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Dialogue and Transitions Part Two:
Even the Dog Can Talk
Traditionally, writers are engulfed within a battle. Torn between the concept of art and the forces of the market, you must intertwine and master both forces. If your goal is to become the next Tarantino, delay that thought until your first sale. As a beginning writer you must stay within the rules. This means writing 90 -120 pages, not 500 as a first draft. If you are Von Trier, and wish to revert to an earlier film era, good luck. You may fill a movie house with over 1200 people for more than three hours. Within his new film "Dog Ville," there are no traditional sets. With a talented cast of actors from Lauren Bacall to Oscar winner Nicole Kidman, dialogue maintains the film. "Dog Ville" is a cross between a theatrical play and a movie. It maintains its imagery through words and effective conversation. As a screenwriter, you need words that entice for less then 180 minutes. If you remain within the targeted range, you will meet the needs of the development department. DIALOGUE PART 2 When writing your screenplay, each character must speak with authority. Passion will motivate the viewer to remain seated. Von Trier maintained an audience through 180 pages of dialogue. There were no special effects; just a studio set, chalk lines and stage sound effects. Like Von Trier, you must play hide and seek; your characters will reveal and hide their personality through the spoken word. Remember, a screenplay is the blueprint for your movie. It gives direction to the actors, the editor, and the set designer, and ensures curtailed costume effects. Dialogue exposes your characters' wants, his/her desires, and ultimately the plot of your movie. Yet to write dialogue effectively, you must hide the subconscious, the inner self of your character. If you reveal too much, your audience will loose interest; too little and your audience may remain seated but wonder why they chose your movie. In the three-act structure, you are telling a story. As noted in my first article, human beings seek entertainment. That is our nature. From a book to a computer game, we are fascinated with all things that are not us. Your story explains this to your audience. Your goal in Act I (the first twenty pages) is to interest your reader/audience in the story through dialogue. This may be established as in "Legally Blonde 2" via a narrator and slide show. It may take place through a dialect, but to maintain a link with you, your audience must hear and see the connection. Your characters may also remain subtle and use facial cues as a tangent to dialogue, as in the classic Sergio Leone Film "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly." But the conventional way is via dialogue that is expansive, non-repetitive, yet familiar. |
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