Intro to Video

Action (in a screenplay)

• The action is just what it sounds like; it describes all the action in the film. Action can only describe something that the camera can take a picture of, hence a line like, “Judy wanted to be a teacher when she grew up” is not good action. There is no way the camera can capture this statement
• Action is always in the present tense
• Action always uses active language. “He is trying to run” is passive “He tries to run” is active
• Verbs proceeded by the word is and ending with “ing” are generally passive