Formatting Unseen Characters

Wordsmith · External Since: May 01, 2007 Posts: 113

Say you've got characters speaking over black leader because
the viewpoint character is blindfolded or is groggy because he's
not quite out of a coma yet. Should those speaking have the
"(O. S.)" marker attached? I mean, it's obvious he's not seeing
them, so it seems to me contextually redundant to put it.
Should I attach it anyway? Thanks.

W : )

Martin B · External Since: Mar 23, 2005 Posts: 70

"Alan Brooks"

> I think this is a case for writing *precisely* what the viewer is
> seeing. If you want to see blackness and hear voices, then yes,
> you need (O.S.)

Over black screen I'd say (V.O.).

--
Martin B

Alan Brooks · External Since: Dec 13, 2004 Posts: 843

"Wordsmith" <wordsmith.TakeThisOut@rocketmail.com> wrote:

> Say you've got characters speaking over black leader because
> the viewpoint character is blindfolded or is groggy because he's
> not quite out of a coma yet. Should those speaking have the
> "(O. S.)" marker attached? I mean, it's obvious he's not seeing
> them, so it seems to me contextually redundant to put it.
> Should I attach it anyway? Thanks.

You mean the audience is seeing the same blackness as the blindfolded main
character? Can't say that's very cinematic, but it sure will keep
production costs low.

I think this is a case for writing *precisely* what the viewer is seeing.
If you want to see blackness and hear voices, then yes, you need (O.S.) If
we're seeing the blindfolded hero sitting in a chair and the voices are in
the room but we don't see the speakers, same thing.

Alan Brooks
---------------------------
A Schmuck with an Underwood

-- (Don't) write what you
(Don't) see.

MWSM FAQ: http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/faq.html
Filtering Trolls: http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/trolls.html

Wordsmith · External Since: May 01, 2007 Posts: 113

On Sep 27, 3:59 pm, Alan Brooks <ch....RemoveThis@panix.com> wrote:
> "Wordsmith" <wordsm....RemoveThis@rocketmail.com> wrote:
> > Say you've got characters speaking over black leader because
> > the viewpoint character is blindfolded or is groggy because he's
> > not quite out of a coma yet. Should those speaking have the
> > "(O. S.)" marker attached? I mean, it's obvious he's not seeing
> > them, so it seems to me contextually redundant to put it.
> > Should I attach it anyway? Thanks.
>
> You mean the audience is seeing the same blackness as the blindfolded main
> character? Can't say that's very cinematic, but it sure will keep
> production costs low.
>
> I think this is a case for writing *precisely* what the viewer is seeing.
> If you want to see blackness and hear voices, then yes, you need (O.S.) If
> we're seeing the blindfolded hero sitting in a chair and the voices are in
> the room but we don't see the speakers, same thing.
>
> Alan Brooks
> ---------------------------
> A Schmuck with an Underwood
>
> -- (Don't) write what you
> (Don't) see.
>
> MWSM FAQ:http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/faq.html
> Filtering Trolls:http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/trolls.html

I'm mulling it over. Mulling finished. Agree. Thanks.

W : )

Wordsmith · External Since: May 01, 2007 Posts: 113

On Sep 27, 4:12 pm, Wordsmith <wordsm....DeleteThis@rocketmail.com> wrote:
> On Sep 27, 3:59 pm, Alan Brooks <ch....DeleteThis@panix.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > "Wordsmith" <wordsm....DeleteThis@rocketmail.com> wrote:
> > > Say you've got characters speaking over black leader because
> > > the viewpoint character is blindfolded or is groggy because he's
> > > not quite out of a coma yet. Should those speaking have the
> > > "(O. S.)" marker attached? I mean, it's obvious he's not seeing
> > > them, so it seems to me contextually redundant to put it.
> > > Should I attach it anyway? Thanks.
>
> > You mean the audience is seeing the same blackness as the blindfolded main
> > character? Can't say that's very cinematic, but it sure will keep
> > production costs low.
>
> > I think this is a case for writing *precisely* what the viewer is seeing.
> > If you want to see blackness and hear voices, then yes, you need (O.S.) If
> > we're seeing the blindfolded hero sitting in a chair and the voices are in
> > the room but we don't see the speakers, same thing.
>
> > Alan Brooks
> > ---------------------------
> > A Schmuck with an Underwood
>
> > -- (Don't) write what you
> > (Don't) see.
>
> > MWSM FAQ:http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/faq.html
> > Filtering Trolls:http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/trolls.html
>
> I'm mulling it over. Mulling finished. Agree. Thanks.
>
> W : )- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Let me clarify this a bit more: the character is, for a few seconds,
literally as well as metaphorically, "in the dark". It will be
necessary
for the audience to be, for a brief time, "in the dark" also to drive
home
a point the character doesn't quite want to admit about himself. It's
brief, so the audience won't think the projector bulb burned out. What
the unseen characters are saying is inconsequential vis a vis the
bigger picture about what the blinded character is obscuring from
himself.

W : )

Remysun · External Since: Jan 11, 2009 Posts: 55

On Sep 27, 5:59 pm, Alan Brooks <ch....RemoveThis@panix.com> wrote:

> You mean the audience is seeing the same blackness as the blindfolded main
> character? Can't say that's very cinematic, but it sure will keep
> production costs low.

That reminds me, I was all set to watch Wait Until Dark yesterday
afternoon, but watched the trailer that said that the theatres were
told to turn out the lights, so I was gonna wait until dark, and as a
result never got around to it yet.