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I'm currently working on a script that centers around a high school drama guild putting on a musical. In a couple scenes some characters sing lyrics. I don't know how exactly to format this in the dialogue.
In the libretto/script to a musical play lyrics are broken by lines and in all capitals like so:
CHARACTER OH SAY CAN YOU SEE BY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT
The format between a stage play and a screenplay is pretty different, and I haven't been able to find any actual scripts to musicals on the site, only transcripts. Does any one know the proper way to format a song in a script? Is there even a proper way?
I currently have it formated like this...
CHARCTER "Oh say can you see/ By the dawn's early light"
If there isn't a proper way to format this, how would you? Which would look the best (one of the two or maybe a different one)?
Thanks
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Song lyrics are written like poetry and contain meter, rhyme and dependent upon a number of lines per verse, etc.
Whatever the material you should always write the line exactly how it is published and you do not italicize it or underline anything because this is a spec script you are writing and this just isn't done in a spec script. Keep the text as normal.
All script formatting software provides a facility to add a hard return or carriage return so if the text you want a character to sing is a 1st verse and contains 4 lines then add a hard return between each of the 4 lines so the lyrics display as 4 separate lines and this is indicated correctly.
Same for a quotation, if you write for a character to make a quotation then look at the text how it is constructed and if the text if like a song lyric or a poem then add a hard return and retain the structure of the text in its original line count. Don't italicize.
All the flourishes of formatting text, bold, italic, underline etc, are for shooting scripts and used sparingly in those, I would argue.
But in a spec script, stay away from any text formatting - keep it plain!
I think it would depend a lot on how much singing there is. If it's just a song, then writing it as above would be fine. I would definitely do a return at the end of each line and break the stanzas as well.
However, if you're doing a entire musical, then there needs to be a clear distinction between the sung and spoken lines, since they tend to overlap quite a bit. Personally (and there isn't a rule for this), I would use the musical libretto format for sung parts in a case like this in capitalizing the sung parts and writing the spoken lines regularly. This provides a visually clear distinction between the different parts and clarity is the backbone of what we do. Capitalizing all the sung lines gives the reader / actor / director an easy way to flip through the script very quickly and find all the sung parts vs. spoken parts easily without looking for a wryly that says "sung" or "singing." That's the purpose of using the caps and why a libretto uses them. That part can easily carry over.
For a single song, though, there's no need to capitalize it.
The script isn't a musical in the sense that the songs sung by the charaacters are their own thoughts and feelings. All the characters are part of the cast in a musical, and they sing because they have to. Here's how I've decided to write it.
CHARACTER (singing) OH SAY CAN YOU SEE/ BY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT/ WHAT...
It's a mixture of the musical libretto style and what dogglebe suggested. Thanks for all the help. I appreciate it.
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All musicals are written exactly the same way. Whether the singing is their own thoughts or whether they are part of a cast, it's all done exactly the same way.
I'm actually writing a script where a character of mine is freestyling. I have the current scene in my 3rd re-write (I'm now re-writing it a 4th time)...this is what I did. Don't know if it's correct or not, but I still have time to re-do it:
Code
Nicky cuts him off, beginning to rap to Larry's beat.
NICKY
You better take heed while I step and
bring these.
Blow me like a spring breeze while I
spread like cream cheese.
INT. VAN (PARKED) - NIGHT
NICKY (OS)
(muffled)
In the zone to get with any chick I
please.
Except for Gerry's girl, cause I don't
want STD's.
ASHLEY
(disgusted)
Oh my God, did you hear that?
Gerry roars with laughter.
EXT. KINDERGARDEN BUILDING - NIGHT
NICKY
Diseases spread, and Gerry's the cause
of all of it.
Herpes on his tonsils, cause he loves
to swallow jizz .
Jackie you come correct and your rhymes
have none to check.
But if I could take one sec to point
out you're ugly none the less.
You Loveless, just like Xena in real
life.
Cause wearin spandex is the only
time you feel tight.
Creatin buzz with these lines, spittin
somethin I can sell.
These emcees are either shook, or
they frontin like Pharell.
It ain't hard to tell I spit more
bars than a cell.
Punches scorch, and leave you burned
in lyrical hell.
Gerry, I hate to state your name again.
You didn't pass English til you
took a position in front of Mr. Nejman.
The music in the van blares loud and starts to boom.
NICKY
Fuck this scrap cat, he's an old hat
faggot that spits wack raps.
He ain't Ludacris so he's gotta cease
the rappin.
Got introduced to the game and nothin
happened.
He hits like a bitch, I'll stay eaten
his punches, its gets me fattened.
Substantial bastion, I'm the highbrow
assassin, that's face smashin, and
throat slashin, can't stop the tongue
lashin with persistent jaw jackin.
I stay mad hattin, stick the glock to
ya head and make ya walk the batten.
Dump ya in the Loch and watch the
ravaging.
Responsible for the deaths in the
lake is the monsta commonly ID'd as a
plesiosaur.
The prehistoric acquatic reptile
with a long neck and a longer dick.
You can't stop it, Nick Fox & Lockness
been doin this shit since the Cretaceous
period.
We'll erase ya at pace ya can't
face, period!
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Dialogue Question: My Characters Sing
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