SimplyScripts Discussion Board
Blog Home - Produced Movie Script Library - TV Scripts - Unproduced Scripts - Contact - Site Map
ScriptSearch
Welcome, Guest.
It is March 29th, 2024, 8:37am
Please login or register.
Was Portal Recent Posts Home Help Calendar Search Register Login
Please do read the guidelines that govern behavior on the discussion board. It will make for a much more pleasant experience for everyone. A word about SimplyScripts and Censorship


Produced Script Database (Updated!)
One Week Challenge - Who Wrote What and Writers' Choice.


Scripts studios are posting for award consideration

Short Script of the Day | Featured Script of the Month | Featured Short Scripts Available for Production
Submit Your Script

How do I get my film's link and banner here?
All screenplays on the simplyscripts.com and simplyscripts.net domain are copyrighted to their respective authors. All rights reserved. This screenplaymay not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.
Forum Login
Username: Create a new Account
Password:     Forgot Password

SimplyScripts Screenwriting Discussion Board    General Boards    Questions or Comments  ›  Caps on minor characters
Users Browsing Forum
No Members and 2 Guests

 Pages: 1, 2 » : All
Recommend Print
  Author    Caps on minor characters  (currently 8860 views)
insider901
Posted: April 22nd, 2013, 12:23pm Report to Moderator
New


Posts
77
Posts Per Day
0.02
What is proper when using caps on a minor character?

Example:

DAVID EDWARDS, 35, lights a smoke, takes a deep drag. A MAN strolls up.

MAN
Gotta a light?

David hands the Man a book a of matches.

Question: Even though the minor character doesn't have a proper name, do I cap the "M" as I refer to him in this scene?

What's the accepted rule on this in the world of scripts?

Logged Offline
Private Message
Mr.Ripley
Posted: April 22nd, 2013, 12:25pm Report to Moderator
January Project Group


Writing

Location
New York
Posts
1979
Posts Per Day
0.31
Yeah. You keep capping the first letter of whoever's name.

Gabe


Just Murdered by Sean Elwood (Zombie Sean) and Gabriel Moronta (Mr. Ripley) - (Dark Comedy, Horror) All is fair in love and war. A hopeless romantic gay man resorts to bloodshed to win the coveted position of Bridesmaid. 99 pages.
https://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-comedy/m-1624410571/
Logged
Site Private Message Reply: 1 - 21
Pale Yellow
Posted: April 22nd, 2013, 12:26pm Report to Moderator
January Project Group



Posts
2083
Posts Per Day
1.40
I'm not sure which is 'right' but I do it the way you do. All caps first then Cap the first letter just like  a name...we still do not try to remember that character when reading because he isn't named.

I really really like use of a descriptive word to name the minor characters. If I'm reading a script with a lot of characters...it makes it so much easier to know which to concentrate on. This may be 'against' some of the old rules...but I love it as a reader.
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 2 - 21
Toby_E
Posted: April 22nd, 2013, 12:51pm Report to Moderator
Been Around



Location
London, UK
Posts
872
Posts Per Day
0.15
I've seen it done both ways in pro and amateur scripts.

I personally keep capping the character's name because, after all, it is their name.


Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 3 - 21
Dreamscale
Posted: April 22nd, 2013, 1:06pm Report to Moderator
Guest User



You want to CAP the initial intro of all characters, named or not.  This includes animals, birds, fish, insects.  That means CAP every letter in whatever it is.

Is the question, should you continue to cap the first letter of "man" or whatever, as in a name?

I say no, as it's not a name. You could also have multiple "man" or the like in your script.  No need to cap the first letter over and over, IMO.
Logged
e-mail Reply: 4 - 21
insider901
Posted: April 22nd, 2013, 2:18pm Report to Moderator
New


Posts
77
Posts Per Day
0.02
I think my point's being made here. Mixed respones. Interesting stuff. Personally, I cap the first letter, but I've seen it done both ways. That, of course, is why I posed the question.
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 5 - 21
Mr.Ripley
Posted: April 22nd, 2013, 2:23pm Report to Moderator
January Project Group


Writing

Location
New York
Posts
1979
Posts Per Day
0.31
You're going to learn that right or wrong is kind of muddled when it comes to descriptions. Format is stricter.


