Hi,
I'm in the middle of writing a sitcom which is supposed to be realistic but intergroated moments of "imagination" if you get me, anyway what I want to do is have the reality bits quite dark and gloomy lighting but the imagination in bright lighting, where should I include this in the synopsis (I'd say his imagination is portrayed by bright lighting) or include it in every scene or just not?
Generally I'd say stay well away from giving any instructions regarding lighting, sound, set design, etc etc, other than LIGHTS UP/BLACKOUT, THERE IS A LOUD BANG, type of thing.
Your job as the writer is to tell the story not tell the production team how to make it.
Any ideas of that nature will be discussed during the production meetings where you, as the writer will be totally ignored and your beautiful vision changed out of all recognition... but hey at least they are paying you...
Again, in a spect script just tell the story don't try and direct it and that includes wrly's...
kjs
100% agreed with you KJS.
Think of the converse, Charles. If the lighting man started inserting lines into my script, I'd get pretty darned annoyed. 
I think you only get to specify this kind of stuff when you are famous enough to be a Consulting Producer.
I remember Laurence Marks saying that they deliberately made the lighting of the Goodnight Sweetheart scenes just slightly sepia, for the scenes that were time-travelled back to the 1940s.
But then He, Maurice and one other owned the production company.
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Like the others said, it ain't your job to specify the lighting, you just need to hint at it in the 'stage directions'. Just make sure your stage directions and the scene slug lines make it clear whether the action is real or imagination.
Surely though if there is an instance where it is highly important to the story it should be mentioned.
I suppose you could mention it in the Synopsis but in the script no...
At the most I'd stick with "It gets lighter" "It gets darker".
Remember you're writing a script. If you want to write full on descriptions of every scene/lighting effect/costume/thought/emotion etc go write a novel.
kjs
Quote: KJSmyling @ March 13, 2008, 9:17 AMGenerally I'd say stay well away from giving any instructions regarding lighting, sound, set design, etc etc, other than LIGHTS UP/BLACKOUT, THERE IS A LOUD BANG, type of thing.
Your job as the writer is to tell the story not tell the production team how to make it.
Any ideas of that nature will be discussed during the production meetings where you, as the writer will be totally ignored and your beautiful vision changed out of all recognition... but hey at least they are paying you...
Again, in a spect script just tell the story don't try and direct it and that includes wrly's...
kjs
This is exactly what I was told during a script-writing course (you must have been lurking in the background KJS!). No lighting instructions, no directions (unless 100% necessary i.e. characters OOV etc) No music instructions..
Things change a bit when developing the actual production script however a first time scriptwriter would have a very quiet voice in such meetings.
I'd put 'Brightly lit room' or what have you, but no more.
You wouldn't get punched for putting that.