Screenwriting : NEW BLOG - Real Time by Bob Saenz

It's even more shocking how many books on screenwriting fail to mention this and/or gloss it over. Good article Bob, this is the second time I've heard this in 24 hours.

Nifty Real Time article. I'm a fan of Marry Me. Dialogure is quick yet the "pilot" is only 36 pages for 22 minutes. I found that interesting.

Ah ha, knew something was odd. The script is not double spaced like many other television scripts. So because dialogue is quick it's about 1 2/3 pages per minute. I think it is worth it though. Fast talking annoyance works for this particular show.

Well done, Bob. I'm always pointing out those sorts of issues in the reviews I write.

Well Lisa, I wish you nothing but luck with your scripts. However, we'll agree to disagree because in my opinion if scripts are littered with technical errors like this they'll never get to an editor to "fix".

I don't believe I mentioned your scripts specifically having not read any. You said "this shit doesn't matter" and I responded to that. I disagree. From my experience, it does matter. But I respect your right to your opinion. And I'm sure the films you have made from your scripts are terrific. Love to see one.

"Billy stands by the side of the road and hitchhikes for an hour, watching cars pass him by, before a white Limousine pulls up." I read this type of stuff all the time and it drives me batty. It's an issue of being the writer being careless or lazy, or both, and not thinking about how that scene is going to play out on screen. A more appropriate scenario would be: Billy hitchhikes. Car after car pass him by. Frustrated, he checks his watch: 11:00am TIME LAPSE -- as the minute hand makes a complete clock-wise revolution to -- 12:00PM Billy, still on the side of the road, face squinting in the midday sun. Sees a limo approaching, He sighs, sticks out a limp thumb-- The limo passes... but unexpectedly squeals to a stop. Or something similar.

Oh, and congrats to all the good things happening for you, Bob :)

Thanks Monique. It's been pretty great lately.

Thank you for the laugh, Lisa. My feelings aren't hurt at all. I could care less what you think. I was responding because in my experience, your original answer of "This shit doesn't matter", is short sighted and wrong. But again, hooray for differing opinions. Now people can read the blog and decide for themselves. Best of luck in your film career.

But we MUST show him hitchhiking for the full hour! How else will we know how happy he is when the car finally stops for him? (some form of symbolism is the answer... using the visual part to demonstrate rather than just tell is it's an hour)

I'm all for that, William, show us a representation of him hitch-hiking for an hour but it should never be written in the script as such.

I'm ashamed to admit that I've never really thought about this, so I'm sure I'm guilty of it, to some degree (hopefully not as glaringly obvious as the hitchhiker example. Eek.). Thanks for the insight, Bob. I'm saving this post to make sure I keep my timing in check. Congrats on your successful year so far!

Thank you Rebecca. Yes, it looks like it's going to be a very good year.

My apologies for butting in here, not having put pen to Final Draft yet, but William Martell's post is telling: wouldn't the time effect be demonstrated with cuts to progressive dishevelment created by makeup shifts? That would be a touch more visual than an analog clock fast forwarding a la Twilight Zone overlay. Does that work for anyone?

I wouldn't Vorkapich, I'd come up with something original that showed it's been a while. Guy sticks out his thumb, car zooms by, guy shakes his hand and massages his thumb, then quickly sticks it out again as the car the will pick him up pops on the horizon. I did a guy searching for a witness by (dated) standing in a phone booth going down a list of names in a phone book. There are 2 colors of ink crossing the names out, and when he tries to cross out the new one after hanging up this pen runs out of ink.