When to Break the Rules

[VPTurner]

Clearly from all my recent ramblings and nit picks, one can tell I am attempting to understand and follow the "rules" for a spec script. But then I pick up another professional script and see that every rule I've learned was broken. And they were "broken" by a revered screenwriter.

I'm not talking about "old school". I'm talking about a relatively recent production. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang by Shane Black.

I'm only eight pages into it, and the read is so fluid, the imagery so clear, that I find myself not caring about the "we sees" and the camera directions, the capitalization, abbreviated slug lines. I can see the sets, hear the characters, visualise the action so intensely that I forget I'm reading.

I'm sitting here wondering, "What the hell?" Have I just been spinning my wheels and wasting everyone's time with my meaningless drivel about past tense, present tense, active, passive, CUT TO?

I'm a poker player. Texas Hold 'em. What a shocker. First thing in that game is to learn the rules. Then you learn to break them.

So now that I know the rules of a spec script, when is it okay to break them? Naturally, if you're Shane Black, no one cares if you break them.

Here, read for yourselves (if you haven't already). Tell me I'm not crazy: http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/Kiss_Kiss_Bang_Bang.pdf

And then tell me when it's okay to break the rules.

 

[Adeimantus]

I had Mike Cheda read my TEARING THINGS LOOSE script. He's been a Development Exec. for Disney and HBO. I asked him about script formatting, and all the other "rules."

His answer was (and I'm paraphrasing), "I'll tell you a little secret. We don't give a shit about all that. All we care about is whether the story is good and if we can sell it."

Go figure....

 

[spinner]

Now, I just read the first 8 pages. I've never seen Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang, I thought the title was silly and disregarded it a long time ago. However, I have heard lots of good things about it and I have seen this particular scene from the film. (EDIT: I do intend to see it since I keep hearing good things)

I am not sure what rules are being broken because my ideas are in short story form, but aren't all the CUT TO's and WE SEE's still there? They just seem to become irrelevant because what is going on is compelling.

I'd love to see what you say in response, I have yet to put my stories in 'script form', but that doesn't mean I'm not going to....


p.s. - Hi, VP, nice to see you around!

-- spinner

 

[Adeimantus]

As a follow-up, it should be noted that by the time your script gets to the desk of someone with Green Light power, and who may not "give a shit" whether you use "we see" or not, it's gone through several layers of door-keepers who are paid (usually pretty poorly) to weed out the chaff. If you're "reading" four or five scripts a DAY, 6 days out of the week, you tend to look for every opportunity to toss the sucker into the trashcan before you get very far. Unprofessional formatting would be one good excuse.

 

[Buddy Greenfield]

You can break the rules once an agent has no reason to toss your script in the garbage.
He/She reads with money and money making reputation in mind and has a pile of scripts to look at hoping to spin cheap words into profit gold. They read enough to know when the foundation crosses the sketchy line and you don’t want them thinking “Well, what else is sketchy?” you want them turning pages to see what else is cool. The safest bet in town is to say "Pass" and they don't need any help saying it.

Some will say “It doesn’t matter, no need to obsess over it.” and I am sure scripts do get sold that are written in a less than stellar manner, but you better believe you are up against people with PHD’s, whackos that have been studying the craft since 7 years old, writers that already have a number of produced scripts and even writers that have made millions for studios.

Even if your logline is so killer that the reader just HAS TO know, that is still a long way off from 1st to last page, and the best way to get them there is tight, clear, distraction free, economic, forward momentum writing.

I had a friend who was doing an adaptation years ago for.. I think it was Miramax (I forget), but she was sent some mail from them on accident and in that mail was a script for the then unknown The Sixth Sense ... Every single thing in that script right down to the last period was dialed-in. You could look at the page and know that in this world either you know someone, you are insanely lucky that the right story came to you, or you have to learn to write… or all three at once.

-Thanks-

 

[ussinners]

If you have a GREAT STORY, where you're showing and not telling it in exposition. Then you can get away with breaking little things. No one's script is perfect.

The problem is, most novices don't show their story, they tell it and break the rules. So they're just spinning their wheels. Formatting and flowery or flat action lines are not the main problem of novice writers. Poor exposition dialog creating one dimensional characters is.

Try to be as professional as possible. Know there are thousands of other writers trying to get someone to read their script. The one that looks and reads like a pro wrote it, will go the furthest. Even if it's not the best story.

Once you've made a name for yourself, do what you want.

 

[Padnar]

I had Mike Cheda read my TEARING THINGS LOOSE script. He's been a Development Exec. for Disney and HBO. I asked him about script formatting, and all the other "rules."

His answer was (and I'm paraphrasing), "I'll tell you a little secret. We don't give a shit about all that. All we care about is whether the story is good and if we can sell it."

Go figure....

I would like to tell experienced scriptwriter can get away with anything but for the novice things are different . This I speak from personal experience . For the matter when I sent my script , I got a remark that my full stop was placed wrongly . The thing is the punctuations gets changed when we send it somewhere.
padma

 

[2001 Productions]

And then tell me when it's okay to break the rules.

I think almost everybody that's responded here kinda gets the gist of it.

Shane Black is a brand name. When his agent sends a script out it bypasses the assistants and immediately gets read by the top people. The last thing they're going to do is pick it apart. I've read about established screenwriters who write in straight prose form - no sluglines at all - and others who don't use a computer or typewriter but write in longhand on yellow pads (can't recall their names at the moment).

Could the rest of us get away with that? Fat chance!

Since I'm repped, my scripts have an advantage over an unrepped writer in that I'm not anonymous. The development execs at production companies know my manager's reputation and know that he would not send them something he didn't feel was worthy of their time. Although I avoid them as a rule, I have used "we see" and "cut to" on occasion and my manager has never said one single word about them. As long as I tell a good story, he doesn't give a rip how I tell it. We do, however, spend a great deal of time correcting typos and making sure my facts are straight. That's a matter of pride for both of us. Other managers/agents may have different priorities.

An unrepped writer has the hardest job because s/he has an addition layer of resistance to overcome. A writer who submits "over the transom" (as the studios call it) has to get past the readers, who are basically underpaid, young wannabes who might find any reason at all to reject your work, depending on their personal tastes or aptitudes. I think directorik used to be a reader, so he can probably speak better about that.