For example: two people talk as Bill and Ted fight in the b.g. Always use this term in lower case initials or written in full ('background'). Used to describe anything occuring in a rear plane of action (the background as opposed to the main action or attention is focused in the foreground). 'Beats' are often interchangeable with ellipses '.' A 'beat' suggests the actor should pause a moment, in silence, before continuing the scene.

Many scripts will use the parenthetical (beat) to interrupt a line of dialogue.

Note: this is often implied by simple scene description.

You're still in the same location, but the director knows to point the camera a different direction. To get from a detail shot of Billy playing to Jenny playing you'd use 'ANGLE ON STRUCTURE' to suggest a new shot featuring Jenny. This usually occurs in scenes taking place in large settings.įor example: if you're at a playground and little Billy is playing in the grass while his sister Jenny is playing on the structure. For example, if a scene takes place on a tall building, you may want to have an aerial shot of the floor the action takes place on.Ī type of shot.

This suggests a shot be taken from a plane or helicopter (not a crane). The sounds of TYPING rise above all the rest as MAX sits at his computer writing his essay. The scene description, character movement, and sounds as described in a screenplay. Screenwriting Terms & Filmmaking Terminology When you are writing a script there are certain technicalities you need to understand outside of the creative process such as script formatting and using the correct film language, and while at first learning the 'rules of screenwriting' may feel like a distraction from actually writing your story and script, it won't take long for you to get into the groove, especially if you let screenplay writing software such as Movie Outline do most of the work for you. This comprehensive glossary is provided as a reference for novices learning the craft of screenwriting or professionals with a limited understanding of film-financing and production terminology.

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