Scene switchin'

scriptwriter91 said:

Now how can I go about this without acting like I'm chopping of the one scene or jumping into the other one.

Click to expand...

But, you are. What's wrong with that?

Just an idea, when you move into the other room focus on the wife doing something, e.g. and just for fun's sake,

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

RUBY
You're an idiot, Karl.

Ruby exits.

Karl pours himself another drink and drains the glass.

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

Ruby sits at the dressing table brushing her hair.

Karl enters.

KARL
No one calls me an idiot.

-Derek

You can also do mini slugs.

Once you have established you are in the house, you don't need to keep using INT.

INT. LIVINGROOM - NIGHT

Man and woman make small talk. Woman exits. Man gets all pensive.

BEDROOM

Woman changes shoes, then double checks herself in the mirror.

LIVINGROOM

Man drums fingers. He perks up when woman enters.

There's also the ...

INT. LIVINGROOM / BEDROOM - NIGHT

... but I hate using it. It pretty much gives the option to the director, but in truth they already have the option. If these are non-speaking scenes, you can call it a MONTAGE

MONTAGE

LIVINGROOM

Woman exits, Man does his thing.

BEDROOM

Woman does her thing.

LIVINGROOM

Woman returns, and couple does their thing.

END MONTAGE

a

www.alexwhitmer.wordpress.com
www.guerro.wordpress.com

.

pansy said:

Once you have established you are in the house, you don't need to keep using INT.

INT. LIVINGROOM - NIGHT

Man and woman make small talk. Woman exits. Man gets all pensive.

BEDROOM

Woman changes shoes, then double checks herself in the mirror.

LIVINGROOM

Man drums fingers. He perks up when woman enters.

There's also the ...

INT. LIVINGROOM / BEDROOM - NIGHT

... but I hate using it. It pretty much gives the option to the director, but in truth they already have the option. If these are non-speaking scenes, you can call it a MONTAGE

MONTAGE

LIVINGROOM

Woman exits, Man does his thing.

BEDROOM

Woman does her thing.

LIVINGROOM

Woman returns, and couple does their thing.

END MONTAGE

a

www.alexwhitmer.wordpress.com
www.guerro.wordpress.com

.

Click to expand...

What you're describing above -- simply cutting back and forth between two adjoining locations -- isn't considered a montage.

What's important to understand is that a "scene" in screenplay terms is a technical description, not a dramatic one.

The living room and the bedroom in the scene described may be a location, and thus may be literally next to one another, or may be a set, in which case they may be literally built next to one another, or may be built on separate stages, so that when a character walks out of the living room one day, she may not enter the bedroom for several weeks - or may have already shot the scene where she enters the bedroom.

That may even be true on a location, depending on how the schedule lays out.

That's why it's important to break out *scenes* -- as defined in a screenplay sense -- continuous action in a particular location -- in the standard way -- INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT -- because that indicates a shooting block which may is going to broken out and shot in that way --as a unit separate from what went before, even though it may be united, even continuous with it, dramatically.

NMS

read some scripts!!!
one reason why writing novels is easier is because we read novels all our lives and we learn the prose style in school. if you want to change the medium then you must study it by reading it.

p.s. - the 51st state is DC and the 52nd state is PR - you're in the 53rd state

NikeeGoddess said:

p.s. - the 51st state is DC and the 52nd state is PR - you're in the 53rd state

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Well, he did say 'the state of confusion'.

my best suggestion is to find a script with a scene similar to the one you want to write and not only will you'll get your answer you've also read a script. by the time you finish looking for all the numerous formatting questions you'll have read numerous scripts.

you can also invest in david trottier's book, the screenwriter's bible - it gives you all the beginning formatting answers you need.

now for your car question - decide whether the scene plays better with the camera inside the car (close shots) or outside the car looking in and out to the landscape. EXT or INT or EXT/INT - figure it out.