Time-space rule or jump cut?
You have a choice here in moving between scenes, under certain plot cirsumstances.
CAN THE SAME CHARACTER BE IN THE FOLLOWING SCENE IN ANOTHER LOCATION - A LEAP IN TIME AND SPACE?
Yes - and use the film technique of the 'JUMP CUT' - you can make the leap (in time and space) No - put a short scene in between to cover the 'logic'. Jump cut
Time-space rule
In going to the following scene, here is this rule:
The same character or characters cannot be in another location in the immediately following scene.
You cannot have a leap forward in time and space through a scene boundary.
This is a difficulty for scripting. The solution is to have a small scene in between, and often to slice another scene into two. And use part as an insert. It is stylish to divide a scene so - often!
This time-space rule is broken very rarely in 'The Archers' (BBC Radio 4 soap). But those exceptions must be carefully scripted and logical.There are some exceptions:
(a) Non-human characters can move in defiance of the laws of time and space.But do not make this obviously so at the top of the scene. Do not puzzle your listener.
For example, a vampire can express the intention of meeting a human in one scene. That vampire will be in the following scene.
But begin that following scene with the human first, and then with the vampire arriving to confront. It gives just a little time for the vampire to travel.
(b) Chase scenes - e.g., cops and robbers.Almost a rapid montage ... we cut from one to another, or we are in the cops' car, and then crossfade with a small leap forward in time, in the same cops' car, and we are that little ahead in time in the exciting chase.
Make sense of this by genre (that is what is done in film and on TV), and by description).
(c) Very exceptional circumstances
You can break the time-space rule for a human character in very exceptional circumstances. Even so, a music bridge solves a lot of problems. But there must be a very particular plot reason for this - for this leap forward in time and place.
(d) A leap in time - and NOT in place
Use a suitable scene boundary (music bridge or fading up and then down some FX relating to the location or activity) - to script the character in a scene and then in the following scene and there is a leap in time, but NOT in the location. Your character is in the same location - we have just moved forward in time for a particular plot reason.
CONTINUING THROUGH THE SITE: Standard production
Styles of production, directing and post-production
Standard production Genre (academic) and types of plays story board chaining sentences - (characters or character and narrator) doubling sentences - overlapping (narrator and protagonist) economy rule
To WELCOME PAGE
This site is 'Radio Drama Techniques - Training as a radio drama director'.
This is part of a complete curriculum of scripts, techniques (acting & directing & post-production & genre styles), advice, sound files - effects and atmoses (with no copyright and so free to use), detailed script commentaries, etc. You are welcome to use these sites with no copyright restriction.
The url of this site, 'Radio Drama Techniques', is: www.savoyhill.co.uk/technique To Alan Beck's Radio Hub at http://www.savoyhill.co.uk To Alan Beck's HOME PAGE at www.savoyhill.co.uk/alan See more of Alan Beck's work at http://interact.uoregon.edu/MediaLit/WFAE/readings/beck/ IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS, PLEASE EMAIL TO : aebb@kent.ac.uk Use QUESTIONS - 'HOW DO I' - to navigate this site.
