How To Format Flashbacks In A Screenplay

The purpose of flashbacks in a screenplay is to give the audience information that is  needed to move the story forward and to clarify the actions of the characters. They  should only be used when absolutely necessary.

When a character recalls an important event from his past, that memory can be shown in a  flashback. But the flashback should be a significant event, one that influenced the  character's actions in the present. This event should provide the audience with clues about  the character's motivation. The flashback can reveal a strong desire or recall a terrifying,  thrilling, shameful, or happy experience.

Techniques For Formatting a Flashback

To determine where a flashback is needed in the script, the screenwriter should decide when the audience needs to know something from the character's past. Getting into the flashback scene—transitioning—is just as important as the flashback scene itself. Transitions must be executed smoothly and seamlessly so that the audience is not jolted from the present to the past, and back again to the present.

To smoothly transition into a flashback from a present-time scene, you can use techniques that evoke the protagonist's memory. He can look at a photograph that carries him back in time. He can gaze at a lake or mountain that carries him back to a similar setting in his past. Or he can hear a melody that evokes a memory of a past time.

Here is an example of formatting a transition to a flashback and a flashback scene:

INT. SAIGON HOTEL ROOM – DAY (1983)

Kim gets up from the sofa. Crosses the room to the window. Gazes down at people

walking along the street. She stares at a mother and a young girl about her

own age.

                                                                                                       FLASHBACK TO:

INT. SAIGON HOSPITAL – DAY (1981)

Kim's mother is in a hospital bed. Kim is holding her hand, squeezing hard.

                                                KIM

                          Mother, mother open your eyes.

Kim drops her mother's lifeless hand. She stares with unbelieving eyes.

A voice calls her name, "Kim! Kim!"

BACK TO PRESENT

Kim turns away from the window. Steve is calling her name.

                                                STEVE

                          Kim! Kim! Are you okay?

                                                KIM

                          Yes.

                                                STEVE

                          You seemed far away when I called you.

In the above example, the present-time scene transitions into a flashback. Kim gazes out the window and sees a mother and daughter who evoke a memory of her own mother.

The words, FLASHBACK TO (all caps), appear at the right of the page, indicating that the next scene is a flashback. The flashback scene itself is formatted like any other scene. In this example, it is set in a Saigon hospital. We see Kim's memory of her dying mother. So the audience learns what happened to Kim's mother and how it affected her.

Notice how the flashback transitions back to the present-time scene. Kim hears a voice calling her name, calling her back to the present. The words, BACK TO PRESENT (all caps), appear on the left side of the page, indicating that we are leaving the flashback and returning to the present time. The transition is smooth because we see Kim turn away from the window where her memory was first evoked in a flashback. She turns away because a voice distracts her from her memory and makes her focus on the present time.

By reading screenplays with flashbacks, you'll learn how to transition into and out of them and when to use them effectively. They shouldn't be used indiscriminately. It's best to show action in present time and use flashback scenes only to give the audience information it can't get from present-time action.

To write a flashback scene, ask yourself several questions:

1.) What does the audience need to know about the protagonist's past that cannot be shown

      in a present-time scene?

2.) Where does the flashback take place? Describe the geographic location.

3.) When does the flashback memory take place? Pinpoint the time period. Did the event

      take place in the character's childhood, several months ago, or many years ago?

4.) Who are the other characters in the flashback and why are they important?

5.) How is the character's memory evoked as a flashback? This is known as the transition

      into the flashback. Does a place, sound, picture, or present event trigger a memory?

     How does the character return (transition) to the present from his memory, or flashback?

     Does someone call his name, telephone him, tap him on the shoulder?

Source : FilmmakerIQ.com

How To Format Dialogue In Different Situations

Sometimes dialogue in a screenplay doesn't involve one character speaking to another character face to face. Instead, there might be off-screen dialogue, telephone dialogue, or voice-over narration.

Off-Screen Dialogue

When the audience doesn't see a character who is speaking, the dialogue in the screenplay must be formatted so that it's clear which character is speaking and where that character is located. For example, a scene can be set in a room where a woman calls a child who is upstairs in his bedroom. The audience sees the woman but not the child. However, the audience hears the child answering.

Example:

The WOMAN wipes her hands on her apron and looks up at the staircase.

                                             WOMAN

                                        (calling loudly)

                           Andrew, come down here right now or

                           you'll miss the school bus!

                                             ANDREW (O.S.)

