Can anyone point to any scripts? POV would probably alternate between two cars int, and an ext.

I would really just like to say: Insert dramatic car chase here, and let the director come up with it! The only part of the chase I really know what I want to do is the end.

I guess I will have to imagine a damn car chase, even though I know if it's filmed the director and others would come up with their own chase.

Keep your descriptions really brief.  Include locations, if they're important.  The details are figured out by the director, site coordinator and stunt driver.


Phil

There are loads of films with car chase scenes, Bourne Identity, Gone in 60 Seconds and The Italian Job. My short Chasers also has a car chase scene, although Im not recommending it as a shining example.

Couldn't find Chasers. Will read if I do.

As a writer, I think you should know more about the scene then the director does. I want to read it on the pages. Show me some expertise.

A car has its oil pan ripped off by a curb. It throws a rod. Punctures the bottom of the block. Shit like this would make me feel you've studied your cars. Makes me want to read more of your script. Its all about keeping readers reading, the filming part? I have no idea. Impress with your knowledge.

James

I agree with James...and Phil to a degree.

IMO, way too many times, people say things like, "the director will change it anyway...blah, blah, blah".  I disagree with that philosophy completely.

Write your script the way you see it...the way you want it to read and play out.  It may indeed change quite a bit when it's all said and done, but that's no excuse for lazy writing and thinking.

Good action and dialogue writing stands out every time and shows you're taking your script and idea seriously.  As James said, it makes your readers aware that you've done your home work and makes for such a better read.

In the scene, a black limo chases the main character in his car. There is no need to see within the limo.

So I used this:

INTERCUT CAR CHASE

INT./EXT.  X'S CAR/CITY STREETS - DAY

X hits the gas, BURNS rubber.

-The limo is gaining.

-X looks in rear view mirror, sees limo.

-The limo pulls alongside.

-X turns down a side street.

-The limo SCREECHES into turn to follow

INT. JEFF'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Jeff lies on the couch buried in empty bottles of beer. A bottle of cheap scotch is in his hand.


Something like this.

I guess it works that way, but I sure wouldn't do it that way.  I'm not a fan of intercuts or INT/EXT scenes, as I find them both very lazy and not a good read.  I know lots of people use them, though.

I researched and that was the best I could come up with. If you come across any other examples save the link. My thinking was this makes the scene the most readable, and certainly uses less space.

The alternative would be, I am not sure, except a whole bunch of slug lines, which to my thinking would be a cumbersome read.

I am open to any idea on how to best do it.

Kevin...remember this...space is what it is, and it's there for a reason.

What I mean is this...

How long is your car chase supposed to take, as in screen time?  Think about your favorite chase scenes and how long they play out.  1 page equals 1 minute of film time.  Not always, of course, but a good rule of thumb to follow.

I'd say a good, effective chase scene is going to run at least a minute or 2, right?  That means you should have a page or 2 of script for this.

That's how I feel about it at least.

I agree with Dreamscale, not writing a scene because it's an action sequence is lazy and a big no-no. Writers working on a Hollywood movie set on a film thats already in production probably do it all the time, but that doesn't make it a good idea.

For example, the way in which the driver(s) actually drive can tell us about the characters personality. Wreckless? Cautious? etc etc. Details in this car chase could and probably should carry the narrative forward. Don't drop one in for the sake of it. Do better!

If were dropping movie names - watch Steve Mcqueen in "Bullitt". Thats a car chase. It's probably THE car chase. Avoid all the others

Quoted from leitskev In the scene, a black limo chases the main character in his car. There is no need to see within the limo. So I used this: INTERCUT CAR CHASE INT./EXT.  X'S CAR/CITY STREETS - DAY X hits the gas, BURNS rubber. -The limo is gaining. -X looks in rear view mirror, sees limo. -The limo pulls alongside. -X turns down a side street. -The limo SCREECHES into turn to follow INT. JEFF'S HOUSE - NIGHT Jeff lies on the couch buried in empty bottles of beer. A bottle of cheap scotch is in his hand. Something like this.

How'd we get to Jeff's house in the middle of a chase scene?  LMAO, that'd be funny, though.  Even though it's ultimately up to the director and stunt coordinator how the scene gets filmed, it's up to you to put something exciting on the page.  Adding details like James mentioned will help.  But try and come up with something no one has ever seen before in a chase.

If we're recommending car chase movies, The French Connection has a great one of a guy chasing an elevated train through the streets of Brooklyn.  But one of the fastest, nastiest car chase scenes ever was in a film called The Seven Ups, also from the early 70s.

I remember that scene in Bullit. Of course, even if I find that script, it will probably be formatted different.

If you look at what I used above as a sample created just for this post, it was not at all a case of "not writing a scene." I used intercut, so the reader knows we are flipping back and forth, just like in a telephone call; then I listed in the slug what the two intercuts will be. First, from within one of the cars, and second, an outside overview. Once this is done, I list the various aspects of the car chase.

In the actual script, it came out to a page. In the film it would be from 1 to 2 minutes, depending on the director's choice. The script gives a full sense of how the scene will go. But there is also maximum flexibility for the director and stuntmen to determine once they are on location what they can do. And it has the benefit of being a nice easy read.

Jeff's point about 2 min 2 pages is well taken. But this is balanced by other parts of the script where 2 pages might be only a minute of film.

The chase comes around page 60 in my script, so the driver's character is well established. But there are revealing moments here too. For example, he slows for pedestrians at one point during the chase. In in the end he escapes with a daring maneuver.

I think the problem I am describing here is very similar to a long fight scene. Most of that fight will be coordinated by fight choreographers and the director. There's a limit to what you can write. If, as you said, you were already working with the director, you could probably just say "insert five minute fight"!  But certainly we can't do that.

My thinking is that we want  this scene to give the person evaluating the script the chance to realize this is a great spot for action, and then describe it enough to help him visualize it.  In my case, I described kind of a standard chase scene, then put a semi unique end to it(i doubt anything is really unique in car scenes). The end fit very well into the overall tone of the landscape I created.

Let's say someone really shoots the movie. They will use the ending scene(hopefully!) of the chase; but the middle part they will do kind of what the location allows.

Thanks for the feedback Jeff and Basket! I will respond to any other posts on this through edits, so no one gets mad it me for hogging the portal.

Not sure how to write the car chase scene.. been wondering about that myself so thanks for the topic and replies.

As far as movies with chase scenes..?  A few of my favorites:

Ronin
Blues Brothers
Gone in 60 Seconds

Smokey and the Bandit, anyone?

Just tell us the bare bones of the chase.  If you write every little detail, your script will get remarkably longer.


Phil