Step Four Reading Exsisting Screenplays

Chinatown (1974)
Writen by Robert Towne

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

sources: http://www.awesomefilm.com/script/chinatown.txt and http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071315/ and http://www.moviescriptsandscreenplays.com/

JJ 'Jake' Gittes is a private detective that specialises in matrimonial cases, he's hired by a woman called Evelyn Mulwray who suspects her husband Hollis, who is the builder of the cities water supply system, of cheating on her. Gittes goes and photographs her husband with a young girl but as the scandal unfolds, it turns out that Gittes was hired by an impersonator and not the real Mrs Mulwray. When Hollis Mulwray is found dead Gittes is plunged in to a web of deceit involving incest, murder and goverment curruption which is all related to the cities water supply.

After reading some of this screenplay i have noticed that the writer uses alot of detail when explaining the scene, with the use of descriptive words.also the length of the scene is noticeable the writer seems to have put in as much detail as you need to imagine the scene. When i read through the scene i can picture it perfectly in my head. When the characters speak the words are compacted together around five or six words per line. the writer also puts in brackets underneath the characters name the way he/she speaks for example dryly, crys out.

Donnie Brasco (1997)

Written by Paul Attanasio

Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama

Sources: http://www.weeklyscript.com/Donnie%20Brasco.txt and http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119008/

This story follows FBI agent Joe Pistone as he infiltrates the mob under the name Donnie Brasco. Pistone befriends Lefty Ruggiero this enables him to embed himself into the mob but as he continues to collect evidence he finds himself indentifying more with the mafia life at the expense of his normal life.

While reading this screenplay i have noticed that the writer puts down what he would want to see on the screen, for example " An AERIAL VIEW of the nation's captial, MOVING IN on the solid limstone box of FBI HEADQUARTERS." Also When a character is first mentioned the writer puts a a description of the character. The writer puts down the word in the exact way the character would say it for example "Whaddaya talking about" instead of What are you talking about.

From reading these screenplays i have learnt that i should put down as much detail when describing the scene. Also it has taught me to put down the way a character says something, for example screams out. I will also write a description next to a character when they are first mentioned and will write down what a character says in exact way they would say it using the correct accents for example Ya instead of you. Reading these screenplays has inspired me to be as descriptive as possible when describing the scene.