A post below touching on the age old rules vs. tools, how best to learn screenwriting, etc. brought up some examples regarding what in screenwriting are called "unfilmables". So I'm posting this out there as food for thought and discussion (again with the aim of self improvement and hopefully providing benefit to others as well).
The general best practice "tool" for screenwriting is to write what you see. It's visual. Show not tell, etc.
However there are different types of unfilmables and some I would argue are good while others maybe not so much.
Many times IMHO what makes one more acceptable than the other, is where they fall.
Usually those that fall into the sentences describing an action fall into the category of not adding to the narrative beyond not being filmable. They're usually just a non-visual verb.
Whereas those that normally fall AFTER a filmable action tend to quantify it and give context and can be very useful and I would argue many times are used to establish a writer's voice. Most of the time these are full unfimable sentences.
I used to think that anything not shown visually but being a thought process of the characters mind (their unseen thoughts) was something to always avoid. Now I'm not so sure.
Examples of the first:
Dan decides to go for a walk, opens the door, exits.
Marissa thinks that's a good idea and nods her approval.
Jose ponders about the meaning of life.
Examples of the second (not saying they are good ones):
Dan opens the door, exits, walks down the street. The beautiful day confirms going for a walk was the right decision.
Marissa nods her approval. After all the bad ideas, finally one she can get behind.
Jose's expression reveals he's deep in thought. What mysteries of the universe is he working out?
I'm not saying that these are rules or shoulds/shouldn'ts but more a question of "what works".
I read many scripts where I hit the former and I read the first type of examples all over the script's actions and they detract from me getting the visual eye for what is actually happening.
What does Dan deciding to go for a walk look like?
John reminisces on the day his daughter was born.
Um, all I see is John sitting there thinking but unless you show me what he is thinking, I have no idea. Is there a thought bubble? Flashback scene? Maybe he vocalizes what he's thinking about?
What are your thoughts? How do you use/abuse/not use unfilmables either effectively or ineffectively?
Laura Scheiner Great examples.
Another way I have seen them used is to help add or support tone or mood.
They may be helpful to the Director and the Actor as a way of getting the vision out there so they can be of some value. Your Marissa example gives the Director a little scene context - there must be other characters in the scene (or why would she nod?) so that: Marissa nods approval, followed by dialog: MARISSA Finally, an idea I can get behind.
Generally the unfilmable is related to some action.
Listen to this guy. He knows his stuff!!!!!
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I write em and my Team (Editor & Agent) use their black sharpies and delete lines that suck. less than 10 lines make it to finished draft.
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Judith Weston teaches directors to cross out most of those lines during script analysis. I'm guessing that the idea here is for the director to find personal subtext in the script, so that she can help the actors fill their performances with subtext that is personal to them.
(By subtext I mean anything which is unsaid: thoughts, emotions, and impulses; body language; relationship to environment, wardrobe, and objects....)
Could lines like that mostly be meant for readers who are not directing the script, and not performing the script? Could the text serve a different purpose depending on who's reading it?
I'm still learning. If I have a critical misunderstanding here, I'd really like to know.