Read Other Scripts

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Read Other Scripts

No serious writer would compose a novel without having studied and learned from dozens of novels. So why do so many beginning screenwriters neglect to study scripts of produced movies? Reading scripts is one of the best ways to learn the craft of screenwriting. Don't skip this vital step!

Download scripts of your favorite movies from the Internet. Read as many different kinds of scripts as possible, and then watch the movie while following along with the script. Notice the differences. Perhaps a scene was cut, or some dialogue was changed. See if you can figure out why. Do you think the changes improved the movie or not?

If you do this exercise, you'll be able to answer many of your basic formatting questions, and you'll begin to see how screenwriters structure their stories.

Online resources for scripts:

Free downloads:
http://www.script-o-rama.com
http://www.simplyscripts.com
http://www.iscriptdb.com
http://www.movie-page.com

Classics, new releases, and hard-to-find scripts at reasonable prices:
http://www.scriptcity.com

   

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