The Writers: “Writers’ words craft indelible images”

The third of four Variety end-of-year articles on screenwriters:

Silence.

In films, silent moments may be one of the most effective techniques to evoke a powerful emotion or to portray a character, and often what’s seen on the screen is more powerful than any words could be.

But telling stories visually is usually thought of as the province of the director, not the writer, since writers are limited to words, whether it’s dialogue or scene description. Yet writers often conceive images even when the story is still only words on a page.

The piece focuses on two movies and their visual approach to narrative: The Artist [scenario and dialogue by Michel Hazanavicius] and Shame [screenplay by Abi Morgan and Steve McQueen].

A good reminder: Movies are primarily a visual medium. Think visually. Write visually.

For more of the article, go here.