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Adding to Alex's comments - I agree that you can't make your script devoid of all prose. You'll have a script with people "turns to..", "shakes head" , "scratches nose", etc and it becomes robotic. You need to infuse it with some prose, but the trick is to find where, when, why, how much...
Adding a little spice to a character's introduction is advisable, but how much prose should you devote to it? Key emotional scenes deserve some prose. Highlighting key plot points... I'm still learning all this but it comes down to practice and reading lots of scripts.
MP is great for practicing the basics. Shorts are great for practice. When it comes to features, that's when you have to put it all together. Story, structure, pacing, prose, etc... that's what makes it hard.
Adding to Alex's comments - I agree that you can't make your script devoid of all prose. You'll have a script with people "turns to..", "shakes head" , "scratches nose", etc and it becomes robotic. You need to infuse it with some prose, but the trick is to find where, when, why, how much...
My rule of thumb primarily pertains to industry readers. The low level gatekeepers to the bigger industry folk. The goal... Make it obvious enough so even a dumb reader enjoys the script!.
To that end, I tend to explain certain critical parts of the tale. And that's when I tend to lay on the prose to make sure my point gets across.
A writer I consult/associate produce for tried this recently. And suddenly, we started getting better notes from readers. And that gets our producer excited, which means he'll want to send it out soon!
If you're an unknown actively peddling your wares, this philosophy can help you. Make sure even STUPID READERS get you!
Regards, E.D.
LATEST NEWS CineVita Films is producing a short based on my new feature!