Greetings 32ers!
I tend to try and find answers to my questions in scripts or on screenwrting articles, forums, blogs, podcasts etc., but this one won't go away.
I have a dystopian (aren't they all) sci-fi script where I have three overlapping timelines which are reasonably close together and cover 84 scenes/41 pages before the script settles into chronological order. It's not like 'Pulp Fiction', the three timelines involve the protagonist.
Although I haven't seen the film, I read that in 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', a character had different colour hair to individuate the two (assuming it was two) timelines. I have factored in the protagonist's hair and clothing as an indicator of differing timelines in my script and I don't want to use any supers/title cards to spell it out.
Any other ideas or advice?
Thanks!
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Not quite sure if this is what you're looking for, i.e. if eventually seen as a film, or for clarity in the script. For the latter, a trick some writers use is different color text for each timeline. The LITTLE WOMAN script successfully uses this method. A note of explanation about the colors is added on the second title page.
For the former, let the filmmakers figure it out.
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I didn't know that about the LITTLE WOMEN script. That's a really interesting way of creating a clear difference.
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You'll find them in scripts, trust me...just get ahold of those similar to your structure...
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Like...
Pretty generic.
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There are a number of ways to go about it: obviously on screen, one could use different color schemes, clothes, haircuts, etc. to distinguish each timeline for the protagonist, but on the page, you could give each timeline protagonist a different name (JOHN, JOHN ALPHA, etc.), you could put it into the slugline (INT. HOUSE - DAY - ORIGINAL TIMELINE), or you could do the color coding as E suggested
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I'm happy with the overlaps, as intimated above I had wondered about clarity for the reader. Part of the overlap early on is deliberate misdirection. The colour coding is an interesting option. I wish I had realised Writer Duet had different choices for text colour when I was writing it as that would have made it much easier when I created a spread sheet with the timeline next to each scene then separate tabs for each specific timeline and scenes! I'll dig out script suggestion. Thanks everyone!
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David, I really like your suggestion of adjusting the protagonist's name in the script, depending on the timeline. I've seen that a few times and it really helped me follow along while reading. It has the added benefit of not being a visual giveaway in the actual film, just easier to follow in the script.
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Thanks to those who stepped forward to give concrete examples about how to make it clear.