Scene Interruptions

[technel]

When you have a scene that is interrupted by another scene, what do you do when you resume the first one? What if the second scene takes place at a different time than the one it is interrupting (think The Office-style interviews looking back on what is happening in the action)? e.g.:

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Example #1:

INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY

Eric is trying to break the window to get out of the burning building.

EXT. OUTSIDE FIRE STATION - CONTINUOUS

Fire truck is leaving.

INT. WAREHOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Eric throws a chair through the window.

Example #2:

INT. OFFICE - MORNING

PAM
That's stupid.

INT. INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY

PAM
On second thought, I probably shouldn't have said that.

INT. OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

Dwight is crying.

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I don't think Example #2 is correct because "CONTINOUS" would appear to refer to the "DAY" from the INTERVIEW ROOM, when it actually refers to the "MORNING" from the OFFICE.

Ideas?

 

[wcmartell]

This way...

Example #3:

INT. OFFICE - PAST - DAY

PAM
That's stupid.

INT. INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY

PAM
On second thought, I probably shouldn't have said that.

INT. OFFICE - PAST - DAY

Dwight is crying.

***

But the big question is - what is the current time of the story? This is kind of a confusing example.

There are two times of day when you are scheduling a movie DAY and NIGHT... sometimes there is that budget breaker called EVENING or DAWN - only about an hour of that a day, so not much time for take 2.

One thing to do when you have a question like this is to find some other movie that did it, and check out the script.

- Bill

 

[technel]

Thanks for the reply! You're right--"MORNING" was a mistake on my part. The point I was trying to make was that it was a different time of day than the interview room. I couldn't think of any movies that did this (even though I know many exist), and for the scripts I did look at, most were fan "transcribed" scripts, and not the actual shooting script/screenplay.

I am still a little confused:

1. Nearly the ENTIRE movie occurs in regular narrative (i.e. OFFICE)--only the INTERVIEW stuff is in the future. Should I seriously put "PAST" all over the place?

2. So basically if there is an interruption you re-use the same slug? If that is the case, when is "CONTINUOUS" used?

Thanks!