There are two uses for INTERCUT. The first is:
THE TELEPHONE CONVERSATION:
Establish the first location, establish the second, and then INTERCUT between them:
INT. JOHN BOEHNER HOME- NIGHT
Boehner looks on as a TV plays his news conference from earlier in the day. The phone rings, he picks up.
INT. JOHN MCCAIN HOME- SAME
McCain on the phone, watching the same TV broadcast.
MCCAIN
You watching this?
INTERCUT MCCAIN/BOEHNER HOMES
MCCAIN
They’re calling us obstructionists, nay sayers!
BOEHNER
The party of no, what else is new?
MCCAIN
Oh Christ, Olbermann again. The guy is a whacko. How do we spin this, John? How about getting the governors to not take stimulus money?
BOEHNER
John, even for you, that’s a pretty dumb idea.
MCCAIN
Oh really? Well, what’s your plan?
BOEHNER
I’m thinking: Order in. Dominos, maybe some Family Guy I TIVO’ed. Can’t get enough of Quagmire. He breaks me up, for some odd reason.
MCCAIN
You’re going to watch Family Guy while this country is burning? While we as a nation are at the shithouse door? Can I come over?
BOEHNER
No.
Set up both locations, intercut, and roll the dialogue. This lets the director decide which end of the phone conversation we’re seeing. To write in slugline after slugline takes the reader out of the flow. Remember, the reader is reading a movie, not a script.
One more note on phone conversations: With all respect to Phone Booth, holding on one-side of a phone conversation for very long is static, non-visual stuff. The recent use of texting in The Departed was well done, but extensive use of telephones is tricky to pull off visually.
Speaking of Phone Booth, here’s what a one-sided phone conversation looks like.
Then he starts to vacate the booth. The phone rings. And rings. Curious, he picks up the receiver. There’s a voice on the other end of the line. A DISTINCTIVE MALE VOICE.
VOICE
Don’t even think about leaving that booth.
STU
What?
VOICE
Stay exactly where you are and listen carefully.
STU
I’ve got a heavy day, mister.
VOICE
You know better than to disobey me.
STU
I don’t know you at all.
VOICE
Are you absolutely sure?
STU
Who is this?
VOICE
Someone who’s watching you.
STU
Get lost!
VOICE
Love the gray suit. That red andblack tie makes a nice combination.
Stu is taken back by the accurate description of his apparel. He looks around nervously.
The second use of INTERCUT is between scenes. Establish the first location, the second location, and then INTERCUT (or CROSSCUT). This also works for multiple locations in rapid-fire continuous action. Here’s an example from my screenplay, Crossroaders:
INT. CASINO- GAME 6- NIGHT
The dealer spreads out the new cards. Supervisors check for imperfections. Christy doesn’t watch, hungrily chewing a pastrami sandwich.
Lucky Nick, sweating as he looks at Christy, mumbles various obscenities.
SLOT AREA
Frank taking his frustration out on a slot machine, pulls too hard, hurting himself.
LOUNGE AREA
Susie takes off her wig, all pretenses gone, Wes and Sculley likewise undisguised, likewise in shock.
GAME 6
The dealer finishes the shuffle, and is abruptly tapped out. A BIG-GAME DEALER steps in. Pale features, coldly efficient and mechanical, offering Christy the cut.
CHRISTY
(to the dealer)
Good luck.
No response. The new dealer spooks Christy, who buries the cut card.
A huge crowd pushes in, casino supervisors and the crossroaders surround Christy and the dealer, ready to play blackjack at ,000 a hand.
INTERCUT--ALL (TIME LAPSE)
Christy playing the first hand, losing.
Wes and Susie, digging in for the long haul, watching in an overhead mirror.
Cards ebb and flow, Christy wins, loses.
Lucky Nick downing stomach tablets, feeling ill.
Frank downing antacid tablets, feeling the same.
Lee and Gino studying Christy.
The dealer shuffling a second time, a third, without a word to Christy.
Christy battling, playing magnificently.
More cards ebb and flow, Christy wins, loses, and loses.
The crowd reacts with GROANS.
Christy wipes away sweat, coming down to earth.
Ditch sluglines for INTERCUT. It’s a more efficient way to navigate the script, and will lead to an easier read.
INTERCUT is also at the heart of suspense, crosscutting between two scenes, or pursuer and pursued, as in The Fugitive:
INT. FEDERAL LOCKUP – STAIRWELL -- DAY
Kimble descending. Doors open and close throughout the stairwell but the traffic is light...
INTERCUT WITH... GERARD – Climbing the stairs. He reaches a landing -- and skims shoulders with Kimble, who pivots past on his way down.
Amazingly, neither man reacts. Not yet.
One flight above, Gerard’s subconscious taps him on the shoulder and brings him to a dead stop. He leans over the stairwell railing to spy... Kimble spiraling downward. From this vantage, it could be any dark-haired man. But still...
GERARD
(a quick probe)
Kimble.
Others look up out of curiosity... but not Kimble. Two landings below, he falters a step, then tries to regain his step, keeps moving.
But Gerard is pulling his Glock: The hitch in Kimble’s stride told him everything.
GERARD
Kimble!
Kimble blitzes down the stairs. Gerard moves after him.
Lastly, you can use INTERCUT to simply break away from the first scene, as in American Gangster:
INT/EXT. REDTOP’S APARTMENT BUILDING – HARLEM – DAY
Frank leads his brothers up the stairs and down the hall.
FRANK
Nobody owns me. Because I own my company.
INTERCUT: Feminine hands stamp small packets of blue cellophane with the words ‘Blue Magic’ --
FRANK
And my company sells a product that’s better than the competition’s at a price that’s lower.
I’ve seen this:
INT. JOHN BOEHNER HOME- NIGHT
Boehner looks on as a TV plays his news conference from earlier in the day. The phone rings, he picks up.
INTERCUT WITH:
INT. JOHN MCCAIN HOME- SAME
McCain on the phone, watching the same TV broadcast.
MCCAIN
You watching this?
—
1. Establish the 1st scene
2. Establish de Intercut
3. Establish de 2nd scene
yes, that works too. None of this is brain surgery. there’s no single way to do it, but there’s lots of ways to NOT do it, if that makes sense.
Hello
Please, how many intercuts can I use
I a script ?
I mean more than one ?
There’s no right or wrong this question. If you need an INTERCUT, use it.
You can intercut between locations in a single large location, between two locations,
or on a sign as a car passes it. It’s not directing the script because you’re not
giving specific camera directions.
Comment *I have a sharp shooter scene and want to jump between the victim and the shooter as he gets ready.
The victim just doing their thing, the shooter assembling his rifle etc., the victim exiting a car, the shooter positioning himself, victim talking to a bouncer at the doors of a club, shooter taking aim….you get my meaning 🙂 What’s the best way to arrange these scenes?
Depends on if it’s just two locations for the crosscutting, or multiple. if it’s multiple i
might go with montage with just
-shooter does a
–victim does a
–shooter does b
–victim does b
if it’s just two locations, they i’d establish each location with a slugline and first action,
then i’d go
CROSSCUTTING- SHOOTER/VICTIM
then roll the action lines as you see it in your mind
–shooter does a
–shooter does b
–victim does a
–shooter does c
etc