Prelap is a
screenwriting
Screenwriting or scriptwriting is the art and craft of writing scripts for mass media such as feature films, television productions or video games. It is often a freelance profession.
Screenwriters are responsible for researching the story, dev ...
term that means the
dialogue
Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American and British English spelling differences, American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literature, literary and theatrical form that depicts suc ...
from the next
scene precedes the
cut, and the beginning of the dialogue is heard in the outgoing scene. As an example:
ADRIAN (V.O., PRELAP)
Peter? Peter, where are you?
EXT. THE WOODS – DAY
Adrian is out looking for Peter.
We see him wander around in the small forest.
ADRIAN
Peter? Hello? Are you there?
In this example, Adrian's voice precedes the scene out in the woods. The "V.O." means "
Voice Over
Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique used in radio, television, filmmaking, theatre, and other media in which a descriptive or expository voice that is not part of the narrative (i.e., non-d ...
" and the "PRELAP" indicates that Adrian's dialogue should be heard before the next scene begins. Adrian, in this example, might not even be in the scene the other characters are in when the prelap occurs. ("O.S." or "Off Screen" would not be appropriate as the term should only be used for characters unseen but on set.)
''Prelaps'' can be of sound or dialogue, or anything non-visual, since a visual would indicate a direct cut to a new scene.
Film and video terminology
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