Is it okay to include smells in a script? I stumbled upon such a discussion on Reddit, and it got me thinking. Of course, the classic screenwriting convention states, that if you can’t see or hear something in a scene, you don’t describe it in an action line. But aren’t rules here to break them? And if so, why would you add a smell to a script? Can it then also make it to the screen? And if so, how? Let’s try to find some answers. But first, a short disclaimer: In this article, we don’t touch on Smell-O-Vision and similar modern systems, such as 4DX, or MX4D. Such systems are able to release odor during the film projection and implement it into the storytelling, enhancing the overall viewer’s experience. However, that’s a separate topic, which deserves more space another time. The classic approach to a smell in a script If you studied film, visited a filmmaking course, read a textbook on screenwriting, or even watched a theoretical course on the topic, then you have already heard the subsequent convention: Show, don’t tell. It is a powerful tool in all kinds of creative writing, yet in film scripts it becomes essential. Why? Because when our audience sits in the dark theatre, they can only absorb two types of sensory information: visual, and sonic. Since your screenplay is supposed to replicate the experience of a movie, it follows that your script should only convey what is seen and heard. (…) What...
Published By: CineD - Yesterday