From the course: Creating a Short Film: 02 Writing

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Showing, not telling

Showing, not telling

From the course: Creating a Short Film: 02 Writing

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Showing, not telling

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- Along with telling the truth, another popular writing adage is to show, not tell. This basically means that it's better to have an audience see things, and put pieces together, rather than just be told something. It's so much more engaging and satisfying to see something and figure it out, rather than to have it spelled out, told to you. In To Kill A Mockingbird, when Atticus Finch prepares to leave the courtroom, all the people in the rafters stand in respect for all he's done for their community. It's a very moving and powerful image, and it means a lot more than if someone in the rafters simply told Scout, hey we all respect Atticus Finch a lot, right guys? It doesn't quite pack the same punch. A film is a medium of moving pictures, so it's important that your film is, you know, well, filmic. You know, even if your short film doesn't have a story, it still needs to be an experience with visuals and movement. If your story is told in dialogue, it would probably make a better play…

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