One of the most common screenwriting “rules” you’ll read and hear is, “Don’t direct the camera.”
Some beginning screenwriters become so afraid of breaking that rule that they fail to write cinematic screenplays that read like a movie is playing in the script reader’s imagination (which is the exact type of experience you want the script reader to have).
Others have read tons of screenplays from the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, James Cameron, and other auteurs who sometimes include camera directions in their scripts because they are directing their own screenplays and are communicating certain visuals in their head in the only way they know how to: through shots. When screenwriters read these types of scripts, and those from other non-auteur screenwriters trying to emulate them, they’ll fill every page with camera angles, tracking shots, pans, dollies, and zooms because they think that is what makes a screenplay cinematic.
Neither of those approaches is entirely correct.
The key is to understand what cinematic screenplays are, and what “directing the camera” really means. With that in mind, here we share when screenwriters can and shouldn’t direct the camera in screenplays.
What Does “Directing the Camera” Mean?
Screenwriters should try to avoid telling the director and cinematographer exactly how to shoot the movie. When people talk about directing the camera, they are referring to technical filmmaking instructions rather than storytelling. When you’re directing the camera in your scene description, you’re no longer describing what is happening in the scene and story. Instead, you’re dictating:
- Where the camera should be placed
- How the camera should move
- What type of shot should be utilized
That’s not the screenwriter’s job.
As a screenwriter, your responsibility is to describe what the audience needs to experience. If a character nervously hides a bloody knife underneath the couch, write that.
EXT. JAKE’S HOUSE - NIGHT
Rain pours down from the sky. Jake’s truck pulls up to the house quickly. He gets out, covered in mud. He’s holding a rolled up towel in his hand.
He moves towards the front door, head on a swivel to make sure no one is watching.
INT. JAKE’S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - SAME
Jake rushes into the house. He frantically searches the living room. His eyes move to the couch. He rushes over to it and unrolls the towel he holds in his hand, revealing...
A BUTCHER KNIFE
He puts the butcher knife under the couch cushion and rushes out of the house.
Directing the camera would be specifying how the camera moves and what types of shots are utilized.
Here’s a very overwritten version of the same scene, with the camera being directed.
EXT. JAKE’S HOUSE - NIGHT
A WIDE SHOT reveals rain pouring from the sky. The camera CRANES DOWN as Jake’s truck races into the driveway.
The camera TRACKS alongside the truck as it skids to a stop.
CLOSE ON Jake’s muddy boots as they splash into a puddle.
The camera TILTS UP to reveal Jake, soaked and covered in mud. He grips a rolled-up towel.
The camera FOLLOWS behind him as he hurries toward the front door.
OVER JAKE’S SHOULDER, he scans the neighborhood.
PAN LEFT.
Empty street.
PAN RIGHT.
Still no one.
Jake slips inside.
INT. JAKE’S HOUSE -- LIVING ROOM -- SAME
The camera TRACKS with Jake as he rushes through the living room.
A HANDHELD SHOT follows him as he frantically searches the room.
The camera PUSHES IN on his anxious face.
JAKE’S POV
The camera WHIP PANS to the couch.
BACK TO JAKE
Jake rushes over.
EXTREME CLOSE-UP as he slowly unrolls the towel.
The camera DOLLIES IN closer and closer.
INSERT - A BLOOD-STAINED BUTCHER KNIFE.
LOW ANGLE ON THE COUCH as Jake shoves the knife beneath the couch cushion.
The camera HOLDS on the cushion for a beat.
Jake races out of frame.
While this example is overwritten to showcase the different types of examples of directing the camera, it’s a perfect demonstration of how screenwriters direct the camera in their scene description.
If you compare the two versions of this scene, you’ll hopefully see the difference. The first version is how the scene should be written. The second version is a perfect example of directing the camera.
Here’s the distinction every screenwriter should understand when it comes to writing scene description: You’re writing the movie, not the shot list.
