In a similar way to exclamation marks indicating you've told a wacky joke, should you be putting in 'he laughs, she laughs or they laugh' at points in your script? It feels as though you're telling the reader you think the previous line's funny, but will they?
Views?
If you want your character(s) to laugh at thay point you've got to say it in the script.
If the actors start laughing at the lines in the script, that's a good thing, but if they keep on doing it you need better actors.
Quote: David H @ April 22 2008, 3:52 PM BSTIn a similar way to exclamation marks indicating you've told a wacky joke, should you be putting in 'he laughs, she laughs or they laugh' at points in your script? It feels as though you're telling the reader you think the previous line's funny, but will they?
Views?
Well of course you should (if it's a character in your script that laughs). Whether it's funny to the viewer or not the character found it funny so yes, you should put s/he/they laughs.
If a character in your script falls down you'll put he/she falls down.
Unless it's *spits* canned laughter.
Sometimes it's better to leave things like that to the actors. Their instincts about the best way to deliver a line (laugh at own joke or not) are generally pretty good. I would only stipulate 'they laugh' if it's important to the story somehow (another character feels picked on, for example).
Quote: Symon @ April 22 2008, 5:50 PM BSTSometimes it's better to leave things like that to the actors. Their instincts about the best way to deliver a line (laugh at own joke or not) are generally pretty good. I would only stipulate 'they laugh' if it's important to the story somehow (another character feels picked on, for example).
That's more of what I was thinking. I often see the likes of Frasier and Niles tickled by something but it doesn't say in the script that they are.