Just Murdered by Sean Elwood (Zombie Sean) and Gabriel Moronta (Mr. Ripley) - (Dark Comedy, Horror) All is fair in love and war. A hopeless romantic gay man resorts to bloodshed to win the coveted position of Bridesmaid. 99 pages.
https://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-comedy/m-1624410571/
Logged
Site Private Message Reply: 6 - 21
insider901
Posted: April 22nd, 2013, 2:29pm Report to Moderator
New


Posts
77
Posts Per Day
0.02
Agree, Mr. R, I've been writing scripts for years and never seen a concrete answer on this subject. Thanks for your input. You and I do it the same way - the right way, of course. LOL!
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 7 - 21
Dreamscale
Posted: April 22nd, 2013, 2:41pm Report to Moderator
Guest User




Quoted from insider901
Agree, Mr. R, I've been writing scripts for years and never seen a concrete answer on this subject. Thanks for your input. You and I do it the same way - the right way, of course. LOL!


Just be careful that you don't have more than 1 "MAN" speaking or being described in action/description lines, because then, it would be the wrong way.  
Logged
e-mail Reply: 8 - 21
stevie
Posted: April 22nd, 2013, 3:48pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients



Location
Down Under
Posts
3441
Posts Per Day
0.61
I recall some advice here on SS once about this. And it was you perhaps should only cap anyone who is gonna have dialogue. If you have say, a backpacker in a scene who walks past the hero and spits at him then isnt in the script again, and doesn't speak at all, then don't worry about it?

Over to you, Jeff old buddy!



Logged
Private Message Reply: 9 - 21
dogglebe
Posted: April 22nd, 2013, 4:00pm Report to Moderator
Guest User



You should still capitalize the backpacker when you first see him.  Otherwise, readers will wonder where he first appeared.

When I wrote The Devil's Jokebook, I had unnamed priests up the wazoo.  I capitalized PRIEST each and everytime.  If the director wants to use the same background actor in several scenes, that's his choice, but you still have to introduce each character in your script.



Phil
Logged
e-mail Reply: 10 - 21
Dreamscale
Posted: April 22nd, 2013, 4:06pm Report to Moderator
Guest User



When you CAP a character's first intro, you're doing 2 things:

First, you're helping out your readers who don't have the luxury of having any actual visuals.  This way, the reader knows whether or not this character has been onscreen before.

Second, you're using a standardized method for production/pre-production on just exactly what's necessary to shoot the script.  Same goes for animals and the like.  If your script calls for a herd of deer, you'll want to cap that, so when the peeps in charge of putting it together read it, they'll know what's going to be needed.
Logged
e-mail Reply: 11 - 21
stevie
Posted: April 22nd, 2013, 4:12pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients



Location
Down Under
Posts
3441
Posts Per Day
0.61
Yeah, goodl point Phil.

I realised after I posted that I have this similar 'problem' in my nearly finished new horror feature.
The creatures in it ( technically zombies but I don't use that word in the script) aren't capped when I intro them mainly because there's a heap of them.

I just checked and no, I didn't cap the undead warriors when they first appear. Obviously they aren't going to speak.

What about in something like World War Z? Would it just have an action scene like...

Hundreds of ZOMBIES swarm from Lambeau Field towards the soldiers.

On second thought, that would happen at EVERY home game the Pack have, lol



Logged
Private Message Reply: 12 - 21
dogglebe
Posted: April 22nd, 2013, 4:39pm Report to Moderator
Guest User



In the case of World War Z, I imagine they stopped the uppercase just to save on ink.  Technically, you would probably have to capitalize ZOMBIE once in each scene.


Phil
Logged
e-mail Reply: 13 - 21
Forgive
Posted: April 22nd, 2013, 7:00pm Report to Moderator
Old Timer


Let The Sky Fall

Location
Various, exotic.
Posts
1373
Posts Per Day
0.27
You CAP for three reasons, and they are all script breakdown reasons as Jeff said.

1) Foley (sound effects).

2) Props (sometimes) - if there is something that is needed, that should appear (an object).

3) Characters.

Pre-production requires that all these factors, and the cost of them, be taken into account. If you're going to be an a$$ and make it difficult for these people to produce your work, don't be suprised when it gets rejected
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 14 - 21
 Pages: 1, 2 » : All
Recommend Print

Locked Board Board Index    Questions or Comments  [ previous | next ] Switch to:
Was Portal Recent Posts Home Help Calendar Search Register Login

Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post polls
You may not post attachments
HTML is on
Blah Code is on
Smilies are on


Powered by E-Blah Platinum 9.71B © 2001-2006