As someone who has spent most of his adult life looking through a camera viewfinder, it’s hard to imagine that everyone (including some screenwriters) don’t see the world as mental photographs like I do.  When I get to set each day, my job starts with the script pages (known as ‘sides’) of a scene we’ll be shooting. As I read the scene, I try and walk the set to see what angle and details speak to the visual representation of the characters and story in this scene.  Also, what would look cool. 

As a screenwriter, you get to be the first and most important visual storyteller while sitting in your office, coffee shop, or home. You inspire the Director, DP, Art Director, and Camera Operators before anyone gets on the set of your movie or TV show. Oftentimes your screenplay is referred to as a blueprint.  A guide, or model for what the story will be once all the visual and auditory components (shots, vfx, dialogue, sound fx, musical score) come into play.  But it’s more than a blueprint. It’s the vision and creative design of the entire ‘house’ as it pertains to your story. Your words can add dimension to the ‘house’ you’re building with descriptions of important elements to evoke the reader’s imagination. It’s the thoughtful and creative use of visuals that can be the difference between a run-of-the-mill ‘tract house’ and a stunning ‘custom home’.

Here are three areas all writers should focus their attention on visually:

1.  Location, location, location.

Starting broadly, then focusing smaller, a place can tell a reader/viewer so much about the character by the world they move and live in.  Sure it’s easy to write ‘EXT. LOS ANGELES – APARTMENT,’ but it’s so vague that we’ve learned nothing visual.  Are we by the beach in Santa Monica? In a rough area of downtown like Skid Row? Or are we in the Valley, and if so is it more Sherman Oaks or Sylmar?  And what about that ‘Apartment.’  Two-story stucco Valley 10 unit?  Westwood high-rise with stretching tunnel-like hallways?  Dilapidated East L.A. duplex?  Sure, you may not be able to cram all that into a scene heading, but we’re building that house so make sure to get it in the plans.  Next, take this a step further and continue focusing smaller.  What surrounds the apartment?  Palm trees and freshly mown perfect Bermuda grass?  Broken concrete sidewalks and months old garbage?  Let’s also not forget the visual mood of the scene often represented by lighting or atmosphere – is it sunny, foggy, overcast, raining?   Focusing on the character we’ll be meeting in this scene, help the reader visualize this place. Is there a 70’s Camaro on blocks, ½ repaired in the driveway, that they’ve been working on the last six months?  Do they have perfectly trimmed Azalea’s?  What, specific to the character, can the visual world around them say about them.  Every micro detail of a location can be a character trait.  Their house, their transportation, their bedroom – all these descriptions can tell the reader/viewer what we need to know about this character and their story before they utter a single line of dialogue.

2.  Move it or lose it.

Another bit of visual blueprinting can come from the way a writer describes the movement – or lack of movement – that our characters exhibit.  HOW a character does something often speaks a louder visual cue than blandly stating someone is ‘standing’, ‘walking’, or ‘sitting’.  Feel free to bust out your best adjectives and adverbs. Because there’s a big difference visually from a character who ‘walks to the door to answer it’, versus someone who ‘reluctantly, with great hesitation, approaches the door like their worst nightmare awaits on the other side.’  Carefully used, this can inject emotion into your story, drawing a reader in and getting them invested in those important moments a character must face.  Is a character just sad, or does a tear well in the corner of their eye?  Are they excited, or do they pace the room bobbing to music only they can hear?  The more your screenplay can capture the visuals and emotional draw of a good novel – while still keeping your page count reasonable – the more memorable your characters and story will be.

3.  Save the pans and tilts for the camera operator.

There are a lot of rules out there for screenwriting.  Formatting aside, one of the constants is don’t include camera direction in your script.  I tend to agree with this rule as it can sometimes take the reader out of the story.  But wait you say, isn’t that being visual?  Don’t I get to be the Director right now?  The answer is yes, no, and maybe.  The truth is there are more creative ways for writers to do this, without calling out camera direction and still serving the many masters.  Some writers like to use the phrase ‘we see’ as opposed to ‘the camera sees.’  Acceptable, but not ideal.  It is far more interesting storytelling to ‘direct’ the reader without the ‘we sees.’ Let’s say you’re writing a scene about a Young Man going into a late night convenience store with nefarious intent.  He plans on robbing the store, but is having second thoughts.  You don’t want to see the gun in his pocket, but leave the audience to wonder if he has one.  All the areas you might want to implore a camera to ‘push in’ on… the Young Man’s pocket… a ‘close-up’ of the Store Clerk’s suspicion, etc., can be just as easily done without said camera direction.  How you paint the picture of a character’s actions take its place.  Example:

YOUNG MAN scans the shelves under cold florescent lighting, trying to look busy.  His attention split between something he’s clutching in his pocket and the STORE CLERK who’s behind the counter an aisle over. 

Store Clerk’s attention slowly turns from his fantasy football magazine to an old black and white security monitor. Fidgety Young Man center screen.

Young Man’s nervous hand dips in and out of his jacket pocket, eyes considering the exit before reaching back in again. His hand settles and grips something as the folds on his pocket still.

Store Clerk sees Young Man’s expression of mental struggle and gets more suspicious.  Store Clerk’s pupils grow larger and his brow furrows in anticipation of what looks imminent…

Visual storytelling not only brings out the emotion of a moment, it replaces camera direction with more impactful writing. As you write and re-write, think about the visuals that tell your story. The more you employ them, the more alive and compelling your story will become.