Breaking Screenwriting Format Rules

 What about breaking screenwriting style / format rules?

As far as questions go… the one I can think of right now (kinda vague) would be something about breaking the rules. Seems some of the scripts we are looking at [in the GITS Script Reading & Analysis series] have broken the rules — e.g. Drag me to Hell, with huge long “action” paragraphs with little “white space? (e.g. p18–21). I’d like to know, is that considered to be poor writing, or is there something about that sequence that makes it work in spite of breaking the rules we are all told (re: white space, and short punchy paragraphs)?

Let’s make a distinction right upfront between two types of scripts: selling scripts and shooting scripts. Although the studios have in the last few years started to create cleaned up final drafts [for award consideration], generally shooting scripts are not the most reliable sources of content when it comes to screenwriting style. Oftentimes there are multiple sets of writers involved in a project, so the style can change radically from one scene to the next. And as production needs trump aesthetics, shooting scripts can come across as pretty much a mess, at least in terms of style.

A better reference point for study purposes are selling scripts. The challenge, of course, is how to find them. There are some that drift into dark corners of the web, although not as frequently after the unfortunate lawsuit by Twentieth Century Fox against screenwriter P.J. McIlvaine which — thankfully — was recently dropped. If you are willing to spend money, you can join an online resource like The Tracking Board which has access to selling scripts [with a number of restrictions about what you can and can’t do with those scripts].

All that is by way of background to the larger question: What about breaking screenwriting style and format rules? The simple answer is, yes, you can break them. Two provisos: (1) You must learn them first, their ins-and-outs, so you not only understand how to manage style and format, buy why those guidelines exist. For when you choose to alter style or format, you are not so much breaking a rule as going against the grain of a mindset. Which leads to the second point. (2) When you defy a screenwriting style or format guideline, you must be prepared for a script reader to critique you for it. You may have a perfectly good reason for doing this, that or the other style or format thing that contradicts the status quo, however a script reader is more likely to judge you negatively on the appearance of the change before even beginning to comprehend why you did what you did. Why? Two reasons. First most script readers operate on a line of least resistance mentality, that is they are actively looking for reasons to pass on your script including poor formatting and style sense. Second increasingly script readers are barely trained interns who, while they may not understand much about story, can grasp the basic elements of screenplay style and format. Thus since this is something they feel comfortable in assessing, they are more likely to comment — negatively — on a script’s style and format ‘deficiencies’ just because they can.

So let’s take the October 4, 1999 version of the script Memento [you may download the script here]. If you open the script and flip through it, you will note that some scenes are typed in normal fashion [tagged with <<COLOUR SEQUENCE>>], yet other scenes are in italics and tagged ##BLACK AND WHITE SEQUENCE##. A cursory read, say by an intern reader, may lead to a WTF critique about the italics, whereas a more thoughtful immersion into the story would reveal that Nolan uses normal font to represent one time frame and the italicized font to represent another time frame. Of course, Christopher Nolan being Christopher Nolan, he can get away with anything.

Here’s the deal: No matter what anybody tells you, there are no rules. There are guidelines. And as I said before, you have the freedom to go against those guidelines. But you should only do that if you understand script style and format, and you have a damn good reason for making the change. Assuming you do, my attitude is go for it. Because to me, the bottom line is: The story rules. Our job as a writer is to tell the story the best way possible. Period. If that requires us to bend the guidelines, bend them.

Breaking Screenwriting Rules with 'The Princess Bride': Unfilmables

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Screenwriting is a topic broached fairly regularly, and often authorities on the subject talk about the rules that govern scripts. An aspect of screenwriting discussed less often that seems to govern all other rules, however, is the Secret Rule, which is: “Feel free to break any of the aforementioned Rules if necessary.” Scott Myers at Go Into the Story recently posted about doing just that with screenwriting, and why The Princess Bride should never have worked as a film.

