Ask Dr. Format: Where in the World...?

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

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CARMEN?

QUESTION

If someone is writing a script that takes place in two separate geographical locations; e.g., Cabin on Cape Code and Tundra of Southern Chile, what is the best way to show the reader that the scene has not just changed minor locations but entire continents? Also, with regard to the last question, this is the kind of thing I have been doing with my headings.

INT. CHILE – HUAREZ – HOTEL – CARMEN’S ROOM – EVENING

ANSWER

A scene heading should indicate the specific location of the scene, not everything you know about that location. Also, unless absolutely necessary, use DAY or NIGHT. Thus, I would revise your above example to the following:

INT. CARMEN'S HOTEL ROOM – DAY

Carmen's hotel room is the specific location of the scene. All the other information should come out in narrative description or previous scene headings. Here's an example of what I mean:

EXT. CHILEAN TUNDRA – DAY

The vast Southern Chilean tundra extends for miles.

SUPER: "Southern Chile."

The city of Huarez is visible in the distance.

EXT. HUAREZ HOTEL – SAME

A five-story red-brick monolith dominates the smaller shops that surround it.

INT. CARMEN'S HOTEL ROOM – SAME

You could replace SAME with CONTINUOUS if you wish. It's your choice.

SOUNDS ARE SOUNDS, WORDS ARE WORDS

QUESTION

In my script, I have characters who make a lot of sounds, and sometimes I have written something like the following:

                         BOB
                 (gasps)

                         LINDA
                 (groans loudly)

So my question is, may I write parentheticals without any actual dialogue?

ANSWER

No. Dialogue consists of the actual words spoken by the character. Any other utterances are just sounds and should be written as narrative description, as follows:

Bob gasps.

Linda groans loudly.

The same is true of the sounds made by animals. Even though they may be communicating, write their barks and meows as sounds. If the sounds are crucial, and you want to emphasize them, it's okay to place them in CAPS, but it's not necessary that you do so.

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