Format for car chases

[GonnaBeFamous]

In the past i've been doing

int car - day
She looks in rearview mirror

ext road - day
He crashes

since my software can't do int/ext, unless I did it in a goofy way with extra spaces. Is the appropriate way to do it is with just ONE int/ext. car - day heading and then never another heading for the rest of the car chase?

[NikeeGoddess]

do whatever works for you now and later when you're really invested....buy some screenwriting software and it will fix it for you

but, my best advice for you is to read, read, read scripts with examples of scenes that you want to emulate. duh.... how many flicks have car chases?
fights? sex scenes? telephone conversations? voice overs? flashbacks? etc...

not only that....reading scripts will do wonders for your own self esteem.

[Joe Calabrese]

I would do it as:

INT. POLICE CAR - NIGHT

Officer Joe slams on the horn as he steers like a madman.

INTERCUT: EXT. STREETS - SAME

The police car weaves in and out of traffic as it comes in close behind the black Chevy.

Officer Joe grabs his radio.

OFFICER JOE
Unit three to base.

The Chevy hits the brakes and does a one eighty into an alley and rips its bumper off in the process.

Officer Joe's car screeches to a halt. He nearly slams his head into the windshield as he clicks the handset.

OFFICER JOE
Holy crap! This guy's nuts!
I need back up!

The INTERCUT is a signal to pay attention that the following scene will cut back and forth between another scene and you'll know where the difference is only by the action.

Just make it clear/obvious.

[GonnaBeFamous]

I would do it as:

INT. POLICE CAR - NIGHT

Officer Joe slams on the horn as he steers like a madman.

INTERCUT: EXT. STREETS - SAME

The police car weaves in and out of traffic as it comes in close behind the black Chevy.

Officer Joe grabs his radio.

OFFICER JOE
Unit three to base.

The Chevy hits the brakes and does a one eighty into an alley and rips its bumper off in the process.

Officer Joe's car screeches to a halt. He nearly slams his head into the windshield as he clicks the handset.

OFFICER JOE
Holy crap! This guy's nuts!
I need back up!

The INTERCUT is a signal to pay attention that the following scene will cut back and forth between another scene and you'll know where the difference is only by the action.

Just make it clear/obvious.


Thanks, on a different topic how would I do it if I wanted to do a person yelling outside the apartment and talking inside the apartment back and forth, could I use intercuts there too?

[Boo_Radley]

Yep. But you'd save on some of that confusion by adding in a quick descriptive. For example:

Bob speaks to Lisa from the other side of the door.

BOB
Janet, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me, those other girls mean nothing to me. It'll never happen again!

LISA
Uh...I'm sorry, you have the wrong apartment.

BOB
Oh. Sorry. Say...are you single?

Enh. You get the idea. Besides, I could be mistaken (and someone correct me if I am) but adding "INTERCUT" is the same as adding a camera/technical direction, which isn't welcomed in a spec script.

[Joe Calabrese]

Intercut is acceptable since it is the best way to really show it without having a whole bunch of sluglines, whereas writing a PAN TO: is strictly your opinion and not neccesarily the director's.

[Boo_Radley]

Aso! I stand corrected. Thanks, Joe.:)