I recently read a book on screenwriting and the author discussed that one of the errors inexperienced screenwriters make is writing a "shooting script" instead of a script.

When writing how much attention should be paid to stage, actor or camera direction? A little or none at all. The author suggested this should be left in the hands of the director and the actors.

How should a scene be set up?

First these comments are from screenplays, and they're based on what I've seen over the years in attempting to write screenplays. It's not something I do for a living, so take them for what they're worth. In my experience, it's not uncommon to see things like camera angles and such in a spec script. The general advice is "don't do that."

Part of what you need to do is distinguish action from business. Action is what you're writing, what's important to the story. Business is the little cutsey things that the actors do when they're stealing scenes and such. If it's not advancing the story, don't stick it in there.

When I write I try to suggest how I think it should be filmed based on how I describe something. I think it's effective without trying to look like you want to be the director. (Of course, if you are going to be directing a script yourself, toss in whatever you want.)

Check out the scripts of some movies you like. You'll see the action descriptions are generally very terse. The director, actors, etc., fill in the rest.

A good site for scripts: http://www.script-o-rama.com/. (Check the film scripts, not transcripts.)

Include what's important, leave out what's not. In particular, there's never a reason for any half-competent writer to put in camera directions... you can write so that the shots you're imagining are obvious from the writing.

I agree with what has already been said here. The director's contribution to the movie is how the scenes are shot, what angles, etc. A screenwriter's contribution is the actual substance and dialogue in the movie. While it is okay for the writer to suggest how a scene should be viewed for best communication to the audience, too much directing takes away from the director's part of the job.

Tarantino writes the camera angles, and camera movements in his script. If you want to, just do it. Doesn't matter if it's the "wrong" way to do it. It's your script. I'm writing mine as if I'll be directing it.

If you're going to finance and direct it, yourself, you can write it like you want. If you want to sell it or try to get backing, you have to go through the coverage people and producers, and they'll dump your script if it's too hard to read. I suggest you write it like you want it, first, then go through and cut everything out that does not ABSOLUTELY have to be in the script to get the story told and have that version for the idiots.

Directors don't like to be told how to direct. And actors don't like to be told how to act. Well, except by the director.

But the way around this is to write it in a way that the reader (be it actor or director) can't imagine it any other way than how you see it. Granted, everyone's interpretation will be different, but you have the opportunity to lay the foundation.

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karynbensinger.com

I agree with much of what has been said here. Your job as a writer is to guide the viewer/reader to see what you want them to see, when you want them to see it. That will inherently give a sense of camera direction to your screenplay.

For example a script I had started a while back begins with a hung over frat boy waking up in a strange bed. I wanted the reaer to focus on him first, then the surroundings. I wrote it like this:
_________________________________________________

FADE IN:

Darkness. A small CLICK can be heard - loud POP MUSIC starts,
mid-song. The song ends.

DJ CALVIN (V.O.)
Goooood morning Middletown! DJ
Calvin here with Willie Evans!

WILLIE EVANS (V.O.)
And it's a spec-freaking-tacular
spring morning outside!

A tinny fake ROOSTER CROW can be heard.

DJ CALVIN
Don't forget that WMDL is one of
the sponsors of next month's dance
contest, with a prize of one
hundred grand!

WILLIE EVANS
So get your dancing shoes on as we
play this next big hit!

Another POP MUSIC song starts up.

INT. GIRL'S DORM BEDROOM - MORNING

JACK WEAVER (20's), handsome, lean and tall is sprawled in
bed. He opens one horribly bloodshot eye - tries to focus on
a clock radio on the night stand. A small groan escapes him
as he tries to turn off the radio. He smacks at it once,
twice, three times - missing wildly each time.

A delicate arm reaches over him - deftly hits the snooze
button. APRIL (19), a very pretty, very naked co-ed sits up
next to him in the bed.

APRIL
(frighteningly perky)
Oh wow. Good morning Jack! Oh wow,
that was just... oh my god, I had
so much fun! What were those shots
called, Jaegerbombs? How many did
we have? I lost track after eight.

Jack's eyes open wide in terror as she talks. He starts to
notice his surroundings - posters of boy bands, bright pink
curtains over the windows. Definitely not his room.

_______________________________________________

Hope this helps!