format Including images within a screenplay script?

[Traveller]

As a screenwriter, do you ever include an image within your script? I know screenwriting customs have changed over the decades. Screenwriting software does include an option for inserting images, and I'm only thinking about one or two images at the most. The reason for the question is I have scene that is rather technical/complicated and one image would save a lot of words and add some clarity.

 

[Chris Tempel]

I only ever use an image for the title page, and even then it's just the title in a font that I think would work.

What's the purpose of the script? Is it spec? For hire? Something you want to make? If you're making it, by all means do whatever you want. If it's paid or spec, then I'd leave it out. At the end of the day, it's the director's job to interpret the script. That means their vision might not be your vision.

 

[directorik]

As a screenwriter, do you ever include an image within your script? I know screenwriting customs have changed over the decades. Screenwriting software does include an option for inserting images, and I'm only thinking about one or two images at the most. The reason for the question is I have scene that is rather technical/complicated and one image would save a lot of words and add some clarity.

Is this screenplay for you to direct?
Is this screenplay one you want to send to an agent? Or a producer?

 

[Traveller]

It's a spec script (thriller genre) and yes, I would attempt to market it.

 

[directorik]

Then my advice is to not include images.

As Chris pointed out, your job as the screenwriter is to tell the story. Not to
set up shots. If your story isn't clear without this specific, technical/complicated
shot then, I guess, you have to include the images.

Is it possible to write that scene without the technical/complicated shot?

 

[indietalk]

We can help you with the technical scene as well, lots of talented writers here.

 

[Traveller]

Okay... thanks. I can certainly write the scene without the image. I think I'll submit the script for coverage with the image, and see what happens.

 

[indietalk]

Is the actual scene technical, or something in the scene, like a schematic or blueprint?

 

[Traveller]

It isn't a schematic. I was trying to describe what the characters are using to track 7 near-earth asteroids. In brief, it's an interactive real-time display that shows the expected asteroid orbits and various aspects of telemetry against the field of planets.

 

[devonX]

If it's spec, I'd skip the image and try tightening the description instead.

 

[LindaRiv12pt]

As a screenwriter, do you ever include an image within your script? I know screenwriting customs have changed over the decades. Screenwriting software does include an option for inserting images, and I'm only thinking about one or two images at the most. The reason for the question is I have scene that is rather technical/complicated and one image would save a lot of words and add some clarity.

If you want to comment your story with images, leave the spec script as it is and pitch it together with a Worldbuilding Bible, where you describe your world, the characters in it and anything related to the script that is not the actual story (e.g. some back stories or the society they live in ). The Bible can be prepared as a doc or a presentation and shared in pdf. The Bible is the first marketing tool you have to pitch your story to producers. You can find templates for the Bible on internet, but you will see that everyone has their own style, be creative . If you write your script with TwelvePoint app (macOS only) then the Worldbuilding Bible structure is already available and you can decide which items to include and then export the document. Once you have all the details, you can use the doc as it is or start from that to create a presentation.