What Makes a Screenplay Cinematic?
As a screenwriter, one of the greatest compliments or notes you can get is, “The script is very cinematic.”
That’s a huge compliment and a comforting note. Screenwriters write screenplays not just because they want to tell a compelling story. They write screenplays because they want their story to be told cinematically, either on a big or small screen. Otherwise they could be enjoying the freedom of writing their story as a novel or short story, void of the formatting constraints of screenplays.
You want a script to be cinematic. You want to write a script that creates a reading experience that makes the script reader feel like the movie is playing live in their mind’s eye as they are reading it.
Camera directions don’t make a screenplay feel like a movie. Quite the opposite, actually.
Cinematic screenplays aren’t created by filling the pages with pans, zooms, dolly shots, crane shots, camera angles, etc. It’s created by writing scenes that readers can instantly picture in their minds.
The best and most cinematic screenplays paint vivid images using simple language.
- Instead of explaining how the camera should move towards a frightened character, describe the fear instead.
- Instead of describing a complicated sequence of camera movements, angles, and techniques (see the above example), simply describe what’s happening in the scene.
The reader’s imagination will do the rest.
Great screenwriting is built on strong visual storytelling. Visual storytelling tells us exactly what we’re supposed to be seeing, not how we’re supposed to be seeing it.
But the Screenwriter DOES Have Some Visual Wiggle Room
With all of that said, this doesn’t mean that you can’t offer the reader some visual cues within your script. You certainly can and should. It’s really about ensuring that what you do share, and how you share it, serves the story.
You’re writing in a visual medium. Your job is to guide the reader through the movie, telling them what they need to hear and see. While you shouldn’t direct the camera through every scene, there are times when you are going to need to draw attention to specific images, objects, actions, and character reactions to point the reader in the right story directions with reveals.
Over the years, screenwriters have discovered industry-accepted ways to emphasize cinematic storytelling rather than dictating specific filmmaking techniques. They don’t tell the director how to shoot the scene: they make sure the reader notices something that is essential to the story, plot, characterization, and overall narrative.
Moderation is key. If every page is filled with visual cues, they’ll lose their impact. But when used sparingly and for the sole purpose of telling the story in the best possible (and visual) way, these types of tools and practices can make a screenplay more easy to read, more effective, and more of a cinematic experience.
What visual techniques should you avoid? Which ones are acceptable? Let’s take a look.
Camera Directions to Avoid
Specific Camera Angles
You don’t need to write:
- LOW ANGLE on Sarah crawling away from the killer.
- HIGH ANGLE as the killer approaches.
- MEDIUM SHOT of Jake as he rushes through the woods.
Instead, write:
- Sarah crawls away from the killer.
- The killer approaches, towering over her.
- Jake rushes through the woods.
Camera Movement
You don’t need to write:
- We DOLLY with Sarah as she gets up and runs.
- The CAMERA SLOWLY TRACKS behind the killer.
- The CAMERA PANS across the woods, following Jake as he runs towards the killer.
Instead, write:
- Sarah gets up from her crawl and runs.
- The killer calmly pursues her.
- Jake runs out of the woods towards the killer.
Technical Shot Descriptions
Anything technical should be avoided.
- EXTREME CLOSE-UP
- MEDIUM CLOSE-UP
- WIDE SHOT
- OVER-THE-SHOULDER
- CRANE SHOT
- STEADICAM
- DOLLY SHOT
- DOLLY ZOOM
- TRACKING SHOT
- PAN
- TILT
- HANDHELD
- ZOOM
- ESTABLISHING SHOT
- TWO SHOT
These examples, their many variances, and any other technical camera movement, placement, or lens-type direction in a screenplay shouldn’t happen.
Beyond stepping into the director’s territory, excessive camera directions interrupt the reading experience. Whoever is reading your script wants clean and efficient cinematic storytelling. Every technical camera direction forces them to stop reading the story and having to think about filmmaking mechanics and terminology.
