TV in background.

mlongton · 07-14-2012, 01:43 PM

I have a scene where two characters are talking while not really watching TV. The TV is just audible and maybe occasionally visible. How much detail should there be re the contents of the TV program? Should the audio be given as simultaneous (2-column) dialogue? I'd rather not because I'm trying to pare it down... There must be examples of this but I can't recall where. Thanks!

ATB · 07-14-2012, 02:09 PM

Code:


INT. RATTY APARTMENT -- NIGHT

A FLAT-SCREEN TV details the day's news events as 
Jason and Will play an intense game of checkers.

You can write some dialogue for a Newscaster or something and then just mention that the news program continues before you get into your dialogue.

ChadStrohl · 07-14-2012, 02:35 PM

I think there's something like this in The Departed. It's not a TV, but talking going on in the background. Of course it might have also been a shooting script. Can't remember.

Anyway. The script states that the background dialogue is on an "attached sheet". This alleged sheet was nowhere to be found in this particular script, so who knows.

I can't imagine it matters unless the background dialogue directly affects the foreground scene. But I'm just guessing.

scripttoolbox · 07-14-2012, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATB

Code:

 
INT. RATTY APARTMENT -- NIGHT
 
A FLAT-SCREEN TV details the day's news events as 
Jason and Will play an intense game of checkers.

You can write some dialogue for a Newscaster or something and then just mention that the news program continues before you get into your dialogue.

I agree with ATB as it looks like you are interested in putting anything on tv too specific or that will impact the scene. If I am wrong, here is what I've written on the subject:

http://scripttoolbox.com/special/tv_footage.html

mlongton · 07-14-2012, 06:22 PM

It's a 40-year old TV show and one of the people watching it was in it (is on the screen). So it matters that we see him there but what he says in the course of the program doesn't matter and I don't want to waste too much space on it. On the other hand, if it were ever to be made, someone would have to write some dialogue to go in the background.

wordprocessor · 07-15-2012, 12:22 AM

I also agree with ATB. If it's integral to the story, I think it'd be nice to give a quick blurb of dialogue to establish the show's relevance/connection to the scene.

I hope this isn't too much on a tangent, but in the Sixth Sense... I think I recall a scene where M. Night Shyamalan includes an insert of a medical file (or something like that)-- but instead of writing out the entire content of the file, he writes something to the effect of "the protagonist's eyes catch on words like... X disorder, Y symptom, Z etc..." If you're going to include dialogue, maybe it could parallel that?

wordprocessor · 07-15-2012, 12:31 AM

I just clicked on scripttoolbox's link, wow, that's thorough. I suspect most questions here could just be linked to your website. What a great resource!

scripttoolbox · 07-15-2012, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlongton

It's a 40-year old TV show and one of the people watching it was in it (is on the screen). So it matters that we see him there but what he says in the course of the program doesn't matter and I don't want to waste too much space on it. On the other hand, if it were ever to be made, someone would have to write some dialogue to go in the background.

This is your story. Write it as if you assume it will be made, and write the scene accordingly. Either the TV is important to the scene or it isn't. If there is dialogue that needs to be written, than write it. Don't leave it for someone else to do later.

-XL- · 07-15-2012, 09:11 AM

If it isn't important to the story, leave it out...

Quote:

In the background, a TV plays a black and white movie: YOUNG WILLIAM, dressed as a priest, chases half-dressed nuns around a changing room.

Yes, you may need to write extra dialogue eventually, but if it's not important to the story then leave it out for now. It'll only bog down the read.

mlongton · 07-15-2012, 05:37 PM

Scripttoolbox's reference pages are really excellent.

The basic problem here is that two basic premises -

A: The script should contain all the information needed to make the movie, and
B: The script should allow the reader to experience the (imaginary) movie -

collide here. Because the TV dialogue, while necessary, is not impoprtant and takes a disproportionate amount of space. So I'm inclined to give a taste of it and say "CONTINUES AS..."

07-14-2012, 01:43 PM	#1
mlongton Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 487	TV in background. I have a scene where two characters are talking while not really watching TV. The TV is just audible and maybe occasionally visible. How much detail should there be re the contents of the TV program? Should the audio be given as simultaneous (2-column) dialogue? I'd rather not because I'm trying to pare it down... There must be examples of this but I can't recall where. Thanks!

07-14-2012, 02:09 PM	#2
ATB Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,175	Re: TV in background. Code: INT. RATTY APARTMENT -- NIGHT A FLAT-SCREEN TV details the day's news events as Jason and Will play an intense game of checkers. You can write some dialogue for a Newscaster or something and then just mention that the news program continues before you get into your dialogue. __________________

07-14-2012, 02:35 PM	#3
ChadStrohl Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 753	Re: TV in background. I think there's something like this in The Departed. It's not a TV, but talking going on in the background. Of course it might have also been a shooting script. Can't remember. Anyway. The script states that the background dialogue is on an "attached sheet". This alleged sheet was nowhere to be found in this particular script, so who knows. I can't imagine it matters unless the background dialogue directly affects the foreground scene. But I'm just guessing.

07-14-2012, 06:22 PM	#5
mlongton Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 487	Re: TV in background. It's a 40-year old TV show and one of the people watching it was in it (is on the screen). So it matters that we see him there but what he says in the course of the program doesn't matter and I don't want to waste too much space on it. On the other hand, if it were ever to be made, someone would have to write some dialogue to go in the background.

07-15-2012, 12:22 AM	#6
wordprocessor User Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 79	Re: TV in background. I also agree with ATB. If it's integral to the story, I think it'd be nice to give a quick blurb of dialogue to establish the show's relevance/connection to the scene. I hope this isn't too much on a tangent, but in the Sixth Sense... I think I recall a scene where M. Night Shyamalan includes an insert of a medical file (or something like that)-- but instead of writing out the entire content of the file, he writes something to the effect of "the protagonist's eyes catch on words like... X disorder, Y symptom, Z etc..." If you're going to include dialogue, maybe it could parallel that?

07-15-2012, 12:31 AM	#7
wordprocessor User Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 79	Re: TV in background. I just clicked on scripttoolbox's link, wow, that's thorough. I suspect most questions here could just be linked to your website. What a great resource!

07-15-2012, 05:37 PM	#10
mlongton Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 487	Re: TV in background. Scripttoolbox's reference pages are really excellent. The basic problem here is that two basic premises - A: The script should contain all the information needed to make the movie, and B: The script should allow the reader to experience the (imaginary) movie - collide here. Because the TV dialogue, while necessary, is not impoprtant and takes a disproportionate amount of space. So I'm inclined to give a taste of it and say "CONTINUES AS..."

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode