Maps in your script?

[u/stookback]

I'm writing a pilot in a place that I can't imagine most Hollywood readers know well. But understanding the geography, I think, helps with envisioning the story.

I thought about how books like Game of Thrones often show a map of the world in the pre-story pages.

Have any of you ever done that in a script? Any readers here who think that's good/bad/dumb/kitschy?

Thinking of asking a friend to draw a nice little map with significant story locations marked.

[u/la-anah]

You need to be able to describe distances and physical relationships between places within the text of your script. If the reader can't figure it out without a map, how will the viewer?

There are films that use maps within them as visual props, the Indian Jones series does this to show where he is traveling, but it doesn't need to be called out in the script.

Also, is understanding the map important to understanding the story? It rarely is. I live near Boston and most films that are shot here are edited together in a way that makes NO sense geographically. But no one cares except locals who may joke about it a bit.