When to capitalize character names

Lillyth · Jun 13, 2008

Should they be in all caps all the time, even in the action portions of the script, or are they just written the way we normally do?

ie: SANDRA crosses the room.

-or-

Sandra crosses the room.

Thanks a ton!

regdog · Jun 13, 2008

Names

I use FInal Draft and only use capitals when it's dialog. For description I write the name with just the first letter capitalized.

dpaterso · Jun 13, 2008

A character's name is capitalized when they're introduced.

Thereafter, mixed case.

SANDRA walks in as if she owns the place, she's 20s, glowing skin and hair, designer clothes that only a trust fund could buy.

Conversation stops. Everyone turns and looks.

Sandra walks right up to the front of the queue where Mike is next to be served.

SANDRA
You don't mind if I cut in, do you?

MIKE
N-no, of course n-not.

Check out the screenwriting tips sticky thread, which has links to sites full of scripts free to read for educational purposes. What are your top 20 favorite films? Read the screenplays and discover how the written words turned into the images and dialogue you loved. All your questions will be answered.

-Derek

Lillyth · Jun 13, 2008

dpaterso said:
A character's name is capitalized when they're introduced.

Thereafter, mixed case.

SANDRA walks in as if she owns the place, she's 20s, glowing skin and hair, designer clothes that only a trust fund could buy.

Conversation stops. Everyone turns and looks.

Sandra walks right up to the front of the queue where Mike is next to be served.

SANDRA
You don't mind if I cut in, do you?

MIKE
N-no, of course n-not.

Check out the screenwriting tips sticky thread, which has links to sites full of scripts free to read for educational purposes. What are your top 20 favorite films? Read the screenplays and discover how the written words turned into the images and dialogue you loved. All your questions will be answered.

-Derek

Okay, thank you. That clears it all up. I was trying to figure out why some scenes had the names in all caps and some didn't.

So do I put the names in all caps at the beginning of a new scene if we already know the character, or only the first time I introduce them period?

dpaterso · Jun 13, 2008

Lillyth said:
So do I put the names in all caps at the beginning of a new scene if we already know the character, or only the first time I introduce them period?

How would we already know the character if she hasn't been introduced yet?

<thinks> You mean, if other characters talk about her before she appears? Again just for fun example's sake:

KENNY
I met the new girl in Accounts.
Sandra something.

MIKE
Sandra something. She really
made an impression, huh?

Mixed case. When she finally appears, in the flesh, in front of the camera, so the viewing audience lays eyes upon her, she's uppercase SANDRA for her introduction.

And, as in the first fun example above, her character name is always capitalized above dialogue. Your screenwriting software should handle that for you automatically.

-Derek

Lillyth · Jun 13, 2008

dpaterso said:
How would we already know the character if she hasn't been introduced yet?

<thinks> You mean, if other characters talk about her before she appears? Again just for fun example's sake:

KENNY
I met the new girl in Accounts.
Sandra something.

MIKE
Sandra something. She really
made an impression, huh?

Mixed case. When she finally appears, in the flesh, in front of the camera, so the viewing audience lays eyes upon her, she's uppercase SANDRA for her introduction.

And, as in the first fun example above, her character name is always capitalized above dialogue. Your screenwriting software should handle that for you automatically.

-Derek

Yeah, the screenwriting software does the all caps above dialog, but I wasn't sure about the rest.

I guess what I am asking is, say it is scene two, and Sandra has been in scene one. When Sandra enters scene two, do I put her name in all caps, or is it just mixed case from here on out?

I think you seem to be saying the latter - is that correct?

dpaterso · Jun 13, 2008

If as you say Sandra has already been in scene one (introduced, in caps) then she's mixed case from there on out. Yes, the latter.

-Derek

Lillyth · Jun 14, 2008

So I've been reading the screenplay for Million Dollar Baby (my favorite movie of all time) and noticed that in a few of the scenes Paul Haggis has written a character's name in all caps in the action portions a FEW times before he converts to mixed case.

Is this because we are still establishing the character at this point, or just a stylistic thing, or what?

Does anyone know?

dpaterso · Jun 15, 2008

If you mean the lines where, for example,

MAGGIE

appears on its own in uppercase against the left margin without any dialogue beneath, that's a "mini-slug" which is the writer's shorthand way of indicating a new shot -- a form of camera direction but without blatantly using camera directions, which aspiring screenwriters are warned to avoid. I think ON MAGGIE would also be acceptable in a mini-slug, tho' the "ON" is dropped nowadays.

Just saying, mini-slugs can also be used for quick scene changes once locations have already been established in regular scene headings, e.g.

KITCHEN

Danny opens the fridge, takes out a beer.

LIVING ROOM

He drops onto the couch, turns on the football.

...Some people use 'em, some don't.

And if that's not what you mean, can you be more specific?

-Derek

Lillyth · Jun 15, 2008

That is indeed exactly what I mean. At least I think it is.

If I run into any place in the script that doesn't fit that, I'll let you know.

ricetalks · Jun 16, 2008

Basically, cap characters names the first time they are introduced into your script. It has two purposes. One, it highlights and accentuates the fact that this is a new character and, for the purposes of a producer considering the project, he/she quickly gets an idea of exactly how many characters are in the story.

Lillyth · Jun 24, 2008

Okay, I'm reading The Shawshank Redemption now, and he's doing it too - for the second scene that Andy is in, in the beginning of that scene his name is all caps.

Same with Red - second scene he's in his name is all caps in the beginning.

Can anyone tell me why?

I mean, are we supposed to do this for the first TWO scenes the characters are in, or is there some other reason?

Thanks again!

CarolP · Jun 26, 2008

Lillyth said:
Okay, I'm reading The Shawshank Redemption now, and he's doing it too - for the second scene that Andy is in, in the beginning of that scene his name is all caps.

Same with Red - second scene he's in his name is all caps in the beginning.

Can anyone tell me why?

I mean, are we supposed to do this for the first TWO scenes the characters are in, or is there some other reason?

Thanks again!

The scripts you are reading are shooting scripts. They have different rules than spec scripts (scripts you write on speculation). For specs, as has been stated, you only want to capitalize the character name in action description when they are first introduced, aka when we first see them on screen.

It used to be commonplace for a character's name to be in CAPS at the beginning of each scene they are in. This was/is done primarily for production purposes. That way you'd know at a glance which actors are needed in which scenes. You don't have to worry about that for your spec.

Also, some writers just have their own habits and preferences. If they're successful writers, they're allowed. It's seen as quirky. If a writer trying to break in does this, it's unprofessional and they don't know proper script format. A double standard to be sure, but since execs and agents look for any reason to throw a script in the trash without reading it, it's best not to give them even the slightest reason.

Lillyth · Jun 26, 2008

CarolP said:
The scripts you are reading are shooting scripts. They have different rules than spec scripts (scripts you write on speculation). For specs, as has been stated, you only want to capitalize the character name in action description when they are first introduced, aka when we first see them on screen.

It used to be commonplace for a character's name to be in CAPS at the beginning of each scene they are in. This was/is done primarily for production purposes. That way you'd know at a glance which actors are needed in which scenes. You don't have to worry about that for your spec.

Also, some writers just have their own habits and preferences. If they're successful writers, they're allowed. It's seen as quirky. If a writer trying to break in does this, it's unprofessional and they don't know proper script format. A double standard to be sure, but since execs and agents look for any reason to throw a script in the trash without reading it, it's best not to give them even the slightest reason.

Cool! Thank you a bunch!

When to capitalize character names

Lillyth

regdog

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