Elements of dialogue:
- Dialogue reveals character :
A character will talk about himself and other people will talk about him.
- DIALOGUE ESTABLISHES RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CHARACTERS:
Once you have established your main character’s POV, you can use dialogue with other characters to show that they have other attitudes, creating opposite/alternative POVs.
- This helps to create and sustain the element of conflict between characters.
- GOOD EFFECTIVE DIALOGUE WILL MOVE THE STORY FORWARD.
-DIALOGUE COMMUNICATES FACTS AND INFORMATION TO THE AUDIENCE:
It conveys essential exposition
Characters will talk about what happened, establishing the storyline.
-DIALOGUE COMMENTS ON THE ACTION
- DIALOGUE TIES THE SCRIPT TOGETHER:
it is one of the devices that YOU as a writer can use to expand and exlarge your characters.
Quote: “if you can see it or hear, don’t write it” – Neville Smith
-Dialogue should be used sparingly
- NEVER TELL WHAT AUDIENCES WHAT THEY CAN SEE THEMSELVES!
<<Dialogue is no substitute for action>>
In Hollywood when they look at a page and it’s got too much black, too much ink on the paper, they say:
“SHIT! IT’S FREEZE THE CAMERA TIME!!”
- COMMON MISTAKE:
students somethings never achieve a level of competence as they tend to reproduce conventional spoken languauge, long statements of “REAL TALKING”, and defend their decision by telling us that: “IT’S HOW THE CHARACTER SPEAKS.”
- GOOD DIALOGUE is not somebody’s ability to write authentic speech as heard in real life.
Bad Dialogue: Cheesy/Unfocused/Inappropriate/Wrong Tone/Long Winded
- If that was all there is to it, you can just push a button on the tape recorder and go collect your oscar.
- GOOD DIALOGUE is the illusion of reality:
***you’ve got to know how to edit what people say without losing any of the spirit.
COMMON MISTAKE
- Students tend to create radio shows with images
<<FILM IS A VISUAL MEDIUM>>
A SCREENPLAY IS A STORY TOLD IN PICTURES.
