VISUAL SCREENPLAY - KOREAN FORMAT.

Tips used to make reading easier.

#1. Examples of Korean screenplay.

Korean screenplays use files close to Word (.docx), with the .hwp extension.

Drama "I hear your voice", beginning of the first episode.

Drama "W two worlds", scenes with comments.

"W two worlds", once translated and converted into a text file.

#2. Scene Header (time of day).

The Scene Header indicates the place and time where the scene takes place, and its number.
Unlike the Western screenplay format, it is not said whether it is inside or outside.
The description of the place is precise enough to know.
Each time the action changes place OR time, a new scene is created.

The Scene Header is the best way to avoid confusion while reading.
It also gives other indications that we will see...

#3. Writer's office (night).

When the Scene Header is white and the description in light gray:
It's a scene in the present, taking place now.

Descriptions are short, concise, direct.
A screenplay must go fast, at the same speed as what we see on screen.
The tense is always the present. It is happening now.

The description says what can be seen on screen.
And in the order in which we see it.

There can be additional texts, off-screen:
¤ An explanation to improve understanding.
¤ A description to convey the atmosphere.
¤ A special and important moment, mentioning a character's state of mind.

#4. LARGE IMAGES.

Sometimes, a few large images are used. Different sizes.

A description can be centered

Several images side by side, of the same height.

#5. FLASHBACK, Ep02 - Min-Soo's living room (night).

Objective flashback. The scene refers to a moment in the past.
If it has already been shown in an episode, its number is mentioned in the Scene Header.
Normally, it should also say the scene number.
But it was too complicated to do, because of the regular corrections.

The objective Flashback can be:
¤ A past moment seen on screen, in the same way as another scene.
¤ A past moment told by a character to others.
In that case, the previous scene makes that felt.

#6. RECALL, Ep02 - Min-Soo's living room (night).

Subjective flashback. The scene refers to a moment in the past.
If it has already been shown in an episode, its number is mentioned in the Scene Header.

The subjective Flashback is a memory.
The previous scene gives an idea of the character remembering.
No one other than this character knows what he remembers.

#7. FLASHFORWARD - Writer's office (day).

The scene takes place in the future, at a moment still unknown.

#8. DAYDREAM, Yeon Joo - Seoul street (day).

A character imagines a hypothetical scene, or daydreams.
The character's name is indicated, as well as the place if needed.

#9. DREAM, Yeon Joo.

Like "DAYDREAM", but it's a dream while sleeping.

#10. ANIMATION - General explanation of what is animated.

This is a visual insert, showing something out of context or abstract.
For example, newspaper covers stacking up, and we see the headlines.

If the animation has several steps, they are listed like this, using " ¤ ":
¤ Description Step 1.
¤ Description Step 2.
¤ Description Step 3.

#11. MANHWA, "Name of the manhwa" - Other indications.

Like "ANIMATION" but these are comic book images.
Sometimes, when a single image is shown, it doesn't say "MANWHA" but rather a line like this:
¤ Description of the image shown.

#12. Sung-Moo's house (day) + MONTAGE.

A montage is a succession of quick scenes, or excerpts of scenes.
The Scene Header can contain the place where it takes place. In that case, " + MONTAGE " is indicated.

C12#1. Kitchen.

The scene is split into numbered sub-scenes.

C12#2. Living room.

The sub-scene header gives an indication to get one's bearings. Here the place.

C12#3. City street (day).

The header can be similar to that of a Scene Header.

C12#4. FLASHBACK - Living room (night).

Of course, flashbacks or various other headers can be used.

C12#5. When it's very short, the description is in the header.

To make it easier to read, montages with very short lines are listed as follows:
¤ Description of sub-scene 1 of the montage.
¤ Description of sub-scene 2 of the montage.
¤ Description of sub-scene 3 of the montage.

#13. INSERTS.

A fairly long scene can contain short Flashbacks, or any other Header.
In that case, the scene is not interrupted, but an INSERT is used.

{RECALL INSERT, Ep01 - Writer's office (day).}

Here, a character remembers something.
Apart from the keyword "INSERT", it is similar to a "RECALL" type scene.
Other types of Scene Header can be used, FLASHBACK, ANIMATION, etc.

Once the insert is finished, there is an empty line signaling it.
And in any case, the text color changes most of the time.

{RECALL INSERT, Ep01 - Writer's office (night).}

In case of possible confusion, the insert ends by mentioning:
{END INSERT.}

{MANHWA INSERT - When it's very short, the description is in the header.}

#14. FAST FLASHES.

It's an additional keyword used for flashbacks and recalls.
The flashes are very fast and it is impossible to indicate the place and time of the flashbacks.
The episode number of each line is indicated in order.

{RECALL INSERT, FAST FLASHES - Ep 01, 03, 04.}

The car will have to go fast.
The accident was fatal.
The brakes were sabotaged.

#15. In Yeon-Joo's car + In Kang Chul's car (day).

