I think its good for screenwriters to direct the story and overall screenplay for the page. That’s not to say they should be calling the shots, suggesting specific lighting (unless crucial to the story), and so on.
As far as the reader is concerned, you are the director at this point. Think of it this way, avoid directing the actual movie – but by all means, direct the screenplay as an entertaining piece of work designed for the screenplay page.
1. Vision
As the screenwriter who conceptualized the project, you’re the creator of your story – are you ready to compromise to the “Hollywood standard,” if there is such a thing, while writing your screenplay in a room by yourself? Try letting your vision control the project … see where it takes you.
2. Artistic Expression
Screenwriters secretly like to think that one day they might be able to have a creative career in which they create art the world appreciates – if you start editing the way you write your screenplay, how can this ever be? Stop doing what everyone else tells you to do and you just might have a chance of creating work the world appreciates.
3. Voice
Editing your voice out of the screenplay is one of the most common mistakes I see as a reader. Without the writer’s voice, the work is downright stale – even though it might have potential! No matter the potential, a screenplay with no voice is hardly worth while … might as well just program a robot to write this type of screenplay.
4. Style
Your style is a technical version of your voice. It’s the way you reveal action, suspense, surprises, and everything in-between. Often, a director will craft their style through the small moments in their movies – a writer is no different. What attracts you about movies the most? What attracts you to scenes? What themes do you see yourself exploring multiple times? Do you think you might be able to master a specific emotion or genre in film? These all make up your style – what some might even consider their “brand” when it comes to marketing themselves – don’t worry about that right now.
5. Experimentation
Don’t be afraid to experiment with your work. Sure, a screenplay has to be a swift read full of entertainment with the potential to sell movie tickets if you hope to sell, but that’s not to say every scene has to be immaculate. The people buying screenplays and books and television scripts aren’t planning on adapting your work right to the screen – they’re planning on taking a “good start” into development to see where they can make it even better.
I think those are the top 5 reasons why screenwriters need to break from the mold and direct their screenplays.
You simply can’t match the quality of a screenplay written from the hearth with one written by script-o-matic. Don’t worry about writing what Hollywood might consider a “perfect” screenplay – it might seem trite, but it’s true – no one really knows what will work for sure.
Just like the budgeting issue, screenwriting has no formula – it’s the wild west and anything goes.
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totally agree with you! Screenwriter’s shouldn’t give up on their vision for their film and to be honest, if they are concerned that a studio would say something is “too expensive” then they should research prior to submitting a script to find out ways that are cost effective. If someone says that it’s not possible to do some of their scenes they’ll have some research to back it up. I know this sounds crazy and not the way they do “the biz” but I am tired of seeing everyone backing down from their dreams and visions for their films.
There is much more possible now for films. People just don’t want to take risks. If a screenwriter is having a hard time selling the concept of a script to a studio they should make a short film version of some of it and use it to promo the script via the internet.
What ever they do they shouldn’t back down.
I certainly believe many screenwriters are fully capable of helming their own projects… but we’ll need to add a number 6. People Skills.
I am still wondering exactly how much directing should be done. I want to point out the shots whenever necessary. The defendant has left a courtroom and is now in the hall, so that has to be mentioned as does that we're following him as he walks away. A novel reader imagines this automatically but if you assume that they reader will make that assumption and fill it in for themselves… that is not the advice I see around the net.
On the other hand, a lot of advice seems to be telling me to use the action to put the shots in. This is one of those less than wonderfully cut and dried areas that confuses me.
The screenwriter's job is to tell the story for the page — that means they're the first directory … they get to call the "shots" for the page, meaning they get to present what the reader experiences, sees, or feels at any given point.
This might require another post on the matter, but the best way to describe it is this: If a director directs using camera angles to frame the story for the screen, then the screenwriter uses setting and action to frame the story for the page … savvy?
A screenwriter should avoid throwing down camera angles — it's distracting. Instead, the screenwriter should call for a close up by writing a line of description that implies intimacy, immediacy, and connection … in other words, the screenwriter should write something that implies we're in close up. To do this with out defaulting to "we see in close up," the writer needs to find a way to frame the action using the setting, which is easy to do in the slugline, description (gotta be some visuals … what are we seeing?), and action — what are we seeing.
On top of that, there are certain things that the reader might naturally imagine when reading for the first time. A cliche but basic example might be this:
"The beads of sweat hung on Jimbo's face until one, two, then three drops quickly snowballed their way down his brow and into his eyes."
Chances are, you just pictured that piece of action in extreme close up … but why?
Because you wouldn't be able to pick up that kind of detail from a long, two, or even medium shot. I guess what it might all come down to for the writer is implying the shots. What's everyone else think?