[bookworm452]

Realizing just how much I post on this forum... Oops.
I have a character watching a video recording and bits she watches are various clips in different places with quite a bit of speech. How do I write this? Does should I write each change in the video as though it was a new scene?

[H. Pinski Posts: 1,289 Status: Offline]

bookworm, you are keeping the Script Writers board alive! 

This is a script your writing, yes? You could use V.O. if we're watching her watch it or SMASH CUT if you want the audience to see some of the video as well.

[bookworm452]

Yeah. I wanted it to be like a cut scene in a game; I'm not sure what I could use to explain... The bits of video that she watches explains the circumstances and things. But it's a spec script so I don't know how I'm going to put it in... I won't be able to put things like smash cut in, am I?

[H. Pinski Posts: 1,289 Status: Offline]

I again want to preface this with a reminder that I am a novice when it comes to script writing and others might know better, bookworm! I think the main formatting differences in a spec script have more to do with omitting scene numbers and camera angles...things you'd see in a shooting script for example. I can't see why you couldn't use SMASH CUT since it is used to signal an abrupt scene change and affects the narrative flow directly.

[MysteryRobin Posts: 688 Status: Offline]

I'd err on the side of putting in information. You want to be clear, and can always cut it if there's a better way to write it out...

[Liz Straw Posts: 981 Status: Offline That was a yummy book!]

There is a series of books out that is probably YA about a boy and a girl who want to find out why no one will go to an old mine and they video everything and talk back and forth on the computer (even talk about overriding parental controls).  In fact the books are actually interactive and the reader can sign in and see some of the videos on the books website.

I will try and remember the name, I only read the first one.  But it was before I started keeping a list of books read on my blog. 

It does really well in going from being in person, to being on the computer, to video.  (I actually read it at a time I did not have access to a computer and had to wait until I took the book back to the library to see all the videos.)

I will try to find the name of the book for you.

[Liz Straw Posts: 981 Status: Offline That was a yummy book!]

Skeleton Creek
by Patrick Carman

Is the first book, there are at least two more, one is Ghost in the Machine.

Hope this is what you are talking about, if not, enjoy them...

[CC Posts: 416 Status: Offline]

Realizing just how much I post on this forum... Oops.
I have a character watching a video recording and bits she watches are various clips in different places with quite a bit of speech. How do I write this? Does should I write each change in the video as though it was a new scene?

Check your PM, bookworm. I sent you a link for the PDF of the Denzel Washington movie FLIGHT -- it's got a TV showing footage and reporters within another scene on page 73-75 of that script. It'll help give an example of what works. 

[CC Posts: 416 Status: Offline]

(AnneB was nice enough to point out that you don't have enough posts for a PM-- this was my response a few weeks back as to how to write a recorded TV/video thing within a scene...)

--

Hey, Bookworm, if you go to this website and download the PDF for the movie FLIGHT (Denzel Washington), on page 73-75 you'll see it has inserted a TV playing and newsfootage given.  Writing a video recording into a script would be the same thing -- your goal is to show what the screen shows.


http://www.simplyscripts.com/2012/12/18/flight-screenplay-for-your-consideration/

(keep in mind most scripts are not 150 pages like Flight, but are usually 110;  also simply scripts is a great website to download other scripts and see how other writers set up scenes.)