Page One: “Monsters, Inc.” (2001)

Screenplay by Andrew Stanton & Daniel Gerson, original story by Pete Docter & Jill Culto & Jeff Pidgeon & Ralph Eggleston

The movie version of the opening scene:

The script page created some confusion online:

As I explained:

A followup: Read contemporary screenplay by pro screenwriters, then let that inform your own screenwriting style. As they say: “Learn from the masters.” See what feels comfortable for you and works for your own narrative voice.

Remember: Genre + Style = Narrative Voice.

Heavy use of capitalization may work well for action movies, but not historical dramas… thrillers, but not comedies.

The key is to make the script as readable and enjoyable as possible.

You may read the screenplay for Monsters, Inc. here.

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!

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.