Communities

Writing
Writing
Codidact Meta
Codidact Meta
The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors
Photography & Video
Photography & Video
Scientific Speculation
Scientific Speculation
Cooking
Cooking
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Judaism
Judaism
Languages & Linguistics
Languages & Linguistics
Software Development
Software Development
Mathematics
Mathematics
Christianity
Christianity
Code Golf
Code Golf
Music
Music
Physics
Physics
Linux Systems
Linux Systems
Power Users
Power Users
Tabletop RPGs
Tabletop RPGs
Community Proposals
Community Proposals
tag:snake search within a tag
answers:0 unanswered questions
user:xxxx search by author id
score:0.5 posts with 0.5+ score
"snake oil" exact phrase
votes:4 posts with 4+ votes
created:<1w created < 1 week ago
post_type:xxxx type of post
Search help
Notifications
Mark all as read See all your notifications »
Q&A

Post History

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How do we write a movie script with a view towards establishing all of the visual symbolisms and how they should be interpreted?

Sorry, you simply do not do this. Your script is a blueprint for the director to build a house; the blueprint doesn't contain instructions on painting and decorating the house. The director will ...

posted 5y ago by Amadeus‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-19T22:13:48Z (about 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/46040
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T12:12:53Z (about 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/46040
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T12:12:53Z (about 5 years ago)
Sorry, you simply do not do this. Your script is a blueprint for the director to build a house; the blueprint doesn't contain instructions on painting and decorating the house.

The director will determine the camera angles, how long an object appears on screen, IF your scene as written appears on screen, everything you want to do.

Famous advice from professionals tell you, don't write anything in the script that cannot be filmed or acted. **_Period._** The story must be accessible to viewers without prompting.

You might get away with a minute of written prologue (Like Star Wars, but that may be a director's choice too, as is how to present it visually on the screen), and somehow fit it in there.

You might fit your symbolism into dialogue (which the director may cut, if it isn't critical to the story). For example:

> Bill: Yellow roses. My Mom's favorite, you know. Very depressing.

Or direct the film yourself.

In any case, unless you can tie the symbolism to the story, the script is not the place to put it; if your symbolism isn't apparent from the visuals (and audio) on the screen and reactions of the actors, leave it out. It isn't adding anything to the story.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2019-06-18T13:24:47Z (over 5 years ago)
Original score: 3