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Hey guys. Here’s a list of things I’ve been scratching my head over. I think I’ve solved many of them. But best to double check ha 1. I wrote a scene with a horse and wagon. Is this okay…
EXT. MARY’S WAGON (TRAVELLING) and EXT. WESTERN TOWN MARY’S WAGON (TRAVELLING) As we’ll see things on the journey.
I’m not too hung up on whether it should be driving or moving. 2. Phone Booths. Int or Ext? (a weird one). I think I used both in the end.
EXT. STREET - DAY He goes into a PHONE BOOTH.
Then. INT. PHONE BOOTH Someone knocks on the door. Two cops… 3. Balcony (another weird one).
I went for EXT. in the end. We’re in a building but outside. I was tempted to go for the INT./EXT. as we’re technically outside. I wasn’t sure whether to go BUILDING - BALCONY - NIGHT. Instead I simply suggest it with… crowds many stories below, wind, etc. 4. Years. A few of my screenplays skip around in years. And I put them in the bracket in headers. (I know viewer will never know the year. But I prefer it that way).
I do INT. STREET - DAY (1977) I believe the brackets separates it better and I don’t like too much in the header. Anyways.
If I have three consecutive years in say 1936. Should I just put the year in the first scene and carry on as normal. (I’ve noticed J. Edgar and Big Fish does this).
And I’ve noticed Benjamin Button does the year for every scene (though, I suppose it would have to).
Do you think its best to play it safe and mark the year on every scene? 5. Subtitles I’ve dropped them. I figured with a spec it slows down the read. And I’m sure the producer/director/important person will realise we need subtitles. 6. Introducing a passer-by through dialogue. (I didn’t know we could do this but seen it done a few times.. so apparently we can)
Usually I’d have: Passer-by walks past then says hello.
I figured two birds with one stone and just have: PASSER-BY: Hello.
Saves time and he’s not that important. 7. Repeating yourself. I’ve asked a lot of questions about headings and sub headings recently and after a polish of something I’ve realised I repeat myself a lot (which admittedly could be fixed with variations).
I’ve several scenes in the same room and tend to use “AT THE DINNER TABLE, ” or “BY THE BAR, ” or “AT THE FIREPLACE, ” to start a scene. I’m doing this so the reader knows straight away where we are in the room (as we jump about to “JEFFERSON’S TABLE, etc”.) without giving it a subheading.
I couldn’t help but wonder if it looks horribly repetitive but I’m hoping the familiarity works for the story. I mean - at least you know EXACTLY where you are ha. 8. Can’t figure this out ha
Not that it makes any difference… Is it “1886 to 87” or “1886 to ’87?”
Its the little things that suddenly become big things that torture you ha
2. Phone Booths. Int or Ext? (a weird one). I think I used both in the end. [/b]
EXT. STREET - DAY He goes into a PHONE BOOTH.
Then. INT. PHONE BOOTH Someone knocks on the door. Two cops…
Both are fine. Notice how you don't write EXT. PHONE BOOTH for the same logical reason as the wagon. The location is STREET and the phone booth is situated within the location, just as the wagon would be.
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3. Balcony (another weird one).[/b]
I went for EXT. in the end. We’re in a building but outside. I was tempted to go for the INT./EXT. as we’re technically outside. I wasn’t sure whether to go BUILDING - BALCONY - NIGHT. Instead I simply suggest it with… crowds many stories below, wind, etc.
Treat this as internal as it will likely be filmed from inside. Allow the director to make decisions like this. Again, if you want the shot filmed outside then the location would be STREET (or similar) and the balcony would be a part of that location.
Just keep in mind that EXT and INT indicate where the camera is, and not necessarily the characters/action.
I had the hardest time getting across the idea that foreground action was occurring inside a store, and then something happened on the street outside visible through the glass doors. Still not sure it worked, then that whole scene got re-written anyway.
On the flipside, the camera can be outside and looking in a window, especially if you don't want the audio.
Just keep in mind that EXT and INT indicate where the camera is, and not necessarily the characters/action.
I had the hardest time getting across the idea that foreground action was occurring inside a store, and then something happened on the street outside visible through the glass doors. Still not sure it worked, then that whole scene got re-written anyway.
On the flipside, the camera can be outside and looking in a window, especially if you don't want the audio.
In a Spec Script, you really should use INT and EXT for where the action (or main action) is taking place.
A Shooting Script is where shots are actually decided how to film.
Thank you so much for the response guys. I’ve got some correcting to do.
Sorry. I’m about my slow reply. I try to limit Internet time once/twice a week on weekends.
Just some more things/thoughts that have crossed my mind over the past week…
1. GETTING RID OF DAY AND NIGHT WITHOUT USING SUBHEADINGS. My biggest discovery this week…
I saw… EXT. PARK - DAY INT. JOHN’S HOME EXT. PARK
Some scripts get rid of the DAY and NIGHT - especially when switching between INT. and EXT. At first I thought this was distracting and odd. But considering I love to abuse subheadings - it might be a good thing. In a spec, it would certainly quicken the read.
Do any professionals do this? I think I might do it for short scenes. (or anywhere where I’d abuse subheadings).
2. Does one have to be (very) specific with locations? When set in New York. London. etc.
I’m working on a spy thriller that moves around. A lot.
