Phone Conversations
1. One-sided (second person is not heard)
When only one person will be seen and heard, the listening phases of the conversation can be indicated with a parenthetical.
Example
EMILY
Hello.
(listens)
Yes, this is Emily.
(surprised)
But I saw him yesterday at the store.
(listens)
2. Second person is heard but not seen
If one person is seen and the other is heard but not seen, indicate the unseen character's dialogue as voice-over (V.O.).
Example
EMILY
Hello.
ALYSHA (V.O.)
Could I speak to Emily Verillo.
EMILY
This is Emily.
ALYSHA (V.O.)
Hey Emily. Have you heard from Alex. He hasn't been showing up for work.
EMILY
But I saw him yesterday at the store.
3. Both people are heard and seen
To show both people by cutting between their two locations, you can use intercutting. See the INTERCUT section for details.
Revised: December 8, 2018
© 2007-2025 Ken Briscoe