Five Ways to Make Your Script Feel More Like a Movie

This post was guest written by Script Quack. They offer professional script analysis and are currently giving readers of SellingYourScreenplay.com a special discount. Just enter the discount code “sellingyourscreenplay” (without the quotes) on the discount page which can be found here:

http://www.scriptquack.com/discountpage.html

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Making your screenplay feel like a movie is one of the most difficult things for screenwriters to achieve.

Not coincidentally, it is one of the most important things you can do to create a script that readers will remember long after FADE OUT.

Of course, there are lots of big things you must do write to create a ‘movie-like’ script. Write good characters that challenge each other. Create a hero with a goal. Craft a story rich with mystery and surprise.

But there are also small changes you can make to your script that will help you craft a more memorable screenplay immediately.

In all of the scripts we’ve read at Script Quack, both amateur and professional alike, one of the biggest difference makers is scene transitions.

Strong transitions can make mediocre scripts feel like movies. Clunky transitions are detrimental to otherwise excellent scripts.

In this article we’re going to outline five specific types of transitions and provide an example of each one.

Used smartly these transitions will smooth the lines of your screenplay, creating a seamless read for the next Hollywood big wig that checks out your work.

THE BUTTON

A button is a line or action that tops off a scene. Think of it like an exclamation point. It signals that one scene is over, and that the next can begin.

This technique is most often used in sitcoms, where it’s important for the writers to exit every scene on a laugh, keeping momentum flowing into the next scene as easily as possible.

A good button smooths over the abruptness that the audience would otherwise feel when a show or movie transitions from one story line to another. It’s kind of like throwing a smoke bomb and disappearing into darkness.

Here’s an example from the pilot episode of 30 Rock:

Liz Lemon: Where’s Gary? 

Jack: [Kicks down door and enters room] Gary’s dead. I’m Jack Donaghy. New VP of development for NBC/GE/Universal/Kmart. 

Pete: Oh, we own Kmart now? 

Jack: No. So why are you dressed like we do? 

And with that closing joke we move out of this scene with momentum and transition to the next one.

Note: In the excerpt above, the joke flows pretty naturally, but that won’t always be the case for you. If you’re struggling to find a good button for your scene, try to pay off something that was referenced at the top of the scene in the last line.

QUESTION AND ANSWER

If you’re not sure how to get out of the scene you’re currently writing, this technique could prove extremely useful.

End your current scene with a question: “Where did Jake go?”

Then pick up your next scene with the answer to that question: An image of Jake rollerblading shirtless through the streets of Manhattan.

Note: A character does not have to literally pose the question “Where did Jake go?” in order for this technique to work. If the scene asks the question with subtext, or visually, that’s even better.

Here’s an example from the How I Met Your Mother pilot:

MARSHALL: Yeah. What are you doing tonight?

TED THINKS. FREEZE FRAME.

NARRATOR (V.O.):  What was I doing? Here Uncle Marshall was taking the biggest step of his life, and me? I’m calling up this guy.

CUT TO:

SPLIT-SCREEN BETWEEN TED AND BARNEY (32, DEVILISH, LIVES ON STEAKS AND CIGARS). BARNEY’S CELL PHONE RINGS. HE SEES WHO IT IS, AND ANSWERS.

BARNEY: Hey, so you know how I’ve always had a thing for half-Asian girls?

 

FREEZE FRAME ON BARNEY.

NARRATOR (V.O.): Your Uncle Barney.

MATCH CUT

When the term “MATCH CUT TO:” is used between two scenes, it implies that the second shot will be almost identical to the first.

Here’s a quick example:

EXT. PARKING LOT – NIGHT

Ryan chugs his beer.

MATCH CUT TO:

INT. BAR – NIGHT

Jessica slams her drink down and asks for another.

Here the momentum is literally sustained from one image to the next. In the first scene, the beer is up. In the second scene it’s the same shot, but the beer comes down.

You’ve probably heard that you shouldn’t use ‘cut to’ or ‘match cut to’ in your screenplays, but that’s advice you’re safe disregarding. Match cuts are an invaluable tool that you’re going to need in your arsenal.

REVERSAL

The reversal is a play on the question and answer technique discussed above. Except with this method, instead of answering a question with a logical answer, you reverse the audience expectations and answer with a surprise or juxtaposition.

An example would be something like this:

EXT. PARK

John talks to his Dad.

JOHN

Melissa wouldn’t cheat on me. She loves me.

INT. CLUB

Melissa has sex with a STRANGER in a club bathroom.

Used sparingly, this technique can be good for a laugh or two throughout the course of your script.

But be careful! The reversal is becoming over-used as a transitional device, so proceed with extreme caution.

OPENING IMAGE

As has been said many times before, all movies are rooted in images. If you write in images, your script will be more memorable.

You should absolutely apply this idea across your screenplay, especially when transitioning from one scene to the next.

Try to open on an image whenever it makes sense. This will create strong visuals for your reader and keep the script moving as quickly as possible.

Always think about keeping your movie visually interesting. If one scene ends with a stagnant image, for example, open the next scene with a car speeding down the highway, or a plane taking off into the air.

This will keep your script moving visually as well as dramatically, and the importance of strong visuals in your script can’t be underestimated.

Now What?

There you have five transition techniques that will help you write scripts that feel more like movies.

Now you can get creative with each of these scenarios. Try juxtaposing cuts instead of matching them. Or see what happens with two buttons or no button at all. Above all else, remember that movies are carried by images.

Comb through the script you’re working on right now. Do you use these five important types of transitions, or could you use them more? Are there any other kinds of transitions you use to similar effect? Leave a comment below.

This post was guest written by Script Quack. They offer professional script analysis and are currently giving readers of SellingYourScreenplay.com a special discount. Just enter the discount code “sellingyourscreenplay” (without the quotes) on the discount page which can be found here:

http://www.scriptquack.com/discountpage.html

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