TIP OF THE MONTH
From Screenwriting
Consultant and author, Dr. Linda Seger
www.lindaseger.com
April/2009
In
the journal or notebook where you record unique images (see
last month’s tip about keeping a notebook), also record any
images that relate to your other senses. The sense of touch
(remember the mink glove in one of the James Bond films?), the
sense of smell (remember the smell of the gunpowder shown in
Dead Poet’s Society?), the sounds (you can see many sophisticated
uses of sound images in Barry Levinson’s films – for instance,
watch Bugsy.) Or
even the sense of taste (remember when the detective tasted,
thinking it was some cocaine in the home in
Ruthless People?)
The more you can engage your senses and create fresh cinematic
images, the more you’ll engage the reader, and then the
director, and then the actors who will have more reason to
want to make your film.
February/March 2009
Some of screenwriting is practicing
by doing exercises that train your mind to think like a
screenwriter. Since screenwriting is a visual medium, you can
practice thinking visually and thinking in metaphors.
Keep a journal or notebook of unique
images that you see throughout the day. Think about what the
metaphor would be if you used this image in a script. For
instance, you might see a stalled and rusted car by the side
of the road. How might you use that image in a screenplay?
Might that be useful if you wanted to show that someone’s life
was worn and tired? Or a character was at the end of the road?
If you saw a deer bounding over a
fence, how and where might you use that in a screenplay? What
would it mean? How could you make this image fresher? More
original?
Or, perhaps you see a cross at the
side of the road, marking where someone has been killed in a
car accident. How might you use this as a metaphor? What could
you do with the image to make the metaphor stronger, or more
original? Would the cross be old, or new? Would it have real
flowers or fake flowers on it? How would the metaphor change
if you changed the details?
