Using the "pause" and "silence" in scriptwriting...

Probably the most important nonverbal element in scriptwriting, especially playwriting, is the pause, or silence in the middle of a line or between lines of dialogue.  Often the most potent moment in a scene is during the silence that ensues after a poignant line, that moment when a profound decision or realization is made.  The audience witnesses this happening during the silence.

These moments are very much part of the writing.  You are creating a script that includes both verbal and nonverbal elements, and it's how the two interplay with each other that determines the shape and rhythm of each scene.  All nonverbal physical actions influence how your characters relate to each other and what they say and think.  And this is especially true for silences.

Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott weigh in on "slow and boring" films

     I came across this article in the New York Times the other day by the paper's two top movie critics Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott in which they discuss that there's a place for films that go beyond supplying mere entertainment.  If you haven't already seen it, it's well worth a read and definitely food for thought.  It has undoubtedly hit a nerve as there are 186 comments as of today.