I don't like to use (CONT'D) and CONTINUED when a page break occurs or there's an interruption in dialogue. Will I get grilled for this? I figure it's a spec script, and that it's also way too obvious that it continues. You can see the next part coming, can't you?!

Don't use scene (CONTINUED)s and CONTINUED:s, but you must use cue(CONT'D) if a character continues speaking after a page or an action break, and (MORE) at the end of a page if the dialogue is continued.

You won't get grilled, but you will get binned by piecework scriptreaders who are looking for any excuse to finish with the script and move on the the next chunk of income.

The reason you need CHARACTER(CONT'D) is because a) actors expect someone else to speak after their bit is done, and b) actors *really" expect someone else to speak if they scan ahead and the next cue doesn't have (CONT'D) after it. They don't even read the character name - if it doesn't have (CONT'D) at the end, they will skip forward.

(MORE)s are required because as an actor reads to the bottom of the page, they need to know that they have to turn the page quickly and keep reading to keep the flow going. They don't have time to scan ahead - if they see (MORE) they won't even read the character cue, they will just keep reading the next bit.

So why do you have a problem with it?

you could argue that capital letters and apostrophes are pointless since they arent in the spoken form and everyone understands but if i leave them out and say its just the way im going to do it, then youd think i was unprofessional, wouldnt you?

Well, it's obvious it continues b/c there's another page or 20 or 100, but you still use page numbers, right??? ;-)

I use CONT'D when there's a break in dialogue, altho I don't bother if it's a break in action-description under a scene heading (slug line).

If you don'twant to you don't have to, just remember, every professional Hollywood reader is looking for whatever excuse they can to toss your script aside. Failure to adhere to basic format conventions is one excuse.

Not saying it's right...it's just the way it is.

If there's a really long speech (which carries to the next page) -- which I think isn't very natural for people to do -- I usually break it up by putting in some sort of minute action. For example, I might put in, "Jeff takes in a deep breath" or "Jeff starts to sweat". Something like that. In terms of (CONT'D), I never put those in. But at the same time, I don't put in a huge chunk of action between. So it's usually very snappy, you can see what's ahead next. There was actually one screenplay I read, Arac Attack (Eight Legged Freaks), which did not use (CONT'D). (Although they did use (MORE)). So I decided if it was good enough for a professional script, I could do it too. I used to put in (CONT'D), but when I went to film school, the actors appeared to understand what was going on without it. Some of them actually hi-lite their lines I think. I tend to get in the mind of the director. Generally when people get a role, they read their whole part through, regardless of these (CONT'D)s.

Well, you've not really asking a question or for advice, it seems. You're just telling us what you do.

Eight Legged Freaks was both written and directed by Ellory Elkayem (Who? Exactly!) so who is there to complain, anyway?

You can write it in green, 18pt Comic Sans and print it landscape on puce cardboard if you like, the point is that most consumers have guidelines, and the more you ignore, the less likely they are to bother to read it.

I personally don't care either way: if it were abnormal to put them in, I'd leave them out - since everyone in the know that I can find (e.g. AMPAS - the people who hand out Oscars and run the Nicholl) says they prefer them or require them, then I put them in. I'm trying to produce a product for their consumption, and their requirements take precedent over any whim I might have.

If I'm trying to sell a product, I try to give them what they want. They have money which I want them to give to me. Anything I can do to make that more likely, I will do so long as I am still enjoying doing it. Final Draft does (MORE) and (CONT'D) automatically, it's no big deal, and no extra typing.

But if I were writing scripts just for amusement and/or didn't really care what happened to them if I submitted them, it wouldn't matter if I put (MORE) and (CONT'D) in or not. It wouldn't actually matter what I wrote, or how, or whether I wrote at all.

Ian