They RUN!

Obviously the only way to learn to write a script is to read them. Just watching films isn't enough. Going through Scriptcrawler and looking at the early drafts of films is a great way to get a feel for things. It surprised me just how well written a lot of those generic Hollywood scripts are. I'm talking about films like Wild Wild West, Alien Resurrection and the like. Sure the eventual film might be garbage and this is inherited from the script, but the actual depiction of the scene on page is incredibly well done. Very precise. There's a lot to be learned from this kind of script. It still baffles me how you can fit so much in to just ninety minutes/ pages. Charlie's Angel's (the McG version) just whips through so much action it feels like it should be a mini series. On the other hand virtually nothing happens in Deliverance until half way through, then not a lot happens after that - and it's totally gripping. I'm trying hard to reign my script in to that magic page count, but can always see where more can be added to make a better film, it's just that there's no room for it.
As ever there's a temptation to veer towards cliche and stock characters - resist..RESIST!

Joss Wheadon ( a man whose talent I could never conceive of approaching) writes his scripts so visually that it's almost useless to hire a director.
The Script for 2001: A Space Odyssey however is virtually unreadable. The only reason I could picture it was because I was familiar with Clarke's (far superior) novel and Kubrick's polarizing movie.

Why didn't they just start with a storyboard?

Do we even need scripts?

How many variations do I have to come up with for:

The MOB apraoches LAQEESHA and SARAH.

Sarah clasps the younger girl's arm.

SARAH

We have to leave now!

They RUN -


In my mind's cinema screen all scenes where a character RUNS look great, but how do you write that?
I've checked many scripts, watched interviews with writers, read screenwriters hints and tips...guess what they all say you should do? Write

They RUN