When to use "..."
Thu, 05/28/2009 - 09:50
Ellipses are over-used in scriptwriting in our opinion, particularly in dialogue. The only case we know of to use them is when a character's dialogue is trailing off, for example if they move off into thought or are passing out or the like. Any other valid uses?
Mon, 07/27/2009 - 10:55
#2
Agree
And I think it's easy for either to be overused. Instead of using (beat) within dialogue, I like to put in a brief action line, e.g., "Jamie pauses, searching for the right words." That's not necessarily the best example, but I prefer that sort-of thing to "beat" because it achieves that same effect but gives the writer an opportunity to give more insight to character and/or advance the plot (if only a bit).
Tue, 07/28/2009 - 22:43
#3
That's a good point. I think,
That's a good point. I think, if you can, use scene direction instead of falling back on lazy tricks to dictate the dialogue. If I was an actor, I wouldn't want a the same "trail off" cue for every line.
The trend I've noticed in reading professional screenplays of produced studio movies is that they tend to use the beat as a tool more than ellipses. I'd say it's easy for either to be over used, but if you're showing a pause of a break in dialogue, either cut in with scene direction or
(beat)
for a more compelling effect.