Thread: okay, got a couple of questions...

I'm in the middle of writing. I tried looking for these questions and couldn't find them.

first: How do you write a dream sequence? I'm gonna have a few of them and i wanna make sure I'm doing them right.

second: if you're writing someone going from one room to another in a house, do you start a new scene? most of mine tekes place in a house and i was just wondering.

for the first i am not sure. you could create impact by not have a defining start to the dream and letting the reader work it out...depends on the effect you want to have as to how you do it, i have personally have never tried.

second: if it follows the same idea or is part of a sequence of events then no. if you are continuing a a conversation from the lounge room the the kitchen the it would not make much sense to have a new scene. but if there is a completely different story with a school band in the garage, compared to the conversation then i would say yes. (this is how i see it anyway)

Write your dream sequences in italics.

No, as Shadow Reeves has said, unless you are changing to a different scene entirely (with new sets of people) you don't need a new scene.

Sam.

I write it like this

INT. ONE STORY HOUSE

Simple interior, stuffed wild birds hang on walls. Hand made wooden furniture and simplistic medical supplies sit in every room.

LIVING ROOM

A lantern lights the room. A wood burning stove sits off to one side, the basket sits near it.


If I'm moving from room to room then I just put the new room in capitals and go on with the description.
Also, I was told as far as dream sequences go- just as long as the reader knows what is going on then you can put that in caps as well

DREAM SEQUENCE

LIZA MINELLI enters in flip flops. She runs through the field of marshmallows to the ice cream truck etc etc etc

END DREAM SEQUENCE

Like flashbacks, dream sequences should be labelled like Cody chick says. Same with Montage, or phone intercuts between two scenes, let it be known loud and clearn when you start this (using caps) and also let it be known when it's over.

I wouldn't put it in italics... changing fonts to bold, underline, or to italics can come off unprofessional (except I think the musical script I had a link to had lyrics in italics, but let's say that's an entirely different beast)... or worse, it still might not be interpetted as a dream sequence. So just label the sucker as clear as day.

Let me tell you, I just recently graded a script at work very poorly becuase I read it and for some reason the characters were killed in the middle, then resureccted again. I find out later, after talking to another fellow who read the script, that it was like a dream sequence of what the plan should be... only it wasn't labelled as such... so me, reading really fast, missed it.

I feel bad now that I know, but I take consolation that the script was in bad shape in many other respects...

Write your dream sequences in italics.

Absolutely not. Sam, you probably didn't notice this is over in the screenplays area.

Guitarchick, there is a term: master scene.
The idea is, in a shooting script, every change, setup, etc must be recorded. So walking from the living room to the bathroom would be a whole new slug.

But a master scene establishes a general scene, allowing moves within it. So you can get by with cutdown slugs (also called "naked" slugs) or even just chug around in it.

So you could have a master scene

INT. SAM'S HOUSE - DAY

A shabby example of "off campus student housing".

LIVING ROOM'
Sam wakes up under a stoned-out naked girl. He pushes her off staggers to his feet and looks around in bleary disgust.

He scraches and heads into

THE BATHROOM
Where he finds even more party detritus and unconscious bodies. He pisses anyway then dares to go to

THE KITCHEN
Where a dead horse takes us most of the room.
He shakes his head and looks at the clock.

SAM
Oh, shit I;m late for work.

INT. THE SHITWORKS -- DAY



This is pretty loose and freeform, but you see it done.

Another way to handle it under the same master scene slug would be simpler yet.

Sam wakes up, etc.
He visits the bathroom, checks out the kitchen. The place is a wreck

SAM
Oh Shit, I'm late for work.

Or you can use the entire slug

INT. SAM'S BATHROOM
Sam pisses in the sink

INT. SAM'S KITCHEN
Sam buggers the dead horse.

SAM
So, you alittle hoarse this morning.

My hit on this, if you've got extensive goings on and dialog in the locations, slug them.


Note that in a MONTAGE or SERIES OF SHOTS (and if you want to start a long argument go to a screewriter forum and ask what the difference is) you can also use naked slugs to describe a sequence of scenes in various time and place.


SERIES OF SHOTS: SAM'S RUDE AWAKENING

--SAM'S LIVING ROOM
Sam awakens under a naked girl

--COFFEE HOUSE
Sam lies under a table with a naken waitress on top of him

--COLLEGE CLASSROOM
Sam lies on the front desk under a naked biology professor

--SAM'S FACE
Sam's eyes open and he screams.

END SERIES OF SHOTS


This stuff isn't carved in stone with one solution, but you want to keep grounded and remember that the main thing is to get across what is happening, where.

Another way to get around the house would be to use tags like CAMERA FOLLOWING but it's not considered a good idea to use camera direction in spec scripts these days.

I agree with the people above. Take what they say and pretend I said it.