Hey, guys.
I'm trying to figure out a way how to write a scene that takes place in real-time (an action sequence lasting a quarter of an hour). Any advice would be duly appreciated (without me filling up too many pages).
Yours sincerely,
S. P.
Screenwriting : Real-time scenes by Stefano Pavone
Real-time scenes
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As always - great specter of samples in action scripts. Check Saving private Ryan - great opening full on action lasting approx. 20 mins, then Heat 1995 - great bank robbery scene also some 15-20 mins, Sicario great suspense-action when entering Huarez some 20 mins altogether...many more out there
Doing an action scene like those mentioned by Kiril are a great way to immerse the audience into the action. Often in scenes like this, there are points when the main character can't simply charge, but every second still counts in achieving their goal. These rests from the action can be charged with tension and makes the next burst of action a satisfying release of the tension you've built.
Some action movies make the action too relentless to the point where there have been so many explosions that a building blowing up isn't a shock!
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One-shot? Multi-shot? Multi-cam?
Writing
1. Check out 1917, Crank, Private Ryan, etc.2. Limit dialogue to keep page count down
3. Make every word, gesture, action matter
4. Maintain momentum (storyline, urgency)
Pre-Production
5. Hire top-notch action and set coordinators
Production
6. Camera handling and management critical
7. Ensure adequate battery power, disk space(!)
8. Scope out all angles (keep dolly tracks,
bounce boards, lights, etc. out of frame)
First-person view mainly (á la Doom). Thanks for the advice, folks. :)
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I would have recommended Hardcore Henry - But since it's written entirely in Russian, instead I'd recommend the opening five minutes of John Carpenter's Halloween or the chase scene from Kathryn Bigelow's Strange Days.
I'm a big believer in character, so random long action scenes can become mind-numbing (think the Matrix Reloaded), but an experimental attempt at a full movie as an action scene (1st person) would be Hardcore Henry. Good luck sir. (ah you beat me to it Brad)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3072482/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
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Ciao Stefano,
Yeah...sometimes that "one page per minute" thingie doesn't hold up, and your economy and pacing (and hopefully great action) plays out in exactly how many number of pages it needs to play out in.
Two great film series with long action scenes are the John Wick films, and The Equalizer films. Maybe it would be a good idea for you to watch some of those films, and "write it out" during those scenes, or get the scripts. I bet you'd have a lot less pages than there are minutes in those scenes. And of course there is little dialogue during those scenes, too.
And, of course, screenplays serve as "blueprints" to the Director in films, and the Director is going to ultimately decide the type and the length of the shots. But those are some great films to study for your purposes, and they definitely have some long action scenes.
You might also want to consider reading "The Secrets to Writing Action" book by William Martell. That book has a lot of great reviews, and that dude has sold more action screenplays than there are Easter Eggs in anyone's basket.
Migliori fortune in your creative endeavors, Stefano, and stay safe!
Run Lola Run. Crank. Phone Booth. Buried. I could keep going...