script format

FORMATTING TIP: Accent, dialect and foreign language in dialogue

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foreign language in dialogue - a tower of babel?

A powerful tool in creating distinctive characters is their language, using accent, dialogue and even foreign language. In the real world, everyone speaks in a way that is slightly different from everyone else. In sociolinguistics, this is called an idiolect. (from Greek idiōma ‘private property, peculiar phraseology’, and idios ‘own, private’) A few years ago I … Read more

FORMATTING TIP: Superimposed Text + Over Black

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So we’ve started a YouTube channel! Steven Miao created the opening video sting and Mukul Kandara helped with setting it all up. Thanks, guys! The channel had been in the making for a long time, but I just have been too busy with clients, teaching and workshopping awesome projects. What I was planning on doing … Read more

Best o/t Web 21 Mar 10

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:: Subtitles don’t fly in America. :: Following up on a script submission, the protocol. :: Cut out the ‘hello how are you,’ caller ID in screenplays. :: Consider your kind of story – now compare with those similar. :: “Speccability”: what to write. :: Based on a true story: the problems you may encounter. :: The golden rule, always be entertaining. … Read more

Best o/t Web 08 Nov 09

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Question: Abbreviations

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Question: Can you abbreviate “Mister” into “Mr.” in a film script? Answer: Abbreviations are allowed in character headings (names) and Action, but not in Dialogue. Any spoken words need to be fully printed, to keep an approximate page count/screen time ratio of 1p/min. Question: Does that mean I have to use ‘Missus’ instead of ‘Mrs’? … Read more