Passing The Time

There are at least four types of time that are commonly used by authors when writing scripts;

• Real time
• Concurrent time
• Disjointed (or Flexible) time
• And Elided time.

Real time is experienced with the characters moment by moment.  While I call it “real time” it is, in fact, only an approximation of real-world time.  The pacing created by sentences and selectivity also has an effect on our experience as the audience in “real time”.

A large amount of description can make an action that is being read, or heard about, take far longer on the page than it takes in real life.

Compare…

1. JOHN: I glance at her outfit, taking in the deep crimson of her dress, the mother-of-pearl buttons and her jade broach inset with pearls.  Her hat, of matching crimson with a black velvet band, was set at an angle, pulled low over one eye, revealing a mass of curly black hair that cascaded down the side of her face.  Her shoes, also red, had four-inch heels and buckles of silver.  All in all, she oozes money.  I only hope it isn’t a scam – there aren’t many well-heeled clients who cross the threshold of my low-rent establishment, and I could really use the fee.

With…

1. JOHN: I set the table and take the roast out of the oven, depositing it on the kitchen bench.

The first example describes a glance but takes far longer to listen to than the action itself.

The second involves description that is completed far more quickly than enacting it would require.

Both are delivered in the present but are actually distortions of time as it is usually experienced.

In audio drama, most conversations take place in real-time; the audience assumes the speech is being given as they hear it.

Concurrent time is a concession to our inability, as an audience, to experience time in anything other than a linear fashion.  In a story that has different characters acting in different places simultaneously, we need a way to reset the timeline to allow a scene to unfold at the same time as a previous scene.  It is, in practice, a form of flashback, but only for a short period in order to bring the story back into the present.  In prose narrative, this is accomplished by the use of the phrase “meanwhile”, but often requires no introduction at all.  Many times, the audience will assume that a change of scene to focus on the activities of new or different characters implies “meanwhile”.

SCENE 1: GANG’S HIDEOUT

1. …
2. BOB: I sent Jenny to the ammunition store twenty minutes ago.  She’ll be back any minute.
3. MUSIC: SCENE ENDER

SCENE 2: AMMUNITION STORE

1. SOUND: BELL OVER DOOR AS IT OPENS AND CLOSES
2. JENNY: Hey, Marty, how’s business.
3. MARTY: Oh, no.  I told you before, I don’t do business with you people no more.  You gotta leave, now.
4. JENNY: Is that anyway to treat an old friend?

Above, we could have included a narration at the opening of scene 2 to suggest the timing of the scene…

1. NARRATOR: Meanwhile, across town…

…but it really isn’t necessary.  The scene reads as concurrent without extra explanation.

Disjointed (or flexible) time (usually in the form of a flash-back or flash-forward) renders time non-linear and disrupts the timeline of the story.  It is a helpful way of providing information from the past or future to the audience “just in time”, at a point where the context makes the events relevant.

Writers achieve this in many ways.  A character may introduce the story from a vantage point in the future (Doctor Watson reminiscing on the years he spent with Sherlock Holmes). 

1. OLD WATSON:  As I think back to the Summer of 1886, I can’t help but remember my friend’s voice raised in irritation…
2. HOLMES: Watson!  Watson, where are my cartridges?
3. YOUNG WATSON:  I’ve hidden them, Holmes.  Gunfire inside the house is no longer something I or Mrs. Hudson can tolerate.

Narration can be used to set the time. 

1. NARRATOR: Three weeks ago, in Soho.

Vocal and/or sound cues can be provided.

1. DETECTIVE ROB: I can’t remember seeing this much blood at a crime-scene before.  And the smell…  (BEAT) Bill, what are you staring at?
2. BILL: That blood spray on the wall.  It’s not random.  I’ve seen it before.
3. MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – FLASHBACK CUE
4. SOUND: LOTS OF MURMURING
5. DETECTIVE JOHNSON: (TO SELF) Why do I always get the crazy ones?  Hey Rookie, take a look at this.
6. YOUNG BILL: What is it, boss? (BEAT) Whoa.
7. JOHNSON: You said it.  What’s that look like to you?
8. YOUNG BILL: Well, it’s clearly blood.
9. DETECTIVE JOHNSON: Don’t be an idiot.  Of course it’s blood.  What else?
10. YOUNG BILL: Like a letter maybe.  Chinese or Japanese?
11. DETECTIVE JOHNSON: Yeah, I think someone was leaving us a message.

