Seeking technical information...

Editor · Feb 26, 2015

Hi! I realise that I am putting my head in the lion's mouth here, as everyone will shreik "DON'T PUT CAMERA ANGLES IN A SPEC SCRIPT", but where the entire story rests upon two specific camera angles, I do actually have to specify these two shots. (Don't worry, there are indeed ONLY two camera shots schedule throughout the entire 118 pages!)

THe thing is this...

In a piece of music, if something has to be played in SHARP, it is cancelled with a NATURAL symbol once the part played in sharp is finished. Likewise, if I have an OVERHEAD shot, what is the shot name to "undo" OVERHEAD once the piece is finished, that is what is the camera shot word that I need to use to restore to normal level shooting?

FantasySciFi · Feb 26, 2015

It would help if you included the short snippet so we could see the reference. It is still preferable to suggest rather than tell, but I understand that there are circumstances when it's necessary.

Code:

Jack  slides down the rope through the small grate opening
in the ceiling and pauses to look down.

Jack works free the grate's latch while gripping it then lowers 
it slowly.  

POV:  BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF ROOM  

The museum room is well lit.  The footsteps of the guard as
he enters.

POV:  EYE LEVEL OF MUSEUM FLOOR

The guard glances about, moves with hesitation before he
moves on to another room.

Heaving a sigh, he continues his descent.

This could be suggested as well in a spec script without using POV references.

Code:

Jack  slides down the rope through the small grate opening
in the ceiling and pauses to look down.

Jack works free the grate's latch and gripping it and lowers 
it slowly. 

From above, the museum room is well lit.  The footsteps of 
the guard as he enters.

The guard's eyes glance among the displays.  He moves with 
hesitation before he moves on to another room.

Heaving a sigh, he continues his descent.

"From above" suggests the overhead shot. "The guard's eyes ..." implies we are on eye level to see the guard's eyes. Shots in a spec script usually disrupt the flow. Often there are other ways to imply the POV without actually writing it as a shot.

trueindie · Feb 26, 2015

I don't know what natural end to an overhead shot is, or that there even is one, or necessary. In terms of putting camera angles in your script, it depends on whether you try to sell your script, I think. A lot of writer directors put their camera angles and movements in their script. Paul Thomas Anderson's scripts are specific when it comes to camera angles and movements, and when you watch his films, you see that he maintained the vision in his script. So I guess it's about what you intend to do with your script.

Editor · Feb 26, 2015

Hi, the Overhead declaration is actually the very first and pretty much the very last line in the script so it should not disrupt the flow. They are necessary as the end of the screenplay needs to mirror the start with everything, effectively running backwards.

trueindie · Feb 26, 2015

Editor said:
Hi, the Overhead declaration is actually the very first and pretty much the very last line in the script so it should not disrupt the flow. They are necessary as the end of the screenplay needs to mirror the start with everything, effectively running backwards.

How about closing in with an overhead shot in the beginning, and the pulling out with an overhead shot at the end?

Sweetie · Feb 26, 2015

if I have an OVERHEAD shot, what is the shot name to "undo" OVERHEAD once the piece is finished

Have you tried using something along the lines of "end of overhead shot" as a piece of action text.

As you mentioned, camera action tends to be something that's avoided in scripts. Look, I haven't come across any rules where it says how to include camera angles in a script.

If it's a shooting script, you do it the way the director wants you to do it. There is a particular short hand that I learned from script supervising that I really like (using columns for each type of shot and vertical lines to where those shots need to be taken), but it's not exactly word processor/script writing software friendly.

An example:

Best used in combination with a shot list, story boards and technical (top down) story boards.

How you'd use that method in a script... buggers me. Since it's only occasionally, I'd just write it in as action text.

FantasySciFi · Feb 26, 2015

Editor said:
Hi, the Overhead declaration is actually the very first and pretty much the very last line in the script so it should not disrupt the flow. They are necessary as the end of the screenplay needs to mirror the start with everything, effectively running backwards.

If it's the very beginning and very end, it sounds like you're directing the opening/closing sequence from within the script. Unless you're the director, it probably would be ignored. When editing scripts for production, I routinely scrub intro shots included by writers. Inevitably these will be changed in the final production when new master shots and credits are added. I don't mean that harshly but opening sequences often differ depending on the director's take on the script. Like TrueIndie said, if you're not directing this, they probably have no reason to be included. Below is how I might suggest it but I also recognize that it's only a suggestion.

Code:

EXT. MEADOW - NIGHT

The view passes downward through a cloud towards a 
midsummer field, where LIAM (20s) leans on one arm lying
on a quilt and reads a book.

...

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

Liam lies on his bed.  He looks out at the moon and his
pale face goes still and lifeless.

The view draws back from the bed, out the window and
retreats into the night sky.

                                                  FADE TO BLACK

Editor · Feb 26, 2015

Look, once a cheque arrives, as far as I am concerned the director can do what the f**k he want with it. If he wants to have Britney Spears playing Obama, backed by a choir of tapdancing midget aliens, I don't give a damn, but in the original work I amsimply trying to create a specific story that sort of requires the mirrored ending to make sense and hence those two shots.