I'm writing a thirty minute web series that's about ready I just need help with the dialogue. I only have theatre groups near me. I was wondering if their is a difference in the dialogue.
Screenwriting : Difference between play dialogue and script dialogue by Brian McAndrew
Other topics in Screenwriting:
Check out Trending Discussions
Register / Log In
Not really, format a little different than theater, but the way characters speak the same
1 person likes this
I agree. There is very little difference in how dialogue is written for theater and how dialogue is written for the screen. Perhaps some subtle differences but those can be worked out on set.
I kind of think that with stage, there is a greater license for extended rhetoric, that one has to take care against for big screen. The theatre audience can be more tolerant of diatribe, as stage by its nature can be static. The question is a good one - I suppose where a Web Series sits in this, depends on the situation of the piece in question, and whether it is 'stage-like' or 'movie-like'.
I write very little scripted work, most of my stories are simple outlines designed for improv so that the actors can have a more flexible experience and also I (in the past) hire a lot of actors who may not be able to remember lines for whatever reason and I do not want them to be intimidated by long scripts and I write tv series and screenplays in the same format. Dare to be different!
Agree with the above that the format is different. Something to keep in mind, too, is that on film you can do close ups or cutaways to items in the room so the audience can more easily "fill in the blanks" of what the character may be thinking. You can add more visuals, so perhaps a scene can be less dialogue-heavy.
Actually it's a spec script. So I wouldn't be putting in camera movements.
I understand. You can still get across more subtleties by how you write a scene. If you mention an eye movement, without saying "Close up on eyes" you are putting that close-up image in the readers mind.