So, I'm sure this question has been asked numerous times, but I'm working on a short film script that has only one line of dialogue, and the rest is silent. How would I go about putting this on paper and making it readable? Do I keep the actions short and simple, or do I go into more detail here, describing the actions more thoroughly?
Screenwriting : What is the best advice you have for writing a script that has no dialogue? by Shawn Day
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break your sentences and paragraphs to align with the shots.
Sara walks to the door.
John watches and takes another sip of his whiskey.
Sara stops and the door. She doesn’t look back, hoping to hear John.
John looks out the windows.
Sara opens the door and leaves.
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This is a great question Shawn. I'd say, to echo Craig, yeah, short, tight sentences, with the allowance for something more descriptive for the big set pieces. If you're efficient the rest of the way, you earn the right to drop a bit more description in those moments as a result.
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Adding to what Craig and Jared said, do drop in what the character's emotion is so the actor can work things.
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Read a stack of scripts similar to your ideas. Study how writers did it on the page and then be a master thief and steal their style but add your own unique voice.
Gotta do your homework, study peers and rip them off as a homage :)
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Recently watched "Monster" about two kids that get kidnapped. It may give you some ideas. Pretty good thriller.
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Also agree with Craig and Jared and would remember that the script is also a roadmap for the crew so detail on props, set and even camera movements can help paint the picture you’re ultimately looking to create.
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Check out Brian Duffield's "No One Will Save You," it's about as minimalist as it gets in terms of writing and essentially no dialogue.
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A good case study is A Quiet Place, a spec by Beck & Woods, a 40-something page script with inserted pictures, big fonts, and I think one line of dialogue.
The Director rewrote the spec into a 90--100 page screenplay with traditional formatting for production.
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See how other scripts with similar scenes use the layout of the page to create pace. This will be a great tool to convey how the final scene will feel to an audience.
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As there's no dialogue to move the plot, the slack should be taken up with Actions that fill in those blanks. Short, snappy Actions could woefully leave the reader without a sense of the story.
Another script to consider is "All Is Lost."
https://thescriptsavant.com/movies/All_Is_Lost.pdf