Pre-lap?

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  • Pre-lap?

    is that the proper way to use voiceover before going to the next scene? I'd never seen that until recently, and have never read anything about this before. How do you guys do it?

    You know what I'm talking about right?

  • #2
    Re: Pre-lap?

    If some dialogue or sound taking place in scene B can be heard at the end of scene A, PRELAP seems the best way to indicate it.

    In the current, streamlined style screenplays are written, it seems nobody uses PRELAP in action paragraphs and instead describes the effect ("We start to hear whatever sound as we CUT TO:") -- I personally prefer to indicate "PRELAP: whatever sound", although it may not read that well.

    EDIT: I've just checked in The Hollywood Standard, and the book suggests to just indicate it as V.O. in the case of dialogue, but I find it can be a bit ambiguous if there's no clear indication of pre-lap.

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    • #3
      Re: Pre-lap?

      Originally posted by Dr. Vergerus View Post
      I've just checked in The Hollywood Standard, and the book suggests to just indicate it as V.O. in the case of dialogue, but I find it can be a bit ambiguous if there's no clear indication of pre-lap.
      I do that and it seems to work well. I think the secret is to keep your pre-lap short and ensure the continuation of dialogue is obvious in the next scene.

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      • #4
        Re: Pre-lap?

        Is that when you are standing up?

        I just have the character slug, a V.O., at the end of one scene...

        And then after the slugline, I continue whatever the character was saying with a character slug and no V.O.

        - Bill
        Free Script Tips:
        http://www.scriptsecrets.net

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        • #5
          Re: Pre-lap?

          Bill, that is after the scene slug, without any action description before the continuing dialogue?

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          • #6
            Re: Pre-lap?

            Maybe - depends on what's happening.

            But I have nothing against dialogue after a slug with no action first. If that's a rule somewhere, it's a dumb one.

            - Bill
            Free Script Tips:
            http://www.scriptsecrets.net

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            • #7
              Re: Pre-lap?

              No, it actually sounds like a good solution if it suits the scene/mood/effect.

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              • #8
                Re: Pre-lap?

                Originally posted by Conz View Post
                is that the proper way to use voiceover before going to the next scene? I'd never seen that until recently, and have never read anything about this before. How do you guys do it?

                You know what I'm talking about right?
                Here are some examples from successful films - the ones I'm familiar with just tag the dialog as 'Voice Over' and then continue the dialog to the next scene:

                KAFFEE
                Joanne!

                JO
                What?

                KAFFEE
                He's gonna be fine.

                They turn and head into the courtroom as we HEAR MARKINSON in
                VOICE OVER ...

                MARKINSON (V.O.)
                "Dear Mr. and Mrs. Santiago..."

                CUT TO:
                INT. MARKINSON'S ROOM - DAY

                MARKINSON
                I was William's company commander. I knew
                your son vaguely, which is to say I knew
                his name...
                and

                INT. BASEMENT -- WEAVER HALL -- DAY
                At one end of the dingy corridor is a door marked PARANORMAL STUDIES
                LABORATORY. A sign dangles from the doorknob: Maid -- Please Make Up This
                Room. Scrawled across the door is a line of student graffiti that reads:
                "Venkman Burn In Hell!" It looks like it's been written in blood.

                VENKMAN (V.O.)
                Now I'm going to turn over the next card and
                I want you to concentrate and tell me what
                you think it is.

                INT. PARANORMAL STUDIES LAB -- SAME TIME - DAY
                DR. PETER VENKMAN is administering an ESP test to two student volunteers,
                a boy and a girl, who sit across the table from him separated from each
                other by a screen.
                Good luck !

                Mac
                New blogposts:
                *Followup - Seeking Investors in all the wrong places
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                • #9
                  Re: Pre-lap?

                  I use pre-lap frequently. Almost always followed by a Cut to: Sometimes it helps the momentum of the story.


                  Stan leaves Bob curled up in the fetal position.

                  After a long beat, Bob tries to stand. Falls back down in a lump.

                  ON: Bob's face.

                  GINO
                  (Pre-lap)
                  Why the **** isn't Bobby with you?

                  Cut to:

                  GINO'S OFFICE.

                  Stan, almost afraid to enter, hovers by the door.

                  STAN
                  Well, boss...

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                  • #10
                    Re: Pre-lap?

                    I'll just use VO or squash the idea of the pre-dialogue altogether. I'd rather save a couple lines and avoid "Cut-to's" at all cost.

                    informative as always. thanks.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Pre-lap?

                      Here's an example from Battlestar Galactica, which does away with the CUT TO:

                      INT. BALTAR'S HOUSE - DAY

                      BALTAR sits in a chair, gazing out at the water and the morning light from the serene comfort of his living room, a cup of coffee on the side table next to him, CLASSICAL MUSIC playing softly in the b.g. We might notice that the sky is just a little brighter than it should be, the colors in the house a little more vibrant. In fact, all of his surroundings seem a little too sharp, too crisp to the eye.

                      NUMBER SIX lounges on a chaise nearby, watching him.

                      NUMBER SIX
                      God has a plan for you, Gaius. He has a plan for everything and everyone.

                      Baltar never takes his eyes off the view.

                      LEE (PRELAP)
                      All Vipers -- hold position.

                      EXT. SPACE - VIPERS

                      A SQUADRON of Galactica's VIPERS are taking up positions in a defensive formation. In the far b.g., GALACTICA and the RAGTAG FLEET can be seen in their own defensive formation (Galactica deployed to cover the civilian ships).

                      INT. LEE'S VIPER

                      Lee sits in his cockpit, looking tense and worn.

                      LEE
                      Twenty seconds to mark.

                      He's watching a DIGITAL CLOCK counting down the seconds: 19... 18... 17...

                      INT. BALTAR'S HOUSE - DAY

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                      • #12
                        Re: Pre-lap?

                        hmm, so if it's the first time we hear the character speak, do I use "MALE VOICE" or do I intro it like in Mac's post? "We hear JOHNNY DOE in VOICEOVER"

                        JOHNNY DOE (V.O.)
                        Should this say Pre-Lap?

                        that's something I've continually been told not to do. (mainly the use of "we")

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                        • #13
                          Re: Pre-lap?

                          Welcome to DoneDealPro, Conz.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Pre-lap?

                            Originally posted by Conz View Post
                            hmm, so if it's the first time we hear the character speak, do I use "MALE VOICE" or do I intro it like in Mac's post? "We hear JOHNNY DOE in VOICEOVER"

                            JOHNNY DOE (V.O.)
                            Should this say Pre-Lap?

                            that's something I've continually been told not to do. (mainly the use of "we")
                            MALE VOICE (V.O.)
                            MALE VOICE (PRELAP)
                            [CHARACTER NAME] (V.O.)
                            [CHARACTER NAME] (PRELAP)
                            and all the other examples are all fine, I'd say. It's a matter of what you feel works best and translates better the effect you intend. You can't control the preferences of whomever is going to read your screenplay, but nobody will argue any of those solutions is bad or wrong.

                            And, in truth, the use of pre-lap should be considered 'trying to direct on the page', same as calling for shots or soaring music: better don't abuse it.

                            As for the "we see/hear", it doesn't stop screenplays from selling and being produced, so it probably isn't that bad. In your particular example, though, it seems wrong to describe in action something that you'll need to convey again in the character heading; the 'JOHNNY DOE (V.O.)' already takes care of it.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Pre-lap?

                              i see "we" in pro scripts all the time, but I'll continue to avoid it. i agree with prelap sounding like directing. thanks.

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