Write To Your Budget With Quentin Tarantino

[VBoheme]

I know this has probably been dropped here before, but it bears repeating.

Backstory - Reservoir Dogs had its entire heist scene axed, though the movie still worked. Becauseeeeee, Tarantino wrote to his budget. He didn't try to fake a scene he knew he wouldn't have the money for. More advice for the low-budget writer/director/producer/jacks-and-jills of all trades around here, but it applies as much to those writing on spec. And also a good lesson on why the story > a single scene/idea.

http://scripteach.com/?page_id=117

 

[IndiePaul]

Good post FantasySciFi, lots of good advice there.

By transitions I don't mean CUT TO, SMASH TO, DISSOLVE TO and etc... What I mean is FLASHBACK, TV NEWS BROADCAST, END OF FLASHBACK, END OF BROADCAST... I think these are transitions too, and unlike the first ones, they ARE a part of the story.

FantasySciFi's point was correct, and your clarification makes your point correct - as you say you can include flashbacks, broadcasts etc in your script be it a spec script or shooting. And indeed they are not transitions. I would warn though that many seasoned readers hate TV broadcasts used to reveal backstory - it is very overused. It can work but be very careful. New writers often use it far too expositionally. Be subtle - consider your reader/audiance to be intelligent, make them think, fill in the gaps of what is revealed by the broadcast.

 

[Inarius]

FantasySciFi's point was correct, and your clarification makes your point correct - as you say you can include flashbacks, broadcasts etc in your script be it a spec script or shooting. And indeed they are not transitions. I would warn though that many seasoned readers hate TV broadcasts used to reveal backstory - it is very overused. It can work but be very careful. New writers often use it far too expositionally. Be subtle - consider your reader/audiance to be intelligent, make them think, fill in the gaps of what is revealed by the broadcast.

Well, if those are NOT transitions, that my script is NOT full of transitions. But it is full of TV broadcasts.