Phone, character texting

Creator's Corner Directing Help & Tips
1

Hey! This is sort of a dumb question, but I’m really stuck on my story.

I’m having my main character Ruth, text her grandma. She is at the airport, but once her grandma sends her a text, the backround switches to the phone. I use the NARRATOR as the speech bubbles that come up when you text, so the narrators lines are what the grandma is saying. (Also if someone knows how to get the actual text bubbles, instead of the narrator being the texts, that would also be awesome to know!)

I now want the backround to go back to the airport, to have an animation of Ruth texting.

However, when I try to do that, Ruth is not there. :frowning: I tried putting in @LIGHTFEMALEAVATAR is screen center, so I wouldn’t have to have her re-enter the scene, but that’s not working, so I’m not really sure what to do. If someone could help me out with this, that would be awesome!

Thanks so much!!

Here is the actual code of what I’m stuck on:

INT. CELLPHONE - DAY
sound phone_vibrate_text

NARRATOR
Hi Ruth

sound phone_vibrate_text

NARRATOR
It is grandma. Are you at your gate??

sound phone_vibrate_text

NARRATOR
Is everything going ok??

sound phone_vibrate_text

NARRATOR
Ruth

sound phone_vibrate_text

NARRATOR
Ruth??

sound phone_vibrate_text

NARRATOR
Darling???

INT. TEXAS AIRPORT OL - DAY
LIGHTFEMALEAVATAR is screen center
@LIGHTFEMALEAVATAR is text_phone_neutral_loop
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2

Ok so

  1. You need to put the actual character’s name EX: @AJERIKA

  2. You need an custom overlay or something like that

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3

Hey, thanks for your reply!

The character’s script name is actually LIGHTFEMALEAVATAR. :slightly_smiling_face:

I was originally going to let the reader choose her name, which is why her script name is LIGHTFEMALEAVATAR. (Sorry it’s kind of confusing since I refered to her as Ruth!) :sweat_smile:

4

@G.Bailey
You should put
@LIGHTFEMALE AVATAR stands screen center.
instead of
@LIGHTFEMALEAVATAR is screen center (which is incorrect.)

If you want the grandma’s name to appear on top of the narrator speech bubble, just put
(for example)
NARRATOR (GRANDMA)
Ruth, are you at the gate?

For more information on how to do text scenes, click here for a tutorial by Apes: 📱 HOW TO: Phone - Text messages

Hope this helped! <3

1 Like
5

Oh…

6

Thank you SO much!

That helped a ton, I really appreciate it!

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7

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