Contributing Editor Jim Stinson is the author of the book Video Communication and Production.
Whether scripting in the A/V or screenplay formats, you do not -- in fact, should not -- specify camera angles and individual shots. For instance, if the story calls for a character to window-shop along a street, it's enough to write Marcie walks down Main street, looking in shop windows, pausing at some, then moving on. Half-way along, she spots something in a window. It is the statue of a black falcon. Surprised, she gets her courage up and enters the store.
Notice how the paragraphing suggests a rough breakdown of the scene content, but without trying to do the director's job. Any director worthy of the title will know how to distribute that action among appropriate setups. On the other hand, the production manager can learn enough from the description to schedule the "Marcie" actor and plan for a small town street, an antiques or pawnshop, and a Maltese Falcon prop.
In short, the script is detailed enough for planning, without being too restri…
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