How to Write Phone Calls and Text Messages in a Screenplay
Phone calls, texts, emails and video chats are everywhere in modern stories, and almost every new screenwriter asks how to put them on the page. This guide shows you the three standard ways to write a phone call, how to handle text messages and other screens, and how to write on-screen titles. Every method comes with an example you can copy.
Updated September 2026 · 8 min read
1. Choosing the right method
There is no single correct way to write a phone call. There are three standard methods, and the right one depends on a simple question: what should the audience see and hear?
| Method | What the audience gets | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| One side heard | One character on screen, one voice | The other end is unimportant, or you want mystery. |
| Voice on the line (V.O.) | One character on screen, both voices | We need to hear both sides but stay with one character. |
| INTERCUT | Both characters on screen, both voices | Both reactions matter to the scene. |
Whatever you choose, the rules of normal screenplay format still apply. A phone call is just dialogue with a technical twist.
2. Phone calls: one side heard
The simplest method. We stay with one character and hear only what they say. The pauses do the work: the reader fills in the other half.
Use (beat) or a short action line to mark where the other person speaks. Don't overdo it. If every line needs a pause, the reader starts guessing too much, and you may need one of the other two methods.
3. Phone calls: the voice on the line
Here we stay in one location but hear both people. The unseen caller gets a character name with an extension, just like any other dialogue.
This is where practice varies more than anywhere else in the guide. Writers use different extensions for the voice on the other end:
(V.O.)is the most common choice, because the speaker is not in the scene.(ON PHONE)or(OVER PHONE)is used by many writers because it is instantly clear.(FILTERED)tells the sound team the voice should sound like it's coming through a device.(O.S.)appears in some scripts, but strictly it means a character who is physically nearby and unseen, so most writers avoid it for calls.
None of these will get your script rejected. What matters is that the reader understands instantly, and that you use the same one throughout the script.
4. Phone calls: INTERCUT
When we need to see both characters, write a scene heading for each location, then tell the reader we will cut back and forth. After that, you write the conversation as normal dialogue with no more headings.
A few variations are all accepted: INTERCUT - ANNA / LEO, INTERCUT PHONE CALL, or simply INTERCUT. Some writers also use the phrase We intercut in an action line. Because both people are on screen, most writers drop the (V.O.) during the intercut; some keep it on lines where we only hear the voice.
End the intercut by going to a new scene heading, or by showing one character hanging up. For more on headings, see the scene headings guide.
Kashna Script formats every piece of a phone call while you type. Scene headings, character names, extensions and parentheticals all land in the right place without menus, and when two people talk at once, dual dialogue is built in. Join the early access list.
5. Text messages
A text is something the audience reads, not hears, so it doesn't belong in normal dialogue. There are three common ways to write one.
In the action line
The quickest method for a short message. Put the text in quotes, often in italics or capitals so it stands out:
INSERT or ON SCREEN
When the message matters to the plot, give it its own line so no reader skims past it. INSERT means we see a close view of the phone; ON SCREEN or ON PHONE is used the same way. Return with BACK TO SCENE.
As a text conversation
For a back-and-forth exchange, many writers use the dialogue format with an extension such as (TEXT) or (TEXTING), or put (ON SCREEN) in the action to say the words appear over the picture:
Keep the character's real texting style: lowercase, typos, emojis described in words. It tells us who they are. Whichever method you pick, make it clear on first use and keep it consistent.
6. Emails, video calls and other screens
Emails, letters and documents
These work like text messages. Use INSERT for anything the audience must read, and quote only the words that matter. Nobody needs the full signature block.
Video calls
A video call is usually written like an intercut if both locations matter. If we only see the other person on a screen, stay in one location and describe the screen in the action. Many writers mark that voice with (ON SCREEN) or (ON LAPTOP):
TV, radio and recordings
A news report or voicemail follows the same idea: a character name such as NEWS ANCHOR (ON TV) or MARCUS (V.O.) for a recorded voice. Choose the extension that makes the source clear.
7. On-screen text: SUPER and titles
Text that appears over the picture for the audience, not inside the story world, is written with SUPER (short for superimpose). Use it for places, dates and captions:
| Term | How it's used |
|---|---|
| SUPER: | Text over the picture. The most common choice. |
| TITLE CARD: | Text on its own, usually over black. |
| SUBTITLE: | Translation of foreign-language dialogue. Many writers instead add a note like "(in Spanish, subtitled)". |
| CHYRON: | A name or caption bar, as in a news broadcast. Less common; some writers just use SUPER. |
Some writers also use ON SCREEN: for these captions. It works, but can blur with phones and laptops shown inside the story, so SUPER is clearer when both appear in one script.
8. Common mistakes
- Mixing methods for the same thing.
(V.O.)for one call and(ON PHONE)for the next confuses readers. Pick one per type. - Reading texts aloud as dialogue without saying so. If a character doesn't speak the words, don't write them as normal dialogue.
- New scene headings for every line of a call. Establish both places once, then
INTERCUT. - Forgetting
BACK TO SCENEafter anINSERT, so the reader doesn't know where we are. - Long calls with nothing happening. Two people talking on the phone is static. Give at least one of them something to do while they talk.
- Filling the page with screens. Long emails and text threads slow a script down. Quote what matters and move on; see the screenplay length guide for why page count matters.
9. Frequently asked questions
How do you write a phone call in a screenplay?
Use one of three methods: show one side only, give the unseen caller a character name with (V.O.) or (ON PHONE), or establish both locations and write INTERCUT to cut between them.
Is a phone voice V.O. or O.S.?
Most writers use V.O., because the caller is not in the scene. O.S. is meant for someone physically nearby but unseen. Some writers prefer (ON PHONE) or (FILTERED); any of these is fine if used consistently.
How do you write text messages in a screenplay?
Put short texts in the action line in quotes, use INSERT - PHONE for messages the audience must read, or write an exchange as dialogue with a (TEXT) extension. Keep one method throughout.
What does INTERCUT mean in a screenplay?
INTERCUT tells the reader the film cuts back and forth between two locations, usually during a phone call. You write both scene headings once, then continue the dialogue without new headings.
What does SUPER mean in a screenplay?
SUPER, short for superimpose, marks text that appears over the picture for the audience, such as a place name or date.
Kashna Script formats your screenplay while you write: scene headings, characters, dialogue, transitions, all in industry format. No menus. Every tool one key away.
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