Double identity

[slopnik]

Hi,

any suggestions how to label a dialogue for someone who is trapped in someone else's body in a screenplay. Here is the situation: person A (Amy) is killed and finds herself trapped in her killer. It is only occasionally that she appears and takes over the control. I have found a perfect way in which to show that in action lines, but how can I clear that in her/his dialogue.

I have checked the original Exorcist where they simply wrote

REGAN/DEMON
Keep away! The sow is mine!

No introduction or special note, nothing, just the dialogue.

Would it be okay if I write (NOTE: Whenever Amy takes over the control in Mark, Mark's dialogue is labeled with AMY/MARK), and then simply do what they did in The Exorcist.
I do not intend to write double dialogue, they will each have the complete control over Mark's body. I just want the reader to understand when Amy speaks through Mark and when she controls his actions.

[Eric Boellner]

Re: Double identity

A note from the writer to the reader can come across as distracting and amateur. If you properly show the reader that Amy is now trapped in Mark's body, the note would be redundant anyway.

My suggestion would simply be to include an action line before the first line of dialogue from Amy/Mark, to the effect of: "Amy speaks through Mark." followed by AMY/MARK in the char line, then the dialogue.

[slopnik]

Re: Double identity

followed by AMY/MARK in the char line, then the dialogue.

So it would be okay to simply use AMY/MARK as a character's dialogue label, even if it is not a dual dialogue, just to indicate that another person speaks through Mark's body?

[StoryWriter]

Re: Double identity

So it would be okay to simply use AMY/MARK as a character’s dialogue label, even if it is not a dual dialogue, just to indicate that another person speaks through Mark’s body?

Just my opinion, but the way the two separate people, in one body, talk and act should do most of the heavy lifting, to identify who is in control. If one entity spits blood and the other snuggles puppies -- that could be a dead give away.

So I think "AMY/MARK" works.