The scene takes place in two different places, the " + " sign is used.
Often, they are phone conversations.
The screen shows the characters successively when they speak.
A character who speaks on a phone without being seen is put in Voice-over.
The Western screenplay uses "INTERCUT" instead of " + ".

#16. DIALOGUES.

Here are the tips used for the dialogues.
Normally, the characters' names are used on the left, in the Korean format.
But in this visual version, that is replaced by the character's image.
This is faster to read, and makes it easier to memorize the characters.

: A normal dialogue line.

- Voice-over of the "Thought" type. We hear what the character is thinking.

~ Voice-over. The character is not seen on screen.

A voice-over can be many different things:
¤ An abstract narration.
¤ Someone commenting on a flashback.
¤ Someone in the next room. (O.S. Out screen)
¤ Someone whose dialogue starts ahead, the previous scene. (Prelap)

These tips are characteristic of the visual screenplay.
In the other formats, it's different.

Korean format: There is no sign of the "-", ":" or "~" type.
The name is on the left, then a tab, then the text.
In case of voice-over or thought, it indicates "(E)". Or "VO" or "OS".

Western format: The character's name is centered.
Below, their text with a limited width.

#17. RHYTHM OF THE DIALOGUES.

Unlike the Western format, a dialogue line can be empty.

: Something important happened.

: ... ?

: Only, it was impossible to say it.

: ... Why?

The empty dialogue line suggests that we see the character, and their expression.
The last line starts with "...", because the character waits before speaking.
This can suggest a moment of hesitation for example.

Other tips of this kind are used...

: (!!!) ... How is this possible?

The character is first surprised, then asks their question.

: This is hard to say...
But there is no choice.

Theoretically, when the same character speaks, we don't create two lines.
However, this visual screenplay sometimes does it to:
¤ Reinforce a pause between two lines.
¤ The dialogue is too dense to fit on a single line.
¤ Different images are used to show the character's emotion.

#18. DIALOGUE PARENTHESES.

Parentheses are used during the dialogues.
The position of the parenthesis lets us know at which moment of the dialogue it takes place.
Sometimes, it's just a general indication for the whole line, rather indicated at the beginning.
Sometimes, we guess that it lasts through the following lines (someone crying for example).
A parenthesis text does not start with a capital letter and has no period.

It is advised to use parentheses very little in Western screenplays:
¤ so as not to weigh it down.
¤ the format allows very little margin for parentheses, just 2 or 3 words per line.
¤ because the character's attitude should be guessed from the context or the dialogue.
¤ because actors don't like having attitudes imposed, and sometimes change the dialogues.

However, Korean screenplays use them enormously:
¤ The screenwriters have a very clear vision of the scene's subtleties.
¤ The author's vision is more respected. Good screenwriters are stars.
¤ This reinforces the emotions more.
¤ In return, the screenwriters also grant actors ranges of freedom on other dialogues.

Parentheses can contain:

¤ The person the character is speaking to.

: (to Yeon-Joo) I swear to you that I will never again read a manhwa in which you are involved!!

¤ The character's visual expression.

: (eyes bulging) What??!

¤ The character's state of mind.

: (angry) I refuse to go there!!

¤ The tone of the voice.

: (broken voice) Stay a little longer...

¤ An action done by the character.

: This is going to be very simple. (grabs his coat and leaves)

The Western screenplay does not put action in the parentheses.
However, the Korean screenplay always uses that, sometimes long actions.
This allows a description at the beginning of the scene, then not to break the dialogue's dynamism.

¤ A thought, but not heard on screen.

: There's nothing to be done... ("he knows it, though")

Here, the thought replaces a description that could be long to suggest the effect.
An actor can use it to play their role, and give the impression that the character thinks that.

¤ A description only.

(unpacks the box of books)

¤ A quick expression.

: (??!) ... You talk too fast.

Question marks suggest incomprehension, exclamation marks surprise, etc.

¤ Any combination.

: (!!) ... President Kang, you serious?! (leaves with him)
(annoyed) ... Really... (shakes his head no, "this guy is crazy")

#19. SPECIAL DESCRIPTIONS.

PAF!! An onomatopoeia. A description explains what sound it is afterward.

"Inscription". A written element, for example a sign with a text.

(Note: An explanation in parentheses about the scene, out of context, for the film crew.)

SUBTITLE : A few hours earlier. This text appears on screen.

"someone's dialogue", the character speaking is not indicated.
This can be rumors in a crowd, for example.

The description gives "a character's thought", in quotation marks.
However, the thought is not heard on screen.
It just serves to reinforce the character's description, their attitude.

SLOW MOTION :
The following description happens in slow motion.
The slow motion stops as soon as there is an empty line.

~ The character reads a text out loud.

Screenplays often contain keywords, such as:
FADE IN, MATCH CUT, INTERCUT, etc.
However, they are not used in this screenplay, to make reading more accessible.
The only keyword used is "DISSOLVE", but in a normal, understandable text.