CONFLICTING ADVICE ON FORMATTING

[SILVER SCREENWRITER]

What's good. I'm new to the board so congrats to me --anyway. I just had a few questions regarding the use of italics, bold, and capitalized text in spec scripts. These are ideal tools that I feel should be used tastefully -- which some authors (namely, Jennifer Lerch) seem to okay, but others discourage it. Which is accurate in terms of Hollywood standards? Does including such formatting mark amateurism?

Also, what about brass washers? From my research, it seems that they're not among the must-have components in screenplay binding. I would think it would think it would be easier to make copies without having them present. But once again, what is the standard?

Props to anyone who responds to my post. Peace.

[ComicBent]

Don't use italics or bold. In my own universe, there is nothing wrong with italics, but don't use them. On very rare occasions, to avoid ambiguity about something, you can use underline for a word (the typewriter equivalent of italics).

Caps really do not have a place in dialogue, though you will see them. If the context does make clear that shouting is taking place, you can use a '(shouting)' parenthetical. I discourage parentheticals unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, caps are used for scene headings, shots, minislugs under master scene headings, and for the first appearance of a talking character in a script. Caps for sound effects are optional: The telephone rings. Or: The telephone RINGS. Do not use caps for sounds that characters make, like: The hero SIGHS deeply. (I see that kind of thing, and it drives me nuts!).

That is about it. Read some actual scripts, and you will see a lot of variation in usage — which should tell you that there is NO absolute rule.

[nickj]

With so many formatting resources around these days, I almost never see a script anymore where the formatting marks the writer as an amateur. Usually the writing does that.

I wouldn't use bold or italics for emphasis. No one seems to mind if you use italics to denote non-English dialogue.

I don't care if you use washers because I remove the brads anyway, and it's not much effort to throw the washers away.

[ComicBent]

Good point, nickj, about foreign language phrases and italics. I had not thought of that. I think the general prohibition against italics could be relaxed in that case, n'est-ce pas? Heh. :)

[NikeeGoddess]

hollywood standards are always changing and the minor details of formatting means very little if you have a great and/or marketable script. so, you can follow the current formatting trends but, know that by the time you're ready to market those trends might be different ;)

write on!

[Cyfress]

I don't think I've ever read a script where words were not bolded and capped, and not just the character intros either. I see it all the time. As a matter of fact, in the recent titles I've been reading, writers are underlining words in dialogue to stress intensity. I've seen it in the last three I've read.

Botton line is, Anything that helps you get your point across is fair game.

If you wanna see a writer get carried away with capping words, read the Sixth Sense.

If you wanna see a writer who actively uses 'we see', read The Usual Suspects.

If you wanna see someone use the POV: style, read American Beauty.

God Bless you if you can get past Goldman's wryly usage in Butch and Sundance.

Now those are some really good scripts, You have two Oscar winners and four nominations between them, yet you'll hear all the time that you should never use or do any of those things. Go figure.

Don't get caught up in what you can and can't do, this is not a cookie cutter business anyway, they're not looking for the exact same thing. Your screenplays have to be uniquely yours. You may bold important information, you may cap certain sounds and objects, you may even get bananas and decide to throw a 'we see' into the mix, whatever.

As long as your story works, no one with decision making ability will care.

edited to add: With Decision Making Ability

Of course Amateurs everywhere will be up in arms, but who gives a f*ck about them?

[TwoBrad Bradley]

From your title I thought you were looking for "conflicting" advice, but I see I'm too late.

Bottom line: There is no standard. As far as amateurism, it will have the opposite affect. It will identify you as a professional who has enough confidence in his story and who isn't swayed by "fashion of the day" perceived rules.

The only complaint I have about washers is they are not heavy enough. When I fling them accross the office I really would like them to go far enough to bounce off the heads of "certain" people.

Use two brads and a washer on the middle hole only.