I need help with a problem. I have tons of GUARDS and COPS in the current script I´m working on. I could give them names, but by doing this I could lead the reader to the wrong impression, that this characters will have further development in the script. So I don´t want to give them names.

I could also call a cop PIZZA COP, if the guy is eating a pizza when he first appears, but I have about 20 of these guys in my script, so I can´t come up wich such denominations to all of them.

So, is it right to just throw numbers at them? (COP Nº2, etc) And if it is, I have another doubt: The first two cops (Nº1 and Nº2) appear in one of the earlier scenes. Later on, in a totally different scene I have 2 other cops. Should I call them Nº1 and Nº2? Or should I follow an order and call them Nº3 and Nº4?

Thanks for reading.

The thread for "Cops of Burnside", in horror, went off on a tangent where this was discussed ad nauseum.

You will find a helpful (hopefully) discussion on this topic there.

Are they cops in the background?  Or do they actually do something particular in the story?  If you have twenty cops storming a building, you could simply write that the cops storm the building.  You don't need to name them.

Phil

Thanks for the replies.

Bert:
I read the thread you mentioned. There are some good points there.

Phil:
I have some background cops, but that´s easily solved by describing them the way you suggest. My problem appears in the scenes when some of the cops or guards do a little talking.

For example: A guard revealing an access code while the protagonist points a gun at him. After he gives away the code, we never see him again.

This is the kind of scenes I´m talking about. If it was only one scene, I would give the guy a name and move on. But I have many of those scenes, and that would mean about 10-15 new names to the script.

So that´s why I was wondering about giving those bastards some numbers. What do you think?

Is it possible to use the same guard?  Could he be a hostage?

I posted critique notes that I received from a script doctor for my script, 'The Burnout.'  They located with the script in the drama section.  One of the things he kept saying was that I have to limit the number of 'disposable characters' in my script.  Re-use them.

Read the notes (and the script, too).  It might clear some things up.


Phil

Thanks for the advice Phil. I read the Burnout some time ago as well as it coverage, and I did it twice (it was by far the best learning expierence I had on the internet about screenwriting) I remember what the script doctor said about this matter, but unfortunately, I cannot follow his advice for two reasons:

1)Some of the cops/guards die inmediatly after serving their purpouse, so I cannot have them appearing again on further scenes.

2)My script takes place in different cities and locations of a fictional planet, so I can´t recycle mi cops and guards. Otherwise, the reader would think "Hey that cop is everywhere".

While the name is unimportant, the designation would be so to the reader and actor playing the cop. If nothing else, just for the sake of giving names, they would be Bob, Harry, Fred, Jake, Daniel, Henry, Lester, etc... I suppose George is mundane enough to use too, but I wouldn't want to endorse my own name...it would seem conceited. Anyway, the point would be that the character would be typical sounding, but not Cop 1, Cop 2, etc. With multiple characters of the same profession, it be of good advice for them all to have names...you could even just go through babyname.com or something...just a thought.

Thanks for the advice, George. Unless another solution comes up, I think I will be giving some names to those bastards.

Personally, I'd give them all seperate names... I don't know, you are more of a scriptmaster than I am, I am just getting my first one on the sight... But I usually give them seperate names. Officer Beagle, Officer Sheridan, etc. But you wouldn't listen to me...

Thanks for the advice, Huggybear.