Elided time is time that is skipped in order to achieve a purpose.  We don’t need to know everything that characters do and see at every moment of the day.  Eating, sleeping, breathing, so much of life is uninteresting to the spectator that skipping it is necessary if we intend to keep the attention of our audience.

Narration can be a very efficient way of managing this…

1. NARRATOR: Shortly after midnight…

1. NARRATOR: Moments later…

1. NARRATOR: Six years later…

Sound effects and dialog can combine effectively also…

1. JIM: Thanks for lunch, Bill.  I’ll see you at five.
2. SOUND: CLOCK STRIKES FIVE PM – FADE IN.

Or dialog alone can achieve the effect.

1. JIM: See you at tonight’s meeting. (BEAT)
2. M.C: I call this meeting of the Venerable Lodge of the Albino Caribou to order.

Sometimes we want to quickly elide time in order for our characters to gain new skills.  In movies this is often achieved through a training montage.  I recently polled some friends for advice on how to achieve something similar in audio.  The following suggestions were made…

The narrator can describe the passage of time…

1. NARRATOR: Over the next few years Herbert and his brother were trained in the art of pugilism, knife fighting, pistols and improvisational combat.

The characters themselves might reveal it in conversation…

1. BOB: I hear your dad spent the last few years training you to handle yourself.
2. HERBERT: Yeah.  My brother and I learned small arms, knife fighting, hand-to-hand.  You name it.

An audio montage could be possible as well…

1. FATHER: If they make another attempt on your life, I want you boys prepared.  We start training tomorrow.
2. (BEAT)
3. FATHER: Hold the pistol with both hands and sight along it. Now, don’t pull the trigger… squeeze.
4. SOUND: TWO SHOTS – LET IT FINISH.
5. SOUND: CROSS FADE INTO CLASHING STEEL – UNDER
6. FATHER: Keep the sword up and the point forward.  Never give your opponent an opening.
7. SOUND: CROSS FADE INTO BODY BLOWS AND HERBERT AND MITCHELL GRUNTING
8. FATHER: That’s it.  Don’t forget your footwork…
9. HERBERT: Ungh!
10. SOUND: BODY DROP –
11. FATHER: Damn it, Oscar.  I told you to keep your guard up.  Your brother’s got a wicked left.

The suggestion that appealed to me most was to build some story into the montage; Herbert tries to learn the skill, fails, considers quitting, presses on, and finally achieves success.  This is especially appealing if it can be used to reveal character and add conflict to the overall story (Herbert butts heads with his father, Mitchell is jealous of his father’s attention to Herbert).

