John August

Words on the page

When two characters are played by the same actor

Formatting, Projects, QandA, The Nines, Words on the page

questionmarkIf a main part of a plot is that two characters look identical (but are not related…think the movie “Dave”), where/how in the script do I say they should be played by the same actor?

— Jeremy Kerr

As a general screenwriting rule, if it would be obvious to the viewer, make it obvious to the reader. Immediately after introducing the second character, include a hard-to-miss note explaining that the two characters are played by one actor.

PROFESSOR DONALD SCOTT isn’t your classic tweedy bookworm. With a short temper and a strong right hook, he’s more likely to settle arguments in back alleys than lecture halls.

[NOTE: Donald Scott and Thom Penn aren’t twins, but are played by the same actor -- for reasons that will soon become clear.]

In the case of The Nines, a huge conceit was that the nine principal roles were played by three actors. I added a note just after the title page, so there was no chance a reader would miss it:

nines note

Seven writer’s rules for survival in animation

Film Industry, Genres, Words on the page, Writing Process

Rob Edwards has a [great post on MakingOf](http://makingof.com/insiders/artist/blog/rob/edwards/242) with very useful suggestions for screenwriters working on their first animated feature.

I’m currently on my third (Frankenweenie), and while the words on the page are the same as any other feature, the process is completely different. And frustrating, honestly, until you get used to it. Rob’s post walks newcomers through some of the biggest hurdles.

(Thanks to Barrett for the link.)

Handling repeating sequences

QandA, Words on the page

questionmarkI’m writing a screenplay with a dream sequence that repeats itself identically three times in the script. It’s about half a page long. Should I repeat it word for word in the screenplay? I’m afraid writing “Fred has the same dream as before” won’t recreate the feeling for the reader, but writing the same thing three times feels weird.

— Joe
New York

Do neither of the above. Rather, think about the audience sitting in the theater watching your movie. Are you actually showing them exactly the same dream sequence? If so, that sounds pointless and boring.

Much more likely — and more interesting — is that the audience is getting some new information in the subsequent dream sequences, details that would push the story forward. Something would have changed, and it’s those changes you need to show on the page.

INT. DENTIST’S OFFICE – DAY [DREAM SEQUENCE]

Once again, the spinning drill bears down on Tom. Same whine. Same panic.

But this time, our attention shifts to the man behind the dentist’s mask -- who isn’t a man at all, but rather

A GRAY-SKINNED ALIEN.

Narcopalabras

International, Words on the page

Like English, Spanish has a knack for neologism. Ken Ellingwood’s article in the LA Times provides a [glossary of new words and phrases](http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-narco-glossary28-2009oct28,0,1009690.story) related to Mexican drug violence.

My favorite is *encajuelado*:

> **Encajuelado:** Based on the word for “trunk,” a body dumped in the trunk of a car. This is a common method for disposing of victims of a drug hit. Often, the bodies are bound and gagged with packing tape or are *encobijados*, wrapped in blankets.

When something is happening enough that *they made a word for it*, you know there’s a problem.

Ellingwood’s glossary explains that an encajuelado is sometimes accompanied by a handwritten *narcomensaje,* a scrawled drug message meant to threaten rival drug cartels or government security forces. Messages sometimes take the form of banners, known as *narcomantas,* and are hung from bridges or in other public places to demonstrate a gang’s audacity.

As a screenwriter, you have to be careful how much of this esoterica you try to use in your script. Particularly if characters are speaking English, trying to wedge a “narcomensaje” into dialogue is going to feel forced. Yet a reference to a character being encajuelado, once explained, is chilling.