Put in as little character description and as little action into your script. Always. Trust your reader's imagination. Has worked for me. One-page outline of what your series and characters are about. Less is always more.
Setting/Character Introductions Page 2
This taken from a script of mine to intro the first character.
THE FRONT DOORS BURST OPEN AND ---- ENTERS. HE'S THIRTY, AND A SLIGHTLY UNKEMPT AND BOYISH LOOKING MAN.
Simple.
Quote: Tim Walker @ October 3 2008, 4:16 PM BSTPut in as little character description and as little action into your script. Always. Trust your reader's imagination. Has worked for me. One-page outline of what your series and characters are about. Less is always more.
Thing is, when I write something, I picture everything - story, setting, characters, etc, right down to how they dress, act, etc.
Or are us writers just supposed to write a script and let a prodco worry about character descriptions?
I'm gonna have a bit of difficulty with this very subject in my comedy series I'm working on.
Most of my characters in it either look or dress a certain way.
e.g. One of the main characters is a bearded lady, so I HAVE to describe the fact that she has a beard and that she is a real woman, NOT a transgender.
Her husband is an odd looking fellow that dresses in a certain way.
So, what I'm saying is, for the majority, it's probably best JUST to put only basic descriptions (name, age, etc) but some characters will require more.
Quote: Mikey J @ October 4 2008, 4:46 PM BSTThing is, when I write something, I picture everything - story, setting, characters, etc, right down to how they dress, act, etc.
Or are us writers just supposed to write a script and let a prodco worry about character descriptions?
I'm gonna have a bit of difficulty with this very subject in my comedy series I'm working on.
Most of my characters in it either look or dress a certain way.
e.g. One of the main characters is a bearded lady, so I HAVE to describe the fact that she has a beard and that she is a real woman, NOT a transgender.
Her husband is an odd looking fellow that dresses in a certain way.So, what I'm saying is, for the majority, it's probably best JUST to put only basic descriptions (name, age, etc) but some characters will require more.
If it helps, picture whatever you want - but the prods aren't really interested in that yet. The script is all you need at first. Everything should come from there.
Quote: Mikey J @ October 4 2008, 4:46 PM BSTThing is, when I write something, I picture everything - story, setting, characters, etc, right down to how they dress, act, etc.
Or are us writers just supposed to write a script and let a prodco worry about character descriptions?
I'm gonna have a bit of difficulty with this very subject in my comedy series I'm working on.
Most of my characters in it either look or dress a certain way.
e.g. One of the main characters is a bearded lady, so I HAVE to describe the fact that she has a beard and that she is a real woman, NOT a transgender.
Her husband is an odd looking fellow that dresses in a certain way.So, what I'm saying is, for the majority, it's probably best JUST to put only basic descriptions (name, age, etc) but some characters will require more.
I understand where you're coming from, but remember that the draft of the script you send in is never going to be the production draft. I'm afraid you just have to trust your reader(s) to use their imagination. Even if they really like they're going to have a shit-load of ideas as to the characters and the ways you could change/develop them (as I'm finding out myself).
Also, frankly, you will help your page count to stay down, which is more important than most realise (having had to re-write a 57 page script down to 38!). Penny Croft's advice to me was always try to keep "the big writing" down to a minimum.
Best of luck.
Quote: Seefacts @ October 3 2008, 4:54 PM BSTThis taken from a script of mine to intro the first character.
THE FRONT DOORS BURST OPEN AND ---- ENTERS. HE'S THIRTY, AND A SLIGHTLY UNKEMPT AND BOYISH LOOKING MAN.
Simple.
Yep; I generally try to keep it short and simple; unless there's some big reason why it can't be.
Quote: Seefacts @ October 3 2008, 4:54 PM BSTThis taken from a script of mine to intro the first character.
THE FRONT DOORS BURST OPEN AND ---- ENTERS. HE'S THIRTY, AND A SLIGHTLY UNKEMPT AND BOYISH LOOKING MAN.
Simple.
Change the first AND to AS, and lose the subsequent two ANDs, replacing the second with a comma. It will make it punchier yet Seefacts!
Quote: Marc P @ October 4 2008, 5:17 PM BSTChange the first AND to AS, and lose the subsequent two ANDs, replacing the second with a comma. It will make it punchier yet Seefacts!
Ha!
It does look a touch clunky now you point it out.
Quote: Marc P @ October 4 2008, 5:17 PM BSTChange the first AND to AS, and lose the subsequent two ANDs, replacing the second with a comma. It will make it punchier yet Seefacts!
Having read Seefacts scripts, trust me, that's the least of his worries. I'd suggest he takes the multiple watermarks off the pages which reads "Written By Seefacts, you bitch-fool!". Can be distracting from the text sometimes.
Quote: Tim Walker @ October 4 2008, 5:05 PM BSTI understand where you're coming from, but remember that the draft of the script you send in is never going to be the production draft. I'm afraid you just have to trust your reader(s) to use their imagination. Even if they really like they're going to have a shit-load of ideas as to the characters and the ways you could change/develop them (as I'm finding out myself).
Also, frankly, you will help your page count to stay down, which is more important than most realise (having had to re-write a 57 page script down to 38!). Penny Croft's advice to me was always try to keep "the big writing" down to a minimum.
Best of luck.
Yeah, I guess you're right.
**** Nips away to cut bits out of his script **** 
All great stuff, but...
Quote: Marc P @ October 3 2008, 11:25 AM BST1. INT. THE BAXTER'S KITCHEN. NIGHT
...shouldn't it be "THE BAXTERS'"?
(sorry - I'm guessing Aaron is asleep)
Getting slightly more on-topic: whatever is the minimum to enable the reader to picture how things might be without getting bogged down in your idea of how things must be.
That's the problem with posting snippets Badge. One of Brian's irritating idisoyncracies is that he refers to himself in the third person as 'The Baxter' much as Griff calls himself 'The Grifter' and Chip affectionately calls me 'The Tosser'
So at first glance that apostrophe looks misplaced, but look deeper and you can see it's a marvellously concise way of displaying CHARACTER right from the start.
Quote: Marc P @ October 5 2008, 11:22 AM BSTThat's the problem with posting snippets Badge. One of Brian's irritating idisoyncracies is that he refers to himself in the third person as 'The Baxter' much as Griff calls himself 'The Grifter' and Chip affectionately calls me 'The Tosser'
So at first glance that apostrophe looks misplaced, but look deeper and you can see it's a marvellously concise way of displaying CHARACTER right from the start.
You nearly had me until you added the
much as Griff calls himself 'The Grifter'
I think you'll find Da Griffsta is my official gangsta name.
*throws embarrassing middle-aged man gangsta hand shapes*
When I sent off my drama to the Red Planet competition I included a character page in which I described what each character looks like but I don't put it into the actual script.