Our chance to write – An introduction to Script Editing
A good question for a script editor: Can I trim this?
A screen play needs to be as short as possible without compromising the character and their journey.
Get in late, get out early.
But how to make a start on identifying what stays and what goes…what’s working and what isn’t?
Write a synopsis.
Now, we were asked to write a synopsis for Thelma and Louise.
Not easy by the way – even with a neat script such as that.
But the writing of a synopsis shines a light on the clunky bits. It helps identify the central conflict of the script; is it strong enough? Has it been resolved? Is the action the characters are engaged with driving the story forward?
And we need to practice…read a script, write a synopsis, watch a tv episode, write a synopsis, watch a film, write a synopsis…keep at it in order to become confident in our own ability to summarise; keep at it in order to discover the tone and pitch in which to effectively convey the story.
Practice it is then.