All in all, I’ll stick as close to ‘the rules’ as I can without being anal about it - purely because you never know and it doesn’t hurt. I’m aware that most pro writers don’t, but I wonder if they got to where they are before readers and graduates got obsessed by these rules. Would they get to the same level today or would some over-zealous reader block them?

Don’t know, probably isn’t worth taking the risk. It’s the old ‘write in black ink only’ instruction - most reasonable people wouldn’t dismiss an application form for using blue ink, but the odd moron would and since it’s just as easy to use black as to use blue, why not cover your arse?

As for the ‘he remembers’ instruction - I see nothing wrong with that and I would use it. Anyone who would describe that as an unfilmable is a twat. If it said ‘he remebers the little blue dog he had when he was six and smiles wistfully about the time he and the girl next door used to …’ then I’d agree, that’sa lot for one actor to convey.

One final word: I’m not a genius scriptwriter - I’m fairly mediocre (don’t tell anyone) but producing presentable work helps fool people who don’t know what they’re looking for.

Phill I would seriously suggest that you care less also. Most of these so called ‘rules’ are completely ignored by most pro writers. Pick up any pro script to see that. They are the fodder spewed forth by teachers and gurus who mostly haven’t written anything worth a damn . The name of the game is getting the story across in the best possible way.

As an experiment I just picked up the Script for Basic Instinct 2. Not a great sctipt I admit, but that’s more to do with story.

I randomly opened on page 84. Here is an action line

”Andrew wakes. His legs entangled with hers. A momentary panic where he is. Then he remembers”

Guru logic and rules would say ”you can’t write that. You can only write what you see. How can you shoot someone remembering? ”

It’s called acting.

Wrylies - pro scripts can be loaded with them. Yet another ”rule urban myth” Camera angles - if it helps get the story across then go for it. Moderation is the key.

It’s all about ’selling’ the story. I’d be really worried if a producer did pick up on the use of wrylies or camera angles or a host of so called rules. I’d reckon they didn’t know what they were talking about and were ”technoratti’ guru schooled fakers rather than true creative execs.

I do think sticking to acceptable format is a good thing, I just think it’s funny I keep working with people who don’t know or care.

there are people here (in New Zealand) who airfreight in Letter-size paper and brass brads just so their scripts look Amerikan. it confounds me that people expend their time and energy on such things. (then my evil competitive side points out that whatever energy they’re using on such fripperies *they’re not using on their WRITING*.)

I spent ages (okay, not ages - a bit) setting up Final Draft to match the format of the initial scripts I saw - and it was all a waste of time.

Again, that’s not to say I won’t stick to the format I think is right, but it’s worth mentioning that everyone does things slightly differently.