INT. MEAT FACTORY - NIGHT
Metallic shine and industrial light bathe the hanging carcasses. Dead animals line -
The meat hooks like soldiers at attention. The drum that would have signaled their march is really -
A meat cleaver. It thumps a steady rhythm of fleshy noise.
Thwack thwack thwack. Tearing flesh from flesh.
The calloused hands that grasp the weapon are none other than -
The screenwriter. Their smock is covered in a long night's work.
THE SCREENWRITER
Welcome back! Hope I haven't scared you with the cleaver. But it's a necessary tool, since we are covering cuts today. So what is a cut? Why do we need it?
The Screenwriter cleaves off another slice of flesh. Then wipes -
The blood off of the cutting table.
THE SCREENWRITER (CONT')
A cut is a transition between one scene to another. This might just be a cut between the interior and exterior of a house, or it could be a cut to a whole other dimension. Whatever it is, there are certain cuts for certain kinds of situations. Just like there are different cuts of meat for different purposes. You wouldn't call bacon a steak the same way you wouldn't use a fade out if you really wanted a fade in.
CUT TO:
INT. BUTCHER'S MARKET - DAY
A casually dressed Screenwriter peruses the display of meats. The hole in the wall market is near empty, save -
For the OLD MAN eating a deli sandwich behind the counter. He's a stocky Italian meatball of a guy. Beads of sweat trickle -
Down his brow. He coughs. A smoker's cough.
THE SCREENWRITER
Can I get a pound of cold cut salami?
Old Man gives a curt nod. Reluctantly -
Puts down the sandwich. Gets to work shaving slices.
THE SCREENWRITER (CONT')
Back to cuts. There's different needs for different cuts. A "fade out" is used usually at the end of a movie (makes the screen go black). A "segue" provides a passage of time, letting the audience know that what they're about to see may be in a few hours or days from where the prior scene left off (screen goes black, then brightens again). A "dissolve to" is a smooth transition from one scene to another. A "cut to" is the most common. It is the rapid, sometimes jarring switch between a location or a time period. Let's focus on "cut to."
OLD MAN
Salami.
Old Man holds out a brown paper bag of greasy goodness.
The Screenwriter pays him and -
Sits down at a plastic table inside.
THE SCREENWRITER
A "cut to" should go at the end of a scene, before the next header. This way it is clear to readers that there is a scene change. The same goes for a segue, and a fade in/fade out. The assignment for this chapter is to look up a script and notice how the cuts are used. Here are some links:
The Great Gatsby script:
https://stephenfollows.com/resource-docs/scripts/greatgatsby_sp.pdf
Pirates of the Caribbean script:
http://thescriptsavant.com/pdf/Pirates_Of_The_Caribbean_On_Stranger_Tides.pdf
How I Met Your Mother:
http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/How_I_Met_Your_Mother_--_Pilot.pdf
If none of these appeal to you, picky
reader, go online and google your favorite movie or TV show (i.e Twilight script, Game of Thrones script) to find something you like. See you next time!
YOU ARE READING
Screenwriting Contest 2018 | CLOSED
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