Hdtwi: Extension #3

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HDTWI: EXTENSION #3

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fn ctrl alt Compiled by Nathalie from mentorless.com cmd alt hdtwi p. 2 About HDTWI: Extension #3

HDTWI: Extension #3 is the third extension of How Did They Write It, a free eBook that compiles over 400 examples from 25 screenplays providing screenwriters with possible formatting for specific scenes (montage, tracking shot, phone conversation, car chase, family dinner etc.)

The screenplnays used in HDTWI are: About Schmidt, An Education, Anna Karenina, Annie Hall, Back to the Future, Butter, Children of Men, Django Unchained, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Fight Club, Good Will Hunting, Hitchcock, In Bruges, Into The Wild, L.A. Confidential, Little Miss Sunshine, Looper, Magnolia, Moon, Mother and Child, Please Give, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, The Runa- ways, Tootsie, Twelve Monkey.

If you haven’t already, you can download How Did They Write It here: www.mentorless.com/HDTWI

RECOMMENDATION: For an optimized learning experience, I strongly recommend reading the screenplay and watching the film selected below.

WARNING: HDTWI and its extensions contain spoilers, including the closing line of the script. This eBook has been made for educational purposes only. If you have not seen the film based on the screenplay listed below, I recommend you do so before reading more.

ABOUT THE SCRIPT SHEET The script sheet contains: 1) basic information about the movie (screenwriter, director, year released, script pages, imdb logline) 2) the writer’s produced feature films 3) the opening and closing lines and main character’s first mention in the script.

FORMATTING The screenplay is reproduced as found online. A word in CAPITAL LETTERS, bold or italic, will be reproduced as such in HDTWI.

For easier reading, actual line jumps are replaced with the // symbol. In other words, the symbol // represents a line jump in the actual screenplay.

A page number [XX] at the end of each extracts corresponds to the original screenplay page.

Please Note: Page numbering varies depending on the screenplay version you read. The version featured in HDTWI or its extensions might no longer be available online.

LEARN MORE When deemed fit, a Learn More section with links to interviews, making-ofs and master classes are available to read on www.mentorless.com

SELECTION The below selection is subjective. I might have skipped passages others would consider crucial. There is no right or wrong in the process. My goal is to make it as interesting and useful as possible for screenwriters looking to learn from seasoned peers.

ON LEARNING & SHARING

“How Did They Wite It” and its extensions are intentionally free and open to the public, and for educational purposes only. The goal of the project is to help screenwriters.

HDTWI and its extensions are part of a global continuing education effort that started more than two years ago with mentorless.com, a site where I share articles that I found useful and inspiring.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

- Share this link on Social Media and in your networks: http://wp.me/p1CMKa-3BO - Use this content mindfully. If you want to use extracts from HDTWI or its extensions, credit @mentorless along with the screenwriter(s) behind the selected screenplay(s). - Foster healthy debates, reach out, and share with your community whatever you think might be helpful and inspiring.

Thank you for taking the time to explore the “How Did They Write It” universe. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected], Nathalie.

HER

written by: IMDB pitch SPIKE JONZE PRODUCED Spike Jonze A lonely writer develops an unlikely rela- FEATURE FILMS genre: tionship with his newly purchased oper- 1. Being John Malkovich (1999) ating system that’s designed to meet his drama 2. Adaptations (2002) every need. year released: 3. Where the Wild Things Are (2009) 2013 4. Her (2013) directed by: Spike Jonze draft read: 2011

pages 105 pages

OPENING LINE INT. UNKNOWN SPACE // Close on THEODORE (30s). We hold on him for a long time. He’s looking at something off camera, deep in thought. He starts quietly dictating a love letter into a small microphone.[p1]

COMPUTER SCREEN DESCRIPTION As he says “Loretta”, we see “Loretta” being handwritten at the bottom of the letter. He proofreads his letter. Also on the screen are photos of a couple in their 80s. The couple is tagged “Chris” and “Me-Loretta”. Underneath is a bullet point email from Loretta: anniversary letter to hus band Chris. Married fifty years. Love of my life. Met him right after college, have had the greatest life togetehr. [p1]

ENVIRONMENT We track off Theodore, down a line of cubicles, hearing bits of letters being written and seeing photos of who they’re being written to on the screens. [p2] other example EXT. LOS ANGELES STREET - DUSK // Slightly in the future, the city’s been developed even more with massive office, apartment and mall complexes. It’s a city designed for

comfort and ease. The LA basin is more crowded and dense, resembling Shangai, with buildings as far as they can see. Construction cranes loom overhead. Close on Theodore walking the commuter crowd. [p4]

other example EXT. PUBLIC PLAZA/PARK-NIGHT (LATER) // Theodore is sitting on a bench. Behind him is a giant, digital billboard displaying an ad of an owl in slow motion swooping down and eating it’s prey. [p80]

PROP DESCRIPTION Theodore enters an oversized, corporate elevator. He puts a hands-free device in his ear. There are a few others people in thie elevator with the same device in their ears. [p3]

LOCATION TRANSITION INT. MALL - NIGHT // Theodore walks through a mall and enters an apartment lobby nestled in between stores. // INT. THEODORE’S APARTMENT BUILDING HALLWAY - NIGHT // Theodore walks through the hallway. // INT. THEODORE’S APARTMENT -NIGHT

// Theodore enters his apartment. [p5]

DIALOGUE WITH O.S. Voice FEMALE OS VOICE (cheerful and casual) Hello, I’m here // THEODORE (surprised) Oh, hi.[p12]