Their imagination will do the heavy visual lifting.
Camera Directions You Can Use
“Wait? Screenwriters CAN use camera directions?”
The difference between what you can and can’t use is all about intent. You’re not telling the director or crew how to shoot the film. You’re emphasizing information that the reader or audience needs to know.
CLOSE ON
Using the term CLOSE ON is one of the most useful visual tools available to screenwriters.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Sarah is lost in the scrolling of her phone.
CLOSE ON HER DOG
He suddenly reacts to something he’s heard outside. Sarah doesn’t notice yet.
This subtle camera direction isn’t telling the director how to direct the shot. It’s telling the script reader (and audience) that the dog has heard something from outside.
INT. TRUCK - NIGHT
Jake watches Sarah’s house from his truck, hidden within the woods.
CLOSE ON JAKE’S HANDS
They shake until he makes a fist with each, controlling them.
This direction increases the tension of the scene by showing Jake feeling the anxiety of the situation.
Once again, these types of directions should be used in moderation. When used wisely and sparingly, when we do read these types of details, they stick out and we know they’re important.
INSERT
An INSERT draws attention to information the audience must read or know. This is an older direction that isn’t utilized as much, but here’s an example:
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Sarah’s scrolling is interrupted by a notification on her phone. It’s a text message from Jack.
INSERT
TEXT READS:
He’s in the house. I’m coming.
A more contemporary version of this scene would be:
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Sarah’s scrolling is interrupted by a notification on her phone. It’s a text message from Jack.
TEXT READS:
He’s in the house. I’m coming.
The insert is implied, giving the director a variety of different ways to show the text. They could insert an image of her screen to show the text, or they could have a text bubble appear on the screen above or around her while she’s in the shot.
POV (Point of View)
Letting the audience experience a visual through the eyes of a character is a great way to add tension or perspective.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Sarah continues to scroll on her phone.
POV OF THE KILLER
He quietly approaches Sarah from behind. But then he stops when he SEES A RED LASER SIGHT APPEAR FROM THE WINDOW AND ONTO HIS CHEST.
Using a character’s point of view can enhance details and perspective. Yes, you’re telling the director that the camera should be the point of view of a character, but you’re doing this for a very specific reason.
What About “We See...”?
Writing “we see...” in the scene description is something that goes back decades in screenwriting. It’s a type of prose that some screenwriters use sparingly, with no negative repercussions, while others seem to use it at the beginning of every other line of scene description.
- We see the dog bear its teeth with a growl.
- We see a shadow fall across Sarah’s sleeping face.
- We see something fall from the sky and land in the distance.
It’s just a natural form of scene description prose that likely has its roots from pitching stories and scripts. Screenwriters of the past would be in a room full of development executives explaining the major story elements of a script. To create a bond, they would explain what is to be seen by saying things like, “We’re in a room. It’s dark. We hear breathing. We see shadows move...”
It’s a form of pitching that probably was carried over into their screenplays. As beginning screenwriters read produced scripts to learn the craft, the habit was passed forward.
It’s not a rule being broken. It’s not forbidden. It’s a type of prose that can be used sparingly.
The Best Camera Direction from Screenwriters Is Invisible
The most cinematic screenplays can often feel incredibly cinematic without a single camera direction at all. Readers can read great thrillers and feel the tension building, experience every reveal, and begin to anticipate the next scare without a single pan, insert, dolly, or tracking shot.
This happens because the screenwriter isn’t directing the camera. They are directing the reader’s imagination. Every sentence guides the reader’s attention and informs their imagination through carefully chosen details, strong visual writing, and full focus on creating pacing that gets the information into the mind of the reader as quickly and concisely as possible.
That’s what screenwriting is all about.
Leave the directing to the director. But take comfort as a screenwriter knowing that there’s nothing for them to direct without your cinematic screenplay. And great directors love cinematic screenplays, because it gives them options to interpret their own way while also relying on the work the screenwriter has done so well.