Screenwriting 2 - Action, Dialogue and Irony

In our second screenwriting class, we focused on what action, dialogue and irony was within a script.

We learn't that action is:

• Action is also known as stage directions - it provides the visual elements to a script
• All capitals in a script are only used for mentioning a character's name for the first time
• Action should be cut down to short sentences instead of chunky paragraphs
• Action should only say what the camera (also known as the audience perspective) can see
• Avoid adjectives / over-description if it isn't important to the story / scene
• Only include what is needed to be known.

Dialogue is:

• Don't do pointless dialogue if it doesn't show the character
• Avoid 'on-the-noise' / too formal dialogue
• Make realistic dialogue, but still natural enough to the actual way we speak.
• If doing speeches - include breaks to make it more realistic
• Avoid expositional dialogue if its not important or it can be shown through action instead

Dramatic Irony:

• Dialogue that differs dramatically from what is happening in a scene / something the audience already knows / what the character says he wants vs what he actually wants
• Character traits that are the complete opposite to the actual character: e.g. - a drug addict police officer, an alcoholic police officer or a criminal police officer