What is a pre-lap in a screenplay?

A pre-lap is when audio from the next scene — a line of dialogue or a sound — begins before the picture cuts to that scene. It bridges two scenes by letting you hear the new one a beat before you see it.

How do you format a pre-lap?

A common method is to place the incoming line at the end of the current scene with a (PRE-LAP) extension on the character cue, then cut to the new scene. Some writers instead note PRE-LAP: before the dialogue. Consistency is what matters.

Pre-laps smooth transitions, build momentum, and create ironic or thematic links between scenes — for example, a question asked at the end of one scene answered visually at the start of the next.

Formatting Pre-Lap Dialogue: How to Cue Audio Before a Scene Transition

What a pre-lap is and how to format it in a screenplay. Use pre-lap dialogue and sound to bridge scenes smoothly and pull the reader across a cut.

A pre-lap is a small, professional touch: the audience hears the next scene a beat before they see it. A line of dialogue or a sound from the upcoming scene laps over the end of the current one, pulling us across the cut. It's a smooth way to transition — and it's easy to format once you know the convention.

What a pre-lap does

Smooths the cut so scenes feel connected, not stapled together.
Builds momentum by starting the next beat's energy early.
Creates links — a question at the end of one scene answered by the image that opens the next; a laugh laid over a somber moment for irony.

How to format it

The cleanest, most common method puts the incoming line at the end of the current scene, tagged as a pre-lap, then cuts:

Sarah stares at the closed door, unmoving.

                    JUDGE (PRE-LAP)
          Has the jury reached a verdict?

INT. COURTROOM - DAY

The foreman rises.

We hear the judge before we see the courtroom.

An alternative some writers use is a label before the line:

          PRE-LAP: "Has the jury reached a verdict?"

Either is acceptable. As with every optional convention, pick one and use it consistently.

Pre-lap vs. pre-lap sound

Pre-laps aren't only dialogue. A sound can lap too — a siren, a gunshot, music — introduced at the end of the current scene:

A distant SIREN rises, growing louder —

EXT. HIGHWAY - NIGHT

— as the ambulance screams past.

This overlaps with editing techniques like J-cuts and L-cuts, but on the page the pre-lap is your tool for cueing the overlap.

Use it sparingly

A pre-lap is a spice, not a staple. One or two in a script land beautifully; a dozen become a tic. Reserve them for transitions where the audio bridge genuinely adds meaning or momentum.

Format transitions cleanly

Pre-laps sit at the seam between scenes, involving a character cue extension and a transition. A screenwriting tool that handles cues and headings makes them painless to drop in. Scriptease applies these elements automatically so your transitions read clean.

Related: V.O. vs. O.S. and the screenplay format guide.