Screenwriting 101: Ian Shorr
“Way back when I taking writing class in high school, I was told that a script is just a blueprint for a movie. That was probably the most…
“Way back when I taking writing class in high school, I was told that a script is just a blueprint for a movie. That was probably the most poisonous piece of advice I could have gotten. A script is not a blueprint. It’s an invitation to collaborate. It’s you presenting someone with a story that they hopefully find so powerful that they’re going to dedicate the next X‑number of years of their life to getting it made.
In order for them to feel that, they have to connect emotionally with the writing. Which means, inviting them into the characters’ heads and putting things on the page that you can’t necessarily shoot.
The majority of my favorite writers will sprinkle this throughout their scripts. If you look at the pilot for “Breaking Bad,” Vince Gilligan does this with such artistry. He sets the gold standard for unfilmmables.
As soon as a writer realizes that their first priority is to make the reader feel something, then tools like unfilmmables become a major source of good in their script.”
— Ian Shorr