Screenwriting : Notes. by Andy Celis

Hi Andrea. Can you give a bit of context around the scene? I can help you via DM if you like.

There are a few ways you could do this.

1. Put 'CLOSE ON letter', then underneath that, the words that are on the letter for the audience to read. It's a little bit of directing, but should be okay.

2. Put SUPER. Then the words of the letter, which would come up onscreen for the audience to read.

3. Have the voice of the husband as a voice over... HUSBAND'S NAME (V.O) then underneath what he says that's in the letter as the wife is reading it.

4. Have the wife reading it out loud... NAME OF WIFE, then underneath in parenthesis (reading) then the words of the letter that she reads.

Try to avoid showing letters and notes on screen. People don't got to movies to read letters on the screen... Have your character look at the note and read it out loud and move on...

Hi Andrea,

Seeing how times have changed so much, I'd agree with Christopher - and especially considering that many people watch films these days on their phones. Imagine how tiny a letter would look on a tiny phone screen, and even if it's letter with just a few words..

Personally, I'd try to avoid if possible just showing a letter on-screen for the audience to read. I'd instead show the character reading the letter, and use the "voice" of the character who wrote the letter - like when Warren was reading Ndugu's letter that was written by Sister Nadine (and voiced by her) in About Schmidt, which you can see here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfcjyXmSqOs

Best fortunes in your creative endeavors, Andrea!

Christopher and Bill, i absolutely get what you mean but it just doesn´t feel right for the character to read it out loud. It just doesn´t work with the context of the scene. But that other option sounds good, thank you Bill!

Thank you so much Rosalind!

Thank you Brandon, that would be wonderful! Should I dm you the context of the scene?

Have the character enter the room, maybe do some other stuff (drop off keys, turn on TV, look through bills, etc.) before noticing it out of nowhere. Maybe try to word it as if she found it by accident somehow. Then have her look at the note without us knowing what it says (unless that information is important). Then, make the next scene being her where she was told to meet him. What do you think?

Tony, that would be a great idea but I think the note´s content is in fact important here!

once you have set scene and character sees/notices the note you write ON NOTE and then write what it says. (I'd write the note content in Italics). How the shot actually plays out will probably be explored by director. All you are wanting to "tell" is that there is important information on that note that the character/audience needs to know.

You may not even want to reveal the information but imply something to keep audience guessing. eg - "Jane places keys on desk. Grabs note stuck to phone. Reads it. Screws note up in rage, snatches keys back off desk and storms out."

This is a wonderful option, thank you Pete!