Originally posted by Marco

1) When you want to write the dialog for a character talking on the phone, what exactly do you use? (V.O.), (O.S.) All you hear is the distorted kind voice but no character.

I assume you only want to show one side of the conversation. If so I don't think you need (O.S) because it should be obvious. I could be wrong though. V.O is wrong though, that's the narrator speaking to the audience.

If you want to show both people and cut back and forth I've seen it where they have one person make the call, cut to the new location, and then say something like "From here we'll cut back and forth throughout the scene" which basically avoids cluttering up the read with a bunch of Location headings.

2) I was reading a Tarantino script and when there's a voice in the middle of a black screen, he writes BLACK FRAME and then the voiceover dialog(s). Is that the correct term when writing about a black screen?

Yes, that sounds right. He's saying it's black and nothing to see so there is no point telling us the voice is (vo) or (os) or whatever. One thing about Tarantino though is he directs his own pics (all except the early ones) so he might do things differently and nobody would know or care so he's not the best one to take examples from.

3) One last question, I never introduce the name of a character until the name is mentioned. How does that work with a group of unknown characters? For example, extra number two walks up and picks up a sheet of paper. Extra number three sneezes and so on. Is there a better way to describe and name a group of unknown supporting cast?

I've normally seen people introduced when they appear, not necessarily when named. If they appear in earlier scenes sort of in the background you still want to highlight that unless you're leaving it up to the director to decide. You should just give a brief description (thugish guy and party girl look on) and then later when you introduce him because he's interacting with the main character or center stage you say something like. This is CLAUDE, he's the thuggish guy from the party scene.

I have seen a few times where someone appeared and was given a false name to throw off the reader or whatever and then later when named the name changes but unless you've got a surprise going you risk confusing the reader.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

Thanks a lot, I didn't really understand your first answer. So if I'm showing only one side of phone conversation, what would I use for the person you can't see?

The first time they speak you can put (on phone) under their name. I don't think you have to do that everytime. (on phone) will tell the people that (a) he's not in the room and (b) the sound might be slightly filtered.

That is how I would do it. Perhaps someone else has a different idea.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA