I know there are multiple ways to do this, but how do you guys format a bar scene? Specifically, one. group is talking, hears a commotion across the bar, then the commotion group has dialogue.Then back to the original group across the bar, who has dialogue, then back at the commotion group.
How do you write a back and forth like that? Just add Int. Scene - Corner of Bar Int. Bar Scene - Opposite side of Bar, and back and forth? Or is there any easier way that saves precious page space?
Thanks!
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Hi, Amber Nolan. I'd figure out a way to write the action lines in a way that it's easy to know where the groups are in the bar, or I'd write the scene like this:
INT. BAR - NIGHT
The place is packed. Someone turn down the music! Everyone's drunk. Or they will be soon.
Three friends plop down at the corner of the bar. Character descriptions.
KELLY
What y'all drinking?
RICH
Hennessy.
EDWARD
I'll have apple juice.
KELLY
Apple juice? It's a bar.
The friends hear a commotion across the bar. They lean forward to get a good look at what's going on.
AT ______ (a name for the commotion group or OPPOSITE SIDE OF BAR)
Action lines and dialogue
AT THREE FRIENDS (or CORNER OF BAR)
Action lines and dialogue
AT ______ (a name for the commotion group or OPPOSITE SIDE OF BAR)
Action lines and dialogue
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Thanks guys
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You're welcome, Amber Nolan.
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If you want to know how to format, one possibility is that you ask AI. To avoid misunderstandment, AI writes poorly, but has some knowledge about formating. So you can ask AI to write a few bar scenes, and hope that at least one will have the formating you need for the scene you plan to write.
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One way to do this can be with mini-scene heading modifiers. So you'd have your full scene heading at the start, go to the main group, then once you have indicated the second group use something like "(Character A's) group and then "(Character B's) group". This will show the perspective changing from one to the other clearly to the reader. There are different ways to achieve this but the most important thing is that your intention is clear to someone reading your script for the first time.