# Pre-lap > Sound from the next scene — a line of dialogue, an effect, or music — that begins before the picture cuts to it, written just above the new scene heading. Also known as: PRE-LAP, PRELAP ## In practice A pre-lap pulls the audience forward. The line or sound arrives while we are still looking at the old scene, so the cut feels motivated: an answer lands before the question's scene is over, or a scream from the next location cuts off a quiet moment. On the page, place it at the end of the outgoing scene, directly above the heading of the scene it belongs to. Dialogue takes (PRE-LAP) as the cue extension, the way V.O. or O.S. would; a sound or music cue can be one action line, such as PRE-LAP: A guitar chord is struck. The script records intent, not timing — how early the sound starts is decided in the edit, so there is no need to specify seconds. Used sparingly, a pre-lap is one of the cleanest transitions on the page; used on every cut, it stops registering. Its mirror image, sound from the old scene lingering over the new picture, is usually written as action in the new scene. ## See it formatted - [How to format a pre-lap in a screenplay](https://www.inkwell.software/resources/screenplay-formatting/pre-laps-and-sound-bridges): When the next scene's sound arrives before its picture, write it just above the scene it belongs to: a (PRE-LAP) cue for a line of dialogue, a PRE-LAP line in action for a sound. ## Official sources & context Sources reviewed Sep 22, 2026 - [Final Draft — 5 tips for a professional-looking screenplay (PRELAP)](https://www.finaldraft.com/blog/5-tips-to-making-your-screenplay-look-professional) ## Common questions ### Why do writers use a pre-lap? To pull the audience into the next scene. The line or sound arrives while we still see the old one, so the cut feels motivated — an answer lands before the question's scene is over. ### Who decides how long a pre-lap runs? The editor. The script records that the sound starts early; how early is set in the cut, so the page gives no timing in seconds or frames. ### What is a sound bridge? Any sound that carries across a cut. A pre-lap is the kind that starts early: the next scene's sound arriving before its picture. ## Related terms - [Voice-over (V.O.)](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/voice-over): Dialogue heard while the speaker is not speaking on camera in the scene — narration, a remembered voice, a call that is not diegetic in the frame. Marked as (V.O.) on the character cue. - [Transition](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/transition): An editing instruction between scenes — CUT TO:, DISSOLVE TO:, SMASH CUT TO:. Modern specs use them rarely; most cuts are assumed. - [Character cue](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/character-cue): The speaker’s name above a dialogue block, conventionally in uppercase — the label that tells the reader who is talking. - [Intercut](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/intercut): A formatting pattern for cutting back and forth between locations that are playing at the same time — classic phone calls, chases, or parallel climaxes. --- Canonical page: