Phone screens as props for film and TV
Design insert shots of phone screens for a scene. Use invented people and numbers, keep the text readable on camera, and match the look to your story.
Try it: start from this sample
The harbour office closes at six.
Who is this?
Someone who saw the van. Come alone.
Why a prop screen helps the scene
A message on a phone is a fast way to deliver plot without a line of dialogue. The audience reads it in two seconds, so the text has to be short and the layout instantly recognisable. Write the insert so it does one job, such as a threat, a clue or a mistake the character is about to make. Check continuity: the message in the insert must match what the actor reads or reacts to in the master shot.
Talk to the editor and the actor early. A good insert is timed to the actor reading it, so agree how many seconds it stays on screen and write the amount of text to fit that time with a spare second or two.
Make it legible on camera
Large text, high contrast and few bubbles read best. Four bubbles at most for a close-up; less if the shot is wide. A dark colour scheme suits night scenes and reduces glare from a bright screen. Export the highest quality your plan offers, since a frame may be graded, cropped or pushed in during the edit. Share the stills with the editor, and test one on the actual monitor or grading suite.
If the shot shows the phone being held, you may need to display the image on a real device. That is a production choice, not something the tool does for you.
Keep names and numbers fictional
Use invented names, and never real phone numbers, addresses or accounts, even if they look harmless. A prop that includes a real number can bring unwanted calls to a real person. Brands, app looks and logos can raise clearance questions, so check with your production's legal advisor before shooting; ChatsRat draws its own interface in a general style and does not use any app's logos.
Tips
- Write the message to match the actor's reaction beat, not the other way round.
- Keep each line short enough to read in two seconds.
- Leave a spare version without the watermark question on the day: check your plan first.
- Export extra stills with a different final bubble for alternate takes.
- Log every name and number in the props sheet so nothing real slips in.
Questions
Can I use the images in a commercial production?
Check the terms and your plan. The image must be a fictional prop, not presented as a real exchange. Ask your production's legal advisor about brand clearances for any screen that appears on camera.
Will the screen look like a real app?
ChatsRat draws its own interface in a general style. It uses app names only to describe the kind of layout and is not affiliated with those apps. Your legal advisor can tell you whether you need anything further.
What format works for an editor?
PNG is common for stills. Paid plans add JPG, and Creator adds animated GIF and video up to 4K. The plans page lists what each tier includes.
Does the watermark appear in the shot?
Free exports carry a visible ChatsRat watermark. Paid plans change the visible watermark, and the plans page lists how. Every export also has an invisible mark readable on the verify page.
Use it for simulated, labelled content. ChatsRat makes mock-ups and fictional conversations for creators, designers and teachers. Do not use it to pass off a made-up conversation as a real one, to impersonate a real person, or as proof of anything. See the Acceptable Use policy.
About the watermark. Exports on the Free plan carry a visible ChatsRat watermark, and every export carries an invisible mark that the verify page can read. Plans list what changes on paid plans.
ChatsRat is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any messaging app. App names on this page describe a style only.