Screenplay format guide
O.S. in a Screenplay: Meaning and Format
O.S. means off screen: the character is physically in the scene, just out of the frame, like a voice from the next room or a shout from round the corner. It goes in brackets after the name on the cue line. Here is how to format it, when O.C. fits, and the quick test that separates it from V.O.
Written and reviewed by ScriptLix Editorial
INT. FARMHOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT
Wren washes a single plate. Through the doorway, the dark hall.
FATHER (O.S.)
Wren? Did you lock the barn?
WREN
Yes, Dad.
She didn't. She dries her hands and stares at the back door.
WREN (V.O.)
I never locked the barn. Not once that whole summer. That's how they got in.
Write your own
Type in plain text. A name in caps right above a line becomes dialogue, and lines starting INT. or EXT. become scene headings.
INT. FARMHOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT
Wren washes a single plate. Through the doorway, the dark hall.
FATHER (O.S.)
Wren? Did you lock the barn?
WREN
Yes, Dad.
She didn't. She dries her hands and stares at the back door.
WREN (V.O.)
I never locked the barn. Not once that whole summer. That's how they got in.
How to use it
- 1
Ask whether the speaker is in the scene’s space and could walk into frame. If yes, use (O.S.).
- 2
Put the extension in brackets after the name on the cue line, like FATHER (O.S.).
- 3
Drop the extension the moment the character steps into view and is on screen.
When a line is O.S.
| Situation | Extension | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A voice from the hallway | (O.S.) | In the location, out of frame |
| A shout from behind a door | (O.S.) | Could open the door and be seen |
| A voice behind the camera in a TV script | (O.C.) | Same meaning, older TV style |
| Narration from years later | (V.O.) | Not in the scene at all |
What does O.S. mean in a screenplay?
Off screen means the speaker is there, in the location, but the camera is not on them: a father calling from the hall, a guard shouting from round the corner, a child answering from under the bed. The key test is whether they could walk into shot. If yes, it is (O.S.).
Use it only while the speaker is unseen. In the example, the father stays O.S. because he never enters the kitchen. If he walked in, his next cue would be plain FATHER.
O.S. vs V.O.: which one is it?
Ask where the speaker is. In the scene but unseen is O.S. Not in the scene at all, like a narrator, a memory or a character’s thoughts, is V.O. Wren’s last line in the example is V.O. because it comes from years later. The voice over guide covers narration in depth.
What about O.C.?
O.C. stands for off camera and means the same as O.S. You see it in some multi camera TV scripts and older screenplays. For a feature spec, O.S. is the common choice. Use one or the other through the whole script.
Which do I use for a phone call?
If we only hear the other caller, many writers use V.O., since that voice comes through the phone, not the room. Others use (FILTERED) or (ON PHONE). If the film cuts between both callers, set up an intercut and drop the extensions entirely.
More from the format guide
- How to Write a Montage in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Flashback in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Phone Call in a Screenplay
- How to Write Text Messages in a Screenplay
- Dual Dialogue in a Screenplay
- Voice Over in a Screenplay: V.O. Narration
- Screenplay Transitions: CUT TO, DISSOLVE TO
- How to Introduce a Character in a Screenplay
- How to Use Parentheticals in a Screenplay
- How to Write an Intercut in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Title Card in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Series of Shots in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Flash Forward in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Dream Sequence in a Screenplay
- Smash Cut: What It Is and How to Write One
- How to Write a Pre Lap in a Screenplay
- Subtitles in a Screenplay: Foreign Dialogue
- How to Write a Split Screen in a Screenplay
- How to Write Slow Motion in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Freeze Frame in a Screenplay
- How to Write Song Lyrics in a Screenplay
Questions writers ask
What does O.S. mean in a screenplay?
Off screen. The character is in the scene, just not in the frame, like a voice from another room.
Is O.S. the same as V.O.?
No. O.S. is a speaker in the scene but out of frame. V.O. is a voice from outside the scene, like narration.
Is O.C. the same as O.S.?
Yes. O.C. means off camera and is mostly seen in some TV scripts. Features usually use O.S.
Where does O.S. go?
In brackets on the same line as the character name, after it, like MOM (O.S.).