Page One: ‘La La Land’ (2016)

Written by Damien Chazelle

Here is the movie version of the scene:

The entire dance sequence beginning with the Young Woman starting to sing is a mere 18 lines. Compare to the description of Olive’s dance routine in Little Miss Sunshine:

Notice how the screenplays focus on the feel and atmosphere of the dancing, not the specific moves. That’s for the director and choreographer to figure out.

Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. Comparing them is an excellent way to study a variety of writing styles and see how professional writers start a story.

For more Page One posts, go here.

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