Screenwriting : Pets' names in Script. by Charles V Abela

I write pet names regularly, Charles V Abela. No italics.

Same here Charles V Abela.

Thank you Marina Albert Maurice Vaughan Thank you. Three will win!!(!)

You're welcome, Charles V Abela.

Charles V Abela there's no reason to italicize a pet's name.

Maureen Mahon Thanks. ... Now to the changes...

I would almost say that there's no reason to italicize anything in a screenplay.

Thank you folks, they're all changed.

i/'d sell anything I have for a million bucks!

Hi, Jed Power. I think you meant to post your comment here: www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/Just-curious-3

Rutger Oosterhoff I do italicize if there are notes to the reader. Also, in a script I'm currently writing, some of the dialog will be in Vietnamese with subtitles, but I don't speak Vietnamese, so I've italicized all of the dialog that will later be translated into Vietnamese.

I think these two could be ecxeptions.

Keeping "script jazz" to a minimum is a good idea but consistency is also imporant. I italicize sounds, especially violent sounds, as well as dialog that is meant to be filtered, eg. through a walkie or phone.

It's totally subjective but I just like it that way, it reads well for me and it hasn't been brought up as abrasive in notes.

Michael Dzurak I do sounds in all caps - There's a BANG at the door. For dialog over a phone or walkie-talkie, I say in the description that we can hear the character's voice on the phone, then I have the character's name, "MICHAEL (O.S.)" above the dialog.

Yeah, you can capitalize pet names when you intro them, just like other characters. Doing so signals their importance to the story, so if they're gonna be running around throughout, it might be the move

I've never thought of this before. Good question. Thank you for sharing

Several ways lead to Rome:

From "Bombshell":

He places it underneath the metal mini-bar shelf holding the liquor bottles and glasses.

MICHAEL

(into earpiece)

Roy. Copy?

ROY (V.O.)

(Michael’s earpiece)

Copy.

-or-

INT. LIMO - CONTINUOUS

Karam gets comfortable and fixes a drink. Lia sits across from him.

LIA

Do we have a deal?

Lia kicks a suitcase in between them. Karam unlocks it and bars of gold shine. He smiles.

KARAM

(joking)

Cash isn’t something you have a lot of?

LIA

I’m not a banking cartel. I don’t

print cash out of thin air. This

has more value.

They both smile. He finishes his drink.

KARAM

A ball and chain made out of gold

doesn’t make you not a slave.

INT. UNMARKED VAN - CONTINUOUS

Roy listens intently.

KARAM (V.O.)

(filtered)

See you tomorrow night.

Roy takes the headphones off and leans back.

-or-

EXT. BUILDING ROOFTOP - NIGHT

Teresa is crouched behind the ledge of the building, spying through binoculars on the balcony.

TERESA’S BINOCULAR POV

Roy and Lia entertain a conversation.

BACK TO SCENE

She talks into her earpiece.

TERESA

How’s it going down there?

EXT. JACIR PALACE HOTEL FACADE - CONTINUOUS

Chucky sits outside a COFFEE SHOP at a table, sipping his cup.

His eyes scan the PEDESTRIANS who walk in and out of the hotel.

CHUCKY

(into earpiece)

Just a lot of fancy suits and

dresses down here.

The unmarked van is parked away, on the dash a mini-cam is barely visible.

TERESA (V.O.)

Michael. You got anything?

INT. UNMARKED VAN - CONTINUOUS

Michael watches the mini-cam feeding night vision imagery on a monitor, he uses a joystick to control the angle and zoom.

He zooms-in on some of Lia’s entourage, getting out of lavish sports cars. He snaps screenshots and keeps watching. He writes names down on a piece of paper.

MICHAEL

(into earpiece)

Slowly but surely.

(writes)

Got some faces to look into later. How's Roy?

EXT. BUILDING ROOFTOP - CONTINUOUS

Roy and Lia are laughing.

TERESA

He’s having too much fun.

The unit SNICKERS over the earpieces.

From "Serial Twins":

A POLICE HELICOPTER THUMPING overhead shoots the spotlight on The Gavel. She looks up, annoyed.

HELICOPTER PILOT (O.S.)

(loudspeaker)

You’re under arrest!