Problem on how to divide scenes on screenwriting

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6 comments, last by mychii 5 years, 8 months ago

Hi guys, it's been a while since I last posted in this forum.

I have a problem on doing a screenwriting for some scenes, the example is like this:

...

Scene 6

EXT. CITY STREET – DAY

At a junction of the city, strange-looking thunderous sphere appears. The cloud bends, nearby structures crack up, and dust floats. Some civilians breaking out, a few start taking pictures with a bit of fear.

...

Scene 7

EXT. CITY STREET – DAY – CONTINUOUS ACTION (?)

Unknown robots emerge within the sphere a little bit up in the air, crushing the ground as they land. They are at the size of cars. One of them is as huge as a truck, which seems to be the leader.

With no hesitation, these robots start destroying everything, bringing more destruction and panic among humans who are still around.

...

They happen on the same exact location, but expecting a different shot angle per scene for the direction later.

My question is, do they have to be separated or should I technically combine them as one scene? If it should be combined, do I need to separate the location like this?

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You should combine them into one. Whenever you start a new paragraph in a screenplay, you're implying a change in camera angle. ; )

Okay thanks Spectral!

A little advice from what I see here, aside from the question you asked.  Remember one of the top rules in screenwriting--"show don't tell".  You tell us one appears to be the leader, but aside from his size, how do you show that?  How do you show that people are afraid, what actions to they take that make them appear that way?  What action can take place that shows the robots don't hesitate to begin their destruction?

Here are some examples of the “show don’t tell” concept:

Show Don’t Tell Example #1

Instead of having a character say, “Mike never gets up until at least midday.”

Write a previous scene showing Mike falling out of bed in the middle of the day.

Then we already know this information so it doesn’t have to be repeated by another character.

Show Don’t Tell Example #2

Instead of writing, “Clare stares at Jim. She’s so angry she could burst.”

Write, “Clare kicks Jim hard on the shin and walks away.”

This action alone says a million times more about Clare’s character as well as the fact that she’s angry.

Show Don’t Tell Example #3

Instead of writing, “Tom walks confidently into the hotel, a mischievous smile on his face.”

Write, “Tom breezes into the hotel, snatching a drink from the tray of a waiter as he passes.”

https://www.scriptreaderpro.com/show-dont-tell-screenwriting/

 

Thanks for the "show don't tell" and the examples, Brad! I'll keep that in mind.

That's actually nice. You can use Celtx to help you organize your scenes so you can see the flow vividly. 

On Hiatus this month. Will be taking a brief vacation from work. Got my F-150 working again so I bought a few items including fuel wheels to use for the road trip.

1 hour ago, nikko1017 said:

That's actually nice. You can use Celtx to help you organize your scenes so you can see the flow vividly. 

Thanks! They all got revised though (in short word, fully removed).

Thanks for the suggestion on Celtx. Not sure I'd pay for one yet as I've been doing fine with Word and OneNote so far, but I'll keep that in mind. ?

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