Lots of produced scripts have weird punctuation in dialogs (dashes, no caps, etc.) and it doesn't seem to matter because the scripts are great.
But I read in one post that a pro reader thought less of a script after seeing ("...and on page 2!") a question end with a period instead of a question mark. I have several such questions ending like that in a script because the questions are not really questions---and should not be viewed or intoned as a question.
I also do things like delete commas even though they are called for grammatically, and add quotation marks where they are not grammatically needed, but are necessary because the words are from a different source (in this case below, from the Tao Te Ching).
Question: Should I care about such a misconception of amateur ungrammaticality on my part?
Example:
ERNEST
Dad is freaking bezoomy.
MARIA
Come on, Ernie.
ERNEST
I asked him how he's doing--you know, since he sold the house. Know what he said?
MARIA
(monotone)
No Ernest what did he say.
ERNEST
(imitating Dad)
"Self or wealth, which is more precious? Gain or loss, which is more painful?"
But I read in one post that a pro reader thought less of a script after seeing ("...and on page 2!") a question end with a period instead of a question mark. I have several such questions ending like that in a script because the questions are not really questions---and should not be viewed or intoned as a question.
I also do things like delete commas even though they are called for grammatically, and add quotation marks where they are not grammatically needed, but are necessary because the words are from a different source (in this case below, from the Tao Te Ching).
Question: Should I care about such a misconception of amateur ungrammaticality on my part?
Example:
ERNEST
Dad is freaking bezoomy.
MARIA
Come on, Ernie.
ERNEST
I asked him how he's doing--you know, since he sold the house. Know what he said?
MARIA
(monotone)
No Ernest what did he say.
ERNEST
(imitating Dad)
"Self or wealth, which is more precious? Gain or loss, which is more painful?"
Comment