character descriptions screenplay examples

In the ensuing pages, Donnatella Moss is introduced as:Ģ5 and sexy without trying too hard, DONNA is devoted to Josh.Ī youthful 38, JOSH is Deputy Chief of Staff and a highly regarded brain. In the pilot episode of The West Wing by Aaron Sorkin, Leo Jacobi is introduced as “55 and professorial” and on the following page CJ Cregg, played by Allison Janney, is described as “38, compact and athletic”. Film and television are visual media, to be sure, but male characters are usually described visually and in terms of their character, attitude, and personal qualities It’s fairly common for female characters in screenplays to be described only or primarily in terms of their looks. Giving a character a sentence or two of introduction tells the reader of your screenplay that this is an important character in the story.Ī typical screenplay may have between four and ten characters who warrant a descriptive character introduction.The cast of West Wing have very different character descriptions. They don’t need a full written description in your action line. Smaller characters in your film can simply be named in capitals. Give an introduction for major characters only. Include some information about their age, personality, or appearance to help paint a mental picture for the reader and guide the casting directors to find an actor that fits the part.Īge can be a specific number (16, 35, etc.), or an age range (20’s, 30’s), and is added in parentheses after the character name. Format your character introduction properly.Įach time a new character is introduced, their name should be in all-caps.

Unless a character’s appearance is a mystery, make sure to introduce the character before you have them speak! Give the character introduction before the first line of dialogue. Introduce your character before giving them dialogue. There’s much more to a good character introduction than just proper formatting!ĥ Tips for How to Introduce Characters in Your Screenplay 1. And character introductions are no different. So they not only describe what you see and hear, but, if done well, create in the reader a desire to see what happens next. More than that, action lines convey information regarding the tone and feeling of that specific moment or scene. I understood that character introductions are part of action lines in a script, and action lines describe what is happening at a given moment in the story.

Character descriptions screenplay examples