A2 Film StudiesFM3 Creative Project

Dialogue

Learning Objectives

• To explore the use of dialogue and to discuss examples of existing film dialogue and students’ work.

• To analyse the absence of dialogue and explore alternative methods of communicating information

• To produce an example of appropriate dialogue for one of your characters

DIALOGUE

How does the dialogue work in these sequences? What do we learn from it?

The Godfather

DIALOGUE

Writing film dialogue is hard – really hard. These are some suggestions taken from a couple of books. They are good, sensible

ideas that could really help you. Try to remember them when you write your

script.

DIALOGUE

It has a clear dramatic function (e.g. to advance to narrative, reveal

characters etc.)Phil Parker – The Art and Science of Screenwriting

DIALOGUE

It relates to the visual aspect of the moment (it should relate in some way to what we see on

screen – it may be ironically juxtaposed against a setting for example).

Phil Parker – The Art and Science of Screenwriting

DIALOGUE

It is character specific (a well established test of this is to cover up the names on a screenplay

and see if it’s still clear who is speaking).Phil Parker – The Art and Science of Screenwriting

DIALOGUE

It is economical (in a realist drama dialogue should be short and to the point).

Phil Parker – The Art and Science of Screenwriting

DIALOGUE

It reflects the style of the narrative (the way that every character speaks should fit the world they inhabit and should add to the rhythm

and pace of the script).Phil Parker – The Art and Science of Screenwriting

DIALOGUE

It delivers only what the action and visual can’t.Phil Parker – The Art and Science of Screenwriting

DIALOGUE

It is speech, not prose (it should convey the illusion of real speech, even though it is

inevitably more structured).Phil Parker – The Art and Science of Screenwriting

DIALOGUE

Some don’ts………

DIALOGUE

Avoid “passing-the-time-of-day” dialogue: greeting, polite nothings, goodbyes etc…..

Raymond Frensham - Teach Yourself Scriptwriting

DIALOGUE

Don’t repeat information in dialogue that has already occurred elsewhere in the dialogue.

Raymond Frensham - Teach Yourself Scriptwriting

DIALOGUE

Avoid dialect and writing phonetically: when the character is introduced, the description can contain information about accent, but script readers and actors don’t like having to read

phonetic representations of speech.Raymond Frensham - Teach Yourself Scriptwriting

DIALOGUE

Never italicise dialogue to create emphasis and try to do it without exclamation marks.

Raymond Frensham - Teach Yourself Scriptwriting

DIALOGUE

• How does the dialogue work in these sequences? What do we learn from it?

• The Godfather• The Shawshank Redemption• When Harry Met Sally

Watch – almost anything - written by Quentin Tarantino but remember that he has a very distinctive “voice.”

Learning objectives:

• Read through the exemplar material in the box files and on Moodle

• Keep working on your screenplay• Up date your blue tracker sheet• Develop your idea – complete your synopsis • Develop a dialogue for your character• Target setting

DIALOGUE

Not every question in dialogue needs to be answered. The use of silence, a reaction or non-reaction can be more powerful than

dialogue.Raymond Frensham - Teach Yourself Scriptwriting

DIALOGUE

Watch the extracts from Witness & Up and consider how the dialogue works and how important it is to our understanding of the

narrative.Up

Witness

DIALOGUE

How could you reveal something and convey tension using just one word?

So, rememberIn the words of Westlife…….

”You say it best when you say nothing at all”

Learning objectives:

• Read through the exemplar material in the box files and on Moodle

• Keep working on your screenplay• Up date your blue tracker sheet• Develop your idea – complete your synopsis • Develop a dialogue for your character• Target setting

Homework

Ok, now the hard work really starts – you need to get working on the scripts. I want to see progress every lesson – starting with a clear

synopsis – if you don’t already have one.Write, write, write………..