WRITERS TERMINOLOGY from L.A. Speak

from the L.A. Times By Judy Raphael

If you want to sell a script, it helps to learn the lingo. Some 'screenwriterese:'

BEAT: n. major plot points in a scene or screenplay. "Beat one: major is killed. Beat two: weapon found in wife's car." Often listed on a beat sheet.

FIXING IT IN THE PINKS- (or blues or yellows) v. To correct a problem during a rewrite. Refers to the colors of script pages during the various stages of rewriting. "Don't worry about that line, Marlon. We'll fix it in the pinks."

HANG A LANTERN ON IT v. to highlight a story point with a cutaway shot. Let's hang a lantern on it with a shot of Jessica watching as the murder spots the torn garter belt."

IRVING THE EXPLAINER n. Overlong exposition. That speech where Spock tells how the aliens landed is an Irving the Explainer. Let's just show them coming.

PAGE ONER n. a script that needs rewriting from page one on. Refers to page one rewrite.

RHYMING V. to hark back to something from an earlier scene. "You know that purse she has when they fall in love? Let's rhyme it to the one she hits him with when she catches him cheating.":

SAVE THE BRASS v. to throw out a lemon of a screenplay as in throwing out everything but the brass tacks that bind the script.