Screenwriting : Anybody know how to omit (CONT'D) after a character's name using Final Draft 10? by Artisan James

DOCUMENT, MORES AND CONTINUEDS, uncheck AUTOMATIC CHARACTER CONTINUEDS. If one is desired, TAB after adding a CHARACTER and find (may have to add once) (CONT'D) from dropdown, i.e. (V,O), (O.S.) etc.

I think I tried that and it reappeared after I scrolled down... will try again, thanks

Maybe the (CONT'D) demon is plaguing you. :}

I actually keep them in most of the time but I'd like to omit some during certain scenes/ moments in the script... this is one of them...

It’s part of the template for proper formatting. You can eliminate the cont’d for page breaks but not continuous dialogiue.

John Iannucci I have a draft w/ them all in, but I want to put together a draft now for my 5 principle readers that is less heavy w/ (CONT'D) to brighten the pacing and flow of the screenplay. The 5 readers that I've chosen to read my script have never even read a feature-length screenplay to my knowledge and a few have never even seen one. So if I was to omit those 2 CONT"D in the sample above... would that be alright regardless? AJ

I also used Celtx for almost 10 years! I've been writing scripts for a while now, but Final Draft 10 is actually quite new to me...

You can, John, as outlined: uncheck AUTOMATIC CHARACTER CONTINUEDS. It works.

Didn’t for me. Looked back at Trottier’s bible - he said it’s proper formatting - then again who knows anymore. I’d keep them in - doesn’t add lines - doesn’t slow read. I am a novice so I take few liberties.

Tony I also think it may be what template you choose to write in - they have minor differences. I may be wrong but I’ve noticed when I fart around with different templates some features get turned off.

A. S. Templeton Wow, and that's exactly what I'm concerned about, my readers. I may just give it a go, check here at... https://www.instagram.com/p/BnGu_ynlLoC/ ...and read the post there, lol, but really... they are in for one SCARY and CAPTIVATING experience... right there on the pages! AJ

That makes sense. When opening, in Document, I use the last one, SCREENPLAY. It's a raw format, and the only one I've used.

We got one member saying to keep them in (CONT'D) it's proper formatting, and then another saying it's harmless to take them out as they can be distracting... ?? 50% ... no good, lol.... I think I need more comments ?

I read, it's no big deal either way, on or off. It's the frickin' story!

Very true. When it's all said and done CONT"D means squat! I'm going to go forth and just erase a few here and there to make it less confusing for my principle readers... as in my cousin, my friend of 18 years, my mother's friend, who I only met once, my favorite uncle, and hopefully my older sister... she's tough to get on board though, lives a busy life in Texas as a full-time bartender! I keep telling her, if you read it, you'll finally believe in your brother. So when she comes to visit for Xmas I will have a binder w/ a physical draft of my script inside for her to hopefully read on the plane ride home. That's the plan. She's going to have to mail it back... but her feedback, what she thinks of it, we'll discuss that over the phone... https://www.stage32.com/profile/667776/photos#2083956941368864196

Every line available to show your story is very valuable real estate in your script because you are limited by its page count. Why waste valuable story space. CONT'D makes sense when dialog is split at the end of a page (I was one of those dreaded readers & I say so), but the reality, is that nobody really cares. Just learn to write tight (squeaky tight). All the best.

Dan Guardino I'll keep them in, they don't particularly bother me and this particular script isn't even that dialogue heavy, but when writing in Celtx for so long they never showed up automatically after a character's name like in FD10... it's good to know that there's an option to omit (CONT"D) though so I can present a draft with or without them...

Are you trying to turn it off just for some specific scenes? If so, you can't. It's either off for the entire script or on.

Pierre Langenegger I'm surprised there's no option for that in FD10 if it's NOT against the rules, to take CONT'D out wherever the writer pleases, on specific pages... just a minute ago, I thought there was, but yeah it doesn't work. No biggie.

Personally I don't see the need to have that option. It's on as default but I turn it off for my own scripts, it just adds unnecessary clutter. I won't alter it on client scripts though. If a client has left it on then I'll leave it on, it's personal choice.

I take them out. I'm with Doug. Nobody cares and the screenplay looks cleaner without them. I take out anything in the script that is non value-added and creates more white space.

It seems the majority of writers keep them in. If you scroll through most modern day scripts you'll find that most of them use (CONT"D) following a character's name during ongoing dialogue between action. For example in the script for "Thor: Ragnorak" (2017) you will find them on page 1! ...page 2 and so on... https://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Thor-Ragnarok.html ...or 2017 Horror remake in "It" uses CONT"D throughout and there is a lot of dialogue in that script between the child characters. Although if you look at something like "The Hurt Locker (2009) great script, it seems Mark Boal was wise enough to keep (CONT"D) out of his script due to the fact that there would be a lot of Character ACTIONS coming through in wrylys. Just scroll though the script and you will see that Boal didn't skimp in using wrylys to his advantage in telling his story and structuring his script. So in other words, the ( ) are already everywhere, running throughout the entire script, if (CONT"D) is added on top of that... you get the point, too many words in parentheses and would be distracting, take a look... https://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Hurt-Locker,-The.html

Dan Guardino Yes, I'm well aware of that... Dan MaxXx and aware of that too! Lol. This thread only started because I was using Celtx, free screenwriting software for roughly 10 years and that software never automatically brought up CONT"D in the formatting like in Final Draft 10, so I was wondering if there was an option to disable it.

Dan I’ve read that and follow that rule, however I read big time scripts and see them used in great aboundance. Go figure.

Dam Max - I can boil a mean cup of water - it’s the egg that gives me trouble. LOL

John Iannucci The Hurt Locker is a fine example, linked above. Boal consistently used ( ) because he had to specify how the characters were interacting/communicating with each exchange, as their narratives were all over the place. examples: (into walkie) (into headset) (over headset) if you scroll down the script you will see that a lot, but Boal also used a lot of character actions in ( ) as well such as: (smiling) (shrugs) (hesitating) quite a bit throughout the script... although we know how that script turned out. Damn good. Great Story. Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. I read that script a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. Brilliantly executed on the page by Boal and on the screen by Bigelow. but it's interesting to note that Boal's use in ( ) actually aids the story due to the character's circumstances in it... and it even saved him space, lol. https://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Hurt-Locker,-The.html

Go to Documents, click Mores and Continueds, and then make your decisions on what to eliminate and what not to eliminate. I eliminated most of them, (except the ones in a dialogue that goes from one page to the next page).