Often, narrative is condensed time in performances such as film, TV, radio and theatre. Writers need to handle time so that their audience can invision it.
Screenplays, theatre plays and radio plays are not like novels. In novels, you can almost cheat when time passes. Create a new chapter or simply state that the time has changed. But performance plays are different. The audience cannot see or hear these cunning techniques in the same way they can read them in novels. So a writer has to handle time in other creative ways.
1. Use a Screen Montage to handle time
One way to visually handle the movement of time is to have a montage. Disney’s UP has a montage that is done well.
This scene shows us Carl’s married life until his wife dies. We know how much he doted on her and this is why he cannot bare to let the house go.
When you need time to pass, particularly if it is a long period like this, a montage is helpful.
Montages can be written in bullet points, with the montage beginning and end indicated either through scene headers (useful if in different locations) or in the same scene if they are in the same location.
Montage example
MONTAGE
- INT. HOME — Lucy (8) waffles down breakfast. She runs to the window. Her hands are pressed against the glass. Snow is on the windowsill. The pet dog comes to say hi and blocks her view.
- INT HOME — Lucy looks out the window. The snow has gone, in its place is greenery. Cars wiz pass and she looks at them, hopeful. A noise makes her look back into the room. Balloons are everywhere. She removes herself from the window and hugs her dad. They head upstairs.
- INT / EXT HOME — Lucy takes the steps 2 at a time. She is bigger (12). She opens the door. The ground is littered with autumn leaves. A woman (40s) stands at the door.
END MONTAGE
Ok this is not necessarily a good scene, I made it as an example, but the use of seasons show time passing, as well as the child growing. By the end, we learn that the girl was waiting for the woman and the montage comes to a close. The scene following the montage will confirm or hint as to why the woman was important for the child.
Montage Troubleshooting issues
They can be overused. They should only be used when a series of shots can bring meaning to the story. The example of Up shows the deterioration of their dreams. Their savings always had to be used for issues; Elle discovered she was infertile, and then Elle died. The dream of a family and moving abroad apparently lost.
All without the use of dialogue and long dragged out scenes.
For things with this level of importance, montages are great. But if you are using a montage as a filler until the next scene, they will fail. Best just jump to the next scene without the filler. If the montage feels like it is not working in your story, see if the story works better when you omit it.
Also, montages will not work as well for radio plays but the technique below might.
2. Use Dialogue to Move Time Along
If used effectively, dialogue can also help show the passing of time regardless the script format. For example, a character can invite another character to a party at the end of the week. A visual scene, or audio noise of a party will let the audience know that a week has past.
Screen example
INT. BEDROOM - DAY
JANIE (18) sits in her room, her knees huddled up close.
HAZEL (19) sits on the edge of her bed.
HAZEL
We need to get you out.
Janie shakes her head.
HAZEL
Fred has a party this
weekend. You’re coming.
Hazel rummages through a wardrobe. She throws dresses onto
the bed.
JANIE
I'd rather not.
HAZEL
You can't hide forever
(beat)
Perfect. Just perfect.
Hazel shows Janie the dress.
HAZEL
I'll pick you up on Saturday.
EXT. FRED’S HOUSE - NIGHT
PEOPLE gather outside the house. Many have cups of alcohol.
Hazel drags Janie through the garden. Janie wears a different dress to the one Hazel picked.
JANIE
I don’t want to be here.
HAZEL
Just a few hours, I promise.
Not a perfect example but it does the trick. We know that it is Saturday when the girls arrive at the party. There are scenes that can be placed between the first and the second. Perhaps the second scene is Janie bullied at school or parents arguing. The party can be scene three and we will still know the days moved forward to a Saturday.
Similar can be done in radio and theatre. The difference for theatre will be the format, and radio will have a few more difference. Radio will focus more on the sound. Hazel may have noisy shoes and Janie may have been sniffing as she sat on the bed. But the mention of the party works for all formats.
For radio, instead of describing a crowd, the description will be party noises, crowd noises, people shouting CHUG. Together, with the conversation, the audience will understand time moved forward.
Troubleshooting time-handling in Dialogue
If the dialogue is not written well enough, it will be obvious why the character said it. You want to audience to pick up on the date of the week without it standing out too much. My own example personally stands out too much.
One way to fix this is by inserting it as gossip, or assume the character already knows and get another to ask: “so what are you wearing to the prom next Saturday?”
It will feel more natural. Two friends asking about what the other will wear. Whereas, in my example: “Fred has a party this weekend.” No one says that in real life. It’ll sound clunky to the actors, and it will be clunky on the production.
Always aim for natural writing that can hide any exposition within the narrative. This will help with true foreshadowing.
3. Using Scene Headers and Description
For visual performances (TV, Theatre and Film), scene headers and description can work together to move time forward. Especially if a lot of time has moved forward. The audience will not see the scene headers, but the description will help them catch up.
EXT. NIGHT CLUB
KELLY (17) and BRANDON (23) are intimate behind the alley of a night club. The sound of music blares out. Both groan from fulfilment.
INT. HOSPITAL – 9 MONTHS LATER
Kelly screams out in pain. Brandon holds her hand. Kelly pulls the hand away. She screams again. She is in labour. Another push and a baby cries.
Audience are not dumb. They know a baby is not born in a day (unless there is some unnatural reason that is explained within the narrative) so things like children born, seasons changing, people growing up. These visuals will tell them that time has moved on.
Additionally, the scene headers can be used in the opposite way.
INT. FOREST – NIGHT
MILLIE (20) runs through the thick trees. She does not look behind her. She trips over the root of a redwood. Millie tries to crawl away. A hand grabs hold of her.
VAL (32) has hold of Millie. Millie looks away from Val. Millie’s hand hands instinctively cover her face.
INT. CLUB – 18 MONTHS AGO
Millie sits at a table by herself. She is scrolling through her phone and sipping an orange juice. She seems oblivious to the loud blaring music and the flashing lights from the DJ station.
Val approaches Millie’s table. Millie looks up.
VAL
This seat taken?
Millie shakes her head
VAL
I’m Val.
This works to show the audience that Val seems nice now, but in a year and a half, something is going to happen to make Millie run from her.
Troubleshooting scene headers and description
Only the reader will be able to see the scene headers. The director might decide a super-title will be a good use to tell how much time has passed.
Scene headers are not enough alone, something must tell us time has passed. birth of a baby, change of season, coming back from a year-round trip. Sometimes, showing the newspaper may also help to establish time and place, as well as the use of traditional holidays.
When flashing back to the past, showing how time has changed may be harder. Visual techniques can be used here too. Maybe a top the character wears is torn in the future, but in the past it is brand new. Perhaps they have long her and in the past it is short.
Little details like this will really bring the Script to life and help you handle time changes in your script.
Summary of Ways to Handle Time
A montage can be a useful tool if used well. Montages must be used to show an important series of events that add to your narrative. They are not the best method to use on radio plays.
Dialogue is also another useful tool to show time moving on. Used in a natural setting and by two characters interacting with each other, the exposition has a chance to be buried. However, the time or date will be remembered when the hinted scene arrives.
Scene headers and descriptions will help the visual plays to highlight the change of time. The scene header lets the reader know how much time, while the description will allow the visual audience to know time has changed. Together, the scriptwriter and producer will work together to show how much time has passed so that the audience can grasp it.
Sometimes, all three of these techniques will be used. Scene header, descriptions and dialogue especially are likely to go well together.
What would you like to see me post about next? Feel free to let me know on Facebook, twitter or down in the comments.