Driving dialogue (File under Screenwriting - part one)…

From JULY 2007...

I learnt the most about screenwriting when I was first doing production rewrites over at Franchise Pictures. Rarely do any screenwriting books really tell you the nuts and bolts about writing - at least how it actually pertains to making a movie. Sure all the books talk about scenes, characters, jeopardy and conflict - but when it comes down to it, one of the most important things about a script is its feasibility. Yes. I mean: how feasible is it to shoot this script..?

That’s why I came up with “File Under Screenwriting” which will basically be a series of screenwriting tips that I will post every Thursday. What I’m aiming for is all the stuff that they don’t (usually) tell you in the books or the classroom. Simple, practical information that will enhance the feasibility of your script actually getting made. Of course if you’re working at the top Studio level - being practical isn’t always an issue. I mean, let’s face it - Studios have no problem building unfeasible worlds and shooting ‘bad’ dialogue in hard to reach places - regardless of cost. The same goes for Indie Producers with unlimited resources. Good sense and practicallity doesn’t neccessarily drive them, either.

However, for the rest of the world, which includes you and me - writing a shootable script is key - which brings me to the meat of this post…. Driving dialogue. Or should I say; dailogue while driving, or in certain kinds of exteriors.

One of my favorite films of recent memory is COLLATERAL starring Tom Cruise (pictured above) and Jamie Foxx. For the most part it’s two men driving around in a cab and talking. Michael Mann pulls this off with spectacular style and the use of digital technology. It looks and sounds great. For you though, on your indie movie, I say: “DON’T DO IT.”

Writing scenes that take place in moving vehicles is always a mistake. It is hard to film a conversation in a car - not just the physical difficulty - but there are ALWAYS audio issues and it will rarely look as good as you think it should. As a rule of thumb - try not to set more than one dialogue scene in a moving vehicle. I can hear you saying - well the people in my movie are always talking in the car (and what about LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE?). There are many creative ways around this. Also in terms of production the feasibility of your screenplay will improve considerably if you limit the hard to film dialogue.

Let’s look at some obvious fixes…
i) Have the characters talk before they get into the vehicle.
ii) Have them talk in the vehicle, before they drive away.
iii) Find a way to switch the scene to an interior without random vehicular sound.
iv) Start thinking about what makes a scene simpler to shoot as well as being good drama.

The same is true of certain kinds of exteriors. Avoid setting dialogue scenes on busy streets. Permits are costly and even if you’re ’stealing’ the location the ‘bad’ sound will kill your scene. Never sets scenes in aiports. Almost impossible to film there, these days. You see my point - being practical in writing your script makes the script easier to shoot and scripts that are easier to shoot are easier to get funded. No. No. No. I’m not suggesting you stop being creative. I’m suggesting the opposite. Be as creative as you can be. Be smart and write scenes that can actually be shot without a mass of headaches. Practical is good if you do it creatively.