British Comedy Guide

Two characters speaking at the same time

What would be the best way to format this in a script? I've read that one way is to have two columns, one characters on the right, the other on the left, but I can't find a way to format this in Final Draft.

I'm not being funny but if they're talking at the same time you probably wouldn't understand what they're saying.

If they're saying the same thing then you could put -

FRED ) in unison
BOB )

Oh god, I've just found it on Final Draft.

Format > Dual Dialogue

Sorry for wasting your time!

Quote: cashback @ August 11 2008, 8:52 PM BST

Oh god, I've just found it on Final Draft.

Format > Dual Dialogue

Sorry for wasting your time!

And so you should be. I must have wasted all of thirty seconds on my previous response.

Exciting isn't it... being a writer...

It's like this every day!

:)

Looks like I'm a bit late to reply, but for what it's worth I have done it like this in the past:

TOM & DAVE:
(TOGETHER) Leave it out!

By all accounts this method is fine as the instruction in the script is clear and the actors can see what they need to do.

Def.

Quote: Deferenz @ August 12 2008, 11:03 AM BST

Looks like I'm a bit late to reply, but for what it's worth I have done it like this in the past:

TOM & DAVE:
(TOGETHER) Leave it out!

By all accounts this method is fine as the instruction in the script is clear and the actors can see what they need to do.

Def.

That.

What if it's two people arguing at the same time? Y'know, like when you argue with a woman.

If both people are saying the same thing then Deferenz is right:

TOM & DAVE
Leave it out!

Personally, I wouldn't waste ink writing (TOGETHER) since that seems pretty obvious.

If they're saying different things, then you use the two columns thing:

TOM-------------------------DAVE
Leave it out!--------------Do me a Lemon!

If it's more than two then put something like:

The gang react in a confused chorus of disbelief:

TOM-------------------------DAVE
Leave it out!--------------Do me a Lemon!

TINA------------------------ALFIE
No way!--------------------Anyone seen my shorts?

Or, find some other way to do it. As long as it's clear what's going on - no one really cares.

You have to imagine those dashes are all spaces, since it won't let me put loads of spaces on one line and helpfully deletes them all.

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