Okay, I've been writing scripts for a number of years. Recently, I read where an experienced writer stated that talking heads are any two characters who talk for a page or more.

That's pretty broad. I've always felt talking heads were two characters, who just babbled for several pages without moving the story forward, and with little or no action.

Two characters talking for one page would make MOST scripts fall under talking heads. Just curious what you folks think of this.

IMHO, talking heads are when characters (two or more) are talking, but the chatter does not further story or reveal character. In other words, nothing interesting happens.

Pretty much my opinion as well, AB.

Talking heads also imply that the two are doing nothing but talking.  The easy remedy for this is to give them something to do.

Toward the end of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Holmes and Moriarity talked quite a bit.  They played chess while talking, which was something visual.  Earlier in the movie, Holmes and Watson discussed who a would-be assassin is in a crowded room.  Rather than just stand there, the two danced.


Phil

Quoted from Grandma Bear IMHO, talking heads are when characters (two or more) are talking, but the chatter does not further story or reveal character. In other words, nothing interesting happens.

Yes...listen to Pia and Phil, and I'll add - Bogart had a great quote about this, something like "if there are just two talking heads, there better be two camels humping in the background."

Ghost

I think the term is pretty self-explanatory. I wouldn't bend over backwards to define it. I rarely see it applied to individual scenes; rather films as a whole that are noticeably abundant in dialogue. Still, I don't disagree with anything that's been said here. I think if whatever you're writing prompts the term "talking heads," you should consider that your dialogue might be excessive or at least on the cusp, whether that means it's a lot of idle banter or that it's simply taking away from the visual.

At the same time, I don't think the term is necessarily a bad thing. There's plenty of classic and or beloved films that fall under that category. Regardless, it means a lot of dialogue.

Seems to me comedies are more prone to heavy dialogue than other genres.

Agree with everyone for the most part, but I'd add that for me, the negative connotation comes from a dull scene with nothing happening and 2 or more peeps talking, and the dialogue not driving any visual.

Watch any movie and you'll see that pretty much every film contains numerous scenes of 2 or more peeps talking.  It just comes down to what they're saying, how they're saying it, where they are, and what's going on around them that makes it an effective scene or a snoozer.

Just like to add, it's usually a problem when the reader feels the story could be revealed through actions rather than two people literally just sitting there and... errr, talking.

Quoted from insider901 Recently, I read where an experienced writer stated that talking heads are any two characters who talk for a page or more.

This sounds rather militant alright and yes the vast majority of scripts would fall into this category.

Others have already pointed out what talking heads is generally perceived as so I won't repeat.

Sometimes characters will just talk and do nothing else, in a car, the kitchen, a restaurant or whatever as that’s what happens in real life but to say that anything over a page is talking heads is unfair, especially with the negative connotations that phrase carries.

Agree. The one thing I try to stay away from is dialogue when exchanging pleasantries. Exp:

Bob
Hi, how are you?

Tim
Good. How are you?

Bob

Awesome.

This potentially can turn into a talking heads scenario, so if pleasantries are needed, i try to show a handshake through action.