Template:Transcript/doc

Transcript Format Guidelines

Stage directions
Defined (for this site) as: a simple sum of actions made by the important characters of the story line and/or any actions that are important to the story/ give context to the script.

Short
If the stage directions are short, they should be written in italics and parentheses in the speech box. If the character is not speaking while doing the action, the action should be written in present tense. If the character is speaking while doing the action, then the action should be written in verb form.

Example of action separate from dialogue: Dipper runs to Soos and then speaks:

(Runs to Soos) What are you doing?!

Example of action along with dialogue: Dipper runs to Soos while speaking:

(Running to Soos) What are you doing?!

Long
If the stage directions are lengthy (e.g. the Globnar fight) it gets its own speech box. The character box should be left blank. No parentheses are needed.

Example:

!


 * Soos leaves, walking around the corner of the Mystery Shack. Wendy and Stan walk in from around the corner, staring at Soos.



Scene changes, theme song, and commercials
All three always get their own speech box, with no character name, and written in italics but with no parentheses. Scene changes should begin with simple phrasing, such as “cut to”. The theme song should always be written as “cut to theme song”. For scene transitions where a commercial would be aired if played on TV, it should always be written as “commercial break”. Grammar should be used as normal, such as using a period.

Example:

!


 * Cut to the Mystery Shack.



Character sounds
If a character makes a sound (e.g. gasp, bleat) within either their own or another character’s dialogue, the description should be in the same speech box in line with the rest of the dialogue. If it is done between the dialogue of two different characters, the description should be at the end of the former character’s speech. For shouts, screams, and the like, write as a stage direction as opposed to using "Aah!".

Example 1: Within same-character dialogue. (Ellipses used below because example is an excerpt)

!Mabel


 * ...Who could it be? Who could it be? (Wompers bleating and squealing) What’s that, Wompers? Someone we already know?...



Example 2: Between two characters’ dialogue.

!Lee and Nate


 * Lick that sponge! Lick that sponge! (Thompson groans and licks a dirty sponge)



!Lee, Nate, and Mabel


 * (laughing) Oh!



Special Dialogue
Defined as adverbs that describe how a character speaks. This includes using a sarcastic tone, thinking, whispering, narrating, etc. It should be written in italics and in parentheses within the speech box, and with a colon before the closing parentheses.

Example:

!Mabel


 * No. He’s more like (puts on trucker hat and mocks Dipper’s voice:) Aaah! Let’s solve a mystery! I kiss a pillow with Wendy’s face drawn on it!



Addressing other characters
If a character specifically addresses another character, it should be noted in italic in parentheses within the speech box, and with a colon before the closing parentheses.

Example:

!Dipper


 * Stan! Stan! (Sees Wendy drive up in a golf cart; to Wendy:) Wendy! Wendy! I need to borrow the golf cart so I can save my sister from a zombie!



Links
Links should be done on the very first use of the character’s name (or alias). This also applies to objects, locations, etc

Example:

!Hank


 * You want cheese on that, hun?



If the first use of the character's name is in a description, then both the use in the description and the character's name in the left column get linked.

Example:

!


 * The episode opens with a shot of the sun. Dipper starts to narrate.



!Dipper Pines


 * (Narrating) Ah, summer break.



Grammar
Grammar should, as always be used. For everything, stage directions included, a period should be used. Only one space should be used between sentences.