Page One: “Passing” (2021)

Written by Rebecca Hall, based on the novel by Nella Larsen

A trailer for the movie:

Some folks on Twitter have critiqued the script because it includes specific camera shots and uses the “we see” and “we follow” convention.

Here’s the thing: This is a script written by the director. This is either a shooting script or a draft on the way toward becoming a shooting script (also known as production draft). Presumably, the financing for the project is already in place, so Rebecca Hall was concerned with (a) her vision for the movie, scene to scene, and (b) the actors having a clear sense of what that vision is.

This is different than you or I, assuming we are not attached as a director, writing a selling script (spec script). While there are no rules, the expectation nowadays is for writers to avoid specific camera shots and directing jargon.

As far as “we see” / “we hear” / “we follow,” I wrote a lengthy article on the subject which you may access here.

You may read the screenplay here.

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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.

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