                           Be right there.

In the example above, O.S. appears in parentheses and is used to indicate that Andrew is OFF SCREEN. We don't see Andrew, but we hear his reply. The abbreviation, O.S., is used to format OFF SCREEN dialogue. A character's voice may be heard from another room, from outside the house, over a loudspeaker, or any place OFF SCREEN.

                

Telephone Dialogue

Often, a character in a script is required to speak on the telephone. The audience won't see who the character is speaking to, but will hear the character's voice over the telephone. This use of dialogue formatting is known as a VOICE OVER, which is abbreviated and placed in parentheses next to the character's name.

Example:

                                              JACK

                                        (on the phone; frantic)

                          Where's my daughter? If you hurt

                          her, I'll kill you!

                                              KIDNAPPER (V.O.)

                                        (voice disguised)

                           Nothing will happen to her if you do

                           exactly what I say.

Narration

Some screenplays use a narrator who we hear but don't see. When the audience hears his voice but doesn't see him in the scene, his dialogue is referred to as a VOICE OVER and is abbreviated to read, (V.O.). The narrator gives the audience background information needed to move the story forward quickly.

An excellent example of the effective use of narration is the screenplay for

The Shawshank Redemption. After the protagonist, Andy Dufresne, is sentenced to serve time at Shawshank Prison, the character, Red, is introduced as another prisoner at Shawshank. He's a major character who befriends Andy and is part of the plot. But Red is also a narrator. When he acts as a narrator, his voice supplies information and provides commentary on the action.

Example from The Shawshank Redemption:

                                              RED (V.O.)

                           I must admit I didn't think much of Andy first

                           time I laid eyes on him…

(Darabont, Frank. The Shawshank Redemption: The Shooting Script. New York. Newmarket Press. 1966.)

Forrest Gump is an example of another screenplay that uses narration to give the audience information they wouldn't get from the action. Forrest, the protagonist, participates in the action of the story and sometimes acts as a narrator who gives us information in a VOICE OVER.

Example:

Forrest gets down and looks around.

                                              FORREST (V.O.)

                           It wasn't always fun. Lt. Dan always

                           gettin' these funny feelings about a rock or

                           a trail, or the road, so he'd tell you to get

                           down, shut up!

                                              LT. DAN

                           Get down! Shut up!

                                              FORREST (V.O.)

                           So we did.

(Roth, Eric. Forrest Gump. Based on the novel, Forrest Gump, by Winston Groom. Washington Square Press.)

Keep in mind that action is the most important element in a screenplay. The characters' actions define them and move the story toward a climax. But narration cannot take the place of action. Instead, narration enhances the action and provides information the audience needs.

Reading screenplays that use O.S. dialogue and V.O. dialogue can help aspiring screenwriters gain a better understanding of how and when to use these formatting techniques.

Source : FilmmakerIQ.com

How To Format A Screenplay: Establishing Time And Place

It's important to establish the time and place of your story in the opening scene of your screenplay. Doing so gives the audience the geographic location and era in which the story takes place.

By clearly describing the time and place early in your screenplay, your audience will be immediately engaged in the plot and won't wonder where and when the story takes place. We have all seen films that fail to do this, and we look for clues about the setting and the year as we try to follow the story. It's a distraction. Good films use what is known as an establishing shot to establish time and place.

Though screenwriters shouldn't use camera directions in a script, it's the screenwriter's job to provide clues for the audience that pinpoint the time period. For example, the story may take place in present day or many years or decades in the past. It can also be set hundreds or thousands of years in the future.

In establishing the setting, or place, the audience needs hints about the geographic location of the story. For example, a story can be set in a city in the U.S. like New York, and we might see the New York City skyline in the opening scene. The story can also be set in Kansas, and we might see a road sign that reads, "Kansas City." It could be set in ancient Rome, in India in 1836, in Los Angeles in the year 2095, or on a distant planet in the year 3000           

In a screenplay, an establishing shot may be written and formatted in the following way:

EXT. TIMES SQUARE, NEW YORK – EVENING

Crowds of people move slowly along Times Square. Late-model cars and taxis are snarled in traffic. We HEAR horns HONKING. Theater marquees flash the titles of    shows—The Lion King, Mamma Mia, Rent, Wicked.

In this example, the setting is immediately recognized because Times Square is a place most audiences have seen and recognize as being part of New York City. The late-model cars and the titles of the Broadway shows provide clues that this story takes place in current time.

