Multiple Scene Question

No need to make each location change stand out and hit the reader in the face. I would use an intercut.

Dave reads the letter.

DAVE
She's a paleontologist.

INTERCUT: DAY DREAMS.

Dave stands in his library skimming through book titles, he removes one that reads "Paleontology"

DAVE (V.O.)
She enjoys cooking.

Dave stands behind a stove in his kitchen, reading a cook book...

and then when done just go back to him reading the letter.

My 2 cents.

bradn said:

Oh I meant to ask...

Does the Intercut, basically explain that there are a few image scenes coming up?

Click to expand...

Intercut places one (or more) short scenes within another and cuts back and forth without the need to a new slugline each time the location is shifted.

Best example of the intercut is a phone call between two or more people where the scene starts on Bob and then intercuts Suzy on the other end at her house. It just reads better to have Bob pick up the phone and then put an intercut once and then go back and forth between bob and suzy, then to have sluglines for each time the other person is talking.

Even a car chase, where you have a large scene (the chase itself) which is comprised of separate locations that cut back and forth between each other (inside a car, outside, inside the second car, etc...)

Breaking all those into separate scenes would be too many slug lines and would slow the reader down.

Now I personally would only use an intercut if the scene your intercutting into the larger scene is very short, but the important thing is it has to read well and make sense. Make your action clear that it is in another location when ever possible.

Make sense?

Personally, I'd compromise between the intercut thing and the sluglines as follows:

DAVE
(reading)
She's a paleontologist.

IN HIS LIBRARY, Dave skims book titles and removes one that reads "Paleontology"

DAVE (V.O.)
She enjoys cooking.

IN HIS KITCHEN, Dave stands behind the stove, reading a cook book...



That brings attention to the change of location without overdoing it, IMHO. Prodcos like to be able to easily see the necessary locations (or so I've read) so I think you should make them clear.