Alternative Scriptwriting, 4th Edition

20

Tone: The Inescapability of Irony

In Chapter 17, we established the relationship between screenplay form and dramatic intention. In this chapter, we look at dramatic intention and examine how it is presented through character, dialogue, atmosphere, and narrative structure.

The screenwriter uses tone to imply directionality. Generally, in the treatment phase, the writer is faced with pinning down many dimensions of the story. This process continues into the first draft, and perhaps the second. (Events subsequent to this phase are the subjects of Chapter 24.) In further drafts, the writer, or the writer, producer, and director, introduce the ...