If a character speaks with an accent, should it say this under his name, e.g.

MAX
(german accent)
Blah, blah, blah.

Or should it be somewhere else? Also, if it is supposed to be in brackets under their name, should the first letter of the country be in capitals or should all the letters be in lower case?    

if he speaks like that all the time then include a description when you introduce him
such as MAX (40's, speaks with a German accent)
if it's just a one off thing it's fine as you did it, I'm not sure about the lower/upper case thing though.

You only need to do it the first time he speaks:

MAX
(German accent)
Like this.

It's also acceptable to write dialogue phonetically:

MAX
Like zis.

This can become distracting and should be used with caution, but sometimes it may be necessary to convey your character's way of speaking:

BOB
Like dis, mon.

Hope this helps.

Writing phonetically is not correct.  Exactly how the actor speaks is up to the actor, not the writer.  It's also extremely annoying.

The one time to spell dialogue out phonetically is when character mispronounces a word or phrase.


Phil

Quoted from dogglebe Writing phonetically is not correct.

I disagree. While my example is poor, and although I tend to avoid phonetic spellings in dialogue, sometimes it's necessary and can also be very effective.

"I'm gaunny f*ckin kill ya!"

or

"I'm going to f*cking kill you!"

I know which one I'd use for a Scottish hard case.

The dialogue I write at work is recorded by voice actors exactly as it is written. Therefore, if I wanted a Scottish character to say "I didnae do it" that's exactly what I'd write. Not "I didn't do it."

That's an idiom of the Scottish dialect, not a mispronunciation. A well-spoken Scottish actor may interpret that line differently without the direction.

The 'extremely annoying' comment is a matter of taste and of execution on the part of the writer. Irvine Welsh writes Scottish dialogue in such a way that it's almost impossible to read. I find that intrusive and annoying. You'll notice that was removed from the Trainspotting screenplay. However, I've read many Scottish authors who use the Scottish dialect in a way that's both easy to read and evocative of the region. Phonetic spellings can add details to characters that could otherwise be missed.

Back to the topic of screenplays. I recently read a feature length spec script about a firefighter from the North of England although much of the script takes place in the U.S. The dialogue was used brilliantly to convey the differences in accent and dialect. It enhanced my enjoyment of the script because it was unintrusive and well executed. I'm guessing an intern studio reader in Hollywood, faced with a Northern English accent would imagine, I dunno, Daphne's awful Manchester accent in Frasier or (even worse) interpret it as the English accent we hear so often in Hollywood, an upper class public school accent ala Hugh Grant. The phonetic spelling in this script left no doubt as to what this character sounds like.

I think a prescriptivist attitude can be limiting. Know the rules then break 'em!

Quoted from Martin I disagree. While my example is poor, and although I tend to avoid phonetic spellings in dialogue, sometimes it's necessary and can also be very effective. "I'm gaunny f*ckin kill ya!" or "I'm going to f*cking kill you!" I know which one I'd use for a Scottish hard case. The dialogue I write at work is recorded by voice actors exactly as it is written. Therefore, if I wanted a Scottish character to say "I didnae do it" that's exactly what I'd write. Not "I didn't do it."

Can't you say that the character speaks with a Scottish accent and let the actor speak it in a way that's more natural to him?


Phil

Thanks for the feedback guys. I think what I'll do is just write it under the characters name the first time they speak. But I'll write the dialogue in plain English. It's obviously a grey area, so at least I'm not going to get nailed for breaking a clear cut rule.

Quoted from dogglebe Can't you say that the character speaks with a Scottish accent and let the actor speak it in a way that's more natural to him?

You conveniently removed the qualifier from the statement you quoted. In the case of voice actors, it's essential because they are outsourced and therefore nobody is there to provide direction. We send a spreadsheet of dialogue lines and we get a recording back. If we're lucky and we have time, we can ask them to do some lines again, but it's expensive and time consuming.

As far as spec scripts go, you're writing for the reader. Anything you can do to immerse your reader in the story is a bonus. I heard about a guy who sold a spec comedy script in which an Irish character had phonetically spelled dialogue throughout. All the studio coverage he received praised his use of dialect for comedic purposes.

I saw a commercial recently in which a German man is working  at the coastguard station. As soon as his supervisor leaves, a distress signal comes on the radio.

MAN
Mayday, mayday. We're sinking! We're sinking!

GERMAN COASTGUARD
Okay... vot are you sinking about?

The commercial was for a language school.

There are exceptions to every rule. I have a German character in one my latest scripts and I didn't write any phonetic dialogue, but I did alter the word order occasionally.

You read 'Old Shuck' and didn't comment on my use of dialect there. In that case, I used it to provide contrast between the well spoken doctor and the villagers. I think it worked and it wasn't too intrusive.

Like I said in my original post, use phonetic spelling with caution, but don't dismiss it entirely if you feel it can enhance your story.

Read 'Hitler and the War' Hitler and the War in the shorts section.  The dialogue there was written phonetically.  Then read my script Pug-umentary  
In Pugumentary, all I wrote was that the character of Bavolack speaks with an accent.  Instead of writing phonetically, I wrote in broken English.

Tell me which character was easier to read.  Hitler or Bavolack?

The actor is responsible for speaking with the accent.  Writing it out for him will only make his job more difficult as he may interepret the character differently.  Even with a different dialect.

Also, depending on who plays the character may result in changing the accent all together.


Phil

Quoted from dogglebe Read 'Hitler and the War'...then read my script Pugumentary...

Apples and oranges, Phil.  "Hitler..." had problems that went way, way beyond the phonetic dialogue, and you know that.

Like Martin, I've seen it done where it enhances both the character and the reading experience.  As long as it's comprehensible (some take it too far) and (this is important) being done by somebody very familiar with the dialect -- not just "winging" it based upon what they have heard in a couple of films (a la "Hitler) -- it can lend an additional layer to a character in a very effective fashion.

It might become tiresome in a feature, though.  I'll grant you that.

So you're comparing your script to that of a 15 year old?

Hitler and the War is obviously an example of how NOT to do it. He's just inserted a lot of Zs making it impossible to read. It shows he doesn't have an understanding of the accent he's attempting to write.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: phonetic spelling should be used with caution. If it's done well, it can enhance your story, particularly when used for comedic effect. If it's done badly it can have the opposite effect.

I'm not comparing Pug to Hitler, Bert.  I'm just giving two examples of writing an accent.  If I knew of another script with phonetically-spelled dialogue, I would have used it.

Anything that makes a script harder to read (like phonetic spelling) will only hurt you.  This does not mean that you can't throw some idioms from a particular dialect into the script.  The only example I can think of right now is adding 'eh?' when you have a Canadian talking.

Referring back to Pugumentary, I didn't spell out Bavolack's dialogue phonetically.  I used some broken English and a lot of humming and hawing.


Phil