The Present Continuous

How one verb tense can completely change a scene.

Screenwriting, by design, only uses the present tense. Even the “prose” in a screenplay is referred to as “action” since it literally describes the actions that are seen or heard. Using the present continuous tense (i.e. “is doing” something), while technically incorrect, can accurately reflect the subtext of the image and give depth to the perception of “now.”

The best example I can think of for this distinction is a smile. “Billy looks at Lindsey. She smiles.” Without the context of a scene telling us otherwise, this action implies that Lindsey smiles because Billy looks at her — it is our nature to presume cause and effect. If we use the present continuous, the dynamic of this image completely changes: “Billy looks at Lindsey. She is smiling.” Now, it reads as though Lindsey was already smiling when Billy turned and looked at her. Rather than Billy making her happy, we understand that Lindsey is happy independently of Billy.

Consider the best context for using the different tenses. For the present tense, say that this is a romantic comedy and Billy is judging whether to approach Lindsey. He looks, she smiles… golden. The present continuous version might be better suited for a dramatic scene because it has an inherent tension: that Lindsey is happy while Billy is not. If this is expanded a little, we can create a striking image of Billy being unhappy — perhaps even annoyed by the fact that Lindsey is happy.

Of course, it generally takes more than two brief sentences to create a full dynamic between two characters, but you can see how a simple change in verb tense can initiate that visual foundation.