Question: What is the best way to read a script?

Open forum question from Frank Buckley:

I have a question about the reading of scripts. I have often read that it is most beneficial to read a screenplay in one sitting, in order to truly learn from the experience.

I can see the wisdom of this as you are better able to pick up on rhythm and pace. Real life, however, has a way of intruding on said study periods; so my question is this: Is there value in reading a script in pieces? Or do you lose out on it's overall structure and theme?

Now, reading of any kind is beneficial, but what are your thoughts on the "One Sitting" mind-set?

In general, it makes sense to read a script straight through in one sitting, otherwise you run the risk of losing a sense of the story's pace. Plus it's hard to get a coherent feel for the script's emotions if you drop in and out of the read. However, as you note, life has a "way of intruding," and it's easy to use the "I don't have ninety minutes" excuse to avoid reading a script.

So if you only have time to read a script over the course of several sittings, here are a few ways you can transform that circumstance into a real learning opportunity re the script's structure:

* Scene-by-scene breakdown: During your stints reading a script, create a scene by scene breakdown ala this example of Shakespeare in Love. The value of doing script breakdowns is it forces you deeper into the story's structure. BTW, I recently spotlighted Beat Sheet Central, a website where you can upload and download breakdowns / beat sheets of movies.

* Screenplay paradigm: Whether you use Syd Field's original paradigm, the sequence approach, or some other screenwriting guru's take, you can dig even deeper into the story's structure by creating a 'map' of the script's major plot points, sequences, and acts / act breaks. You can go here and see my structural take on the million dollar spec script "Medieval."

* Subplots: Another good exercise per structure is to note each of the story's subplots, then sort the scenes for every one of the subplots to see how they track from beginning through the middle and to their ending.

The important thing is to read screenplays. They and movies are what might be called a screenwriter's primary source material and while reading books about screenwriting can be valuable, there is a special kind of learning that takes place when a writer engages with a story directly. Best to read a screenplay in one sitting in order to enter into its narrative flow, get a sense of its pace, and give a chance for the story's emotional elements to impact you. But if you can only read a script in different sittings, try some of the exercises above to burrow into the story's underlying structure.