Another technique for establishing time and place is the use of a subtitle on screen that gives the place and the date. For example:

EXT. JUNGLE – DAY

Heavy rain falls on dense forest, thick with tangled vines. Mist rises from the forest floor. We HEAR monkeys SCREECHING and birds CALLING.

SUBTITLE FADES IN: BORNEO, INDONESIA – 1980

In this example, the scene is described, but it could be a forest anywhere in the world. However, when the subtitle flashes on screen, it tells the audience that this forest is in Borneo, Indonesia and the year is 1980.

You must establish the time and place of your story at the beginning of your screenplay. To do this in your opening scene, ask yourself several questions:

1)    When does the story take place? Does it take place now, in the past, in the future?

       When possible, use visual clues to pinpoint the time period. For example, car

        models, clothing styles, and other elements can identify the time.

2)    Where does the story take place? Describe the geographic location. Include

        specific details that identify the location such as road signs, skylines, titles on

        buildings, historic landmarks, etc.

3)    What other cinematic devices can you use to give the audience specific information

        about the geographic location and year? Would subtitles provide this information?

Source : FilmmakerIQ.com

How to Format Screenplay 3

Scene transitions in a screenplay indicate changes from one setting to a new setting, or from one time frame to a different time frame.

Transitional instructions should always be used to indicate these changes.

"CUT TO:" is the simplest form of transition. The words "CUT TO:" are typed in capital letters at the right of the page. CUT TO: (punctuated with a colon) is inserted after an abrupt change from one setting to another.

Example:

CLOSE ON the framed photograph of Harriet sitting on a sailboat next to a tall, handsome young man who has his arm around her. They are smiling, happy, in love.

                                                                                                                     CUT TO:

EXT. NEW YORK HARBOR - SAME DAY

We see CHARLES, the handsome young man from the photograph, among a crowd of people boarding a cruise ship docked in New York harbor.

Double spacing is used before and after "CUT TO:" or other transitional instructions.

Several scenes linked together that move from interior to exterior do not require instructions such as "CUT TO" because the changing scene headings explain the scene change.

In a dynamic screenplay, the action moves inside (INT.) and outside (EXT.). If all the action were to take place in one setting, it would be visually dull. That's why a well-structured screenplay moves from place to place.

Example:

EXT. NEW YORK HARBOR - SAME DAY

We see CHARLES, the handsome young man from the photograph, among a crowd of people boarding a cruise ship docked in New York harbor.                                                                

Standing next to Charles is a beautiful blonde WOMAN who smiles at Charles and looks at him adoringly.                                                               

Charles takes the WOMAN'S hand. They laugh gaily as they hurry up the gangplank.

BACK TO                                                               

INT. BRIDE'S ROOM - SAME

Harriet reaches for the telephone on her dressing table. She punches in some numbers. We hear what Harriet hears--the voice of an OPERATOR.                                                              

Other transitional instructions you may have seen in published screenplays include FLASHBACK, BACK TO, BACK TO SCENE, SERIES OF SHOTS, etc. These instructions are typed at the left margin, followed by a two-line space. The new scene heading begins on the next line.                                                                

FADE IN and FADE OUT are technically transitional instructions. However, FADE IN: is used only once, at the beginning of a screenplay, to indicate that the action is beginning.                                                                                                    

It is typed two spaces below the title of the screenplay at the left margin. One line space follows the words FADE IN: and the first scene heading of the screenplay begins on the next line.

Example:                                                               

                                   "HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT"

FADE IN:

EXT. LONG ISLAND ESTATE - DAY (1998)

A perfect spring day. Elegantly dressed guests sit in chairs arranged along a sprawling lawn facing a wedding canopy of flowers and a breathtaking view of the ocean.

FADE OUT is used at the end of the last scene to indicate the end of the screenplay.

FADE OUT (punctuated with a period) is typed at the right margin and is followed by a period. The words THE END (capitalized, underlined, and centered on the page) always follow FADE OUT.                                                               

Example:

She looks at her reflection in the mirror, reaches up and pulls off her hat and wedding veil.

                                                                 FADE OUT.

         THE END

It is advisable to keep transitional instructions simple and to use them sparingly. In other words, leave the camera directions and editing directions to the film director. The writer's job is to describe the action.

The following example illustrates how to begin a screenplay, format transitional instructions, and end a screenplay.        

