How can you successfully integrate exposition into your story?

In Draft Zero's first two part episode, Stu & Chas take an in-depth look at one of screenwriting's most common challenges: EXPOSITION. For many stories there are pre-existing facts that need to be communicated to the audience — whether those facts be about the rules of the world, the nature of a location, character motivations, character backstories or just character names. So how have great writers made exposition move the story forward, rather than stopping it to tell the audience stuff they need to know?

To that end, in Part 1 of Excelling At Exposition we break down scenes from PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL, SHORT TERM 12, INSIDE OUT, THE WORLD'S END, THE BIG SHORT, IT FOLLOWS, JURASSIC PARK and JURASSIC WORLD. Audio quotations are included for educational purposes.

Many thanks to /r/screenwriting for suggesting so many examples.

EPISODE LINKS

• On the Page: Ep 457. Terry Rossio
• Compiled PDF of all Screenplays Excerpts
• PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL by Ted Elliot & Terry Rossio
  • Find it on JustWatch
• SHORT TERM 12 by Destin Daniel Cretton
  • Find it on JustWatch
• INSIDE OUT story by Pete Docter & Ronnie Del Carmen; Screenplay by Pete Docter & Meg LeFauve & Josh Cooley
  • Find it on JustWatch
• THE WORLD'S END by Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright
  • Find it on JustWatch
• THE BIG SHORT screenplay by Charles Randolph and Adam McKay
  • Fandor: Who Deserves the 2016 for Best Picture by Kevin B. Lee
  • Video Essayists - Nerd Writer & Every Frame A Painting
• IT FOLLOWS by David Robert Mitchell
  • Find it on JustWatch
• JURASSIC PARK screenplay by David Koepp, based on the novel by Michael Crichton and on an adaptation by Michael Crichton and Malia Scotch Marmo
  • Find it on JustWatch
• JURASSIC WORLD by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver and Colin Trevorrow & Derek Connolly, story by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver
  • Find it on JustWatch
• Draft Zero: DZ-15: World Building Rules, Okay?

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