period scripts

[Jamesfox]

If am writing a period screenplay, does the dialog have to resemble the period of the story.

e.g : if a story is in the south, do have have to write southern english?

[whistlelock]

Re: period scripts

I would use southerism but I'd keep the language close to current American English.


As with any dialect, unless you're from it or live in it, it will be very difficult to pull off- so I suggest avoiding it whenever you can. In other words: "Son, that dog won't hunt."

Most westerns, which take place just after the civil war, used current english- for the most part.

[AaronB]

Re: period scripts

Interestingly, I note in watching Tobey Maguire in Ride With the Devil, the language used is positively baroque in its formality. The most striking thing to me was the absence of contractions in the dialogue. It did benefit the film's look and feel, and makes the DVD worth a rental.

Particularly if you are interested in the Kansas-Missouri border war.

[vig]

Re: period scripts

that and maybe the budget is already triple a normal feature, give or take a good caterer.

vig

[English Dave]

Re: period scripts

Ditto everything purple said. So why am I posting?.....oh yeah, soundbite,...the balance is between flavor and fluency.

[Jake Schuster]

Re: period scripts

I have a friend who's a well-known fantasy and SF author. When it comes to dialogue, especially in the fantasies (which tend to have a medieval/magic setting), he has his characters speak in a perfectly modern English that is grammatically correct. So no current slang, and nothing that would tip anyone off you didn't know your stuff.

I.e.:

The wizard to the king, "Yo, dude, y'majesty, slip me some bling."

Actually, I kinda like that...