Difference between (O.S.) and (O.C.)

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  • Difference between (O.S.) and (O.C.)

    Is there one?

  • #2
    Re: Difference between (O.S.) and (O.C.)

    Mean the same thing I believe, but I've yet to see O.C in a script. I think O.C was the standard for television scripts.

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    • #3
      Re: Difference between (O.S.) and (O.C.)

      Off Screen or Off Camera, I take them both to mean that the speaking character is in the location of the scene, but not actually seen by the viewer when the dialogue is said

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      • #4
        Re: Difference between (O.S.) and (O.C.)

        I understand what they mean... I'm more asking if there's any reason to ever use one over the other.

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        • #5
          Re: Difference between (O.S.) and (O.C.)

          I think Moss is right. I've always heard that O.S. is used in screenplays, and O.C. is used in TV scripts.
          "The Hollywood film business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." Hunter S Thompson

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          • #6
            Re: Difference between (O.S.) and (O.C.)

            Not saying this is "right", but - In a scene in which a character is watching something on TV, and something is said on TV by someone unseen - for that unseen/on-TV dialogue... "O.C." might be the way to go.

            Same kinda thing if characters are Skyping. Let's say the slug is:

            INT. JOE'S DORM ROOM - NIGHT

            And let's say Joe's Skyping with Mom, who's at home. At home, if unseen Dad yells to Mom - I might use O.C. for Dad's dialogue.

            To help make things clear, I would also put something in the action. Such as: "Mom hears, from the kitchen --"

            But it does depend on how I've slugged it. And so if instead of just being slugged as Joe's Dorm Room, I show INTERCUT between there and Home, then I'd probably use O.S. for Dad's dialogue. Anyway, whatever is clearest on the page.

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            • #7
              Re: Difference between (O.S.) and (O.C.)

              Originally posted by Manchester View Post
              Not saying this is "right", but - In a scene in which a character is watching something on TV, and something is said on TV by someone unseen - for that unseen/on-TV dialogue... "O.C." might be the way to go.
              Yes, that's not right, in fact it's completely wrong. O.C. and O.S. have the same practical meaning - a character is present in the scene but out of view of the camera. The difference is in where the terms are used. As someone above mentioned, O.C. (off-camera) is used in television and O.S. (off-screen) is used in movies. It's just a matter of convention and I know some people like to amend conventions just for the sake of it, I don't see anything wrong with sticking to them when they work and when people in the industry know what they mean.
              "Friends make the worst enemies." Frank Underwood

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              • #8
                Re: Difference between (O.S.) and (O.C.)

                Originally posted by DavidK View Post
                Yes, that's not right, in fact it's completely wrong. O.C. and O.S. have the same practical meaning - a character is present in the scene but out of view of the camera. The difference is in where the terms are used. As someone above mentioned, O.C. (off-camera) is used in television and O.S. (off-screen) is used in movies. It's just a matter of convention and I know some people like to amend conventions just for the sake of it, I don't see anything wrong with sticking to them when they work and when people in the industry know what they mean.
                Nope. Now you are completely wrong. For starters, for misstating what I'd stated.

                And, I did not amend any convention. Geneva or otherwise. I was aiming, and do aim, for clarity.

                And it seems you didn't even want to consider my specific example.

                My example entailed a TV (or the like) within a scene. How would you do that scene? How would you make it clear? A character speaking on a TV, but unseen on the TV? Or, speaking on a computer screen, but unseen on that computer screen?

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                • #9
                  Re: Difference between (O.S.) and (O.C.)

                  Originally posted by Manchester View Post
                  Nope. Now you are completely wrong. For starters, for misstating what I'd stated.

                  And, I did not amend any convention. Geneva or otherwise. I was aiming, and do aim, for clarity.

                  And it seems you didn't even want to consider my specific example.

                  My example entailed a TV (or the like) within a scene. How would you do that scene? How would you make it clear? A character speaking on a TV, but unseen on the TV? Or, speaking on a computer screen, but unseen on that computer screen?
                  I like your logic on this and can see where it could be confusing in a script, but I don't think it matters.

