Okay, so, I didn't know how to write the title for this, so if someone could change it and clear it up for me once their done reading what I have to ask, that would be helpful.

I know I should have looked around before but I couldn't because I don't know exactly what I was looking for (if that even makes sense).

Now onto my question: I need to describe this one scene but I don't know how to without using "we see" or something close to that. I want to have it to where we get from one location to another by having the camera moving very quickly from LOCATION 1 to LOCATION 2 without a CUT TO. (if that makes sense too). Here is what I have:

Quoted Text The boat disappears as we zoom through the water about a third of a mile away where the shark whips around, facing towards the direction of the boat. The shark stops for a moment, moving its nose through the water, as if it's sniffing like a human would. It begins swimming towards the direction of the boat.

Does anyone know how I can do what I want without using "as we"? Or is it up to the director?

If I'm unclear, I can try and make myself clearer.

Sean

Quoted from Zombie Sean The boat disappears as we zoom through the water about a third of a mile away where the shark whips around, facing towards the direction of the boat. The shark stops for a moment, moving its nose through the water, as if it's sniffing like a human would. It begins swimming towards the direction of the boat.

The boat disappears how? That would be the first thing to decipher since nothing can disappear on screen.

How about...

Quoted Text The boat zips across the water at high speed. UNDER WATER about a third of the mile behind the boat, the shark whips around to follow the boat. It stops for a moment, moving its nose through the water, as if it's sniffing like a human would. It swims in the direction of the boat

That's what I can glean from what you gave anyway.

To cut between locations, just use a new slug. What I used is a secondary heading, and would probably have the master of EXT. OCEAN or something.

This is just an idea. Though I think that any way you choose to do this, will fall into the category of direction.Just by the nature of what you are trying to do.



From the view of the boat, a third of a mile away a shark whips around in a ferocious rage.

ZOOM!

Suddenly, face to face with the shark...

...It halts its rage and sniffs as a human would. Then suddenly treads a path straight for the vessel.



(Like I said just an idea.)

-Kotton

Thanks you two.

George, I like how you wrote your idea, but, if this helps, take this for example:

If you've seen the movie Armageddon, there is apart where you can hear a man's voice, and he says something like "There's another one headed towards Paris". And then the camera zooms from space (or whatever) towards the city of Paris (kind of like the POV of the asteroid). Do you get what I'm saying? If not, tell me.

I guess I also left it out, though, but blood drops into the water, and that is why the shark "whips" around and begins heading towards the boat where the blood is.

Sean

It's been awhile since I've seen Armageddon but I think I know what you're referring to.

The blood drip is just the catalyst you need to give the scene some life.

Quoted Text The boat zips across the water at high speed. ON THE BOAT Jack walks across the deck in his bare feet.                 JACK      Ouch!                 JILL      What? Jack looks at his foot. Blood pours out of a wound and drips on the deck.                JACK      Stepped on a nail. Hang on. Jack walks to the back of the boat and dips his foot in the quickly rushing water. He brings it out quite clean.                JACK      That's better. UNDER WATER in the wake of the boat, the blood floats just below the surface of the water. About a third of the mile behind the boat, a shark turns around. It stops for a moment, moving its nose through the water, as if it's sniffing like a human would. It swims in the direction of the boat.

Oh I see, okay thanks George. I guess I'd just have to tell the director or whoever that I want it that way if they are able to.

Thanks again.

Sean

Actually (come to think of it), there is another way to do it to "simulate" the zoom effect. I did something similarn in my Armor of Belial script on page 50. The idea there was the pair is walking through a forest. We zoom away from them, get a bird's eye view of the whole land and finally end up moving through the window of the palace to the next scene.


Hence, it shoudl be permissible to do this:

Quoted Text UNDER WATER in the wake of the boat, the blood floats just below the surface of the water. Move behind the boat at high speed about a third of the mile through the water to where a shark turns around. It stops for a moment, moving its nose through the water, as if it's sniffing like a human would. It swims in the direction of the boat.

As long as you don't make a habit of odd moves like this, no one will mind too much. It's directing without the "we sees" and camera directions.

Ah, that's much better! And don't worry, that will probably be the only time I use an "odd" movement. Thanks a bunch!

Sean

Totally off topic but a shark can't stop, it'll die.  A shark must keep moving to keep its gills open.  Just thought i'd point that out.

Well, they can stop swimming for a few seconds, can't they? If a swimmer is in a shark cage, and the shark comes up and begins attacking the cage, chomping on it, it only does it for a few seconds before it swims away. The shark in my script only sniffs for a few seconds and begins moving again...



... OR MAYBE IT'S A ZOMBIE SHARK! :D

Sean

I believe Alffy's correct. A shark can't stop. Gills aside, I think it's own weight would drag it downwards. You could just the shark slow down for a moment. It could have the same effect.

In regards to the thread topic, I would just add a new slugline. Something like this...

EXT. OCEAN - UNDERWATER

The shark whips around...

...or something to that effect.

I don't think "a third of a mile away" is really neccesary either. The shark's far away. That's enough. If you want the shark to be seen close to the boat, you could say it's a third of a mile away and nothing more. The shark becomes the focus of the action and can therefore be assumed to be "zoomed" up upon.

In any case, I'll be interested to see how this turns out. I don't really dig shark movies per se. I liked Jaws and Deep Blue Sea but the rest is mostly direct-to-video garbage with bad actors and piss-poor effects. I do dig sharks though and I think something fresh can still be done with the "shark movie."

Good luck with your script.