CAPS

[CT in ATL]

This is really embarassing...but as I perfect my s.p. to send out, I'm doubting myself in terms of when to capitalize things...

I always thought it was just the first time a speaking character enters and any thing that can emit sound (TV, Radio - then you capitalize the actual sound, not the word "TV"...Jeez, I hope that's right!) but now I'm looking at a hot dog in a scene and wondering...

Will a script look really amateurish if it has too many or not enough things cap'd?

Thanks in advance.

[pantalone]

In the Bible, in David Trottier's Epistle to the Screenwriters, he shareth the wisdom of words you should CAP: character names when they first appear, signs, news headlines, songs, books, magazines, notes, letters, and important soounds. Verily, he doth further say that signs, news headlines, songs, books, magazines, notes, letters may also be placed in an insert.

[CT in ATL]

Thanks, Pantalone.

How about the first appearance of a non-speaking character (who appears a couple times in the film)? I've not even named her - she's just an assistant who sits at a desk. She maybe winces when she hears things, but no speaking. To Cap or not to cap?

[Deus Ex Machine]

Cap the first appearance of any speaking character.
Cap the first appearance of any character who interacts with the main characters.
Cap the first appearance of any character who effects the story.
Cap sluglines.
Cap transitions.
Cap character headers over dialogue.

Capitalizing anything else is optional and entirely up to you.

[E J Pennypacker]

I like to cap words that are shouted out in dialogue. But it's something I use very rarely. Miss use it, and it loses its effect.

EJ

[pantalone]

What Deus said...

and never underline or italicise...

and go Rupert.

[TwoBrad Bradley]

Okay ... like Dues says ... cap the first appearance of any character who speaks, interacts, or affects.

Sounds like we should cap the first appearance of every character important enough to be included in the ending credits.

But why? Perhaps an explanation would be helpful in understanding when (or when not) to cap. It would be nice to back up the rules/guidelines with a little reasoning.

[Deus Ex Machine]

The formatting practice goes back to the golden era days when scripts were shot in order and capitalizing characters that were important enough to be cast assisted in quickly identifying where the character appeared in the story which assisted in scheduling the shoot.

Today the practice is anachronistic and irrelevant because scripts are almost never shot in order. We do it because it's a convention that remains a part of script writing and something that is still expected by readers. There's no point in trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to format. Stick to conventions. Impress the reader with your story not your typing.

[OkeyDokey]

It also just says "This person is important - pay attention."

[filmcarver]

Capping first appearance heralds the new arrival of a new CHARACTER in the drama. Someone that relates directly to the storyline and will get paid to do or say something on screen.

Some people introduce every little character who only has a look and a grunt...Kill....Kill them all!

The biggest mistake I see is when TOO MANY CHARACTERS are introduced EARLY IN THE SCRIPT before you know what the heck the STORY IS EVEN ABOUT.

I read one a while back that within the first 15 pages there were 21 different capped characters introduced. No lie.

[Lulu1000]

The characters who are ALL CAPPED when we first meet them are principal actors who are going to be on SAG contracts; the Waiter who is merely Initial Capped and stops by the table twice to deliver food but never says anything is an extra, and will be working on an extra's contract.

This distinction is a huge shortcut for the casting director, assistant directors, producer, etc. And back in the studio system days, was relied on.

If, however, the WAITER silently serves the meal, we as readers and filmmakers know that this guy is going to turn up again... we at least know that eventually he will speak -- or do some sort of business that requires he be an actor rather than an extra.

Also, when on page 67 we read "Mary runs into the room," we know that's a Mary we've already met. If we can't remember her, we might flip back through pages 1-66 to find her. If, however, we see "MARY runs into the room," we know that we've never seen her before. So we don't have to check 50 pages back to that birthday party scene in which 12 female guests each had 4 lines, in order to find her first appearance.

[RKBentley]

Regarding CAPing words in action lines...if you're sending an action/thriller/horror script out to companies is it generally o.k. to CAP certain words (not sound efx) during action sequences only?

Or is it better to just not cap anything except when a character is introduced?