Dara Amarie's Official Help Thread! [closed]

Hi Dara. I’m trying to narrate a scene with my two main characters talking in the background without dialogue but having trouble figuring out exactly how or if it’s possible. I could really use the help. Thank you :slight_smile:

Hey Dara, can you help me?
So, I wrote this in my script:

INT. JAILCELL with JAILCELL1 at layer 2 with JAILSBARS at layer 0 with JAILBARS at layer -1
&cut to zone 2
@FIGURANT1 stands screen center in zone 2 at layer 1 and FIGUARNT1 faces right
@overlay 5942903554965504_JAILBARS shifts to -290 153
@overlay 5942903554965504_JAILBARS scales to 1.000 1.000

And the JAILCELL1 overlay and the second JAILBARS (the same overlay as the first JAILBARS, but I want to put the same overlay twice) aren’t appearing. My character isn’t appearing too.
Thanks,
Marta

Hi Dara
Basically I’m trying to code a scene when there is a pan of the ballroom, and each character is already there.

However when I preview it, it pans to a zone, pauses, then puts the characters in, then repeats.
Could you help me so that when I pan, the characters are already n their zones doing their actions?
Here is the script

INT. THE HAMILL BALLROOM - DAY
@cut to zone 1
@NATASHA spot 0.848 318 71 AND MAX spot 0.866 229 79 AND MAX faces right AND NATASHA starts talk_apathetic AND MAX starts talk_neutral
@pan to zone 2
@RIA spot 0.326 184 345 AND RIA is talk_argue_defensive AND ELLE spot 0.344 108 340 AND ELLE faces right AND ELLE is talk_afraid AND BACKGROUND1 spot 1.883 149 -599 AND BACKGROUND1 is talk_explain_neutral AND BACKGROUND1 faces right
@pan to zone 3
@LIELLE stands screen left AND LIELLE is talk_think_neutral AND LIELLE faces right AND BB2 stands screen right AND BB2 faces left AND BB2 is talk_neutral
@pause for a beat

Place your character at a spot offscreen first with the same scale size.

Or have your character enter to that spot (this means your character will enter at the default size then shrink down to 0.9 as they walk)

@CHARACTER enters from [left/right] to spot 0.9 77 159 in 1

Use the & sign for the background characters while they do animations.

&BG CHARACTER is animation

MAIN CHARACTER
Dialogue.

If you are using the same overlay twice, you have to add all their spots next to the background name. You can’t use the commands to place them because it will only place the first overlay.

If you are going to animate both overlays, then you need to use this:

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@Dara.Amarie
Can you give me the code to shift the wood overlay the same time the char is walking

Place the commands on the same line using AND

@CHARACTER walks to ______ AND overlay OVERLAY shifts to _______

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You need to place all your characters at the beginning of the scene using the & sign

Thank you so much

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Hi! I’m new here and a real newbie XD. So three questions:

  1. The door_knock sound isnt working when i add it, it says i didnt add a comma in between the effects :frowning:
  2. Is is a good idea to add a gem choice in the first 3 episodes?
  3. I can’t do it anyway cause the gem choice code the guide gave me doesnt work XP, help?

A gem choice within the first 3 episodes is totally fine. What does your script look like for both the sound and the gem choice.

#beat starts
@LILY changes into Cupcake PJs
@LILY changes hairColor into Black
@LILY changes mouthColor into Cherry Red
@LILY changes eyesColor into Purple
@LILY changes hair into High Ponytail
@LILY changes eyebrows into Smooth Arch
@LILY changes nose into Pointed
@LILY changes face into Diamond
@LILY changes bodyColor into Tan
@LILY changes eyes into Round Bold
@LILY changes mouth into Blossom Lips

    NARRATOR
| color:red , animation:shuffle-sideways , sound:door_knock|*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

#beat ends

This is for the sound. i also had text red and shuffle

&LILY starts think

    KIKI (talk_excited)
So you rocking this awesome dress or has black got your back?

choice “(Gold_Wrap_Dress)”
“Wear this and make a great impression!”
#beat starts

    LILY (talk_excited)
I think I'm gonna rock this dress!

#beat ends

This is what i had for the gems

You’re the best hun. Thank you

The sound doesn’t belong on the line of dialogue. It belongs in its own line by itself.

Remove the quotes around the choice name

It still has a delay. Here’s what I changed it to

INT. THE HAMILL BALLROOM - DAY
@cut to zone 1
&NATASHA spot 0.848 318 71 AND MAX spot 0.866 229 79 AND MAX faces right AND NATASHA starts talk_apathetic AND MAX starts talk_neutral
@pan to zone 2
&RIA spot 0.326 184 345 AND RIA is talk_argue_defensive AND &ELLE spot 0.344 108 340 AND ELLE faces right AND ELLE is talk_afraid AND BACKGROUND1 spot 1.883 149 -599 AND BACKGROUND1 is talk_explain_neutral AND BACKGROUND1 faces right
@pan to zone 3
&LIELLE stands screen left AND LIELLE is talk_think_neutral AND LIELLE faces right AND BB2 stands screen right AND BB2 faces left AND BB2 is talk_neutral
@pause for a beat

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#beat starts
@LILY changes into Cupcake PJs
@LILY changes hairColor into Black
@LILY changes mouthColor into Cherry Red
@LILY changes eyesColor into Purple
@LILY changes hair into High Ponytail
@LILY changes eyebrows into Smooth Arch
@LILY changes nose into Pointed
@LILY changes face into Diamond
@LILY changes bodyColor into Tan
@LILY changes eyes into Round Bold
@LILY changes mouth into Blossom Lips

    NARRATOR
    sound door_knock
| color:red , animation:shuffle-sideways|*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

#beat ends

It still says its wrong but now it says UNEXPECTED SOUND:door_knock

The sound needs to be placed before the narrator name.
A Simple Guide to Using Sound Effects and Music