Deadpan Sal's Wall of Text

Zoobilee Zoo - First Run Syndication - September 15, 1986 - March 27, 1987

Children (65 episodes)

Running Time: 30 minutes

Stars:

Ben Vereen as Mayor Ben

Michael Sheehan as the original Bill Der Beaver in 2 episodes

Sandey Grinn as Bill Der Beaver in all but 2 episodes

Forrest Gardner as Van Go Lion

Karen Hartman as Talkatoo Cockatoo

Gary Schwartz as Bravo Fox

halo of the sun as the wheel of fortune

Remember too that actors perform small actions that have may have no real effect in a given scene because it would be boring to watch actors stand still arms at their side while delivering lines. Movement, even pointless movement, has a use in visual media. We like to watch actors do things. Prose is different. In prose, you can simply skip all the pointless actions. You can write just the dialogue, or fill space between dialogue with interiority, setting description, flashbacks, or whatever you want. Perhaps you don’t need even “she got a glass of water” unless that detail is important for the plot, themes, or characters.

- you run for a cup and gulp water - spilling most, then cough your next line.

- you ignore someone as they talk, taking your time making tea.

- you listen to everything they say and stare in the distance. After you add an empty space with one word for visible tension you have them say the next line. "I need a drink."

You only add actions if they're relevant in scripts. And if the scene is boring you make them do something while talking, and have their actions tell you their motivations. Maybe one is distracted, one is focused. One doesn't care and is going through the motions, despite the horror we're seeing. Actions aren't something you NEED to add to delay the action by several pages.

Start the scene as late as possible. If they're just walking through the kitchen and cooking, start the scene when they leave with the food already made and they start talking to somebody - that's the scene.

End it as soon as possible. If the person they are talking to left, you don't need to describe them getting into bed and going to sleep.

more doodles from my copy of dungeon crawler carl :)