When we see a character that enters a car, then we see the vehicle going somewhere do we write "John takes a left turn. He speeds up" or "The car takes a left turn. The vehicle speeds up"? How can you write this the right way?
Screenwriting : How can you write this in a screenplay? by Victor Titimas
How can you write this in a screenplay?
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Are we seeing it from inside the car or outside?
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Depends on what the view of the audience will be or as Jody said, inside or outside the car.
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I had this same issue. So for example: Int. Car - John CUTS the wheel to the right. Ext. Suburban Street - The car SPEEDS up and/or ACCELERATES. There has to be a reason why we want an interior and exterior shot. Just make each shot meaningful.
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You're overthinking it. You'll never get done this way. Concentrate on your story and don't sweat the small stuff. If it makes sense and makes the reader understand what's happening, it will work. Just remember that EXT. and INT (car) shots need to have their own slug lines.
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I don't think he's overthinking it. Every scene and action has a purpose and drives the story forward. If a man is driving in a car and speeds up...then why is he doing that?? There has to be a reason and has to relate to the overall story.
Jody, we see from outside the car.. :)
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Logic would dictate that anybody who speeds up before a turn is likely gonna get into a car accident. And like Christine said, the wording should all come down to why he's taking the left turn in the first place. Is he in a race? Is he chasing someone? Is someone chasing him? Does he have to use the bathroom really bad? Is he on his way to a booty call? Like Einstein's theory, everything's relative.
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I agree Christine, that's why I said concentrate on the story. He's getting caught up in the details of format. If he concentrates on the story, he'll instinctively know what's important and explain it appropriately and in a way the reader will also get. I thought his question was focused on formatting technique- or maybe I just saw it that way.
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From a Reader: as Christine and Constance said, just make it clear.
I believe writers get bogged down in the minutiae of formatting either in the belief this is the most important aspect (it counts, but it's not), or as a way to avoid the hard work of crafting a compelling story that takes us on an entertaining journey - a writer's numero uno job..
You want a few big tips for writing Specs that are not often mentioned? Make the protagonist active, generally one of the biggest problems, and don't take scenes from other movies and lay them into your story. The latter is an immediate Pass. Inexplicably, I read two scripts last moth that laid in the slo-mo bullet avoidance a la "The Matrix" with text that said, "like in The Matrix."
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Is there a purpose to this car ride or are you just trying to get a character from point "A" to point "B"? If there is a purpose to this, as in plot/story development then you should lay it out in a carefully crafted step by step manner. If you are just trying to get from point "A" to "B" then come up with a more creative way to execute that transition. After all, this isn't reality, you're just making movies...
Others have given good advice above. It all depends on what your intent is in showing the person driving. Are they driving cross county or state lines, so you have a S.o.S. with music and the classic driving past a roadsign? Is it a short distance and he/she is listening to the radio as they drive like a maniac (running lights, cutting people off, etc.) Is there any dialogue like a V.O. while he's on the phone while driving? Does time pass? Is it a short distance?
Be concise and only show what is important to the story and character.