10 screenwriting lessons from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
By Steve Lam
Screen Capture from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Lesson 1: Hide Exposition
Don’t explain every single thing. The old adage of “show don’t tell” is more important than ever if you need to build your world. For Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Calvisi thought that Ego’s rundown of his own history via the “Barbie and Ken doll” scene was well done … a bit awkward, but well done. It kept things interesting and easy to follow.
If you do need to give the audience exposition via dialogue, make sure it’s not too direct and on-the-nose. Again, first-time screenwriters should focus on visual storytelling. Films are a visual medium, so it’s only logical that the audience wants to see the story and not be told about it.