Tuesday, 3 November 2015

PreProduction Unit- Investigating Scripts 2

I have recently begun turning my pre-writing into a script ready to be handed to successful cast applicants. In order for me to get a better understanding of the layout of scripts and how much, or how little description to add to my script (A problem with writing I have outlined in the past) I have taken it upon myself to analyse some famous scripts by famous screenwriters.
I began my search for material to research with a simple google search. Since my film's genre is going to be Melodrama (a sub-genre of drama) I decided to look at the scripts of films that are considered to be the "greatest drama films of all time."
I came across the script for Citizen Kane by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles. I have always been a fan of the work of Orson Welles, particularly his "War of the World's" radio broadcast, and so I feel that this script would be most useful to me as it would not only only me to better my work, but also take inspiration in my writing from someone I really admire.
The version of the script I read can be found here: http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/citizenkane.html

As you can see, Welles spends a lot of time on his time writing descriptions in his script. Although this adds a lot of description to the overall story and really sets the scene for what the image onscreen will look like, it also gives the director a lot of information to read on the day of the shoot. This could potentially be quite time-consuming on a shoot-day and as a result I feel like something I could learn from Welles script is for me to limit my description a little.
This gives the director more room to experiment and try their own thing, which is a concern Charlie has expressed to me multiple times.
I also noticed that the Citizen Kane script also contains multiple technical instructions regarding the framing and movement of the camera. This is something I have also included in my own script, such as here;



In these two script segments, I have included camera directions, where I feel it would be appropriate. Obviously Charlie will have the final say in his interpretation of how the film will be shot, but I feel that beginning the film with the face of Doctor Hughes, and ending the film with the shot of Douglas' looking straight into the camera would be really effective.
It is for this reason that I will continue writing in the same kind of style I have become accustomed to, but I will still consider Charlie's freedom as a director, and try and write in a way that allows him to really have his own interpretation of my writing.

----------------
Something else I have learned from this investigation, is that Screenwriters have a "different language" to directors, which is reflected in the scripts we write. I wanted to script a POV shot of someone trying to break into the Reed family home, and was unsure how to script this in a way that wouldn't be so heavy on the description of certain shots, or the way the camera moves, as it isn't my job to decide this.
I came across this website; http://gointothestory.blcklst.com/2009/11/question-how-to-handle-pov-shots.html where users discuss the ways in which they handle POV shots in their films, and they use examples from famous film scripts such as The Silence of the Lambs.
I found this to be especially useful, as I realise it is not my job to decide the particular type of camera shots that will be used in the film, but I still want to convey that the best course of action would be to use a POV shot.
The scene itself involved someone attempting to break into the Reed family home, and in my head, for this scene I wanted to show a sense of voyeurism as the person breaking in snoops around the exterior of the house, and I feel that the best way for this to be showcased is through the use of a POV shot. This is of course Charlie's decision though, but on the day I will discuss this with him.


No comments:

Post a Comment