Hi,

If I'm writing a story that takes place in Chicago and I need to use a ballpark as an EXT do I use:

EXT. WRIGLEY FIELD - DAY

or

EXT. BALLPARK - DAY

It will already be established that we are in Chicago, and again, this would be for an -animated- feature. It doesn't necessarily matter whether it's Wrigley Field or not, but considering that the city of Chicago plays a big part in the story it would make sense wouldn't it?  

Cheers, hope I was clear enough,
JonathanS

I think both is ok.

But if you allready establish that you are in Chicago and if Wrigley field is in Chicago ( i have not a clue) i will choose the first option. Use something familiar, people will feel more comfortably. Ballpark is very << common>>.

I'm not American so Wrigley Field means nothing to me. You say it will already be established that the story is set in Chicago so I would think EXT. BALLPARK - DAY would be enough. That's only my opinion. You could always mention a sign like "Wrigley Field, Home of (whatever team)" in the action line so the reader knows exactly where they are if it is necessary.

Brian

Quoted from JonathanS ...this would be for an -animated- feature.

In that case, do whatever suits the story best.

As author, you make those decisions -- not random people with no knowledge of the story.

For live-action, trying to secure Wrigley Field would be pretty difficult, at best.  I would advise against it simply for logistical reasons.

But for animation?  You could have the ballpark on Mars if that is what you wanted.  It it's Wrigley Field, then say so.

Quoted from JonathanS It doesn't necessarily matter whether it's Wrigley Field or not, but considering that the city of Chicago plays a big part in the story it would make sense wouldn't it?

Unless you're a White Sox fan. :)

You can certainly put it in there, but it will have to be described fairly in-depth since a lot of people may not be familiar with the Cubs, let alone Wrigley Field.  Brian for example.

Not mentioning the ballpark name can never hurt. Whether someone thinks of Wrigley Field or of Chicago Ball Park will not make a difference.  Just remember, the more detail you put in a script, the more things people will find to dislike.


Phil

It's difficult sometimes to decide. The Sock fella is right.

McDonalds is always gonna be the same. As our most multiplex cinemas. As our petrol stations, Tesco etc. So you don't detail them. No need.

If you're dealing with a particular place that isn't well known world-wide then you're gonna have to describe it. But you should also question whether or not your action has to take place there. If you can pick something more familiar without affecting your story then you should consider it.

Have a SUPER maybe, saying 'Wrigley Field, Chicago' and then possibly something that mentions baseball.
That way you'll cover your bases(NPI)

You don't have to be completely accurate when using real/famous locations.  Hollywood changes locations to suit its needs all the time.  

A great example of this is the view of the Empire State Building as it exploded in Independence Day.  The ESB is not at any intersection as is shown in the movie.  No streets lead away from it.


Phil

Here's an interesting reference example for people not really familiar with the park.  The top picture is an animation from MLB2k9.



Not sure if the writer is from the Chicago area or not, but if you're going to go full hilt with your description, you MUST take note of the ivy, the old school manual scoreboard, and the rooftop seats.

If you need to describe the exterior of the park, it's basically in the middle of an extremely busy neighborhood surrounded by bars, houses, and the oh so famous fire station in left field (Waveland Ave) where the ball hawks hang out hoping to grab a home run ball.

It doesn't matter either way.  I'm a sticker for detail, so I would personally use WRIGLEY FIELD.  To me, it just breathes more life into the script.

Every writer has their own preferences.  Certain writers might be specific about street names, locations, trains, car brands etc.  Some keep them generic.

You have to be careful when it comes to your descriptions.  Too much can turn off a director as the details make shoots more difficult.

I remember reading a script, a couple of years back, where the author included the number of trees in a field, and what type of trees they were.  The trees didn't have anything to do with the story; the author just used too much description in the scenes.  A different writer included the make and model of every car and the model of every handgun in his script.

You should only use enough description to tell the story.


Phil