camera angles, frames, lighting, and positions

[Kim Welch]

i want to put the "close up shot" "establishing shot" and all the camera stuff in the script is that not good?

Update, November 2026
In a spec script, keep camera directions to a minimum. Writers suggest shots through the way they write the action. "Her hand trembles on the doorknob" implies a close-up without saying CLOSE UP. Shot choices belong to the director and DP, and they're added later in the shooting script. A few directions, like INSERT or POV, are fine when they're essential to the story.

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[MarkG]

For a movie, if you're writing it for yourself or someone you know then that's fine, but if you're writing it to sell to a production company I'd avoid it for two reasons: one, inexperienced directors will be put off by you telling them their job and experienced directors can probably work out a better choice of shots than you can, and two, you can easily write the script so that your choice of shots is obvious from the writing (e.g. if you want a wide shot describe the whole action, if you want a closeup concentrate on one small detail) without having to spell them out.

TV may be different, I haven't read many TV scripts but AFAIR these directions are common there since the writer is typically considered more important in TV than the director.

 

[Kim Welch]

Thank you, Mark, that's very helpful advice about leaving camera directions out of a spec script and letting the director decide. Hope you're doing well!