Example:                                                                                            

                                   "HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT"                            

FADE IN:                                                                        

EXT. LONG ISLAND ESTATE - DAY (1998)

A perfect spring day. Elegantly dressed guests sit in chairs arranged along a sprawling lawn facing a wedding canopy of flowers and a breathtaking view of the ocean.                                   

Twelve violinists sit perched on chairs near the canopy, waiting to play. A riot of flowers on tall pedestals are set up along a red carpet, stretching from the steps of the huge estate home to the wedding canopy.

The guests are whispering and chatting to each other.

A minister stands near the canopy, talking to the FATHER and MOTHER of the BRIDE.                                                              

The BRIDE'S FATHER looks at his watch. He says something to the BRIDE'S MOTHER. She looks around nervously and walks quickly toward the house and up the stairs.                                                              

INT. BRIDE'S ROOM - SAME

HARRIET, the bride, sits at her dressing table, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She is exquisite. Her face, her hair, her wedding gown--everything seems perfect.

We hear a soft KNOCK on the door.

                                                             HARRIET

                                    Come in.

                                                             MOTHER

                                                 (anxious)

                                    Darling, has Charles called?

                                                             HARRIET

                                                 (dreamy)

                                    No.

                                                             MOTHER

                                    Where can he be? 

                                                             HARRIET

                                    He's on his way. I'm sure of it.

Mother approaches Harriet, fluffs her veil. There are tears in her eyes as she looks at her daughter in the mirror.

                                                             HARRIET (CONT'D)

                                    Go back to our guests… And stop worrying.

Mother kisses Harriet lightly on her cheek and exits the room.                                  

Harriet's eyes move to a photograph on the dressing table.

CLOSE ON the framed photograph of Harriet sitting on a sailboat next to a tall, handsome young man who has his arm around her. They are smiling, happy, in love.

                                                                                                                     CUT TO:

EXT. NEW YORK HARBOR - SAME DAY

We see CHARLES, the handsome young man from the photograph, among a crowd of people boarding a cruise ship docked in New York harbor.

Standing next to Charles is a beautiful blonde WOMAN who smiles at Charles and looks at him adoringly.

Charles takes the WOMAN'S hand. They laugh gaily as they hurry up the gangplank.

BACK TO

INT. BRIDE'S ROOM - SAME 

Harriet reaches for the telephone on her dressing table. She punches in some numbers. We hear what Harriet hears--the voice of an OPERATOR.

                                                             OPERATOR (V.O.)

                                    This number has been disconnected.

The color drains from Harriet's face as she places the phone back in the cradle.

She looks at her reflection in the mirror, reaches up and pulls off her hat and wedding veil.                                                              

                                                                                                                     FADE OUT.

                                                              THE END

Explanatory Notes:                                                               

In this sample scene, we used CUT TO: after the close-up of the photograph in Harriet's room because the next scene setting abruptly changes to New York Harbor.

Example:

CLOSE ON the framed photograph of Harriet sitting on a sailboat next to a tall, handsome young man who has his arm around her. They are smiling, happy, in love.                                                              

                                                                                                                     CUT TO:

EXT. NEW YORK HARBOR - SAME DAY

We see CHARLES, the handsome young man from the photograph, among a crowd of people boarding a cruise ship docked in New York harbor.

Additionally, the close-up view of the photograph prepares the audience for meeting Charles in the next scene.

To indicate a close-up shot, we used the words "CLOSE ON" (capitalized) and then described the object that the audience sees.

"CLOSE ON" should be used sparingly, only when it's necessary for the audience to see something important in detail because it provides a clue or moves the story forward. In this case, we wanted the audience to make the connection between Harriet's fiancé and the man hurrying off with another woman.

After we see Charles and what he's up to, we use the transition "BACK TO" before returning to Harriet's room.

Example:

Charles takes the WOMAN'S hand. They laugh gaily as they hurry up the gangplank.

BACK TO

INT. BRIDE'S ROOM - SAME

Harriet reaches for the telephone on her dressing table.

When Harriet dials a phone number and the audience hears the voice of the Operator, we add (V.O.) next to the Operator's name to explain that we are hearing a "Voice Over" and the Operator is not actually seen on-screen.

Example:

                                                             OPERATOR (V.O.)

                                    This number has been disconnected.

The color drains from Harriet's face as she places the phone back in the cradle.

