As Stephen King says, if you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time to write. That goes doubly so for screenwriting. Not only do you need to watch tv and movies, but you should also read scripts to see how writers conveyed their ideas on the page.
But it’s not enough to be a passive consumer. Once you set on the path of making film and tv, you should actively engage with the material. What works, what doesn’t, and most importantly – why. Our Steal This Move and Terror Taught Me columns both come out of this place – finding elements to incorporate into our own writing from other pieces.
Depending on the level of research you’re doing, sometimes it’s good to have a more systematic approach. That’s where the Whinefields Method comes in. Named for and inspired by server member whinefields, aka Ezra W Nachman, a working tv writer. Since I don’t know where he got it from, I’m giving him the credit.
Ezra actually guests on the next episode of the Script Hive podcast, so consider this a little preview of his great work and generosity with advice. Synergy!
The Whinefields Method
During a conversation on the script for the Terminator, whinefields shared a lot of insight into its tight structure and pacing. He then revealed his approach to analyzing scripts by using spreadsheets to track elements.
Now at the mention of spreadsheets I perked up. As people who know me can attest, I’m an excel fiend. Always desperate for that next hit of sweet formulae. So when I learned I could combine spreadsheets with screenwriting, how could I resist?
Here we have the Whinefields Method applied to the pilot of Dare Me. As I mentioned, this is my version of what whinefields shared – any inconsistencies or issues should be blamed on me. Also, the example focuses on TV but can also be used for movies just as easily.
You can see the basic elements involved. First few columns cover hard numbers – scene number (I do not go strictly by sluglines but instead theatrical scenes – discrete storytelling blocks) what page it starts, how long, which act, and which storyline. Act and storyline can be more a bit more interpretive than the other, but still useful.
Then comes a summary of the scene – a few sentences covering the important content. Finally, the purpose. Why did the writer include this scene? How does the scene advance character, plot, or theme?
By placing yourself in the position of the writer, you can start digging into the decisions they make. And by looking at the page counts you can get a sense of pacing as the writer juggles the different story threads. Together they can make you think analytically how the writers assembled this script.
Lessons Learned
My biggest takeaway when I started using this approach applied to the efficiency of scripts. When you really breakdown how each scenes contributes to the story you appreciate just how much work they do. In the Dare Me pilot above, each scene would accomplish two or three things at a minimum. There’s no room for flab. Every scene must earn its place.
Instantly my thoughts on my own scripts changed as I began to assess how efficient I was being. A complete paradigm shift. For about a day after the first time doing this I felt like I’d hacked the Matrix.
So choose your favorite movie or pilot, or something relevant to a project you’re working on. Find the script (the 16,000+ script library of the ScriptHive is a good place to start). And start breaking down the hows and whys of the script. I guarantee you’ll learn two or three things. At a minimum.