284 Moving Images: Making Movies, Understanding Media

Pamela Gray

Close-Up

Q

What are some lessons from your early eff orts screenwriting?

A

I was surprised to discover that screenwriting structure was so diffi cult. I

had a love and a talent for writing dialogue and creating fully-developed

characters, but I didn’t realize how diffi cult it was to keep a story moving

forward, to keep track of what my story was about, and to learn to stay

on course and not wander off from the spine of the screenplay. I also

hadn’t realized how important it was to think visually, and I had to

train myself to see pictures and not just hear what my characters were

saying. I was also surprised and pleased to discover that my skills as a

poet could be helpful, because my years of trying to fi nd images helped

me develop that visual sense.

Q

What is important for beginning screenwriters to consider?

A

Beginning writers oft en don’t know what their story is about, who it’s

about, who their characters are, what their characters want, and what

actions those characters will take to reach their goals. Beginning writers

oft en start scripting before they’ve taken the time to clarify the story

and to fully develop their characters. Th is has a detrimental aff ect on

the story structure as a whole. Th e script meanders, and individual

scenes don’t move the story forward; they’re oft en too long, too wordy,

and lacking in confl ict. Beginning writers oft en rely upon dialogue

instead of action and visuals to tell the story and move it forward—and

the dialogue itself doesn’t sound like it’s spoken by specifi c, individual

characters. Th ere’s oft en “on-the-nose” dialogue, lacking in nuance and

sub-text, or dialogue that just states exposition, rather than organically

incorporating exposition in interesting, subtle ways.

Whether the screenplay is full-length or for a short fi lm, writers

need to take the time to do the preparation outlined above. Rushing

through a script will ultimately get in the way of the writer’s goal to

create a great screenplay.

Behind the Scenes with Writer

Pamela Gray, whose

scripts for features and

television include the

screenplays for A Walk on

the Moon, Music of the

Heart, and Betty Anne

Waters. (Courtesy of

Pamela Gray)

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