Screenplay format guide
How to Introduce a Character in a Screenplay
To introduce a character in a screenplay, write their name in capitals the first time they appear in action, add their age in brackets, and give one or two details that show who they are. After that first mention, use normal capitalisation in action. Examples, common mistakes and a live formatter follow below.
Written and reviewed by ScriptLix Editorial
INT. PAWN SHOP - DAY
Dust hangs in a slant of light. A bell rings over the door.
TESSA OKAFOR (30s) steps in, wet from the rain, holding a wedding ring like it might bite her.
Behind the counter, WALT (70) does not look up from his crossword.
WALT
We're closed.
TESSA
The sign says open.
WALT
The sign's an optimist.
Write your own
Type in plain text. A name in caps right above a line becomes dialogue, and lines starting INT. or EXT. become scene headings.
INT. PAWN SHOP - DAY
Dust hangs in a slant of light. A bell rings over the door.
TESSA OKAFOR (30s) steps in, wet from the rain, holding a wedding ring like it might bite her.
Behind the counter, WALT (70) does not look up from his crossword.
WALT
We're closed.
TESSA
The sign says open.
WALT
The sign's an optimist.
How to use it
- 1
The first time a speaking or important character appears, write their name in capitals in the action line.
- 2
Add an age or age range in brackets, like (30s) or (70).
- 3
Follow with one sharp detail that shows character, not a list of looks. Then use normal case from there on.
Why is the name in capitals the first time?
Capitals tell everyone breaking the script down that a new character has arrived. The casting director, the assistant director and the reader can all scan for the first appearance of each person. After that, the name goes back to normal case in action, and only the dialogue cue above each speech stays in capitals.
Characters who never speak and never matter, like a waiter or a crowd, do not need capitals. A role that will be cast and appears more than once usually does.
What makes a good character introduction?
One specific detail beats a paragraph of description. Holding a wedding ring like it might bite her tells us more than tall, brunette and attractive. Show behaviour, a contradiction or a status, something an actor can play.
Keep physical description to what the story needs. If the plot turns on a scar, mention the scar. If it does not, let the casting director decide what the person looks like.
How do you write age, and what about names that change?
Ages go in brackets right after the name: (30s), (late 40s), (8). A range gives casting room to move. If a character goes by a nickname or is revealed later under a new name, introduce them as the audience knows them, then note the change once, such as THE STRANGER (later known as ELI).
More from the format guide
- How to Write a Montage in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Flashback in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Phone Call in a Screenplay
- How to Write Text Messages in a Screenplay
- Dual Dialogue in a Screenplay
- Voice Over in a Screenplay: V.O. Narration
- Screenplay Transitions: CUT TO, DISSOLVE TO
- How to Use Parentheticals in a Screenplay
- How to Write an Intercut in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Title Card in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Series of Shots in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Flash Forward in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Dream Sequence in a Screenplay
- Smash Cut: What It Is and How to Write One
- O.S. in a Screenplay: Meaning and Format
- How to Write a Pre Lap in a Screenplay
- Subtitles in a Screenplay: Foreign Dialogue
- How to Write a Split Screen in a Screenplay
- How to Write Slow Motion in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Freeze Frame in a Screenplay
- How to Write Song Lyrics in a Screenplay
Questions writers ask
How do you introduce a character in a screenplay?
Write the name in capitals in the action line the first time they appear, add their age in brackets, and give one telling detail. Use normal case for the name in action after that.
Do you capitalise a character name every time?
Only in the first action mention and in every dialogue cue. In later action lines the name is written in normal case.
How much should I describe a character?
A line or two. Pick details that show who they are or matter to the plot, and leave general looks to casting.
Where does the age go?
In brackets straight after the name, like MAYA (20s). Ranges such as (late 30s) are common and give casting room.
Further reading
- From the blog9 Best Character Introductions in Film (and Why They Work)Nine unforgettable character introductions broken down scene by scene, with the exact move you can steal for your own script. Behavior over backstory.
- From the blogHow to Create Unforgettable Screenplay CharactersHow to write screenplay characters that carry 110 pages: specificity over sentiment, want versus need, structural opposition, voice differentiation, and the arc that costs something.
- From the blog10 Best Character Arcs in Film (And the Turns That Earn Them)Michael Corleone, Andy Dufresne, Amy Dunne, Anton Ego. Ten unforgettable character arcs and the exact turning points that make each transformation land.