We are going through the 5 times you should be editing your script throughout the filmmaking process so you make the best film possible.
1. Editing Your First Draft
The most important edit to your screenplay is after you’ve written the first draft.
You might think it’s time to start shooting, but just hold your horses! Let some people read it first!
Getting other people to read your script is only going to cost you your pride, but it’s honestly invaluable.
Once you hear feedback from others, you’ll soon realise that a lot of your ideas aren’t actually on the page - they are still stuck in your head!
As the writer, you have the whole film playing on repeat in your head; and it’s perfect! You can visualise the characters, the locations, the action and the drama - but sometimes your ideas can get lost when translating them to the page.
Our latest short film Sixty Seconds is a 12-page action-comedy about two bombs defusal duo and was written by the two of us, so we were in constant conversation whilst writing it.
“Does this line work here? Are we getting this point across? Is this what we want from the scene?”
When getting feedback from someone, don’t tell them too much about it. Instead, let them clue YOU up on what your film is about. They will tell you exactly what got lost between your brain and the page, because they are new to the world.
You don’t have to take every suggestion, it's still your script, but be open to feedback. At this stage, it’s probably valuable feedback.
If you are looking for feedback on your short film script, we offer feedback discussions as part of our tier 3 on patreon. We also have a community discord, and bonus videos! If you want to join these lovely people in supporting this channel, check the link in the description.
2. Editing Your Script in Rehearsals
Your first rehearsal is a magic moment; the words and characters finally come to life! But it’s also a great time for you to edit your script based on the actor's performances.
During the rehearsals, play around with the lines and the blocking with the actors. Now the words are being spoken, you might realise that a line of dialogue or action doesn’t work the same way you originally thought.
Each person in the room will bring their own experiences to the table. Some new ideas will be great, others not so much, so keep a pen handy and make notes if you think something could be edited in (or edited out!).
By the end of the rehearsals, you should have another million ideas to work with. Time to edit your script again!
3. Editing Your Script For the Location
You might have written the perfect location in your script, but unless you have the cash to build it, the next best thing is to find an adequate location to shoot in.
We wanted to shoot Sixty Seconds in a location that resembled a floor in a multi-story office building that was currently under construction. Something like an unfinished floor in Nakatomi Plaza in Die Hard.
That wasn’t going to happen on the budget we had, so we decided to shoot it in our YouTube studio and dressed the set with boxes, caution tape, and other renovation set dressings.
Keeping your script up to date is important because each location will have a different layout, and therefore different blocking which you can not write into your script.
You can edit the look and set dressing of the location into your script too, so when people are reading the updated version they get a further sense of the tone of the film.
4. Editing Your Script For the Props
Just like the location, your props will likely change (at least a little bit) during pre-production as you begin to collect everything you need.
Our short film Sixty Seconds contains an elaborate bomb prop with lots of intricate modules for the characters to defuse.
During the initial writing stage, we honestly had no real clue about what these modules would look like! So we wrote something a little more vague, knowing we could change it later.
During pre-production, we collected a bunch of stuff and built the bomb prop. After building it, we knew exactly how the characters could interact with it. This meant we could open up the script and edit the action lines to match the interaction of the props. This meant we had notes for the very particular beats in the scene.
If your character pulls the trigger of a pistol, the action line doesn’t have to change after you acquire the prop.
“RITA raises the gun and pulls the TRIGGER.”
Generally pistols all work the same way, but if you decide later on that your character should have a shotgun instead, then it’s worth editing the action line.
“EVELYN cocks the shotgun and pulls the TRIGGER.”
Brandishing a shotgun has a different feeling to a pistol, and this small change will alter the rest of the scene ever so slightly. Put a shotgun prop in an actor’s hands and they will instinctively raise it and pump it. It’s a slight action change, but it’s worth keeping your script up to date.
Remember, the script is a blueprint for every department, not just the actors, so the props department will need to know you require a shotgun and not a pistol.
5. Editing Your Script On Set
During the final rehearsal on set, you might alter a line here or there, but once the cameras are rolling and the actors are acting, you must commit to the script. It’s now concrete.
Since you’ll be covering the scene from multiple angles and multiple takes, major changes in dialogue and actions can be a continuity nightmare. So when you begin, you gotta stick to it.
This is why productions have a Script Supervisor. Their sole job is to keep track of continuity whilst shooting and they keep the script up to date (which is essentially another form of editing the script!).
The script is the blueprint to the entire project, so when you are on set, use it just as much as you would use the camera.
If you can think of any other times you edit your script during the production process, pop it in the comments! If you need some feedback on your script, head over to our Patreon. And here is a writing playlist we’ve made if you want to watch some more videos. And bye!
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