interweaving dream scenes

Posted by: RegularJohn, January 5th, 2013, 1:52pm

I'm currently working on a scene where the protag is dreamwalking. I've inserted a dream scene but things are also happening in reality and it's jumping back and forth.

I'm not sure exactly how to format it. I don't think a CONTINUOUS is right and I'd rather not keep repeating slugs lest the reader will get annoyed. Is there any transition I could use to efficently bounce between the two? Thanks.

Posted by: Mr.Ripley, January 5th, 2013, 2:29pm; Reply: 1

Do a INTERCUT or write something like:

INT. PALACE - hall

G walks around, admiring the rich stuff around him.

INT. APARTMENT - LIVING

G, sleeping, admires the dirty furniture

Hope this helps

Gabe

Posted by: leitskev, January 5th, 2013, 2:33pm; Reply: 2

Get the format as best you can by looking at other examples, but above all else...be clear. If you have to bend a rule, do it.

Hard to make suggestions without knowing more. For instance, are these just flashes of dream within a real time scene? If so, you can use something like this:

QUICK FLASH: Johnny hits a towering home run. The crowd roars.

If these are longer dream flashes, you can use
BEGIN DREAM

END DREAM

There are even more creative ways to do things, but I don't want to get into them here. Just keep in mind that these three things are desired
1) a script needs to look pro; no amateur red flags. If you've been writing a long time and you know that your script looks and smells like a pro script, you have a little more license to bend a rule if it makes sense.
2) clarity is king. Make sure what happens in the scene is clear to the reader.
3) the goal is easy reading. Don't make the reader work. Ever. So if standard format rules lead you to write something cumbersome, you have 2 choices: change your story, or bend the rules. It seems a shame to tell someone to change their story because conventional format does not serve them well, so consider bending. But make sure your script looks and feels pro overall.

Good luck John!

Posted by: RegularJohn, January 5th, 2013, 2:45pm; Reply: 3

Thanks for the advice guys.

To clarify, most of the overall scene is taking place within the dream with few actions performed in reality.

I'll definitely head your advice leitskev and make sure that it's easy to read above all else. Perhaps an INTERCUT out of the dream as Mr. Ripley suggested. Thanks again.

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