Day - 3 - Script Writing
Day - 3 - Script Writing
SPECIAL HEADINGS
• Here’s a common format for the MONTAGE. The concept or main idea is
“having fun.”
MONTAGE - SUZY AND BILL HAVE FUN TOGETHER
-- They run along the beach. Suzy raises her countenance against the ocean
spray.
-- They bicycle through a park.
-- Bill buys Suzy ice cream at a small stand. She stuffs it into his face. The
patrons chuckle.
Montage examples
• Method 1
In the example below, the flashback is labeled like a montage.
FLASHBACK - TRAIN ACCIDENT
• David sees the train coming and jumps on the train tracks. He laughs; he’s playing
chicken with the train.
• With the train nearly upon him, he tries to leap from the tracks, but his foot catches
on a rail tie.
BACK TO PRESENT DAY
• The above method is designed for short flashbacks that happen
within a scene.
FLASHBACKS AND DREAMS
• If you use any one of the above notations, then the next
scene heading (let’s say it’s for an office scene) would
follow the same pattern and would look something like this:
INT. OFFICE - DAY - BACK TO PRESENT DAY
or
INT. OFFICE - DAY (BACK TO PRESENT DAY)
or, for Method 2:
BACK TO PRESENT DAY - INT. OFFICE - DAY
FLASHBACKS AND DREAMS
Method 4
• If a flashback is more than one scene in length, you will use
Method 2 or 3 for your first flashback scene heading.
• Subsequent scene headings will be written as normal scene
headings without the word FLASHBACK.
• The reader will assume that each scene that follows that
first flashback scene is part of the flashback until he sees
END OF FLASHBACK or BACK TO PRESENT DAY in some
form.
FLASHBACKS AND DREAMS
Method 4
• Here’s an example:
EXT. TRAIN TRACKS - NIGHT - FLASHBACK
• Barry sees the train speeding toward him and leaps from
the tracks, but his foot catches on a rail tie.
INT. HOSPITAL - NIGHT
Barry lies on a gurney. A doctor pulls a sheet over his head.
INT. OFFICE - DAY - BACK TO PRESENT DAY
FLASHBACKS AND DREAMS
Method 5
• An alternative method is to label the entire flashback comprised of
more than one scene as a flashback sequence. I prefer this method
to Method 4 because of its clarity.
BEGIN FLASHBACK SEQUENCE
EXT. TRAIN TRACKS - NIGHT
• And then write out all the scenes in sequence, just as you would
normally write scenes, and then end the sequence with this:
END FLASHBACK SEQUENCE
INT. OFFICE - DAY
Quick flashes
• On rare occasion, you might have a situation where a character recalls a series of quick flashbacks
in succession. Handle that with the same format you’d use for a MONTAGE or a SERIES OF
SHOTS.
QUICK FLASHES - DUKE’S BASEBALL MEMORIES
-- Duke slides home safe. Jubilant teammates scramble to congratulate him.
-- Duke, playing shortstop, snags a hot grounder, and tosses the man out at first.
-- Duke swings at a fastball and watches it sail over the left-field fence.
BACK TO SCENE
• In effect, the above is a FLASHBACK MONTAGE. If you have just one quick flashback, use the
following format:
QUICK FLASHBACK
Duke strikes out.
BACK TO SCENE
• Flashbacks, dreams, and daydreams are written in present tense.
Dreams, daydreams, imaginings, mirages, and visions
• Suppose you have a short animated segment in one of your scenes. Use the
same formatting pattern we have been discussing.
ANIMATION - SILLY BILLY MEETS THE MONKEY MAN
or
EXT. PET STORE - DAY - ANIMATION
INSERT
• The INSERT (also known as the CUTAWAY in some shooting scripts) is used to bring
something small into full frame.
• This can be a book, news headline, sign, contract, letter, or a leather pouch filled with
mints. In the case of the leather pouch on the sample script, I did not use an INSERT.
• If I had, it would have looked like this:
• Often, at the beginning of a movie, sequence, or scene, there is an establishing shot to give
us an idea of where on earth we are. There are two ways to present an establishing shot.
• Incorrect:
EXT. NEW YORK CITY - DAY - ESTABLISHING
• Correct:
EXT. NEW YORK CITY – DAY
Manhattan sparkles in the sunlight.
• The second, “correct” example is preferred because it is more
interesting, plus it directs the camera without using camera directions.
It’s obviously a long shot of the entire city that establishes where we
are.
• Also notice that it is not necessary to add the word ESTABLISHING at the
end of the scene heading.
Narrative description