Elements of Dialogue
-dialogue reveals character
-A character will talk about himself and other people will talk about him.
>DIALOGUE ESTABLISHES RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CHARACTERS
- Once you have established your main character’s POV, you can use dialogue with other characters to show that they have other attitudes, creating opposite/alternative POVs
- This helps to create and sustain the element of conflict between characters.
>GOOD EFFECTIVE DIALOGUE WILL MOVE THE STORY FORWARD
>DIALOGUE COMMUNICATES FACES AND INFORMATION TO THE AUDIENCE
-it conveys essential exposition
>DIALOGUE COMMENTS ON THE ACTION
>DIALOGUE TIES THE SCRIPT TOGETHER
-it is one of the devices that YOU as a writer can use to expand and enlarge your characters.
“if you can see it and hear it, don’t write it.”
>DIALOGUE SHOULD BE USED SPARINGLY
>NEVER TELL AUDIENCE WAD THEY CAN SEE FOR THEMSELVES.
<<DIALOGUE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR ACTION>>
- if there is too much dialogue and not enough actions, not enuff visual elements to convey the message across.
>COMMON MISTAKE
- students sometimes never achieve the level of competence as they tend to reproduce conventional spoken language, long statements of “REAL TALKING”, and defend their decision by telling us that:
“it’s how the character speaks”
>GOOD DIALOGUE is not somebody’s ability to write authentic speech as heard in real life.
-if that was all there is to it, you can just push a button on the tape recorder and then go collect ur Oscar.
>Good Dialogue is the illusion of reality
-you’ve got to know how to edit what people say without losing any of the jist/spirit
>COMMON MISTAKE
-Students tend to create radio shows with images.
<<FILM IS A VISUAL MEDIUM>>
A SCREENPLAY IS A STORY TOLD IN PICTURES
