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How to Direct Reader Attention in a Screenplay Without Using Camera Angles

Many beginning screenwriters make the mistake of writing too many camera angles in their scripts, believing this is the only way to get the director to see what should be going on in the movie. The truth is, a writer should be writing a spec script, without camera angles. The director will work the camera angles into a shooting script. Use subtle ways to direct a reader's eye and get him to see what you want him to see without using camera angles. Using these methods can help you show your story without breaking its flow.

Instructions

    • 1

      Write shots you want to stand out on their own lines. Here's an example:

      MIKE enters the room and sees a

      GUN

      on the kitchen table. He pulls his own gun and moves toward the table.

      By breaking the lines up and highlighting "gun," you've focused attention on the gun without writing something like "ANGLE ON a gun on the kitchen table," which can break the flow of a story.

    • 2

      Write simply. Instead of a scene that describes a cluttered room in detail and creates a large block of text (not enjoyed by script readers), consider using small actions that will draw reader attention to the trash. Example:

      Mike moves through the room, stepping over a BROKEN BOTTLE and sifting through a STACK of PAPERS on the counter.

      By capitalizing specific elements, you can draw attention to them in the scene, thereby giving them a part in the movie without using a pan shot to describe the mess.

    • 3

      Write in short sentences. In screenwriting, even incomplete sentences are acceptable, as long as they aren't overused. Simple, incomplete sentences can help you draw attention to visuals in a screenplay. Here's an example:

      A car pulls into the driveway.

      TRASH CANS rattle beside the house.

      GINA gets out of the car.

      SHAKING HAND slides in her pocket.

      KEYS JANGLE.

      She approaches the dark house . . .

      and a LIGHT comes on in the front window.

      Using short, punchy sentences and incomplete sentences draws attention to specifics without using camera angles. Also, using the ellipsis is acceptable in screenwriting and can be an effect way to lead a reader's eye from one action to another.

Screen Writing

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