Description of actions follows immediately after the scene header - the "Place and Time" field in any script program - and precedes the first replica of the scene being created. It is unacceptable to start a scene with a remark without indicating at least one line who is participating in the scene and what is happening.
Instructions
Step 1
Lord of verbs
Be accurate in describing the actions of your characters, look for the most successful words, portray, and not just record.
Instead of "walking," it is directed, approached, approached, removed, rushed, walked.
Instead of "looking" - stares, stares, squints, casts a glance, looks closely, observes, studies, follows, scans with a glance, examines, looks around, and so on.
Use verbs for character portraits as boldly as lines. These are your characters, and no one knows better than you what they do and how they do it.
Step 2
The four-line rule
Another name for this principle is "Get rid of the blackness."
Break the description of actions into paragraphs of no more than four lines each, if your character's solo journey drags on for a couple of pages.
In a text editor, this can be done by setting the indent after the paragraph in the settings, or by using blank lines.
And in a scripting program, just press Enter to turn the black sheet into structured, easy-to-read text.
Frank Darabont, in the pilot episode of The Walking Dead, indented every other line. In addition, he interrupted the multi-page descriptions of the actions with short lines expressing the emotions of the protagonist.
Rick Grimes was forced to single-handedly explore a new world full of zombies. Dozens of pages are filled with descriptions of how he got out of the hospital and tried to figure out what happened while he was in a coma.
"DOUBLE DOORS at the end of the corridor. Caption: Cafeteria."
The door is blocked by a heavy crossbar on this side. The door handles are twisted with padlocked chains.
The ink inscriptions were evidently done in a hurry. On the left door: "Don't open it!" And on the right: "Dead inside!"
Rick approaches, slowly, carefully pushes the door.
The doors begin to move, as if someone is pushing them from the other side. The bar squeaks, the chains are taut.
Rick staggers back, stares in horror at:
Fingers protrude through the gap between the doors: deathly pale, writhing, seeking."
Step 3
How do I describe emotions? Play!
Jack London wrote his "Hearts of Three" at the same time as filming the film.
At times, he said, screenwriter Charles Goddard was even ahead of the writer, and they had to go back and agree on storylines.
So, Jack London admitted that he was jealous of Goddard, who, unlike the writers, did not need to seek out hundreds of words to describe in detail the emotional experiences and motives of the characters. It was enough for him to decide what he wants to see on the screen and to indicate in the author's remark to the actor "Show joy / sadness / surprise". One magic word - portray!
Today, even a showrunner of a major TV project cannot use this magic word and directly address the actor in the author's script direction. Both Shonda Rhimes, Joss Whedon, and Jane Espenson have to "portray" the necessary emotions themselves - all with the same verbs that for the screenwriter are a tool of the artisan.
But the principle remains the same:
Convey emotion by action, not definition.
An image, not a description.
Sometimes you may need descriptions as well, but if it is possible to avoid them and recreate the scene through verbs and adverbs of the mode of action, take this opportunity.
Instead of "experiencing fear," he recoils in fright, shudders, covers his face with his hands, trembles, or "freezes and listens."
Instead of "happy, anticipating victory" - "smiles and rubs his hands" or "looks happy and relaxed." After all, your characters, like real people, differ from each other and experience and express the same emotions in different ways.