INTERCUT SAMANTHA Oh, I love this first one from Roger to his girlfriend. That’s so sweet. // THEODORE Yeah. // As she reads, we intercut with close-ups of the handwritten words and photos of the couple on Theodore’s computer screen. [p16]

other example They walk through the sun-bathing crowd, looking for a place to sit. The camera studies all the people we pass. Many close up details of arms, shoulders, feet, butts, intercut with the lens on Theodore’s device,

protruding from his pocket. They’re photographed in a way that shows how strange the human body is. [p47]

WATCHING A MONITOR On the monitor we see: // INT. AMY’S MOTHER’S BEDROOM // Amy’s mother sleeps. // INT. AMY’S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS // Theodore and Charles stare at the monitor, waiting for something to happen. It doesn’t.[p26]

MONTAGE OVER CONVERSATION Theodore seems lost in thought. We see the following images under the rest of the conversation: Theodore and Catherine sitting at a table with their attorneys; Theodore and Catherine sitting in their marriage counselor’s office, heavy; Theodore and Catherine at her laboratory, he’s sitting on a counter, and they’re talking and laughing as she works; Theodore and Catherine standing in their kitchen in the middle of a fight - he says something mean and we see how hurt she is. // SAMANTHA Are you okay? // THEODORE (preoccupied) © mentorless 2014 www.mentorless.com/HDTWI HER p. 10 written by Spike Jonze year released 2013

Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. // SAMANTHA (worried) Is there anything I can do? // THEODORE (still distracted) No. I’m good. I’ll talk to you later. // We cut back to Theodore, walking down the hall, lost in thought. [p28/29]

TALKING SIMULTANEOUSLY There’s a long moment of silence, then they both start to talk at once. THEODORE (CONT’D) SAMANTHA So I was thinking I wanted to say [p7] // They both laughed, embarassed. [p44]

PROP PLACEMENT Theodore’s on the subway. He’s got his device in his breast pocket, with the lens facing out [p46]

BUILDING UP A SCENE WITh A SONG A quiet, old sounding fold song starts. (I’m So Glad, by Entrance). He

smiles, listening. // SAMANTHA Do you like this song? // THEODORE Mmm // SAMANTHA I heard it the other day and I can’t stop listening to it. // The subway comes out of the tunnel and into the light. We are up in the hills looking over the city as the morning light warms up Theodore. // INT. SUBWAY STATION - DAY // The music now picks up tempo as he steps off the train. They walk through the crowded subway station. As the song builds, Theodore starts picking up his pace. Eventually he’s all out running, weaving LEARN MORE through the people. Close on the lens of his device in his shirt pocket.

Samantha is laughing wildly. He’s smiling, happy. [p46] SPIKE JONZE AMA on His Influenc- es, Transitioning MID-CONVERSATION FRom MUSIC VIDEO to FILMs, Writing They’re on an elevated train, high above the city, looking out over the Los ‘HER’ and MUCH MORE. Angeles grid of sparkling lights. We come in mid-conversation. // SAMANTHA And what was it like being married? [p49]

PROCESSING THOUGHTS INT. AMY’S OFFICE - NIGHT (LATER) // Theodore lies on a couch in the back of Amy’s office, deep in thought. Amy talks with Ellie as she works on the Perfect Mom video game. Her device is standing on the table before her. // AMY I can’t believe that cracks you up every time! Ellie, I thought you were a genius... Okay, you litte perv, I’ll do it one more time for you... Calm down, it takes a second! Calm down. Okey, here we go. // Amy makes the Perfect Mom hump the refrigerator. Amy laughs at how much Ellie is laughing. Theo watches Amy closely, taking in LEARN MORE her joy. // AMY (CONT’D) Okay, there you go. Are you happy now...? Okay, good WATCH SPIKE JONZE AND OLIVIA good, that’s all I wanted. I’m gonna grab some coffee... LE-TAN COLLABORATION Alright, bye. ON ANIMATING // Theodore, still heavy with thought, is touched by his friend’s happiness. BOOK COVERS Amy stands to exit. // AMY (CONT’D) Theo, you want some? // THEODORE © mentorless 2014 www.mentorless.com/HDTWI HER p. 13 written by Spike Jonze year released 2013

No, that’s okay. // He smiles at her and continues laying there, thinking, taking it all in. [p83]

MONTAGE Montage of Theodore and Samantha’s life together: // -Theodore walking to work (Day) // - At home, hanging out on the balcony (Dusk) // - Viewing an outdoor art installation of a 747 balanced on its nose (Day) // - Playing the video game // - Grocery shopping // - Sitting at the Kitchen counter, looking at a drawing (late afternoon) // -Sitting on a bench, watching a dancer/busker (late afternoon) // -with Amy and Ellie at a bar // Montage ends with Theodore, Samantha, Paul and Tatiana on the boat to Catalina: Paul making them laugh, Theodore at the front of the boat by himself - laughing with Samantha, a shot of Theodore looking out the front of the boat. [p85]

RACK FOCUS Under Samantha’s words we slowly rack focus to dust particules in the foreground. We keeps moving through them, pushing further and further

throught the particles. Eventually we see snow particules and we rack focus back out to Theodore, who is now in snowy woods at night. [p102]

CLOSE UP Close up on Theodore and what he sees and feels. His hand on the cold metal hand rail. His bare feet and the sound they make on the unfinished cement. Amy’s hair as she’s hit with wind when she opens the door to the outisde. [p105]

CLOSING LINE Eventually he sits down next to Amy and she puts her hand on his hand. He puts his other hand on top of her hand. He looks at their hands together and rubs her skin with his thumb. He looks out at the city and LEARN MORE exhales. THe sun is just starting to break. She puts her head on his shoulder. They watch as hundreds of birds fly aroudn the nearby rooftops SPIKE JONZE + ARCADE FIRE = and disperse off into the city. CONTROLLED // FADE OUT

thank you !

written by Nathalie www.mentorless.com - twitter: @mentorless // designed by Christine Sejean www.christinesejean.com