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Topic : Re: How do I represent two computers having a conversation between themselves that other characters are unaware of? I have two computers who are talking to each other in a movie script. They do - selfpublishingguru.com

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Your question made me think of Iain M Banks work. In his work, some of the ships (they are characters themselves) have private messages.

He goes to the length of including a message header and laying it out like a memo.

Something like this:

[tight beam, M32, tra. @n4 .28.885.1008]
xROU Killing Time
oGCV Steely Glint
I understand you are de facto military commander for this volume.
Will you receive my mind-state?

and

[tight beam, M32, tra. @n4 .28.885.1065]
xGCV Steely Glint
oROU Killing Time
No. Your gesture - offer - is appreciated. However, we do have other plans for you.
May I ask what led you to Pittance in the first place?

From Excession by Iain M. Banks.

It is immediately obvious from all the cruft that we are looking at a message. Also, we know which ship is speaking to which other ship. By showing no other character ever react to those messages we soon gather that they are super private communications. Never underestimate the power of showing.

You need not use that exact format but something similar could be done visually:

To: AI-419 [Via Line 9]

From: AI-7-Sub:3(c)

Mode: Encrypted, Private

Content: Have you seen what the humans are doing?

Or just have an overlay open up and say

Connecting...

Then show a voice print while the conversation is taking place. Really anything that shows that this is extra information not happening in a way the humans can react.

Figuring out how to show that conversation is as much the job of the director as the writer. You could just write

(private conversation) Computer 1: Hi there

(private conversation) Computer 2: What's happening, Eddy?

And let the visual team figure it out.

Don't let formatting get in the way of telling the story. You can always do layout at the end.


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