Play Format

[Fred Van Ackeren]

Hi Cindi,

I'd like some help in formatting a prose play in UEB. I've attached 4 screen images for your viewing. Here are some areas of concern:

1. Text refers to "rolling credits". In the list there are additional descriptions of characters with added notations such as "Featuring", etc. I followed print for placement and left 1 blank line in between each "character". <u>Would a TN be better with a changed format in 1/3</u>?
2. Are these "stage directions" or "scene settings".

VO (Voice Over). <u>Is this formatted like a speaker part in 1/3?</u>

<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Retain caps for these?</span>

CUT TO: INTERIOR: CORRECTIONS DEPT. VAN. …

FADE IN: INTERIOR COURTHOUSE.

3. All bolded words (with the exception of speaker names) are vocabulary words/phrases. They are followed by the spaced general ref. indicator, dots 46, 3456, 1456 (this was found in another part of the forum) and are listed at the bottom of the print page following a separation line. <u>Should there be a blank line between dialogue/settings/directions and the separation line</u>? In some cases the left margins of each begin in cell 1, so a blank line seems appropriate.

4. CAPITAL LETTERS. Are they retained? Formats says to use initial caps for speaker names regardless of where they are located. <u>Would this be the same for all, such as GUARDS, PRISONERS, etc.</u>?

I've tried to list all  my questions, but any additional suggestions are helpful.
Thanks,
Fred

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[claurent]

I think that I wouldn't get too hung up on the perfect way to do this.

According to 14.3, scene settings are just paragraphs.  I believe you should block these.

Dialogue is 1-3.  Retain capitalization etc. You should not leave a blank line between lines of dialog...or lists of characters.  I would treat the voice over like a dialog.

According to UEB, follow print for capitalization.

I wouldn't center that whole first paragraph [The incredible story of how ...]  So then the written and directed by part would be a paragraph instead of centered. Cell 5 heading (Featuring ...)  and the featured people as a list.

Dots (46, 3456, 1456) is the seventh transcriber defined indicator.  That is no longer to be considered as a reference indicator.  If there is no print reference indicator, insert an embedded transcriber's note (just the word note) to notify the reader that a note is present.  This is the soon-to-be-approved method for unmarked notes.

If I didn't answer all your questions, please let me know.

Cindi

• This reply was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by claurent.

[Fred Van Ackeren]

Hi Cindi,

For the reference indicators, I found an interesting way to handle them: NBA Bulletin 51 (Winter '15-'16) p. 11. Since all bold words and phrases have notes associated with them the Bulletin suggests to insert a note on the TN Page: All words in bold have notes associated with them. The notes are placed at the end of the print page. This eliminates the need for any reference indicator. Presently, the only other bolded words are paragraph headings in very short exercises, where the emphasis was changed to italics, making vocabulary the only bolded items in the text.

Scenes/Directions in print are blocked, which I'll retain but this leaves many blank lines. There are often 3-5 different and consecutive directions, all different. A blank line is also used between directions and dialogue.

The only other big question I have that I forgot to include concerns the note separation line and the page change indicator. Should these note separation lines be separated from Dialogue/Directions-Settings at the end of the print page? In plays, it seems that everything is separated, dialogue from directions, etc. A blank line makes the change in context clear because on the following page both dialogue and notes continue in most cases and its confusing as to which the text on the next page is a continuation of, dialogue or notes. I've attached 3 images with different formats but am not sure which format is the best. I visually prefer image B which makes the distinction clear.

Thanks for your input, it was very helpful, especially about the soon-to-be footnote guidelines.

Fred

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[claurent]

Thank you for mentioning the bold footnotes.  You are correct, in that case, a transcriber's note stating that all bold words have footnotes associated with them is sufficient.  Even in the updated formats.  Footnotes that are referenced using emphasis are NOT considered unmarked references.

You need a blank line between the end of a play and whatever follows, but I don't think what you are showing is the end, so you don't need the blank line between the VO and the footnote separation indicator.  Because the scene setting is blocked, you would need a blank line before that (following the page change indicator).  The only time you would have a blank line between the footnotes and the page change indicator is when whatever starts that next print page begins in cell 3.  Then there is a blank line between the footnotes and the page change indicator to clarify that separation.

Cindi

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