As film has evolved, so has tech and the world around us; thirty years ago, we didn’t have the issue of formatting text/email conversations.
So, as you watch films and see little graphics come up that show what characters are texting or emailing to each other, you may wonder, how on Earth should I format that?
My answer?
Make it as easy as possible in the script.
This is more of a directorial and post-production issue than a writing one. (It’s a directing one because the director may tell the actor when/how to look at the phone in the shot; it’s a post-production issue because it’s going to be up to the VFX people to determine the look and movement of the graphics).
Let’s Look at An Example
The Fault in Our Stars showed a LOT of texting among its characters. For instance,
Now, you don’t have to underline – this isn’t as hard-and-fast as writing code – that’s just the writer’s preference.
All you have to do is be clear and concise.