Camera Directions in Screenplays Page 4

Just describe the comedy, but don't get too specific insofar as which shots/angles filming the comedy should use. In short, don't look as though you're trying to tell the director what he/she should do. That's really the only thing that can ruffle some over-sensitive feathers (making it read like a production script can also distract your reader from the important stuff).

As Tim says.

Several books on script writing that I have read call the "Stage Directions" "Visual Exposition".

What you do is describe what the AUDIENCE SEES, not the detail of what the CAMERA sees.

The camera angles then become more or less obvious to achieve the effect.

Including camera directions yourself in a submission script implies that you have not bothered to do enough research into how scripts are presented or that you have nascent desires to be a film director.

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Here are a couple of extracts from a drama written by Marks & Gran, containing lots of visual exposition and not a camera direction in sight.

"Wall of Silence"
FADE IN
DAY ZERO. SATURDAY.

EXT. SPRINGFIELD PARK. 3PM.

A pleasant Spring afternoon. The park is full of
Chassidic families in their Sabbath finery, taking the
air, strolling, greeting each other. (NB: No one carries
anything, and there are no pushchairs, so tiny children
have to stay at home). The Chassidim should exude
confidence, pride, dignity. The Gentiles who share their
park, exercising their Rottweilers, noisily riding bikes
and playing radios, engaging in rowdy football matches,
snogging on the grass, and disporting the latest in
shell suits, should look odd, awkward, strange. Perhaps
this is the title sequence.

DAY ONE. SUNDAY.

EXT. THE RIVER LEA AT STAMFORD HILL. 6AM.

Dawn. Misty. A heavily laden barge slowly comes into
view, passing barges moored by the tow-path. The barge
bumps a submerged something, and gives a lurch. The
BARGEE comes out of the wheelhouse and peers over the
side. Can't see anything. The barge carries on into the
mist. A few seconds later a dark shape cuts through the
water. Is it a shark? No, it's the boot lid of a 1981
Volvo. Something about six foot long and wrapped in
polythene rises to the surface and bobs there like an
enormous discarded prophylactic.

EXT. RIVER LEA TOW-PATH. 10AM.

A troop of Sea Scouts marches along the tow-path, led by
their Sea Scoutmaster. They reach their training barge
and swarm aboard and start removing the tarpaulin and
going about their routine. The Scoutmaster starts the
engine and tries to turn the wheel. It's very stiff.

SCOUTMASTER
Someone go and see what's wrapped
round the rudder this week.


A couple of SCOUTS peer over the edge. They see
something.
SCOUT
Skipper!

EXT. STAMFORD HILL STREETS. 10.15AM.

A panda car drives down Dunsmuir Road, the Chassidic
shopping street. It passes a group of CHASSIDIC MEN
chatting outside a kosher bakers. We follow the car down
a pot-holed side street that leads down to the canal.

EXT. RIVER LEA TOWPATH.

The car stops and P.C. GARY VERNON gets out. He walks
across to the Scouts' barge. The SCOUTMASTER is on deck,
with a boat-hook. He is using it to stop the polythene
wrapped thing from floating away.

The rest you can read at: http://www.datahighways.net/dhl/downloads/w2000/WallOfSilence3.pdf

There are other script samples near the bottom of my page: http://www.datahighways.net/dhl/toolkit.htm

Give us an example and somebody might be able to help you.