Phone conversations

popmuze

Last of a Dying Breed
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 31, 2005
Messages
2,597
Reaction score
181
Location
Nowhere, man
Anyone have any creative ways to deal with phone conversations in a script? Seems like I've got a lot of them. I've stayed away from split screen and mainly used (V.O.) because the dialog on the other end is important.
 

SJWangsness

An unknown known
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 22, 2009
Messages
273
Reaction score
12
Not really. You can also intercut between the two. Just write something before the conversation like "Intercutting between John and Mary, on the phone." You don't have to decide who's on screen when, unless there is some point in the conversation where that is important. Otherwise, the film editor and director can figure that all out.
 

Doug B

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 29, 2006
Messages
148
Reaction score
14
Location
Pacific Northwest
A couple of cautions about using a lot of phone calls: First, they break the "show don't tell" rule. Second, they aren't particularly interesting to watch unless there is some associated action (like duct taping the victim to the chair while talking on the phone) but even then cutting back and forth can start the audiences head spinning. Finally, keep them short. The rule I was taught was to write the phone call with as few words as possible then cut out half the words that remain.

Just my thoughts.

Doug B
 

popmuze

Last of a Dying Breed
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 31, 2005
Messages
2,597
Reaction score
181
Location
Nowhere, man
I'm just about done with my first draft. In the next draft I'll probably have to think of a way to eliminate half of my phone call scenes.
 

JJKHawaiian

Registered
Joined
Jun 9, 2011
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Location
Casa Grande, AZ
Well, there has been a couple of movies I can think of that was mostly phone conversation. "The Phone Booth" (or The Booth) and "The Cellphone".
Of course, there were chase scenes almost as long as the phone call in one, and the other had a sniper aiming at the guy in the phone booth. Not sure if you have those dramatic reasons in your script, but I'm sure you can find a way to keep the important talking points and trim the fat.

I also have a few phone conversations in my first screenplay that I just wrote. Some are 1-sided, some are v.o., some are dual cuts, some are voicemail (1 listens and 1 leaves). Phone calls are needed. Just how much talking and what kind, who talks, etc.

Cut out all the "Jack: Hello Lisa: Hi there. How are you doing? Jack: Oh fine. What's up? Lisa: I just wanted to...".
A trick I heard to use is come in late and leave early. Only leave the meat. Also, you can translate some of that dialog into dialog later in the story by 2 people talking. "Jack: Oh, you know who called? Frank: Let me guess. Lisa. Jack: Yeah. She said that Sarah was going to...".
 
Last edited:

Lady Ice

Makes useful distinctions
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 11, 2009
Messages
4,776
Reaction score
417
A couple of cautions about using a lot of phone calls: First, they break the "show don't tell" rule. Second, they aren't particularly interesting to watch unless there is some associated action (like duct taping the victim to the chair while talking on the phone) but even then cutting back and forth can start the audiences head spinning. Finally, keep them short. The rule I was taught was to write the phone call with as few words as possible then cut out half the words that remain.

Just my thoughts.

Doug B

Agreed. Listening to other people's phone calls is one of the most annoying things; if it really needs to be a phone call rather than a face-to-face, make it short.