Formatting Q: How to bleep out expletives in dialogue?

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  • Formatting Q: How to bleep out expletives in dialogue?

    In the dialogue, how would I indicate a BLEEP in place of an actual expletive?
    Is there a standard way of doing this?

    I ask because I'm writing a spoof of a TV show and if someone says something that would get bleeped out on television, I want to mimic that in my script.

    Would it be something like:

    Lori
    What the BLEEP are you doing?!

    (if I just write BLEEP... wouldn't that mean she says "bleep"..?)
    I hope this makes sense.

  • #2
    Re: Formatting Q: How to bleep out expletives in dialogue?

    Originally posted by Terri View Post
    In the dialogue, how would I indicate a BLEEP in place of an actual expletive?
    Is there a standard way of doing this?

    I ask because I'm writing a spoof of a TV show and if someone says something that would get bleeped out on television, I want to mimic that in my script.

    Would it be something like:

    Lori
    What the BLEEP are you doing?!

    (if I just write BLEEP... wouldn't that mean she says "bleep"..?)
    I hope this makes sense.
    I'd write it in dialog as this:

    LORI
    What the *BLEEP* are you doing?!
    Last edited by Shutout; 11-20-2015, 10:29 PM.

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    • #3
      Re: Formatting Q: How to bleep out expletives in dialogue?

      Yeah, I was thinking something like that also... to set the bleep apart from actual dialogue. But wasn't sure if asterisks were OK to use??

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Formatting Q: How to bleep out expletives in dialogue?

        You could check out the script for Scott Pilgrim vs the World to see how they formatted it - if all else fails.

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        • #5
          Re: Formatting Q: How to bleep out expletives in dialogue?

          Your original way of doing it gets the point across pretty well.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Formatting Q: How to bleep out expletives in dialogue?

            Originally posted by Terri View Post

            I ask because I'm writing a spoof of a TV show and if someone says something that would get bleeped out on television, I want to mimic that in my script.

            Would it be something like:

            Lori
            What the BLEEP are you doing?!

            (if I just write BLEEP... wouldn't that mean she says "bleep"..?)
            I hope this makes sense.
            Yeah, what you wrote would mean she says bleep loudly. To be clear, try:





            LORI
            What the...

            We hear the censor's inevitable BLEEP interrupt the next word, then

            LORI
            ...are you...

            BLEEP

            LORI
            ...doing? You...

            BLEEP BLEEP

            LORI
            ...idiot!







            !
            Last edited by jonpiper; 11-18-2015, 01:24 PM.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Formatting Q: How to bleep out expletives in dialogue?

              Originally posted by jonpiper View Post
              Yeah, what you wrote would mean she says bleep loudly. To be clear, try:





              LORI
              What the...

              We hear the censor's inevitable BLEEP interrupt the next word, then

              LORI
              ...are you...

              BLEEP

              LORI
              ...doing? You...

              BLEEP BLEEP

              LORI
              ...idiot!







              !
              That would really mess with the pacing, for me. If you're doing it a lot, then it'll make for a really awkward read. I think some kind of formatting for the word, like writing BLEEP in all-caps, using asterisks, or putting it in brackets should be fine.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Formatting Q: How to bleep out expletives in dialogue?

                you could also flat out tell the reader that anytime Lori curses, the curse word will be censored. Then leave the BLEEP as you have it, in the dialogue, but also italicize it.

                Lori
                What the BLEEP are you doing?!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Formatting Q: How to bleep out expletives in dialogue?

                  ^This is a good suggestion, but for me it still seems clunky. I'd say go with what bjamin says (ie tell the reader in action that all of her swear words will be censored out with a "BLEEP" sound). BUT. In the dialogue, I think you should actually write the swear word out in *ITAL ALL CAPS*. That way we are more aware of her dirty mouth because in our head, as we read, we imagine a ton of BLEEPS happening. For me, if you write BLEEP in the dialogue then the character says "bleep." Tough little question lol.

                  SMASH TO:

                  BLACK

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Formatting Q: How to bleep out expletives in dialogue?

                    I think if we're supposed to hear the bleep, and not the word, then you should write "bleep." You want to be true to what the watching/listening experience will be. Plus, the fun of bleeping is that you don't have to be specific about what characters are saying. Arrested Development did this to great affect a couple of times (I'm thinking particularly of the scene where Buster suddenly goes off about Lucille, resulting in a string of bleeps to everyone else's shock).

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                    • #11
                      Re: Formatting Q: How to bleep out expletives in dialogue?

                      ^And so you think they wrote "bleep" in the dialogue over and over? I doubt it.

                      SMASH TO:

                      BLACK

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Formatting Q: How to bleep out expletives in dialogue?

                        Originally posted by MontanaHans View Post
                        ^And so you think they wrote "bleep" in the dialogue over and over? I doubt it.
                        Well Arrested Development used a lot of improvisation, so I'm actually betting the shooting script said something vague about him going off on a string of obscenities. Unfortunately I don't know of many scripted shows that intentionally use bleeps in the same way, but if you can think of any it'd be a good idea to look them up and see what they do.

                        I just default to the script reflecting what you're actually going to see and hear where possible.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Formatting Q: How to bleep out expletives in dialogue?

                          Well, however I do it... I will NOT be doing what jonpiper suggested. That is WAY too difficult to get through. Confusing!!

                          I may mention it in the action in a note and just write BLEEP where the actual bleeps go.

                          Thanks all.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Formatting Q: How to bleep out expletives in dialogue?

                            I would write it out fully, curse words and all in the dialogue. The actor still has to mouth the words themselves and if you type in "BLEEP" that's what they should say according to your script.

                            In the action you will need to identify that a BLEEPING sound is played over the swear word.

                            Remember, you have to write your scripts like a blueprint. Everything you write is taken literally so you have to approach them as instructions in some cases such as this.
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                            • #15
                              Re: Formatting Q: How to bleep out expletives in dialogue?

                              Originally posted by CameronD View Post
                              I would write it out fully, curse words and all in the dialogue. The actor still has to mouth the words themselves and if you type in "BLEEP" that's what they should say according to your script.

                              In the action you will need to identify that a BLEEPING sound is played over the swear word.

                              Remember, you have to write your scripts like a blueprint. Everything you write is taken literally so you have to approach them as instructions in some cases such as this.
                              What Cameron said works and is clean and clear. My previous example wasn't. Try this.

                              LORI
                              F**k you and your F***en truck, F****r.

                              BLEEP over F**k, f****en, F****r in dialogue.

                              While I read your screenplay, I would imagine BLEEP sounds drowning out the F words. The director will decide if the BLEEPS completely drown out the F words.

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