How can unfilmables enhance the experience of your script?

AKA Why your screenwriting guru is wrong

In this episode, Chas and Stu deep dive into the controversial area of “unfilmables” — those alleged screenwriting sins, where a writer writes a line that (apparently) cannot be seen or heard. But many produced spec scripts use unfilmables to great effect. So how and why do they “get away with it”?

In this first part, they look at unfilmables in micro moments: to describe locations, set (or change) the mood/tone, bring performances to life, and communicate certain types of humour. To that end, they breakdown into examples from LETHAL WEAPON, MY BRIDESMAID IS A BITCH, HEREDITARY, FLEABAG, KILLING EVE, A QUIET PLACE, KILLING THEM SOFTLY, SHARP OBJECTS, SPARTAN, THE NICE GUYS, DRIVE, THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI, TREE OF LIFE, and MICHAEL CLAYTON.

Thanks to Chris Walker for editing this episode, and Carissa Lee for performing the big print.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

RUNNING ORDER

ASIDES (@ 23:08)

• LETHAL WEAPON by Shane Black
• YOUR BRIDESMAID IS A BITCH by Brian Duffield
• HEREDITARY by Ari Aster

FRAMING THE SCENE (@ 52:58)

• READ: Jane Espenson - The Grim Brothers
• KILLING EVE, EPISODE1 by Phoebe Waller-Bridge

OPENINGS (@ 59:27)

• KILLING THEM SOFTLY screenplay by Andrew Dominik, based on the novel “Cogan’s Trade" by George V. Higgins
• SHARP OBJECTS. EPISODE 1, VANISH Written by Marti Noxon, Based on the novel by Gillian Flynn
• HEREDITARY by Ari Aster
• SPARTAN a screenplay by David Mamet

PERFORMANCE (@ 1:36:07)

• FLEABAG PILOT written by Phoebe Waller Bridge
• THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Erin Cressida Wilson, Adapted from the novel by Paula Hawkins
• THE NICE GUYS by Anthony Bagarozzi & Shane Black
• DRIVE written by Hossein Amini, Based on the novel by James Sallis

TONE/THEME (@ 01:54:49)

• MICHAEL CLAYTON by Tony Gilroy
• THE TREE OF LIFE by Terrence Mallick
• THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI by Martin McDonagh
• WRAP UP / KEY LEARNINGS (@ 02:11:52)

EPISODE LINKS

• READ: DZ-60 - Unfilmables Collated Examples
• READ: Cinephilia & Beyond -In Search of Our Better Selves: The Rebirth, Redemption and Road Warriors of George Miller’s ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’
• LISTEN: DZ-16: Masters of Time and Whitespace

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