DIAL — Spoken Dialogue

Coordinate Category: Spoken Performance, Vocal Delivery & Dialogue
Status: Primary Auditory Performance Coordinate

1. Purpose & Functional Role

The Dialogue Sub-State commands spoken performance, dialogue delivery tone, spatial voice positioning (O.S. / V.O.), and the temporal pacing of character interactions within the scene.

2. Syntax & Formatting Standards

1. Tag Optionality Principle

Because a speaker’s name paired with quoted speech is inherently self-evident (e.g., Samira says: "..." or Felix: "..."), the explicit [DIAL] or [DIALOGUE] tag is optional by default. Both formats are valid: - Natural Sub-State: Samira says (soft sigh): "It feels so quiet in here." - Tagged Sub-State: [DIAL] Samira says (soft sigh): "It feels so quiet in here."

2. Standard Baseline Format

Speaker + [optional delivery modifier] + : + "Spoken line"

  • Standard Delivery: John: "We can't keep everything, Dad. Just pick."
  • Emotional Delivery Modifier: Robert (hoarse, rising): "That's my life in those boxes!"
  • Whisper / Subdued: Samira (muffled whisper): "Just stay like this for one last minute."

3. Spatial Voice Positioning

  • On-Screen: Standard format when the speaker’s face and lip sync are visible in frame.
  • Off-Screen (O.S.): When the speaker is physically present in the scene but outside the camera frame: Arthur (O.S.): "Be straight with us for once, Evan."
  • Voiceover (V.O.): For internal monologue, narrator voice, or disembodied audio: Evan (V.O.): "We knew the storm was coming."

4. Micro-Timing & Action Interweaving

Interweave dialogue directly between physical action Sub-States using -> to achieve natural conversational rhythm: [CAM 01] -> [ACT] Mark steps toward desk -> Mark: "They are isolated nodes!" -> [ACT] Mark clenches jaw -> Robert (soft chuckle): "They just need a shared floor."

5. Interaction with Syntax Modules

When the Seedance 2.5 Syntax Module is active, standard quotation marks are replaced by {dialogue} braces: Samira says (soft sigh) {It feels so quiet in here—} (Refer to modules/seedance25_syntax.md).

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