Hello, friends. This is the first in a new series called Fade In Friday.
What is “Fade In”? New screenwriters are taught to open their screenplay with the words “Fade In,” because stories often fade into view. The more screenplays I read, the less and less I see that, but most folks who write for film would likely agree that “Fade In” denotes the opening page of a screenplay.
I’m drawn to writing in the flash and micro-fiction genres because of their brevity (typically less than 1000 words for flash, less than 300 for micro), and for how much it pushes me to craft a clear, succinct, impactful story arc.
I’ll be using this series to get some practice in converting my fiction to film, find my flow in writing screenplays, and gather inspiring visuals for how I’d want my movie to look and feel if I were to film it.
Enjoy 🖤
Opening Page:
FADE IN:
EXT. COVE BEACH - DUSK
Waves catch the last gold light. Footprints track down through the sand to the water’s edge, where a bodyboard stands planted upright.
RILEY (20s), wetsuit half-zipped, crouches at the shoreline, cinching a leash around one ankle. They pause, watching the horizon, the sun low, the sky bruising purple.
Riley grins, tucks the board under one arm, and wades in.
CUT TO:
EXT. COVE - WATER - CONTINUOUS
Riley paddles into the swell, catches a wave, and rides it smoothly to shore. They stand as it breaks, sand pulling away beneath their feet in small rivers as the tide recedes.
Riley looks back out at the water, then up at the darkening sky. They wade back in.
They paddle out further than before, the shoreline shrinking behind them. The water swells, lifting them steadily upward. It doesn’t stop.
They crane their neck, searching for the crest of the wave. There isn’t one.
Their board slides backward along the face of the swell, pulled away from shore instead of toward it.
RILEY
No, no, no…
They dig their arms into the water, kicking hard, cutting sideways against the pull. The current doesn’t loosen. The shoreline keeps shrinking.
Ahead, jagged black rocks jut from the low tide, waves smashing white against them.
Riley grips the board tighter, curls their body around it, and braces.
Based On:
Salt of the Sea
The ocean swelled around me. I gripped the edges of my bodyboard and leaned forward, riding the swell of the waves. My board coasted smoothly to the beach. As I stood up, my feet descended beneath the sand, creating tiny rivers as the tide receded between my toes. Dusk painted the sky in purple and gold gradients. It…
Visual Inspiration:
Great concept for a series! It’s been a while since I’ve read a screenplay but it is refreshing.
This is a solid open! Handles so much exposition visually which can be tricky. Already hooked within the first 2 mins of this film to see what’s going to happen to Riley!