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FilmSkool — a free film school

How to write a short film: Episode 20 - Writing dialogue (Part two)

The second half — how people avoid saying things, and how much of a draft’s dialogue survives an honest pass.

Anthony Hett · 4 min · Beginner · SCR · Screenwriting · 2021

What you take away

Cut every line somebody would not need to say out loud.

Watch it

Filed under

Oscar winners for screenplay

Books on screenwriting

Writing Short Films — Linda J. Cowgill
Making Short Films — Clifford Thurlow
Dialogue — Robert McKee
The Screenwriter’s Workbook — Syd Field
The Screenwriter’s Bible — David Trottier
On Writing — Stephen King

Kit for this lesson

Panasonic LUMIX S5 II — Full-frame, open gate, phase detect at last
Panasonic LUMIX S5 IIX — The S5 II with raw out and ProRes internal
Sony a7 IV — The all-round full-frame hybrid
Canon EOS R6 Mark II — The affordable full-frame RF hybrid
Nikon Z6 III — Partially stacked sensor, N-RAW internal
Rode Blimp — Wind protection and a shock mount in one

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Essential Skill Sets Screenwriters Need To Write Professionally - Corey Mandell [FULL INTERVIEW] — Film Courage · 75m · Intermediate
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Mike Leigh | BAFTA Screenwriters' Lecture Series — BAFTA · 62m · Advanced
Writing Subtext — The Secret to Writing What's Under the Surface — StudioBinder · 22m · Intermediate
Anatomy Of Story - Television Edition: The Complete Film Courage Interview with John Truby — Film Courage · 55m · Intermediate

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