Writing for screen media - show me don't tell me

Writing for Screen Media

“Show Me, Don’t tell me”

Heart of Drama.

Converting feelings, intentions and character traits into action and behaviour is essential to establish understanding of character.

Some Principles

Writing with precision
Use images not camera cues

Character vs Voice

Character is defined through action
Voice is the way a person presents him/herself to the world

Working with dialogue

Dialogue should reveal character
It should illustrate what people are thinking, felling, wanting.
It shouldn’t necessarily directing broadcast these things directly
Words and grammar define voice

Dialogue Questions

Dialogue as transition (changes in story time)
Dialogue to intensify tension
Dialogue to relieve tension
Dialogue and realism – convince or to undermine reality?

Conclusions

Dialogue is an opportunity to further emotional drive of the story.

Dialogue is as much part of the action as the visualised actions.
It is important but as David Freeman says
“Paint on the house doesn’t make the house stand up”
Less is usually better than more. It allows space for subtext

Subtext definition
1. The implicit meaning or theme of a literary text.
2. The underlying personality of a dramatic character as implied or indicated by a script or text and interpreted by an actor in performance.