If this example were an entire screenplay, there would be 100 or more pages of action and dialogue. We have ended the screenplay here to show you how a screenplay ends, with the words "FADE OUT." Note that it is typed in the far right margin. Several line spaces follow "FADE OUT."  THE END is typed in the center of the page and underscored.

Formatting Exercise: Use the example above of "HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT." Delete "FADE OUT" and "THE END" and continue the story using some of the elements of screenplay transitions explained here. End the story where you think it should end.

Source : FilmmakerIQ.com

How to Format Screenplay 2

The article provided an example of a properly formatted screenplay scene and gave a writing exercise containing unformatted descriptions and dialogue.

Now, in How to Format a Screenplay: Part II, we provide an answer key for the exercise. The answer key shows you how the descriptions and dialogue can be displayed when using the rules of screenplay formatting.

Compare your formatting to ours, but keep in mind that your dialogue and descriptions will differ somewhat. Your scene heading should be the same as ours, except for the time of day, which could be DAY instead of NIGHT.

Screenplay Formatting Answer Key:    

INT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT

A crowded movie theater. Dark except for neon exit signs over the doors and a large screen showing a feature film. The audience watches the actors move across the screen, and we HEAR tense background MUSIC.

MARIANNE and BOB enter the theater through the back door. 

Marianne, dressed in a revealing tight sweater and jeans, carries a bag of potato chips and a large drink. She moves down the aisle quickly, looking right and left as she scouts for seats.

Bob, a tall, stocky young man, carries a super-sized box of popcorn and a super-sized drink.

He squints in the dim light as he moves his large feet gingerly down the aisle. He takes a few more hesitant steps and then stumbles over his own big sneakers.

Popcorn spills from the box he's holding onto several people seated near the aisle and onto the floor. We hear grumbling as the people brush popcorn off their clothing.

                                                                 BOB

                                                         (loud)

                                           Sorry! I'm really sorry!     

                                                                 MAN #1

                                                         (to Bob)

                                           You wanna lower your voice!

                                                                BOB

                                           Sorry.

                                                                MAN #2

                                                         (to Bob)

                                           Shut up!

                                                                MAN #3

                                                         (shouting)

                                           Keep it down, will ya!

Marianne waves frantically to Bob from the front of the theater.

                                                                MARIANNE

                                                         (calling out loud)

                                           Bob! Over here, honey!  Two seats

                                           up here!

                                                                MAN #4

                                                         (to Marianne; loud)

                                           For Chris sakes, lady!

                                                                MAN #5

                                                         (to Marianne)

                                           Are you stupid or something?                                           

Bob catches up to Marianne, who waits near the middle of the third row, where she has found seats.

                                                                MARIANNE

                                                         (to woman in the aisle seat)

                                           Excuse me.

People seated in the third row stand to let Bob and Marianne pass.

We hear groans from people seated behind them whose view of the screen is now blocked.

Bob and Marianne move across the aisle.

Popcorn spills from Bob's container onto people he passes on his way to the vacant seats. He steps on a woman's toes accidentally, and she shrieks.

                                                                BOB

                                                         (apologetically)

                                           Geez, I'm sorry.

Bob and Marianne settle into their seats. It's quiet for a few moments as they watch the movie.

Bob reaches into his popcorn container and stuffs popcorn in his mouth. He munches happily, then slurps soda through a straw.

                                                                MAN #6

                                                         (to Bob; shouting)

                                           Hey, shove that where the

                                           sun don't shine!

A woman seated behind Marianne squirms from side to side, trying to see the screen over Marianne's big hair.

Marianne turns to Bob and kisses him noisily on his cheek. Bob smiles at her and squeezes her thigh.

People seated around them mutter angrily. A MAN seated directly behind Bob and Marianne leans over and shouts.                                            

                                                                MAN #7

                                                         (to Bob and Marianne)

                                           Save it, will ya!                                                                  

Bob turns to Man #7 and smiles.                             

                                                                BOB

                                                         (to Man #7)

                                           You're just jealous.               

It's quiet for a few moments. Then we hear the crackling of cellophane as Marianne opens her bag of potato chips.

People around her squirm and grumble.                                             

Marianne munches on the chips, making crunching sounds.

An OLD MAN seated in front of Marianne turns and looks at her viciously. Marianne offers him some chips.

                                                                MARIANNE

                                                         (holding out the bag of chips)

                                           Have a chip.

                                                                OLD MAN

                                                         (to Marianne)

                                           Are you ever going to shut up?