Interestingly enough, the whole script is full of things that seem to violate the heck out of that universal Screenwriting 101 stipulation -- that anything and everything in the script must be filmable. The post contains several excerpts from the script, which was written by Oscar-winner William Goldman. Here is a good example:

And what we are starting now is one of the two
greatest swordfights in modern movies (the other one
happens later on) and right from the beginning it
looks different.

Aren't there consequences to this type of abstract description? Comments under the post propose that it allows each reader to see the writer’s vision of the film in his or her head -- and indeed, sometimes it can create a mental image even richer than concrete, tangible language. This is a technique common to novels, but isn’t the Golden Rule of screenwriting in place for serious reasons? The answer, of course, is yes -- in cinema, not everything is up to the writer by any means -- and each person crafting the look and feel of the film is responsible for their own respective layer of the final image. The flip side is that many of these artists are chosen because of their individual style.

For instance, many directors will seek out certain cinematographers because of the trademark look that they bring to the moving pictures. Vittorio Storaro and Chris Doyle are two classic examples -- and both are considered to be among the greatest DPs of all time. They are renowned for their uncompromisingly unique styles and working habits, and both have been in high demand by directors. (And both are famous -- or maybe infamous -- for the time it takes them to set up a shot. If you want that amazing, special look, Mr. Director, you’d better be ready to wait for it.)

There is no question it’s helpful to have scripts that are interpretable by the various creative people working on a film, but if directors, cinematographers, production designers, art directors, and all of the other artists are sought for the individualistic voice with which they carry out their work, why should a screenwriter and his/her unique style be any different?

Rules Are Made to be Broken… Eventually 201

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It’s true. Screenwriting – over all other forms of creative writing – is bound by rules: from format and structure to white space and page count. Screenwriting is visual storytelling, and therefore, the screenwriter must write in present tense: only what the audience can see and hear. The screenwriter must also be clear and concise, yet still creative – both in action description and dialogue. Creative brevity is the screenwriter’s steadfast ally and most powerful weapon.

The screenwriter doesn’t have time to explore the story through long-winded, soul searching monologues, and the script can’t be bogged down with the subtle intricacies of every little detail. There’s no time for that, and the screenwriter must be concerned with time – Always! When writing a script, you only have between 90 and 120 minutes to tell your story. That’s not a lot of time, so script economy becomes something the screenwriter must strive for. If a scene does not illustrate character or move the story forward, kill it.

BUT… rules are made to be broken. Take Quentin Tarantino, for example. This guy is one of the best rule breakers in the business.

Rule #1 – film is visual, avoid scenes in static locations. (BUT… in Pulp Fiction, Tarantino has his characters sitting at tables, sitting in cars, or standing in hallways with little or no visual movement).

Rule #2 – film is economical, limit dialogue scenes to 3 pages. (BUT… in Inglourious Basterds, the shootout scene at the La Louisianne tavern is a 25 page dialogue scene, spoken almost entirely in German).

Rule #3 – film is action, force your characters to take action, not just talk, talk, talk. (BUT… in Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino’s characters talk, talk, talk their way to the truth).

Three great films, one great writer/director, and most definitely, the exception to the rule. Sure, Christopher Nolan breaks traditional structure rules when it comes to complexities of non-linear plot (Memento), but for the most part, when it comes to genre films – which is what MOST FILMS are – rules are writing gold.

Nobody goes to a rom-com to be surprised in the end. In a slasher film, a majority of the audience is actually rooting for the bad guy. In an action film, the audience is waiting for the next cheesy one-liner. The audience has very specific expectations, so it’s important to understand the rules of each genre in order to meet their expectations.

People go to see a Tarantino film mostly because, well… he’s Tarantino AND his audience has come to expect a certain stylistic quality. Same with Nolan. So if you’re going to break rules, make sure you’re a famous director with a solid track record, or at the very least do it with drama (e.g. Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds, Memento.) 

But if you’re a beginning writer – and I stress BEGINNING – the Top Ten Screenplay Essentials are a guideline that will help you to learn the difficult craft of screenwriting… because you have to learn the rules first before you can break them.