Page One: “Sound of Metal (2019)

Screenplay by Darius Marder & Abraham Marder, story by Darius Marder & Derek Cianfrance

The move version of the opening:

This is tricky. The script is for a movie produced in 2020, thus, a contemporary screenplay… and yet, those big paragraphs of scene description… they run contrary to modern sensibilities… paragraphs no longer than three lines.

If you’re outside the industry and writing a spec, I do not recommend a style choice like the one in evidence in the screenplay for Sound of Metal.

Just write characters as compelling as Ruben.

Download the script here.

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!

Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. Comparing them is an excellent way to study a variety of writing styles and see how professional writers start a story.

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