Skip to content

A European Observation about American Film

Computer MagazineExcerpt taken from movieScope Magazine, Issue 14

There are interesting reasons for the global dominance of American movies, like the fact that they generally have less dialogue than their European counterparts, and their scenes are shorter than those in most EU movies. This has the psychological effect of giving the movie greater impact on the audience-visual storytelling plays into the nature of ‘seeing’-we believe what we see-and also by leaving gaps-cutting the beginning and end from scenes, which does wonders to improve the pacing of the film. We, the audience, fill in those gaps and that makes us feel good about watching the movie.

All good lessons from a European observer.  Are you showing and not telling in your script?  Are you allowing the audience/script reader an opportunity to “fill in the gaps” and be more personally engaged in the story?  If not you are missing some of the qualities that make a script great.

No comment yet, add your voice below!


Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Write your screenplay in one hour a day. Laurie breaks down the screenwriting process into clear daily steps. Based on Laurie’s acclaimed UCLA Masters in Screenwriting course. VIEW IN SHOP

Create a visual map for a character’s emotional journey. Pull stories from character rather from rote story structure beats. Some of the largest international media companies, use this in story and character development.

VIEW IN SHOP

A clear concise guide for writers and producers to have by their side as they embark on a project. It gives a really vital reminder of what is key for story success.

VIEW IN SHOP