Screenwriting : Dream Sequences by Rick Hardin

If the viewer doesn't know it's a dream sequence, write it as if it's not. In other words, exactly as you describe. And when she "sits bolt upright", that's a new slugline with INT. JANE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT.

I'm curious why that matters. The viewers don't see the script. The script is for the actors to know where they are at, and the editor's job to make it look like whatever.

I think it needs to be in the script - as Dawn says the watcher is not reading the script. It will confuse the actors if it's not in there.

Kerry got what I was trying to say here. My thought here is the viewer will realize at the end of the scene that what they've just seen is a dream not real life. Until then they don't know. So to recreate that effect for the reader I'm asking if I could leave out the typical format of spelling out that it's a dream and not actually happening. I don't want to give away the surprise or the "aha" moment. What this script is for me is a spec script so it's as much as a sales pitch for the story and my writing ability. Assuming it gets sold the dream sequence instruction could be put back in for clarity because at that time I won't be worried that the reader is captivated I just need to relate instructions on how I see the film being made.

Ami if the actors need to "play" dreamy somehow, then that should be in the script. You can write, "Her voice is distant. There's an otherworldly quality to the scene. The sky is strangely pink." Whatever. But if the viewers won't know it's a dream, don't put "DREAM SEQUENCE" in the script. The writer's job is to illustrate what the viewer will see on screen, not advertise to the reader how they should understand the scene retrospectively.

Why not start off with her day dreaming, lost in thought.... whilst in a public place.... She could be watching a scene for example whilst sitting on a park bench... reminiscing...The scene of course would be something that she relates to by way of her dreams. Just a thought.

Perhaps not, just read she awakens from a dream... tis then, you realise she is dreaming.

Wouldn't fade in be of her acting out the dream scene? Then switch to her waking up to the alarm clock style of thing. A banging on her door.... perhaps... Cat jumping on her head to rouse her from her sleep is a good one.

If she is living her dream at the start, the audience won't know it is a dream...Until, the happening occurs to jolt her out of the dream state....

Could be she is day dreaming in her dream.....The dream feels so real to her... till she is suddenly made aware that she was only dreaming.....

Yes, well ummmm.... Let me try to unravel what I was trying to say... I am trying to figure it out in my own mind now.... seemed clear when I wrote it earlier... Of course the audience can not read the script... Will get back to you on this one Alle.... smiles.

When writing, you only use 'begin dream sequence' when it comes in as a part of the story to drive the story along. when the whole story is a dream, you keep your writing normal; start with your normal scene header- INT.HOSPITAL LOBBY-NIGHT, When you get to a point in your screenplay where it can be revealed that the whole story has been a dream, you simply describe it in the ACTION direction. Example- Let's say you are writing about a lady, SANDRA, whose dramatic need is to locate her true mother, all her hopes is hinged on finding her mother which you have established all through the screenplay and towards the end of the second act you want to reveal we had been in the protagonist dream all along you may use- SANDRA wakes, sweating all over. She looks around all scared and reaches for her phone to call her MUM. It now dawns on us- its been a DREAM all the while, SANDRA's hopes has been nothing but a dream. This way, your reader would flip back through the pages, same as your audience, they would wonder where they had been fooled all along.

Keep in mind that the script is what the filmmkers see, not what the audience sees. You can designate it DREAM SEQUENCE at the beginning without affecting what the viewer will see onscreen.

Yes, but as a screenwriter, YOUR audience is a producer, director or star you want to attach and it is essential that they go along for the same ride (or as close as can be) as you want the eventual theater audience to go on. Definitely don't tip your hand at the beginning. As for the format demons (let's call it like it is, shall we?) my produced, repped, frequently paid screenwriter friend says, format is only a problem when the script isn't engaging. If they're stopping because you labeled something wrong, then the problem isn't your formatting. Obviously, there's a limit to that, as no one's going to read past the first page of something that looks completely unprofessional, but you get my point. The formatting rules are there to streamline the process; don't let them do the opposite and mess up the read.

Judyth, I don't know if you saw my earlier response but this is a spec script and I want the reader to have the same "aha" moment that the viewer would when they find out it's a only dream. I don't want to tip my hand.

Be that as it may, I don't think it would work that way. A spec script is where you can show off your professionalism so as to attract an assignment, and that means sticking to industry norms. The "it was only a dream" is less likely to bring on an "aha moment" than an "oh, not another one." This is only my opinion, of course, but I think you'd do far better to write your spec script as if somebody were actually going to shoot it.

Everyone's allowed an opinion, That's why I posted the question because I can see both points of view and wanted to hear what other people thought.

Rick, another thing you might want to do is to think about a well known - big movie that happened in. One that actually got made. See if you can locate the script online and see how they described it. There are lots of scripts available to read for free. It may give you some insight to how successful screenwriters did it . A smart man learns from his mistakes, a genius learns from other's mistakes. :-)

Judyth, putting in a slugline that miscommunicates the intentions of the story to the reader is not a mark of professionalism. "Industry norms" are to tell the story as the audience sees it. I think your position here is not correct.

Rick, could you tell us what the dream was about?

The script is filled with dream sequences. The log line is: " A distraught woman suffering from chronic nightmares ops to take an experimental drug with surprising results." I have the synopsis posted here on Stage32 in your interested.

"opts", although I'd change "opts to take" to just "takes" anyway. I think you need to give us a hint of what those surprising results are. She sees monsters? She's suddenly irresistibly attractive to nerds?

You're right I have this huge logline that was way to clunky so I trimmed it down, too much it seems. How's this: "A distraught woman suffering from chronic nightmares takes an experimental drug with surprising results; her new dreams show glimpses of her future."

Nice one Rick.... Are you still going to start off with a dream sequence?

Just read the back posts, than you Rick I will take a read.... sounds very interesting....

Left a note on your page, let me know what you thought...maybe a help or not.

Making her a remote viewer I think would work. She had the ability all along and what she presumed were nightmares were more than just bad dreams...the drugs given by Roman only enhance her ability... But then again, that nasty knew that.... a good reason for being held a prisoner.

If you started the scene with her in a hypnotists chair being regressed... and she is dreaming of the scene, remembering the entire happening as it is happening... It would be more real to her being a remote viewer. So, she herself can not tell dream state from reality until... she herself awakens from that dream. I do think it would be possible to film a person in that scene... You see the hypnotist put her under, then, the scene changes to her thinking.... maybe... then when she wakes up, she realises she was re-living her time in the hypnotherapists office. The audience would be then watching what they think is the start of the movie... her being regressed...but it isn't really... until she wakes up. Could that be done?

The regression scene allows for the audience to get a glimpse into her nightmare, dream state. The girl has been psychic all along and didn't understand her ability. What she refers to as nightmares... are pre cognitions. Interesting thought to add... what if the scene she is dreaming about is a warning to her about the hypnotherapist... perhaps it was suggested she go there by Roman... That ties the shady hypnotherapist to the nasty Roman.... Sorry... just had to get that in there...in case it might be of help.