Screenwriting : Love scenes by Zee Risek

That's an interesting subject. I suppose you must keep in mind what kind of audience and rating you are aiming. This dictates the choice of words and how detailed you go. What's pops up to mind is Irreversible (or any other film) by Gaspar Noe, the script of which was extremely explicit.

So far I haven’t written one for a screenplay but I have written a few for a couple novels and I like to conserve detail; just enough that you know what’s happening, just enough detail missing that you as the reader adjust the heat level according to your imagination ;)

Thanks everyone. I'm thinking along the lines of the love scene in An American Werewolf In London. Would you describe who takes off their shirt first? Do they rip it off of take it off seductively? Who initiates the first move? Who's on top and who's on the bottom? Are they gentle and caring or are they passionate and wild? These are the kind of details that I think are important. The details can illustrate all kinds of things, like the power dynamic, which character is dominant, the urgency of the situation they are in, is the character gentle or aggressive, who's in control, who's not in control, and so on. Is just writing 'Love scene ensues' or 'they make love' acceptable, sometimes acceptable, or never acceptable?

I only add important details in a love scene/sex scene and fight scene, Zee Risek. I don't write too graphic unless I need to. I always write out the scenes though. I don't use the "Love scene ensues" kind of scene. That might work for some writers, but I think it's a missed opportunity to show something like character development, conflict, etc.

I try to not write them or I can subtly let people understand (since we're not stupid) that something happened beforehand. The reason is very simple: we don't need it. We don't need to see it and we don't need to write it

I'll have to disagree with you there, Pamela. I think, sometimes, we do need to see it. Not always, but in many cases. I do realize sex scenes and nudity give today's audiences (zoomers, gen z, and Millennials) the 'ick.' And that is why so many modern films don't have sex scenes and nudity anymore. It's unfortunate, but it's the reality of our time. In my research of how to write a sex scene, I stumbled across a list of 'The 101 best sex scenes in movies of all time." These are main stream movies, like David Cronenberg's 'Crash', Stanley Kubrick's 'Eyes Wide Shut', Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Boogie Nights', Mark Forster's Monster's Ball', and so many others. Those movies would not be the same without those sex scenes. Saying "We don't need to see it" is like saying we don't need to see... someone getting killed on screen, or someone getting saved, or someone fighting, or someone doing (fill in the blank). Sure, you can cut around all that stuff and simply imply it happened, but why? .You don't have to show Superman save Lois Lane. You can show Lois in trouble, then have Superman fly off, then cut to a scene of him Lois safe and sound somewhere, implying she was saved. But does that make for a better movie? No. Same with sex scenes. Showing a couple kiss, then cutting to them waking up in bed together, implying they had sex, doesn't show or tell me anything. It's also a pacing issue, a love scene adds to the pacing of a film and particularly the pacing of a relationship in a film. Spending a minute of screen time with the characters in a love scene, gives a stronger sense of their closeness, their love, their passion, or whatever situation they are in. You can't get that by cutting to the next morning with them waking up in bed together.

Thanks Dan! That is perfect. That's exactly what I needed to see. I don't know that film, but reading how the sex scene was written tells me so much about those characters, without even having seen the movie. Yep, that is the direction I will go in. Thank you so much.

Zee Risek - we just had the Oscar-nominated producers of A COMPLETE UNKNOWN in the Stage 32 Writers' Room this past week and they discussed how it's more important to have more white on the page than less, more blank space. They were saying to let the imagination of the director and cinematographer do the work and not let the description lines do all the work.

Honestly, it really depends on what type of love and intimacy i want to showcase, if its edgy then maybe you can go the distance but my personal rule is to always make it tasteful!

' I guess this also applies to fight scenes.' LOL, the Hell it does. There's nothing awkward about writing a fight scene as far as I'm concerned.

Well, here's a better question. Answer that question and you will know how to write both sex and fight scenes. Why is the sex (fight) scene there? What's its purpose? Has it been avoided by one or both parties for some time and finally their passions boil over? Is one party using it to show dominance over the other? Is one or both parties totally new at this and not at all ready for it? Is it revenge sex--one party getting back at a third party that may or may not even be present? The list of reasons goes on. My point is this--how does the sex (fight) scene move the story forward? Even porn--without a story--is just plain boring. Know your story. Then you will know your script.

Hi Amanda Toney. When I read your comment, specifically the part about "more white space" I was worried that I was getting too descriptive in writing my actions. But I just looked at the script for 'The Substance' and there isn't a lot of white space. It is as descriptive as some of my screenplays. I don't doubt that many producers and directors prefer more white space. But I also think it depends on the story and the vision. And for someone like me, who comes from a visual art background in the animation industry, I'm not just writing dialog and a plot, I know exactly what the scene looks like visually, so I need to capture that in the script. Even so, I am trying to wherever possible to make more white space. Cheers.

Hi Anthony A Miller. I never said writing fight scenes was awkward. Writing a love scene isn't awkward either. The similarity in the the two, that I was trying to convey, is that in both fight scenes and sex scenes, you can be as vague or as detailed as you want. As a storyboard artist I have had to make up a lot scenes from scratch because the scripts were so vague. Literally like, 'a montage of mishaps at the grocery store'. with no description whatsoever of what is in the montage, or what kinds of mishaps are involved. I've also had to make up entire chase scenes for the same reason. And yes, also fight scenes, because you they can be vague and left up to the director or fight coordinator or they can be detailed and meticulously envisioned by the writer. It just depends. But 'awkward'? Never.

More white space...did you read the AVATAR script? More white space is a way for script readers who you pay for their opinions to say nothing of substance.

I like Lee Risak's comments. My production readers love my detail. Paid 'script doctors' always say more white space. Often they can't spell or use correct English. But hell, it's a great scam business!

Was a transcript posted somewhere can't remember where, so sorry. My memory is spotty as I have long covid and just had a hernia operation.

Apart from everything that's been said above. The best advice I can give is that you sex scene should be honest in depth, but definitely not pornographic. "He does her doggy, or she swallows him whole just doesn't cut it for me personally. Good luck with it.

i just write it ! i dont think 2 much ! just write , at the end of the day no matter what when you get a bite there gonna change things anyway lol ... just get it to where you like it and keep it moving

When we worked on Red Shoe Diaries Zalman (King) didn't want them written out - often just, LOVE SENE HERE and he would block it out. Often we still use that unless something specific needs to be written in that is monumental other than a well-choreographed love scene which can be worked out in rehearsal or on the day. Sometimes, they are graphic as can be... it's a preference and also a respect level for your reader(s) what you decide. I will say, the more conservative my readers have been, the more graphic they've wanted them, LOL.

I write the sex scene as descriptive as I can because I have a very vivid imagination, as long as it doesn't fall into clichés or pornographic territory. I can see them as explicit, but sometimes, a story needs that in order to input more realism.