Ask Dr. Format: VISIONS, HALLUCINATIONS, AND MIRAGES

DAVE TROTTIER has sold or optioned ten screenplays (three produced) and helped hundreds of writers break into the writing business.  He is an award-winning teacher and script consultant, author of The Screenwriter’s Bible, and friendly host of keepwriting.com.  Read more tips on the Ask Dr. Format page.

Dr. Format

VISIONS, HALLUCINATIONS, AND MIRAGES

QUESTION

Say you’re writing a scene where somebody is seeing something mentally (presumably the people with him or her wouldn’t see whatever the image was). You want the audience to see what the character is seeing as well. How would you write that?


ANSWER

Let’s assume that your character’s name is Sybil. Just write what the audience and Sybil see, and label it clearly so that the reader knows that it is only Sybil’s vision. You would format it as you would a flashback or a dream:

EXT. WOODS – NIGHT

Bart and Sybil meander through the woods holding hands. Sybil suddenly stops and gazes up at the sky.

SYBIL’S VISION

 

A bright light descends over her. It’s her dead mama shaking a scolding finger at her.

 

BACK TO WOODS

Bart sees Sybil recoil, but doesn’t see Mama.

 

By labeling it as SYBIL’S VISION, you indicate that no character other than Sybil sees the vision. Notice that I made that absolutely clear in the last paragraph of narrative description that follows the vision. Use this same format for hallucinations and mirages. Always strive for clarity.

TWO NAMES ARE BETTER THAN ONE

QUESTION

How does a writer denote in a spec screenplay the fact that a character has a double identity, and is known to individual characters under two separate identities? Example: a character is known as RALPH to one set of characters, but JIMBO to another—do you type both RALPH/JIMBO each time he speaks dialogue in the screenplay? Bear in mind that the crux of the story is that he appears as a good guy to one set of characters and as a dirty rat to another set of characters.


ANSWER

You ask a good question, since it will be important to not confuse the reader. Clarity is the overriding principle in cases like this one. That is why you should normally use the same name in your character cue throughout the screenplay. Thus, I believe the best solution is the one you suggest. Refer to the character as RALPH/JIMBO in the dialogue character cue whenever he speaks, as follows:

                    RALPH/JIMBO
         What did you just call me?

 

Now if this character’s true identity is RALPH and that’s established early, then consider referring to him as RALPH (in the character cue) throughout the entire screenplay, even though some or most characters call him something else. That is what happens in NORTH BY NORTHWEST. We know that Cary Grant is Roger Thornhill, even though most people call him by another name during the majority of the movie. Thus, the character cue shows THORNHILL throughout the entire script.

Finally, if the character is known as RALPH throughout the screenplay and then later in the screenplay, his actual name is revealed to be JIMBO, then type RALPH in the character cue until his true name is revealed, and refer to him as RALPH/JIMBO thereafter.

I'M OKAY IF YOU'RE OK

QUESTION

OK or Okay? I have an editor friend of mine who keeps correcting my "OK's"! She says they need to be spelled out as "okay," but I think "OK" is acceptable. Please help.


ANSWER

Technically, your editor is correct. "Okay" is a word. "OK" is an acronym with many theories of origin. But most readers don't care which you use. Even so, everything will be okay if you use okay…and keep writing.