For my newest screenplay, there are scenes where movies are playing and characters talking.  How do I write the dialogue for that in a script?  Do I use V.O. or something?

Thanks

Is it absolutely needed in the screenplay or it won't work without it? If not you can just say for example LORD OF THE RINGS plays on the television... so on and on.

But if you actually need the films dialogue in your script (Which is not a good idea because if it were ever made you'd be spending more money than needed to get the rights to said property) I think you could just write that specific characters names as normal and just add and (O.S) or (O.C.) or possibly even a (V.O.) really it would depend on your preference and if we're watching it or just hearing it.

It's not major films that I need the dialogue for, it's 7th graders making films and then presenting them which is what I need the dialogue for, so we're not talking about any major Hollywood picture here.

I currently have it as V.O. but I don't know if that's technically correct.  Thank you for writing back though, it's greatly appreciated!

You could go into the T.V. and just have us watching the film they made instead of showing them watching it on television.

Like on some shows they have that and the scene fades back to everyone watching the show (Somebody turns off the T.V. to signify we were watching it) they did it on Fresh Prince a few times and it works.

But you can just leave it that way, I'm not quite positive on the exact way to write that but I think you'll find you've probably done it right or pretty close.

If the dialogue from the show plays into the scene, but we're not actively watching it, you would just describe the show playing in the background and indicate the dialogue with an (O.S.) next to the character name. V.O. or Voiceover is used when the character is not present in the scene. O.S. or Off screen (and Off stage for that matter) is used when the character is in the room, but just not seen in the present view. Since the TV is in the room and that is the only place that character is present, it would be OS rather than VO, which would be used for phone conversations and a non-present narrative voice.

I working a new project that basically requires a movie within a movie.  I guess the best way to describe it would be like in SAW, where they are watching Jigsaw on tv.  My question is....

How does one write this?  Is it an insert?  Something else entirely?

And what if I actually wanted to jump back and forth like you're in the room with the person watching the movie, but then in the movie itself?

Any help is appreciated.

I would just do it normal, people would figure it out. I was going to do that as a series with a show within the characters mind but the story fell flat.

I think as long as you establish both as a different place people will get it.

You'd just write that the movie is showing on the television.  Leave the intercuts for the shooting script.

If the characters do anything while the movie is showing, mention it.



Phil

There are probably a few ways you could do this, Mike. It depends on the specifics of the scene, but I'd go with something simple as Phil describes. INTERCUT, INSERT, BACK TO SCENE become distracting, especially if you use them often. Go with whatever is clear and unobtrusive.

I rather like the idea of the jumping back and forth with the movie playing simultaneous to real life. You don't actually have to say anything to jump like this. We'll just assume it's either happening at the same time, or you just establish at the beginning that this is being seen on TV or screen or whatever. You only have to establish this once, and from there, it's written normally.