Marianne and Bob look offended.

It's quiet for a few moments. Marianne and Bob are engrossed in watching a car chase on the movie screen.

Bob munches popcorn and slurps from his drink. Marianne crunches potato chips contentedly and takes noisy sips from her drink.

We see the audience. They are no longer watching the screen. Their angry eyes are riveted on Bob and Marianne.

Points to Remember:

Various parts of the descriptions and dialogue from the unformatted writing exercise were changed slightly when being made into a screenplay scene using proper screenplay formatting. These changes were used to accommodate the extremely visual nature of the screenplay format.

Example:

  Passage From Unformatted Exercise:

Bob and Marianne walk into a dark movie theater. The movie has already started, and nearly every seat is occupied.

  Passage From Formatted Version of Exercise:

INT. MOVIE THEATER - NIGHT

A crowded movie theater. Dark except for neon exit signs over the doors and a large screen showing a feature film. The audience watches the actors move across the screen, and we HEAR tense background MUSIC.

MARIANNE and BOB enter the theater through the back door.

Bob and Marianne are introduced in the first sentence of the unformatted writing exercise. But, in the formatted version of the exercise, it's necessary to describe the movie theater--the setting of the scene--before introducing Bob and Marianne.

The reason is that the rules of screenplay formatting require writers to use a scene heading at the beginning of each new scene. This heading establishes the location of the scene and the time of day when the scene takes place.

Therefore, we thought it only natural to describe the location--the movie theater--before introducing Bob and Marianne, the main characters.

One or two sentences about the location of a scene can help establish a mood and make it possible to understand where people and things are situated in that location.

Similarly, good use of dialogue can affect the pacing and mood of a scene.

The unformatted version of the writing exercise only hints at the dialogue that could be used, but the formatted version gives specific lines of dialogue that are part of interactions between Bob and the other movie theater patrons.

Example:

  Passage From Unformatted Exercise:

Bob apologizes, and other patrons tell him to "shut up."

  Passage From Formatted Version of Exercise:

                                                                BOB

                                                         (loud)

                                           Sorry! I'm really sorry!

                                                                MAN #1

                                                         (to Bob)

                                           You wanna lower your voice!

                                                                BOB

                                           Sorry.

                                                                MAN #2

                                                         (to Bob)

                                           Shut up!

                                                                MAN #3

                                                         (shouting)

                                           Keep it down, will ya!

A parenthetical description that appears below the name of a character and precedes the character's dialogue may explain whom that character is speaking to and describe the manner in which he speaks.

Example:

                                                                MAN #4

                                                         (to Marianne; loud)

                                           For Chris sakes, lady!

SOUNDS the audience HEARS are written in all capital letters.

Example:

The audience watches the actors move across the screen, and we HEAR tense background MUSIC.

Sounds made by the characters themselves should not be capitalized.

Example:

Marianne turns to Bob and kisses him noisily on his cheek.

Authors Hillis R. Cole, Jr. and Judith H. Haag say in their book, "The Complete Guide To Standard Script Formats," that it's only necessary to capitalize "sounds which require some kind of mechanical production."

Names of characters appear in all capital letters in a scene description when those characters are first introduced.

Example:

MARIANNE and BOB enter the theater through the back door.

The next time Bob and Marianne are mentioned in a description, their names are no longer written in all capital letters.

Example:

People seated in the third row stand to let Bob and Marianne pass.

But characters' names are always written in all capital letters for dialogue headings.

Example:

                                                                BOB

                                           Sorry.

However, the names of characters who have no dialogue do not appear in all capital letters.

Example:

A woman seated behind Marianne squirms from side to side, trying to see the screen over Marianne's big hair.

The woman who is trying to see over Marianne's hair has no dialogue, so her name isn't capitalized.

Dialogue is used sparingly in the formatted screenplay scene about Bob and Marianne. The reason is that the actions of the couple show everything we need to know about them.

These actions help give us a complete picture of their personalities.

So, Bob and Marianne don't have to say very much. For example, Marianne could turn to Bob and say, "I love you." Instead she turns to him and kisses him noisily on his cheek.

This one action shows us how Marianne feels about Bob and shows how oblivious Marianne and Bob are to the people around them.

Every scene in a screenplay is a unit of action and should explain who, what, when , where, and why. Does your scene answer all of these questions? If so, your writing is moving in the right direction.

Source : FilmmakerIQ.com