Screenwriting : Writing "we see", "we hear" in a Script by Florin Şumălan

Florin Şumălan

Writing "we see", "we hear" in a Script

What do you think about writing "we see", "we hear" (or other words like this) in a script?

Do you think that it's a mistake, because it makes you aware that you are reading a script and that takes you out of the story?

Do you think that it's good, because it helps you visualize better the story?

What is your opinion about this?

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg

I use "we hear" and see it used all the time. I haven't any problem with it at all. "We See" is less useful to me as it begins to intrude on camera angles and that is of course a director's function so should not normally be in a script.

Craig D Griffiths

Nothing is bad if you do it well.

It is important if “we” the audience are aware and the characters are not.

Phil Clarke

Agree with Craig D Griffiths . I would add you should be aware why you're using them. At the end of the day, you could write "we see" and "we hear" before EVERYTHING in your action as that's what action is: audio and visual description. There are occasions where its use might be helpful to communicate the scene, but I would suggest blanket use where a script is littered with the first person plural pronoun is never a good look.

Eric Christopherson

Hearing any word or phrase in a text repeatedly can get irritating. I think the English language mavens call it an "echo." I'll use a few "we hear"s or "we see"s in a script, but not too many.

Doug Nelson

Personally I avoid using 'we see/hear' in my scripts. Nobody has complained so far.

Michael Hultquist

I avoid it. I feel it takes the reader out of the story.

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