Comments on: TV in movies

By: Toothpick Nick

Toothpick Nick — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 08:41:31 +0000

It's a hard task, because not only are you writing two simultaneous events, but you're editing the film here as well. You could have easily written the two events on separate sheets of paper and told the editor "you're on your own," but this is a screenplay, not a kinder surprise.

You're eliminating decision-making that the film's editor would have had to do, because the shots and their sequence is implied in the script. It's cool because although it's difficult, writing it all out gives you the ability to influence the dramatic pacing of the scene, before it even gets to the director.

By: Hollie

Hollie — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 02:18:36 +0000

I actually just broke rule #4 and wouldn’t have thought twice about it. The information delivered via television is pivotal to the conclusion of my film but I’m not sure what would work better. Reading it in a newspaper seems too cliched as well. How does my character find the news out through TV or another medium without readers cringing and saying, “damn that’s obvious!”

By: clarkman

clarkman — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 20:07:41 +0000

You also see the use (and mis-use) of journalistic narrative in many novels, particularly crime thrillers and mysteries. Often they’ll include an excerpt from a newspaper story. As a former newspaper reporter, most of these make me wince. They usually get everything wrong, from tone to the logical dissemination of facts. You don’t need to go to J-school to learn this — as with TV news, these are standard journalism tools anyone can pick up by simply paying attention.

By: Dave Olden

Dave Olden — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 15:44:53 +0000

And if the reporter is gonna say â€œIn other news,â€? there should be some other news.

Jim, you made me remember Wargames.

The scene is early in the film, and Matthew Broderick arrives home. It's a pretty straightforward entrance: he'll enter the door then go to the stairs (frame right). The TV is on, and the anchor (a real anchor from a local Seattle affiliate) after finishing the story-relevant business, says...

ANCHOR (ON TV): ... In other news, a fire at a prophylactic recycling facility - -

I don't know whether it was scripted, or an ad lib. (I haven't read Walter Parkes' screenplay. I'm gonna say ad lib; that they shot longer to allow for more choice in when to cut out of the shot.)

There you have it. An occasion when they actually continued to "other news."

(Not sure if this is pointed out on the DVD, since I saw it years ago on VHS.)

By: Dante Kleinberg

Dante Kleinberg — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 15:41:43 +0000

I made a lot of mistakes with this the first time I tried to use TV to explain something. By the time I made it to a third draft, and finally realized what a stupid coincidence it was for the one time someone turns on the news that it’s relevant to them, I felt like a real dope.

By: heather

heather — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 04:31:47 +0000

Pretty unrelated to this entry (although I did need this article today for a screenplay I am currently writing, so thanks for the kismet): Today’s my first day reading your blog, and I’m enjoying it!

By: Ed Araquel

Ed Araquel — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 00:51:20 +0000

I think “Sean of the Dead” made effective use of TV news reporting not only because the newscasts felt real but they gave the characters information that they needed without making it seem cliched.

By: teb

teb — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 00:47:02 +0000

I like the Blake Synder rule of keeping Press out of the story.

By: Johnny

Johnny — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 23:53:49 +0000

SIGNS used television as a window into the world. The movie is about aliens invading earth – and yet it is entirely set on a farm. The TV is the only (story) device that makes us feel there is a global event occuring. One character is glued to the TV for half the film. And even in the climax it is the (turned off!) television set that reveals the creature. A sign-? I thinks YES!

By: Batutta

Batutta — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 23:34:10 +0000

Close Encounters has a great scene where a TV newsreport is on in the foreground, and Roy Neary is arguing with his wife in the background. It’s a long take and perfectly timed.

By: jeffrey

jeffrey — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 18:49:09 +0000

I write for TV news, and it's always crystal clear which screenwriters either have a background in the business -- or have become good students of the craft.

Not only is there a cadence, but good TV news writers write to the pictures, too. You rarely see that done in news reports in movies.