![\"Ape-man-with-bone-from-Stanley-Kubricks-2001-A-Space-Odyssey\"](\"http:\/\/smugfilm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Ape-man-with-bone-from-Stanley-Kubricks-2001-A-Space-Odyssey.jpg\")
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There\u2019s an immediate irony to this piece in that its title lacks punctuation. Said punctuation is not missed, of course\u2014it\u2019d be superfluous of me to put a period, due to the fact that the title text being larger and bolder than the long column of text below it makes it feel plenty contained. The only reason for me to put a little black dot at the end of it would be if I wanted it to be read with stern inflection:<\/p>\n
To Punctuate Or Not To Punctuate.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n See the difference? You can\u2019t help but it read it in your head as though shit has just gotten real, and that this will be a seriouser-than-normal article where I\u2019ve got a real bone to pick with a thing. Such is not the case\u2014if anything, I\u2019m merely raising a bone to the sky a la that ape in 2001: A Space Odyssey<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n While writing my new feature film, Bed<\/a>, I had an epiphany. This is a screenplay I am essentially writing for only three people to read: myself, and the two cast members. We\u2019re the only people involved in the making of it\u2014it is not being shopped around whatsoever, I don\u2019t need to convince anyone to \u2018let\u2019 me make it, I don\u2019t need anyone\u2019s \u2018permission\u2019 or \u2018money\u2019\u2014after they learn their lines and are ready, we\u2019re shooting it, plain and simple.<\/span><\/p>\n Therefore, there\u2019s no real need for me to conform to the rules of writing a screenplay, such as proper formatting<\/i> and punctuation<\/i>\u2014you know, the things that make you not look like a total amateur to those with power. I could write this film in magic marker on a hooker\u2019s ass if I wanted\u2014as long as the cast was cool with it, there\u2019d be no problem.<\/span><\/p>\n Formatting, I don\u2019t want to fuck around with though\u2014I find the standard screenplay format to be purposeful and easy to read. I have no desire to exhibit heresy in that particular sphere. Punctuation, on the other hand\u2014well, that might be a fun sacred cow to tip over.<\/span><\/p>\n The internet has swung open huge doors as far as the english language is concerned. It\u2019s become perfectly acceptable for people to converse without capitals or punctuation marks\u2014or even all caps<\/em>, and tons<\/em> of punctuation marks. We implicitly understand that such behavior is a reflection not of lack of intelligence, but lack of stuffy formality. It’s casual speak, suited for friends or for those who wish to telegraph to the world that they are speaking candidly and without filter.<\/span><\/p>\n why not then write the dialogue of a character who casually speaks their mind at all times in all lowercase, with no periods or whatever<\/span><\/p>\n Leave the periods at the end of sentences for characters that talk like Daria. That\u2019d be helpful.<\/span><\/p>\n AND WHY NOT WRITE AN ANGRY DUMB CHARACTER IN ALL CAPS AND LOTS OF PUNCTUATION!!!!!!!!<\/p>\n OR EVEN NO PUNCTUATION AT ALL LIKE TARZAN THE APE MAN<\/p>\n Those are just a few examples\u2014the possibilities are endless. Such a thing would really help the actors read the dialogue in their head as it is intended to be delivered\u2014and help the writer get into the heads of the characters while writing them.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m going to experiment with it in my own scripts\u2014you do so too, and let me know how it works for you.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" <\/p>\n There\u2019s an immediate irony to this piece in that its title lacks punctuation. Said punctuation is not missed, of course\u2014it\u2019d be superfluous of me to put a period, due to the fact that the title text being larger and bolder than the long column of text below it makes it feel plenty contained. The only reason for me to put a little black dot at the end of it would be if I wanted it to be read with stern inflection:<\/p>\n To Punctuate Or Not To Punctuate.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n See the difference? You can\u2019t help but it read it in your head as though shit has just gotten real, and that this will be a seriouser-than-normal article where I\u2019ve got a real bone to pick with a thing. Such is not the case\u2014if anything, I\u2019m merely raising a bone to the sky a la that ape in 2001: A Space Odyssey<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,18],"tags":[1864,4307,4309,32,4308,4310,4305,4304,4306,4303,104,185],"class_list":["post-4995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-allposts","category-codysessays","tag-2001-a-space-odyssey","tag-bed","tag-bed-cody-clarke","tag-cody-clarke","tag-cody-clarke-bed","tag-daria","tag-screenplay-grammar","tag-screenplay-punctuation","tag-script-grammar","tag-script-punctuation","tag-smug-film-2","tag-smugfilm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smugfilm.com\/oldsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4995","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smugfilm.com\/oldsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smugfilm.com\/oldsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smugfilm.com\/oldsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smugfilm.com\/oldsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4995"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/smugfilm.com\/oldsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4995\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5001,"href":"https:\/\/smugfilm.com\/oldsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4995\/revisions\/5001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smugfilm.com\/oldsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4995"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smugfilm.com\/oldsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4995"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smugfilm.com\/oldsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/p>\n