Screenwriting : Formatting a daydream sequence by Susan Holtzer

Susan Holtzer

Formatting a daydream sequence

I have a character who occasionally (not often, I promise) lapses into Walter Mitty-like daydreams. Can anyone suggest a way to format these?

Stacy Gentile

Simply solved. Go to GOOGLE and search for Walter Mitty Screenplay PDF http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/Secret_Life_of_Walter_MItty,The.pdf

Michael Lee Burris

I'd just use (TRANSITION) - WALTER MITTY DAYDREAM format content of scene normally then when over - (TRANSITION) WALTER MITTY DAYDREAM OVER or DAYDREAM OVER. I use Final Draft though. I would set-up the daydream sequence with a blank stare, a puzzled look or something in normal format action sequence when doing so. I don't think its necessary to be "off the nose" when setting up a daydream sequence. I wouldn't worry about being "off the nose" when bringing the character out of the daydream sequence either. Peace out and good luck.

CJ Walley

There's a few ways of doing it and it tends to depend on the length of the daydream/hallucination. If it's just a moment then it can easily thread into action narrative ie; As CJ enters his forum message he pauses for a moment and imagines his username reads Craphands. He carries on typing. If it's longer than that then it looks good to wrap it with slugs in a similar vein to Michael's advice. Can be whatever you want such as DAYDREAM at the start and END DAYDREAM at the end. If it's effectively a scene in itself then you may as well go whole hog and format it as such. So it would just be a normal scene slug but with something like DAYDREAM affixed ie INT. WHITE ROOM - DAYDREAM and then the next slug may be affixed with something like REALITY if it isn't clear we've switched back.

Clare McGlinchey

The Hollywood Standard by Christopher Riley

Susan Holtzer

Thanks, folks. I'm thinking now I'll simply format it the way you do a flashback. It's more or less the same in terms of the screenplay -- a sequence that's outside of the ongoing narrative. Does that make sense?

William Martell

What CJ said (again) and you can hunt down the script for HIGH FIDELITY online for some actual examples.

Ewan Dunbar

Format it as a new scene but with "DAYDREAM" at the end of the scene heading and clearly indicate "END OF DAYDREAM" at the end.

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