This has always bugged me. Is it EXT. PARIS STREETS or EXT. PARIS - STREET? - PARIS APARTMENT - DAY - APARTMENT (PARIS) - DAY - PARIS - APARTMENT - DAY
I’m sure it makes no difference.
EXT. FILM STUDIO (LONDON) EXT. LONDON - FILM STUDIO. Does either work?
If you’re in New York. Do you have to constantly remind us we’re in NY. INT. NY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3. Are SUBHEADINGS formatted as headings? 4. INT./EXT. I keep seeing this in scripts. But yeah. I’ll just do one or the other to be safe and save space.
INT./EXT. LEWIS’ APARTMENT - DAY Lewis rushes in.
INT./EXT. OFFICE BUILDING - DAY John stares out a window. A figure appears - it’s Mary.
Admittedly. I suppose its a technicality like cars or the super-bowl. If I was a film producer I doubt I’d stop reading. 5. Cars are technically a prop. EXT. STREET POLICE CAR STREET
I read something is week that went. EXT. STREET INSIDE CAR. Which is technically switching from EXT to INT. But yeah. If I was a film producer I doubt I’d stop reading. (Ha I usually stop reading something when ever I notice a word missing or the wrong word). 6. Weather. One of my scripts is set during a two week blizzard. I mention “A break in snowfall. Another break in snowfall, etc”. Then I realised.. should I always be mentioning what the weather is doing? or is that a shooting script thing?
I think John August mentioned you should do this… EXT. STREET - DAY (RAINING). Does anyone know if that’s the same with snow?
I figured it would be easier to just mention, “Another break in snowfall” to indicate whenever it stops. 7. A silly question about sit, sat and sitting.
Jack and Mary Sue sit at a table — sounds like they’re just sitting down. Jack and Mary Sue are sat at a table - is the right one, but is too long. AT A TABLE, Jack and Mary Sue do lunch - this is something I’ve started to do as I can contain information as fast as possible. And you know where you are from the get-go.
But yeah. If they’re already sitting you can use “sit”. Right?
Some things I’ve made a note of and think are pretty cool: 8. VARIOUS LOCATIONS
I saw this the other day and thought it was pretty cool. Saves from doing a montage.
INT. VARIOUS LOCATIONS - DAY In apartments, offices and cafes, people read the newspaper, amused. 9. INTERCUT
INT. LAUNDRY CHUTE/HALLWAY (INTERCUT)
10. Lastly. Does anyone avoid certain words? I’m trying to avoid “is”. I dunno. I feel it can be quite lazy. Or at least. I find myself falling back on it. Along with “Silence”, “Then”. I try to limit “Beats” too.
11. Numbers Why say two thousand and three when you can say 2004.
Both are fine. Notice how you don't write EXT. PHONE BOOTH for the same logical reason as the wagon. The location is STREET and the phone booth is situated within the location, just as the wagon would be.
Treat this as internal as it will likely be filmed from inside. Allow the director to make decisions like this. Again, if you want the shot filmed outside then the location would be STREET (or similar) and the balcony would be a part of that location.
EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - BALCONY - NIGHT?
I keep thinking INT/EXT. BALCONY because that feels like it would make sense. But then again, it does make sense to have it as INT.
I do see things like this... INT./EXT. DANI’S BEDROOM – NIGHT Steven pelts another rock at her window. She relents, and opens it.
But admittedly my aim is always to be short with scene headings...
Just keep in mind that EXT and INT indicate where the camera is, and not necessarily the characters/action.
I had the hardest time getting across the idea that foreground action was occurring inside a store, and then something happened on the street outside visible through the glass doors. Still not sure it worked, then that whole scene got re-written anyway.
On the flipside, the camera can be outside and looking in a window, especially if you don't want the audio.
I always thought INT = inside a building/roof over head. EXT = outside. And that it's all about lighting - thats why I keep getting all these confused. But yeah...
EXT. SAILBOAT - DAY Brad and Francis sip whiskey.
INT - SAILBOAT - DAY ON DECK, Brad sips whiskey. Pensive.
Both are acceptable?
INT. LUXURY MANSION - SWIMMING POOL EXT. SWIMMING POOL - UNDERWATER
And these too?
Hmm. If INT/EXT is where the camera is. That's probably why this doesn't work...
INT./EXT. JOHN'S HOUSE John opens the window shouts at his daughter.
It would have to be EXT. One or the other.
And that's why I saw this one... EXT. JOHN'S HOUSE INSIDE THE CAR
Slowly getting the hang of this. I need to unlearn some bad habits.
This is an underwater shot, which adds all kinds of complexities beyond simply being external. Might actually be shot on a sound stage.
For the balcony, assuming for the moment you want to make the shot decision for the director, slugging it as INT would mean looking out at the action (skyline in the background) and EXT would mean looking sideways, up, down or in at the action (building in the background). Both of these shots pose special challenges with capturing the audio... but fortunately that's not your problem.
Yeah. I think I'll go with INT. BALCONY as I want the skyline in there. EXT. BALCONY feels like the cameraman would have to grow wings.
With drones and lightweight high-quality cameras, aerial shots have gotten a lot less expensive. I'd still be leery of saying an aerial shot is necessary to a script, since you can't be sure what the reader will imagine.
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