Voice Over, Off Screen, Filtered, Or - shudder - Italics?

Question

What is the preferred method of handling otherworldly dialog? That is, dialog from a ghost or a rememberred character who will no longer be seen. Almost like a voice on the other end of a phone conversation, but here there is no person on the other end. I'm thinking of something along the lines of King Hamlet's ghost, or Obi-Wan Kenobi. Characters who have died, but still speak to the living. I'm tempted to use italics, but that seems to be a no-no.
Luke: I'm going in, photons locked.
Obi (V.O., filtered): Use the force, Luke.
Luke (looking around in disbelief): What, who said that? Obi-Wan?
Thank you

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]What is the preferred method of handling otherworldly dialog? That is, dialog from a ghost or a rememberred character who ... locked. Obi (V.O., filtered): Use the force, Luke. Luke (looking around in disbelief): What, who said that? Obi-Wan? Thank you[/nq]
Something along these lines:
BOB
Gee, it's great to move into this nice new house
here in Amityville.
AMITYVILLE GHOST (O.S.)
(distorted)
Get out.
BOB
Okay. Good bye.
V.O., as a general rule, is reserved for things like narration things of which the occupants the story are unaware.

Like:
John is walking down the dingy night streets of the lower east side.

JOHN (V.O.)
I was walking down the dingy night streets of the lower east side.
JOHN
If people can see me doing it, why am I saying it in Voice Over?
JOHN (V.O.)
Shut up and keep walking.
JOHN
No, you shut up.
JOHN (V.O.)
No, you shut up.
That's not generally done. If a character on screen can hear what's being said, the other character is considered to be "present" in some sense, even if it's a spiritual or an electronic presence thus "Off Screen" rather than "Voice Over."
NMS

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]What is the preferred method of handling otherworldly dialog? That is, dialog from a ghost or a rememberred character who ... locked. Obi (V.O., filtered): Use the force, Luke. Luke (looking around in disbelief): What, who said that? Obi-Wan? Thank you[/nq]
Unless it is important for the story somehow that the voice be filtered (like through a telephone line) I'd suggest you don't bother with it. If it is important for whatever reason, that we KNOW the voice is filtered, then find an economic way in which to explain that.

For example if the otherworldly voice has a lot of dialog it would be unwise to use:
ST. PETER (V.O.)
(filtered)
Luke... I wrote your book...
all the time. If the voice only has a few lines it may work but the parenthical (filtered) before each line will soon become redundant.

Then again, do we know who the voice belongs to? Is that important. Can it be just
CREEPY VOICE
That rug really tied the room
together.
or
ST. PETER'S VOICE
The parrot is dead!
But if the way the voice sounds and the identity of the character behind the voice is somehow story relevant then you'll have to figure out a way to work all that into your script. Maybe you can describe the voice...

Mango slips, drops the piano leg and falters back. He's lost his balance and flails his arms in the air. Seven floors below him the street bustles with traffic. He looks down and as his eyes pop wide and-

-Mango falls off the rooftop. An ominous loud and filtered VOICE booms:

PAPA SMURF (V.O.)
Told you so!
...or something like that.

Usenet · Answer

What do italics sound like to you?
Blair

Voice Over, Off Screen, Filtered, Or - shudder - Italics?

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