                  Off screen is off screen no matter where the character is.
                  On Twitter @DeadManSkipping

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                  • #10
                    Re: Difference between (O.S.) and (O.C.)

                    Originally posted by Manchester View Post
                    My example entailed a TV (or the like) within a scene. How would you do that scene? How would you make it clear? A character speaking on a TV, but unseen on the TV? Or, speaking on a computer screen, but unseen on that computer screen?
                    There are many ways. I think the clearest way would be V.O. or you just put VOICE ON TV, or ANNOUNCER ON TV or whomever's speaking ON TV.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Difference between (O.S.) and (O.C.)

                      Originally posted by Mossbraker View Post
                      There are many ways. I think the clearest way would be V.O. or you just put VOICE ON TV, or ANNOUNCER ON TV or whomever's speaking ON TV.
                      V.O. is specifically dialogue that is not contained anywhere within the context of the space of the scene.

                      O.S. and O.C. is dialogue that could be found by the camera if it looked hard enough.

                      For TV, saying ANNOUNCER ON TV or REPORTER (TV) or some form of that is probably the best way. All you're looking for is ease and simplicity and clarity here.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Difference between (O.S.) and (O.C.)

                        Thanks for clarifying that Jcgary, excellent explanation. I appreciate it.

                        I was reading Breaking Bad and I noticed they used v.o for other party in "one-sided" phone calls and Intercut w. separate scene headings for both voices in "two-sided" calls. Does that seem about right for phone calls?
                        " Don't really like writing. But I do like having written." Vince Gilligan, Breaking Bad.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Difference between (O.S.) and (O.C.)

                          MJ, that's the way I did a long distance phone call when the other party isn't seen.

                          I also used it when voices came out from a vehicle but the speakers are not seen.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Difference between (O.S.) and (O.C.)

                            Originally posted by Manchester View Post
                            And it seems you didn't even want to consider my specific example.

                            My example entailed a TV (or the like) within a scene. How would you do that scene? How would you make it clear? A character speaking on a TV, but unseen on the TV? Or, speaking on a computer screen, but unseen on that computer screen?
                            Your example is exactly what I was considering, and like I said the use of O.S. would be incorrect. See jcgary's post above, he is also correct. The voice from the TV, whether you see the character on the TV or not, is V.O. or VOICE ON TV, whichever is simpler/clearer. Whether or not the character is visible on the TV doesn't matter, the fact remains that the character/actor is not physically present in the scene and the dialogue is recorded at a different time, elsewhere, therefore V.O.

                            The easiest way to remember it is this: if the character (actor) is physically present in the scene, but out of view of the camera, then it is (O.S.). Everything else is V.O. (or the equivalent ON PHONE etc.). I might be wrong about some things, but I'm not wrong about this.
                            "Friends make the worst enemies." Frank Underwood

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                            • #15
                              Re: Difference between (O.S.) and (O.C.)

                              Originally posted by DavidK View Post
                              Your example is exactly what I was considering, and like I said the use of O.S. would be incorrect. See jcgary's post above, he is also correct. The voice from the TV, whether you see the character on the TV or not, is V.O. or VOICE ON TV, whichever is simpler/clearer. Whether or not the character is visible on the TV doesn't matter, the fact remains that the character/actor is not physically present in the scene and the dialogue is recorded at a different time, elsewhere, therefore V.O.

                              The easiest way to remember it is this: if the character (actor) is physically present in the scene, but out of view of the camera, then it is (O.S.). Everything else is V.O. (or the equivalent ON PHONE etc.). I might be wrong about some things, but I'm not wrong about this.
                              I think in Manchester's very specific example, he's talking about characters in a scene that are watching something (TV, computer screen, whatever) and what they are watching has some dialogue off screen.

                              One example I can think of is in Signs where they are watching a news story of the alien invasion at a birthday party and then they show the home footage of the party and there's singing and whatnot O.S. when the alien passes by the window.

                              In that case, it's probably easier and clearer to just cut to the home video footage scene and describe the singing as O.S. instead of V.O.

                              To further complicate things, the newscaster showing the home video footage should probably be in V.O. if he/she is talking over the footage.
                              On Twitter @DeadManSkipping

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