I've got a script that takes place over time, as in many years.  A character is intro'd as a young kid.  He then shows up many years later as an adult, which would obviously require a different actor.

Question...

The kid's name is all CAPPED when he's first intro'd.  When he shows up years later as an adult, would his name be all CAPPED again, indicating the need for a "new" character, or not, since he's already been intro'd earlier?

Thanks!

Some opinions would say that you should use the same character intro for both.

However, how I've done this in the past, is to call them two different characters.

YOUNG PERSON

PERSON


Some people don't like this approach, some do.  Personally, I find it clearer than calling them the same name.

You could maybe just put his age when he's older. Or an info line that says  '20 years later' or something

Yeah, I've seen it like Young Jimmy, and then just Jimmy, for instance.

The scenes with the "kid" go on for quite awhile, so I really don't want to use 2 different "names" for them.

I'm just wondering whether or not I would/should CAP the intro of the older version of the charatcer.

There will be a SUPER that says "21 Years later" - impressive guess there, Stevie with the # of years!

You should take what you think is the clearer approach.  No matter how you handle this there are going to be some that agree with your approach and some that don't.  So don't worry too much about it, just make it clear.

Right on, Michael. It will be clear...that's the easy part.

I was just wondering about the all CAPS or not, as (to me) using all CAPS signifies a "new" actor needed, or the first time we see that "character", and if it's a man now, and no longer a kid, I was wondering which would be more correct.

Thanks you guys!

Just do something like.

George, now 21, is doing this...

or whatever.

Yep, I agree, Slabby.  Thanks.

Character names are capped to indicate actors, not really characters.

In my scripts, if I have the same character but it ages throughout the film, I'll do something like:

JIMMY - 6, with bright red hair and freckles - plays with his toys in front of the fireplace.

And later, I'll do this:

JAMES - 30, with auburn hair - does something.

It'll be obvious in the script that it's the same character, especially if its the main one.

ABS, that's what I was thinking all along.  No one elese has come out and said that.

I think I'll do it this way.

Quoted from Dreamscale I've got a script that takes place over time, as in many years.  A character is intro'd as a young kid.  He then shows up many years later as an adult, which would obviously require a different actor. Question... The kid's name is all CAPPED when he's first intro'd.  When he shows up years later as an adult, would his name be all CAPPED again, indicating the need for a "new" character, or not, since he's already been intro'd earlier? Thanks!

I think when you re-introduce the character as an adult, it works better if it is capped. Example: Zoom in to reveal that this is actually AN ADULT "INSERT CHARACTER NAME".