Ask Dr. Format: Subliminal Scriptwriting

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

JULY 2024

SUBLIMINAL SCRIPTWRITING

QUESTION

There is a sequence in my screenplay where there are flashes of images, like TOM IN A CHAIR, TOM IN MOTEL ROOM, TOM DEAD IN THE ALLEY—quick flashes in an almost subliminal fashion.  How would I format this?

ANSWER

The "flashes" are either subliminal or they are not.  Just write what we see.  There are many ways to handle this.  Consider using the SERIES OF SHOTS if the flashes tell a little story; in other words, if they outline a narrative.  Use the MONTAGE if these flashes revolve around a concept, such as passage of time.

SERIES OF SHOTS - TOM'S DEATH

A) Tom sits in a chair -- silent.

B) Tom paces in a motel room, then glances towards the door.

C) Tom lies dead in an alley.

If these must be quick flashes to get the right effect, then use the following:

SERIES OF QUICK FLASHES

-- Tom sits in a chair.

-- Tom paces in a motel room.

-- Tom lies dead in an alley.

If these are quick flashbacks, then label them as such:

SERIES OF QUICK FLASHBACKS

SCHOOL DAYS

QUESTION

Within my script, the main character walks to and from school several times.  I've established him leaving his house (EXT. JOSH'S HOUSE) and arriving at school (EXT. LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL).  What about the journey between the two locations?  Generally, nothing happens along the way (no actions or dialogue).  How do I write this?  Do I refer to it as "EXT. ROUTE TO SCHOOL"?  Or do I mention it at all?

ANSWER

If you have read my column with any regularity, you know that the answer to half the questions I receive is "Write what we see."  And that's the case here.  Apparently, we don't see the route between home and school, so write something like this.

EXT. JOSH'S HOUSE - DAY

Josh exits the house throwing on his backpack jammed with books. He rushes through the front yard to the road.

EXT. LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL - LATER

Josh arrives on the school grounds.

NOISES OFF

QUESTION

I noticed in a produced spec script that the writer only capitalized sounds that really exploded with description.  For example: Tires CRACKLED across the broken glass.  In other cases, the writer did not capitalize sounds at all.  Is this something new?  Or is it all discretionary?

ANSWER

Yes and yes.  The current trend is towards not capitalizing sounds.  However, most writers still capitalize very important sounds, and sometimes all sounds.  It's at your discretion, but there is no longer any requirement to capitalize sounds in a spec script.

I hasten to add that every agent and producer has his or her own preferences, but the above is generally true.

QUESTION

I am working on a script for a film that would contain several short animated segments. How should these be worked into the script? Is there a standard format for this?

ANSWER

Handle it with a special scene heading, just the way you'd handle a DREAM or FLASHBACK or MONTAGE that you need to work into the script. For example, here's one possible way:

ANIMATION -- SILLY BILLY MEETS THE MONKEY MAN

And then describe your scene or sequence of shots, just as you would with a MONTAGE or DREAM SEQUENCE.

We often forget that there are basic principles behind formatting. These aren't just a bunch of arbitrary rules. So don't be afraid to extrapolate from some known principle if you come up with a new screenwriting situation. What if the above were a dream? Handle it like this:

DREAM -- SILLY BILLY MEETS THE MONKEY MAN

or...

EXT. AMAZON JUNGLE - DREAM

Silly Billy and his friends hike the jungle trail. Suddenly, the Monkey Man drops out of a tree.

...And so on.

What if you have an animated dream? Just call it that, an ANIMATED DREAM, in your special scene heading.

If it is a full scene, use this scene heading:

EXT. AMAZON JUNGLE – DAY - ANIMATION

And then write out the scene just as you would for any other scene.

Simply apply fundamental formatting principles. As screenwriters, we must understand formatting to fully understand spec writing. This is something I really get animated about.

NOTE: The new 2022 printing of Dr. Format Tells All will be available sometime in January. If you want to be totally up-to-date, order the book at keepwriting.com and then email me directly (dave@keepwriting.com) that you want the 2022 printing. I hope the new year will be a productive one for you.