For about a week I've been working on a new script, the spec script I wish to fish to producers(my last script I completed was about 145 pages long and a Civil War drama - so I'm holding that off for awhile). Now, my question is, how do I write just a single musical scene?

The other day I went and saw "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and the ending has a Bollywood-ish type dance scene set to 'Age of Aquarius' and I decided I want to open my newest script with something similar to that. So far I've listed the start to it as UPBEAT POP SONG since I like to follow not using a specific song I don't own the rights to yet(FYI the one I've had in my head for it is "Heroes and Villains" by Brian Wilson).

How would I go about writing a musical number like this? The script itself isn't a musical, I just want the opening sequence to be a musical to set up the characters.

Much help would be appreciated fellow screenwriters!


- Joshua

Will your characters sing any of the song?

Quoted from George Willson Will your characters sing any of the song?

You see, that's what I'm kind of torn on. I can either just have a long, thorough two-and-a-half minute dance thing, or I could have the characters sing the song but I'd have to write my own song(I can write lyrics no problem, I've written songs before) not owning the rights to "Heroes and Villains" or of that nature.

Hmmmm, no idea what to do.

If you want the characters to sing a few lines, but don't want to mess with song rights, you simply note in the description that the characters sing along with the song. Without knowing the song, you can't go further than that, and the producers should respect you for that and understand what you're going for.

One more quick question: should I do a SEQUENCE - MUSICAL NUMBER or do the EXT. DAY/NIGHT type of thing?

Just a regular slugline would do. Since it is part of the storyline, you would really only mention the musical number as a part of the description and just show what happens as it carries on. From what you described, no special designation would be required.

If you move from location to location, just do a new slug. If you cut from one location to another in rapid succession, you might need an INTERCUT, but that's about the limit of its complication, I think.

How does this look so far? I'm writing it in Final Draft 6 right now.




EXT. THE STREETS OF FLORENCE, OR. - DAY
The opening is a MUSICAL NUMBER, set to the tune of the “Upbeat 60’s Pop Song.” A dozen or teenagers dance around the empty streets of Florence, OR., spreading the good vibrations through their sleepy, coastal town. They all dance and sing along to the sunny tune of the song in a well-choreographed dance number.

Halfway through the big dance opener we land on JONAS MORRELL(17). He has brown hair, blue eyes, a nice smile: your average all-american suburban teenager living on the West Coast.

JONAS (V.O.)
In the face of unspeakable tragedy people react in many different ways. Some cut themselves to feel again, some read the Bible and pray to whatever God they choose, some take out their anger with their fists, and some do all of this at once. Some even dance.

As the dance opener reaches it’s Crescendo all the dancing teens grab a bunch of newspapers from a box and hold it up to us as they dance by. Flying across the screen as each one passes is “WAR” printed in bold.

The dance number comes to a close and to mark this occasion they all THROW their newspapers in to the air. They stop dancing, ending the song, as the pieces of newspaper rain down on them.

Not bad, actually.  To me, anyway.  But what does ",OR. - DAY" mean in the slug?  This is awkward.  I am assuming Oregon here.  Spell it out for clarity or it looks like some odd piece of camera direction.  And in the V.O., if they are reading the Bible, I think they are praying to a specific God.  You might want to rework that sliver of dialogue a bit.  And with the newspaper bit, go ahead and cut the "to us".  The use of "us" and "we" turns alot of people off, and this sentence still reads fine if you just delete it.

As for the actual mechanics of a dance number, I will be interested in what George has to say, too.

The way you have it written is done well enough to get the point across to a producer and director who can find the necessary song and hire the necessary choreographer to bring it to life.

On the slugline, if this is your first scene, you're basically establishing the city of Florence, so EXT. FLORENCE - DAY is sufficient because your following description tells about the streets. The specification isn't needed in the slugline. Out of curiosity, what song are you thinking of? I think the description of "spreading the good vibrations" is clever, more so if "Good Vibrations" is the song in your head. Perhaps you could work your desired song title into the description, so it's descriptive, but not explicit.

Oh, and Bert's right on the God thing. If they're reading the Bible, they're praying to a specific God. You can fix the snafu by changing the "and" to "or".

A good script to read is any of the Disney cartoon scripts. The Lion King has some good musical scenes to it...it may help you.

Quoted from George Willson Out of curiosity, what song are you thinking of? I think the description of "spreading the good vibrations" is clever, more so if "Good Vibrations" is the song in your head. Perhaps you could work your desired song title into the description, so it's descriptive, but not explicit..

Yeah, "Good Vibrations" was one of the songs I had in mind. Another I had in mind was actually another Beach Boys song, but instead use the 2004 version of "Heroes and Villains" by Brian Wilson. "Good Morning, Good Morning" or "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles I also equally liked.

Another one I kind of liked is "Holland, 1945" by Neutral Milk Hotel, but that came out in 1998 so it'd be going against the Upbeat 60's thing. Of course I could change it, but it's not exactly a smile-inducing song.

I kind of thought so. By wording the secription this way, you might clue in an unsuspecting individual on exactly which song oyu had in mind. Imagine that they look at this scene with an "upbeat 60's song" and then read the line about the good vibrations. What will happen? If they are trying to visualize the scene with a random upbeat 60's song, they'll probably think about "Good Vibrations." That would be some subtle writer power. Choose your wording and song wisely.

Quoted from George Willson I kind of thought so. By wording the secription this way, you might clue in an unsuspecting individual on exactly which song oyu had in mind. Imagine that they look at this scene with an "upbeat 60's song" and then read the line about the good vibrations. What will happen? If they are trying to visualize the scene with a random upbeat 60's song, they'll probably think about "Good Vibrations." That would be some subtle writer power. Choose your wording and song wisely.

OK, I will.