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I'm taking a screenwriting workshop class to try and improve my focus and discipline. Our only textbook is McKee's "Story", which should've told that she's a nutcase.
One of my gripes with this teacher is that she teaches her style of writing. I think my format is good. She wants me to copy hers.
I've been glancing through scripts here and it looks like the majority of people write their sluglines like this:
INT. BIG - SMALL - DAY
So, INT. HOUSE - BEDROOM - DAY
This teacher insists we write it like this:
INT. BEDROOM - HOUSE - DAY
The rest of my class, from what I can tell, are new to writing. Y'all know I've been doing this for a couple of years and I don't need lessons on format. Yet, everything I've been doing isn't her way, so it's wrong.
Michael is correct. Also, even though I've been writing sluglines the opposite of hers, I see the sense behind her thinking. INT. (in a) BEDROOM - (in a ) House - DAY, makes total sense. Because the focus would be on the bedroom, which just happens to be in the house. Convoluted, or sensible?
Hm, I see her point. I always tend to write it HOUSE - BEDROOM as well, but the way the Star Wars movies tended to have it was PLACE - PLANET, which is the same principle.
Perhaps there is something to it. Regardless, do it her way, and when the class is done, do it however you think works best for you.
The rest of my class, from what I can tell, are new to writing. Y'all know I've been doing this for a couple of years and I don't need lessons on format. Yet, everything I've been doing isn't her way, so it's wrong.
What should I do?
Run to the hills! Failing that you can always tell her she might be wrong.
For someone who's fond of "Story" it seems a little bizarre. Or, you could play the game, bite your tongue, pass the course then do it properly afterwards. Everybody wins.
I started writing slugs big-to-small because a development executive for a company I was working for told me to do it that way. She said that was how it was done in Hollywood. It didn’t really matter, I had to do it her way either way.
I think you should just treat the situation like your teacher is someone who’s commissioned you to write and just do it her way. When you write your personal scripts, do it your way. You’re going to end up making all kinds of concessions to assignment write. May as well get used to it.
But for the record, I personally think big-to-small is the clearest way and thus the best way.
Do it her way. That's what classes are about (notice I didn't say that's what learning is about).
I agree with Michael, and that's what I tell my grown kids to do. Right now, you need to follow her instructions because you are inside of her classroom.
Like Michael has said, learning and being taught are sometimes different things. The real world is very different than a classroom. Cooking without recipes is very different than cooking with them. You learn flavors and combination by experience.
Outside her classroom, write the way you like. For her class, write her way.
I'd say that - assuming you are paying for the privilege of attending this workshop - that you have every right to disagree with her.
Frankly, if she bases the entire class around one book (any one book), then she doing her students a disservice. It's a bit like doing an art class where the teacher only tells you about Impressionism and ignores every other art movement.
Yeah, I do love this thread! And I could go on and on about this subject.
First of all, I do not think it's a problem to disagree with your instructor. Maybe disagree isn't quite the right word, but I would imagine that you can question this issue and it could make for some good discussions in the class.
I most defintely agree that Slugs should go from big to small. Here's the argument that no one can disagree with (well, no one should disagree with it, but some probably still will)...if you have several houses in your script, with scenes in the kitchen, going small to big just doesn't make sense. You'll have 2 totally different settings that will look like this in your script..."INT. KITCHEN - BOB'S HOUSE", and "INT. KITCHEN - MIKE'S HOUSE". Not only does it take more effort to read and understand exactly where we are, but also, a scene report will group all the "kitchen" scenes together, as apposed to all the "Bob's House" and "Mike's House" scenes.
OK, I feel better now. Abs, I would recommend bringing this up in class and see what your instructer hsa to say to this argument.
Yeah, I do love this thread! And I could go on and on about this subject.
First of all, I do not think it's a problem to disagree with your intstructor. Maybe disagree isn't quite the right word, but I would imagine that you can question this issue and it could make for some good discussions in the class.
I most defintely agree that Slugs should go from big to small. Here's the argument that no one can disagree with (well, no one should disagree with it, but some probably still will)...if you have several houses in your script, with scenes in the kitchen, going small to big just doesn't make sense. You'll have 2 totally different settings that will look like this in your script..."INT. KITCHEN - BOB'S HOUSE", and "INT. KITCHEN - MIKE'S HOUSE". Not only does it take more effort to read and understand exactly where we are, but also, a scene report will group all the "kitchen" scenes together, as apposed to all the "Bob's House" and "Mike's House" scenes.
OK, I feel better now. Abs, I would recommend bringing this up in class and see what your instructer hsa to say to this argument.
What you just said clicked something directly into my head, like the turning of a key. LOL
You know, you always get those transition scenes and then a "move" to the next firm location. A lot of times, it's a firmly place exterior shot or "thing" like a flag pole, that helps ground the audience into the moment as well as the location. Now, I'm not sure, but my guess is that this isn't written in by writers always in the early stages so much as the way it's put together in the end, and perhaps some "aha moments" along the way, but for the read, it seems to make sense, at least in some scenarios if not most scenarios, to go from big to small.
With that though, I'll betcha there are exceptions. It seems there are always exceptions.
I say do it the way the instructor wants it done, it's her class after all, besides, she has the experience to verify that what she's teaching is 100% legit. I would try writing a script formatted the way she is instructing based on her teachings and see what type of feedback you receive. Kind of do a survey. If more are in favor of doing it your way, stick with it. If more are in favor of doing it her way, stick with that formatting.
Personally, I don't believe it matters either way. I have read scripts where the slug lines have had no INT or EXT designation. The only clue to for the reader was within the scene description itself.
As an example, it was something like this:
TUNNEL
The sun creates a glorious halo around the closed door as seen from within. WATER DRIPS through a myriad of overhead cracks above them as they make for the tunnel door.
Weird huh?!
If you can't beat 'em, then get yourself a bigger stick! John Mavity
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