To bold or not to bold?

[Klazart]

Just wondering about the use of 'Bold' in a script. I've read through a good few scripts and there doesn't seem to be a consistant rule.

In my script I've done all the scene headings in bold, as well as charecter names preceding dialogue only, but not actions. It looks nicer this way when printed and makes it easier for the reader I think to concentrate on the charecter delivering the dialogue.

I don't know how this goes down among film circles, will the bold annoy them? Is it too much, too little or just right?

[clockwork]

Just wondering about the use of 'Bold' in a script. I've read through a good few scripts and there doesn't seem to be a consistant rule.

In my script I've done all the scene headings in bold, as well as charecter names preceding dialogue only, but not actions. It looks nicer this way when printed and makes it easier for the reader I think to concentrate on the charecter delivering the dialogue.

I don't know how this goes down among film circles, will the bold annoy them? Is it too much, too little or just right?

Personal choice really. I embolden my scene headings because I like the look of it but I wouldn't do it anywhere else in the script. Like italicising or underlining you really need a good reason to use bold because it draws the reader's eye almost directly to it - not always a good thing.

[scripter1]

any real reason to bold.

The scene headings and character names are all ready designed to stand out. Studio people know they need to pay attention to them.

Don't play with the format.
Industry people like it just the way it is.
Anything out of the ordinary sends up a red flag to a reader. Says you are a novice or a problem child trying to buck the system, or what ever.

Some of what you've read perhaps may be shooting scripts where for some reason the director needed a scene heading or character to stand out.

In most circumstances writers will ALL CAP or underline something important, but I guess a bold or two couldn't be out of the question.

Scene headings and character names though, no.

My concern with this would be drawing too much attention to the scene headings and character names and not keeping the readers eyes and minds on the SUBSTANCE of the story.
Drawing the reader's eye too quickly down the page and causing them to overlook the action lines.
All subconsciously off course.

I guess I'm against anything that calls undo attention to itself and distracts the reader.

[razormoney]

If you want to highlight one word to an actor as an emphasis item, just underline it. Bold and italics won't stand out to a reader who's cruising through the screenplay anyway. I can't think of anywhere else other than dialogue where you'd need to highlight anything. Sounds should be capitalized (by the widely accepted rule). So other than that, don't waste time thinking about what to bold or italicize, use that time to think of how you can strengthen your story and character arcs.

R

[xhouseboy]

Never seen character names in bold, have came across scene headings in bold quite a few times. One script, a TV pilot by a first timer, had its scene headings emphasised. It didn't hurt the script - it was read, and optioned.

[whistlelock]

Don't try to reinvent the wheel until you understand why it's round.

cap the first time a character appears. center dialogue. use INT. for intertior scenes, and EXT for exterior.

[Goodwriterguy]

Just wondering about the use of 'Bold' in a script. I've read through a good few scripts and there doesn't seem to be a consistant rule.

In my script I've done all the scene headings in bold, as well as charecter names preceding dialogue only, but not actions. It looks nicer this way when printed and makes it easier for the reader I think to concentrate on the charecter delivering the dialogue.

I don't know how this goes down among film circles, will the bold annoy them? Is it too much, too little or just right?
This is not a good idea in a feature spec. Television spec, yeah, maybe, if you think your work needs to be distinctive somehow, although bolding speech cues wouldn't be adviseable in a teleplay.

Your feature spec may look "better" to you but you're not the one who counts, it won't look "better" to those who read it, and they count. What you want is your script to look just like the last thousand they've read. You bold your scene captions and speech cues it no longer looks like the last thousand they've read and flags itself, "If this guy can't get the form right, what else isn't he getting right?" And so now they're looking and will be primed to jump on the least thing, just by attitude.

Emphasis in a script is achieved by underlinding and using uppercase. In dialogue for example, an underlined word means it is to be delivered with more emphasis than words which aren't udnerlined; a word in uppercase means it is to be delivered with more emphasis than an underlined word, usually a loud shout.

No italics, no bolding.

You may underline or write some of your narrative text in uppercase, sounds for example or for emphasis.

John fires, KAPOW!

and Billy falls to the floor, dead before he hits it.

-----------

Sam's eyes go wide, like WHAT?

It used to be de rigeuer to cap all sounds, which made it easier for a sound recordist to pick out their cues. But even this has tended to fall by the wayside. I did it for a long time but have shifted away from it, only capping sounds now when I want the emphasis, as in the first example above. A script reads better without all those words in uppercase, believe me.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. You'll be way ahead of the game, and all the other amateurs in it, if you do.

What you want to stand out is your story and your cinematic vision of it. Anything you do otherwise only gets in the way of your reader's ability to apprehend your movie.

Cheers! :D

[dpaterso]

Don't do it.

-Derek

[billythrilly7th]

I've never used and, quite frankly, never seen BOLD in a professional's script.

Don't.ever.do.it.IMO

[Klazart]

okay thanks for all the advice, no more bold for me :)

[scripter1]

Write bold, just don't do bold.

[Goodwriterguy]

Write bold, just don't do bold.
Best advice of all! :D

[scripter1]

every O N C E in a while I get lucky that way.

D's still batting zero with me. :e2slap:

[Goodwriterguy]

every O N C E in a while I get lucky that way.

D's still batting zero with me. :e2slap:
Yeah but let's not confuse luck with talent, eh? ;)

[scripter1]

I am perfectly happy to confuse the two.
It keeps me going.

[Goodwriterguy]

I am perfectly happy to confuse the two.
It keeps me going.
I concur, at least sometimes luck is good. ;)

And I need all the "good" I can get (!).