Action Question

[PAB1953]

What gets capitalized in an action description? The introduction of a new character, yes? How about props? If so, what? E.g.

Jimmy Nugget enters the foyer, strides up to the reception desk and slams his fist angrily on the counter sending a container of thumbtacks flying into the air. They land in Audrey Mumford's newly coiffed hair causing her to spill her latte onto her poodle Foo-Foo's newly coiffed hair.

What gets capitalized?

Thank you.

[whistlelock]

these are, like, basic questions that are probably answered in the FAQ forum and certainly in the screenwriting book you should have already purchased and read through.

Jimmy Nugget enters the foyer, strides up to the reception desk and slams his fist angrily on the counter sending a container of thumbtacks flying into the air. They land in Audrey Mumford's newly coiffed hair causing her to spill her latte onto her poodle Foo-Foo's newly coiffed hair.


beyond that, it's your choice. You don't need to, but some people like to anyway. you'd want to put an age/physical description the first time a character appears. Provided they're important to the story.

[Deus Ex Machine]

Capitalize:

1. First time a character is active/appears in the story.
2. Sluglines
3. Character header over dialogue.
4. Transitions (if any)

Optional:

5. Props
6. Sounds
7. Text

Most writers don't capitalize the optional stuff and it is done it is very selective and done for dramatic effect.

Reading actual scripts will answer most questions about the basics.

[Biohazard EHW]

One thing I learned by reading scripts was to not over-use the caps. There's some scrips out there that are just a pain to read because every other action line has something in caps. And I don't feel it's necessary to give the same emphasis to both a curtain FLAPPING near an open window and a GUN SHOT. So if you are going to capitalize something that isn't mandatory, try your hardest not to over-use it, as it will most certainly lose it's dramatic effect.

[Revisionist]

Read through some SPEC scripts and pay attention to how ANNOYING it is and how thoroughly you're PULLED from the STORY when too many CAPITALIZATIONS are used to EMPHASIZE relevent props and SOUNDS that if WRITTEN properly are already pointed out in the DESCRIPTION.

Keep in mind every word in a script is important and moves plot so staying along that line of thinking shouldn't every word be capitalized? Obviously not.

Cap intros to new characters and save the rest for the production script and the Director's pen.

[ComicBent]

As Revisionist and Biohazard have pointed out, it just reads better without stuff like:

The gunman JUMPS UP and draws his GUN and shoots it BLAM BLAM BLAM!

Unfortunately, the actual practice of capitalization and the recommendations in books are two different things. You find a lot of variation in how writers capitalize.

The best advice is what Deus said above. And just don't capitalize the optional stuff very often.

[Dr Hemmingstone]

Think of what those caps means in terms of the readers visualization, because it will create a cut, a film cut, an actual close up shot cut in the overall scene being described of that action, it's just how our minds work when engaged in literature, we flow where led, and expect every single word to be carefully placed for a very specific reason. So one can see the over use would separate the reader from your intention, and comes of jumpy, confusing, and well clumsy. Most directors don't like it either, it's because basically you are telling them where to place their camera, and well you can see that's something that they don't like any one to do. Caps break the readers flow, and must have a really good reason to be used so not to come off as a distraction, but as a vital and needed description, less is more, but none to me is wrong, I use em', when needed. Just remember it's not the theater, and a screenplay is a blueprint at best, and will be re-interpreted the more rungs it climbs.