ASK DR. FORMAT: Morphing Tips and Tricks

QUESTION

Here’s the setup for my question: In a previous scene, a crude wooden cross is hammered into the ground bearing the name, rank, and unit of my WWI hero (Freddie) on the crossbar. We transition to the White House in 1991 (73 years later). President Bush presents the posthumous Medal of Honor to Freddie's two surviving sisters (ages 96 and 91). Then, I write...

Dave, is that correct?

DAVE’S RESPONSE

First, I will explain and illustrate what MORPHING is, and then I’ll answer your excellent question specifically and make recommendations.

MORPHING—a primer

MORPHING is a seamless and gradual transition from one image to another. For example, at the end of Saving Private Ryan, we see Pvt. Ryan’s face at a battlefield MORPH into Mr. Ryan’s face 54 years later at a military cemetery. Since MORPH is a technical direction, it is written in all-CAPS. In a spec screenplay, use MORPH judiciously. Make sure there is a sound dramatic purpose for using this device.

Here’s an example of a “dramatic purpose.” In Terminator 2, the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) faces the formidable T-1000 Terminator, who is currently posing as Janelle. What follows is from the script.

You may recall the captivating transition at the very end of Titanic. We move towards the modern-day wreck of Titanic below the sea. Once on deck, the moving image MORPHs into the Titanic deck as it appeared before the ship sank. Because we MORPH the entire full-screen image (the entire setting), the correct technical term would be BLORPH, although you seldom see this term used in a screenplay, and you certainly don’t need to use it in your spec script. In fact, you may not have to use the term MORPH either.

MORPHING without a MORPH

You don’t necessarily need to use any technical term in your spec as long as you are clear, and you follow the action writing axiom to describe what the movie-going audience will eventually see on the movie screen. The following example is from the final scene of Gangs of New York. We view 1844 New York across the East River and watch it MORPH into the same city in PRESENT DAY.

The specific MORPHING situation in your question

In the example in your question, I assume the two cemeteries are the same but with different names. Since using an INTERCUT might be confusing, I suggest the following format that identifies the first cemetery and then morphs to the present-day.

If you want the audience to know for sure it is 1918, use a SUPER instead of a date at the end of the scene heading. However, I believe the context will communicate that we are at that date. Thus, you probably don’t need the date at the end of the scene heading or anywhere else.

As you can see, I opted to not use all-CAPS for the title of the song, only to make the sentence a bit more attractive to read. I also omitted the camera direction (PULL BACK TO REVEAL) at the end. Finally, the ellipses suggest continuity and accentuate the MORPHING from one image to the other.

A simpler method

If the above revision seems a bit clunky to you, consider the version below as still another “correct” way to present this material. And I might add that I see a dramatic purpose for that camera direction in your original version. In my view, it’s an exception to the convention to avoid camera directions in a spec script.

As you can see, understanding formatting principles gives you more flexibility in presenting your creative work. Accept my best wishes and keep writing!