Has anyone ever seen italics used in action to indicate thought, emotion or expression?

For example:  

                         MILO
               Alright, listen up.

She shoots Arnie a look:  If things go wrong, it’s your fault.
     
                         MILO (CONT’D)
               Against my better judgment, we’re going
               to buy the Hanzen plant.

It could be done as:   She shoots Arnie a threatening look.  Or -  Her look tells Arnie he’s on the hook if things go wrong.   But for some reason, the italics expression seems more active and immediate.

I’ve been looking online and in my books and I haven’t seen anything that says you can do this; but I haven’t seen anything that says you can’t.

I eagerly welcome your input!

I've seen it used, but special fonts are never actually necessary. Reading your example, I get the same mental image without the italics as I do with. Even so, it's more a personal stylistic choice. And it's not as if italicizing that one little bit is going to be distractive or make the entire script a chore to read.

So long as you're not overusing it and your script isn't littered front to back with italics and bolds and underlines and all that, you're fine. It's when I see a script loaded with such things that makes me think, "This writer doesn't know what they're doing.'

Seen it - don't mind it. Agree with Lon that often you don't need italics.

Dashes are also effective IMO

e.g.

She shoots Arnie a - If things go wrong, it’s your fault - look.

That being said - if I see this too often in a script it gets annoying to me.

Lon & Eldave -  Thanks for your replies.  Much appreciated!

Quoted from BradH Lon & Eldave -  Thanks for your replies.  Much appreciated!

My pleasure

Ahoy BradH

Some great advice already.

We use italics to point out that dialogue is in foreign language, or when we’re quoting some great thinkers and insights.

Takeaway: When the need arises, use them. Nobody can tell jokes all day otherwise what’s the point of jokes. That’s the same with these techniques.

I use them too, though sparingly. Maybe once or twice per script if necessary. That said, I have a habit of italicizing loud noises such as BLAM! Just a habit.

But yeah, use it too much and it gets annoying.

Been meaning to post this, but got caught up with Christmas...


I just want to add this lil' nugget, well at least I think it is.

I've been searching for a short scene of dialogue I read years ago. Can't find it, but the crux of it is what is described in the John August excerpt below, and what you're referring to I think. The original dialogue scene was a two-hander and I think the premise ran along the lines of a proposal gone wrong with inner thoughts coming from both characters through description and in direct contradiction to what they actually say.

Example

PAUL
(beaming)
I have something I want to give you.
Well, ask you, actually...

Please God, make her say, yes.


SARAH
(tight smile)
Ooh, sounds exciting.

Please God, don't let it be a ring.

PAUL
I think you and I both know
we're a match made in heaven.

SARAH
It's been going good, yeah.

I think I might throw up.

Paul reaches into his coat pocket...

That's not perfect but you get the gist.

https://johnaugust.com/2018/scriptnotes-ep-370-two-things-at-the-same-time-transcript

Look for the section where John August relates the scene in Chernobyl:

This bit:
...So, for instance there’s a scene in Chernobyl I’m thinking of where a character is listening to other people talking. And he knows something that apparently they do not. And he keeps waiting for one of them to say the thing that he thinks is so obvious but none of them do. And he’s growing increasingly nervous. So there’s simultaneity there because people are talking and I need to be also with him and see his experience of this. So, I have people talk and then in between I start writing bits of dialogue for him that’s in his head that he doesn’t say that’s in italics that’s in action.

Thanks!  Yep, that dialogue example is exactly what I was asking about.  Super helpful to see  others handle it the same way.   And thanks for the link as well!