1. FATHER: You boys are going to learn to do this.
2. HERBERT: But why?
3. FATHER: They’ve made two attempts to kidnap you so far.  I need you boys to be able to protect each other.
4. HERBERT: Is that really it?
5. MITCHELL: Come on Oscar, why do you have to treat everything he says like it’s suspect?
6. FATHER: Your lessons start tomorrow.
7. (BEAT)
8. SOUND: TWO SHOTS – LET IT FINISH.
9. FATHER: Now it’s your turn, Herbert. Hold the pistol with both hands and sight along it. Steady. Now, don’t pull the trigger… squeeze.
10. SOUND: TWO SHOTS – LET IT FINISH.
11. FATHER: Damnit, Herbert.  You missed the target completely.  Try again.
12. MITCHELL: At least I got one shot on.
13. FATHER: Yeah, well.  You’ve got a better grip than he has, Mitch.  We’ll see how well you compare once your brother masters some basics.
14. SOUND: CROSS FADE INTO CLASHING STEEL – UNDER
15. FATHER: Keep the sword up and the point forward.  Never give your opponent an opening.
16. SOUND: SLIDE OF BLADE ALONG BLADE TO THUMP ON HILT
17. HERBERT: (BRIEF PAIN) Argh!
18. SOUND: SWORD CLATTERS ON FLOOR – LET IT FINISH.
19. FATHER: Pick it up.
20. HERBERT: Dad, we’ve been at this for hours.
21. FATHER: I said, “Pick it up”
22. SOUND: CROSS FADE INTO BODY BLOWS AND HERBERT AND MITCHELL GRUNTING
23. FATHER: That’s it.  Don’t forget your footwork…
24. HERBERT: Ungh!
25. SOUND: BODY DROP –
26. FATHER: Damn it, Herbert.  I told you to keep your guard up.  Your brother’s got a wicked left.
27. HERBERT: Dad, I hate you!
28. FATHER: Good.  Maybe you can use it to help you win!
29. (BEAT)
30. MITCHELL: (FADE UP) At least he seems to care about your progress.
31. HERBERT: Care.  All he does is ride me all day.
32. MITCHELL:  Well he ignores me.  Every time I do well, nothing.  If I do something badly, still nothing.  What makes you so important?
33. HERBERT:  I don’t know.  I’m not sure I can keep this up.  I need to get out of here.  Away from him.
34. MITCHELL: It wouldn’t be safe… and you know it.
35.  (BEAT)
36. FATHER: Try again.  Like we’ve been practicing.
37. SOUND: TWO SHOTS – LET IT FINISH.
38. FATHER:  That’s it.  You’re hitting the target at least.
39. SOUND: CROSS FADE INTO CLASHING STEEL – UNDER
40. FATHER: That’s the way.  Don’t let the point through your guard.  If you can just start to take the offensive…
41. SOUND: PUMMELING, GRUNTS, ETC. – COME TO A STOP– THEN PANTING
42. FATHER: Good.  Again.
43. (BEAT)
44. HERBERT: Dad, it’s been years.  We’ve moved three times.  They’ve got to have forgotten about us by now.
45. FATHER: We’re not going to let our guard down now.  They’re never going to give up.
46. HERBERT: But Dad…
47. FATHER: Come on.  You know the drill.  Steady, aim, fire.
48. HERBERT: (SULLEN) Fine.
49. SOUND: TWO SHOTS.
50. FATHER: Bulls eye! (BEAT) Mitchell? You ready to have a go.
51. MITCHELL: I’m done.  I’ve had enough for today.
52. SOUND: CROSS FADE INTO CLASHING STEEL – UNDER
53. SOUND: SLIDE OF BLADE ALONG BLADE TO THUMP ON HILT
54. FATHER: Argh!
55. SOUND: BLADE CLATTERS ONTO FLOOR – UNDER.
56. FATHER: (TRIUMPHANT) Yes!  You disarmed me.  Well done, Herbert.
57. MITCHELL: (FURIOUS) To Hell with this!
58. SOUND: BLADE THROWN TO FLOOR.
59. SOUND: DOOR SLAMS
60. HERBERT: (BEWILDERED) Mitchell?
61. SOUND: CROSS FADE INTO BODY BLOWS AND HERBERT AND MITCHELL GRUNTING
62. SOUND: FIGHT BELL
63. FATHER: And the bout goes to Herbert on points.  Well done.
64. MITCHELL: No! (ONE LAST GRUNT OF EFFORT) Ugh!
65. SOUND: BODY BLOW
66. HERBERT: (IN PAIN) Ungh!
67. SOUND: BODY DROP – HERBERT FALLS
68. HERBERT: (BEAT) What the hell?  The bell’s rung already.
69. MITCHELL: (UNREPENTENT) Sorry.  I guess I just slipped.
70. FATHER: (ANGRY) Mitchell, get out of the ring!
71. HERBERT: Stop it, Dad.  I’m fine.
72. MITCHELL: I don’t need you to fight my battles, Herbert.
73. HERBERT: I wasn’t.  I was just…
74. MITCHELL: Taking the chance to pick another fight with Dad.  Right.  To Hell with you!

Copyright Philip Craig Robotham © 2022 

Please follow and like us: