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For the effect I'm looking for I have a scene that takes place in a place I called New Japan so it could basically be the way I want it and not have to be like real Japan which I know nothing more than the average person
But how do I get across to an audience that all the dialogue in this scene is in Japanese without having to use parentheticals after each name saying that it's in Japanese
I hope someone can help me quickly but if not I can go back and edit
I think you would write it in your description that it is in Japanese, then write the dialogue in Japanese. If you don't speak the language, you might want to say that everyone speaks with a Japanese accent, and write it in English. Cindy
Award winning screenwriter Available screenplays TINA DARLING - 114 page Comedy ONLY OSCAR KNOWS - 99 page Horror A SONG IN MY HEART - 94 page Drama HALLOWEEN GAMES - 105 page Drama
If the only other language spoken in the script is Japanese, it could be an idea to make a note at the beginning of the script that all translated text will be shown as this: <<Hello>>... kinda like this:
KOTARO <<I am big with black hair and little fingers.>>
JOHN What did you say you loon?
KOTARO <<You don't speak my language?>>
JOHN I can't understand you!
KOTARO <<You look like a monkey with testacles on his head.>>
JOHN <<I was kidding. I do understand. Now prepare to die!>>
... okay, so maybe don't use the dialogue. But you get the idea.
You could always use the old stand-by: have them talking in their native language for a couple of lines, then have it transition to English so we know they're speaking whatever they're speaking, but we can understand. They did in in The Hunt for Red October, they just pushed in on the poilitical officer and had him switch from Russian to English.
All the characters in my story -- BANANA CHAN -- speak Japanese. The scripts are in english, but they're speaking Japanese. Forget about that when you read the episode called Dorian, though.