Professional Spec Screenwriting, Part 3: Opening, Descriptive and Action Text

If you've been following along these step-by-step instructions on How to Write a Professional (Looking) SPEC Screenplay, you should notice that the instructions are following a certain pattern.

That pattern is the structure of the screenplay itself.

In Part 1, we defined what a spec script was, and why they are written. In Part 2, we explained what Master Scene Headings were, what they consisted of, and how to write them.

In following along that progression, in Part 3, we'll be discussing the screenplay OPENING, the DESCRIPTION TEXT and the ACTION TEXT.

SCREENPLAY OPENING:

Until you basically master the professionally written spec screenplay format, I want you to remember the most important element of your first few spec screenplays: KEEP IT SIMPLE. In that vein, when it comes to the screenplay OPENING- the first words written on the page after the TITLE PAGE- will be the first of only TWO camera SHOTS you will be using in your properly formatted spec screenplay.

The FIRST camera shot will be "FADE IN:".

Always.

Without question.

Not some fancier camera shot, like:

1. Wide Shot (WS): Captures a broad view of the scene, often showing the entire setting or location.
2. Medium Shot (MS): Frames the subject from the waist up, providing more detail than a wide shot.
3. Close-Up (CU): Focuses on a specific detail, such as a character’s face or an object.
4. Extreme Close-Up (ECU): Zooms in even further, emphasizing a small area (e.g., eyes, hands).
5. Over-the-Shoulder (OTS): Shows a character from behind another character’s shoulder.
6. Two-Shot: Frames two characters in the same shot, emphasizing their interaction.
7. Insert Shot: Highlights a specific object or detail (e.g., a letter, a key).

Why not? Because you don't.

You're not the director. You're not the cinematographer.

You're the screenwriter. Your job is to tell the story. Save the fancy stuff to the experts in this area.

Open all of your spec scripts with "FADE IN:".

Your SECOND allowable camera shot direction for your spec script will be at the end of the screenplay, with "FADE OUT:". That's it. There shouldn't be ANY other camera directions in your spec screenplay.

Learn it. Like it. Love it. Live it.

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT:

It is important to take a line or two and describe the scene, as a movie screenplay IS written for a visual medium. One does not HAVE to go in great detail here, but enough to give the reader a sense of the location, time (year, century, millennium), and "sense" of the character(s). We don't need to describe every stick of furniture, but if it's a room of a 12-yr. old girl, describe the Taylor Swift posters on the wall, the junk on the dresser or desk, the pink walls, and a collection of "dreamboat" movie stars. This is also an area where you can include a little "hint" (Easter egg) on what this character is REALLY about, or what the story is REALLY about. While being just two lines, you can really let your creative juices flow here.

ACTION TEXT:

Following the descript text block will be you Action text. At this point (sometimes, not always) something is moving on the screen, so we'll need to describe it. Staying with the 12-yr. old girl character...she bursts into her bedroom, frustrated and angry. As a screenwriter, we SHOW, NOT TELL, so you'll DESCRIBE this action.

"Bedroom door flies open; a school backpack is flung onto the bed. CHARACTER grumbles to herself as she grabs a number of photos from the wall and tears them in half, angrily."

That's it. Two lines, and you've described the character's mood, her response to something that happened, and we can assume that whatever she's angry about involves the person in the photos. We can also surmise she attends a public school outside the home. That's a lot of information gleaned from just thirty-two written words in two lines of action text.

That's your ultimate goal- showing and dispensing as much information to the audience (reader) in as few words as possible.

WRITER'S BIO: Mr. Scala spent 24-plus years in the Hollywood community and was the Executive Director for the?72nd Annual Academy Awards,?as well as The Soul Train Awards,?The Grammys,?The Blockbuster Video Awards Show?and?The Saturn Awards Show. With three produced features- "Assassin 33 A.D.",?"Black Easter"?and?"The Tombs" (all are currently available on Amazon Prime and Tubi). The Script Mentor continues to mentor over 550 new writers and authors.

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