“Screenwriting – How to Not Be Boring”

Award-Winning Filmmaker Donald L. Vasicek with University of Denver class
Award-Winning Filmmaker Donald L. Vasicek with University of Denver class

If you create movement in a scene for the mere sake of moving characters about in talky scenes, it is very likely the scene comes off just as that on the screen, creating movement for the sake of creating movement. Any type of movement in any scene should expand the character(s) and/or the story.

For example, instead of having two characters walk in a park and talk to give them movement and us story information, have one of them ride a bicycle and one of them run. The bicycle rider cannot walk or run for distance because of a serious knee injury in college as visually depicted in the scene by a knee brace. This disability will come suspenseful into play later when the character has to save the other character from the bad guy before he kills him. He falls because of the bad knee, but then arrives in time by riding a bicycle.

Simultaneously, the runner is running because walking does not move him along rapidly enough. He is a type A personality. His impatience causes him to be disabled by the bad guy. He runs to escape the bad guy unaware that to slow down would save himself because his friend is chasing both of the bad guy and him on foot with a bad knee. It should all culminate when the bicycle rider comes to the rescue just as he is slowing down because of exhaustion. He learns that speed is not always the quickest way to success.

It is obvious by this example how much the story is embellished by not only giving the characters movement in a talky scene, but giving them dimension as well. Conversely, this dimensionalizes the story and makes for more depth in the film.

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