Show, Don’t Tell: Turn a Talky Script into a Visual Masterpiece | Script Reader Pro

When it comes to advice on script dialogue, “show, don’t tell” is the most repeated phrase out there. But how does a screenwriter put it into practice?

Our latest video breaks down the “show, don’t tell” method so you can turn a talky script into a visual masterpiece.

Here’s what’s coming up:

· What “show, don’t tell” really means and why it works.
· How to push the story forward with action vs. words.
· Film examples to learn from and “auditing” your script.

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FIND THE SHOW, DON'T TELL GUIDE HERE:

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Over to You:

· Ask yourself, what’s the purpose of each scene in my script?
· Use the “show, vs. tell” method to write or re-write scenes.
· What do you think of our methods in the video?

Let us know in the comments section below the video.
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[wendyparks]

Really helpful! Excellent clarification. I especially enjoyed watching the movie clip while seeing how it was written in the script 👍👍
Thank you!

[PCIMPOSSIBLE]

Essentially, screenwriting and love have something in common. SHOW! DON’T TELL…

[antonythemaster]

Very, very important advices! Thank you!

[jackhudkins]

However, this is not always true. Woody's films are very talky - it's his style. Quentin's is the same....I like talky films as long as there is good sub-text. To think an actor will go around making little facial expressions to show what his thoughts and feeling are would be like non-human. People talk and a variety of ways, so make the dialog riveting with good subtext and I'm good.

[futurestoryteller]

It should be noted that this definition of show don't tell is only useful for screenwriters, is not a comprehensive definition of the term, and may in fact have some vague detriments even to the craft of screenwriting.

Other ways to say show don't tell:
Describe do not explain.
Dramatize don't summarize.
Don't tell me what to think, give me something to think about.

[BrunoCosta-wnft]

Great advice, but in my opinion the example chosen with the girl on the train is not the best. One show that employs this show-don't-tell technique very well is "Better Call Saul".

[gbwalther]

Thanks. Get that camera out. Turn that audio recorder off! 😎😎

[bodyhairpositive]

There's a big problem here. Showing it in the most visually interesting way is far more expensive to film. Having her say in an existing scene "I'd like to be a mother one day" is far cheaper, than having to organise a train scene with paid extras and getting permission to film on the train, paying a mother and baby actor to sit on the train etc. That is going to be very expensive to film. Most people watching this are not going to have their scripts purchased by a big producer/studio deal. They're going to be making it themselves with no budget or less than $10, 000, even less than $1, 000 budget.

I guess you could get creative and think of a 3rd option though. Like maybe she's writing a list of her life goals and having a baby is number 1. That would actually show she wants a baby far more. But would that count as telling and not showing?