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AndreasvanHaren
Member
| Joined: | Sun Sep 7th, 2008 |
| Location: | Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Posts: | 1 |
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Posted: Sun Sep 7th, 2008 03:46 pm |
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Hi!
I was wondering if there is a different in format for writing a stage play or writing a libretto as used for an opera.
I wrote a children book and am thinking of changing it into a childrens opera. Maybe someone can give me some advice?
Best wishes,
André
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katoagogo
Member
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Posted: Sun Sep 7th, 2008 05:14 pm |
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I worked with a teaching artist who writes musicals, and the format she had us use is one that she uses for her musicals-- here it is--
Stage directions started at the left margin, single spaced.
Charcters' names were tabbed 3" from left margin and placed above dialogue
Dialogue was tabbed 1.5" from left margin, double spaced.
All words for songs were capitalized, and indented 2" from left margin.
That's what I know about it. I'm not sure it's the industry standard. What is important is that lyrics be immediately discernible from dialogue.
--Kato
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dwbacon
Member
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Posted: Mon Sep 8th, 2008 12:13 pm |
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To All Gentle Knowledgeable and Creative Folk Writing and Numbering Pages for the Theatre:
Regarding the proper formatting of a libretto, I read in David Spencer's 'The Musical Theatre Writer's Survival Guide' where a three-tiered form of pagination is "generally" used in the professional theater (page 142). Elsewhere in this very forum I encountered a description of the "Samuel French" style of pagination and the ambiguous "consensus" seemed to be that this style was not industry standard. Well, which is it? To "3" or not to "3"? That is the question! And if this three-tiered system is the industry standard - Act Number (Roman numeral) - Scene Number (Arabic) - Act Page Number (Arabic) - [always placed in the upper right hand corner of every page of the play script proper], then what software program will successfully produce this? Because, whatever it be, I don't think I have found it yet.
Help?
Thanks, Dave
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katoagogo
Member
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Posted: Mon Sep 8th, 2008 02:40 pm |
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What is is above all alse -- is it must be clear and immediately discernible.
Whether that means the page numbers go in the top left or bottom right doesn't matter so much as that it is somewhere and clearly a page number.
When your play is accepted for publication, then conforming to a particular format becomes important.
I think when it comes to screenplay format, the film industry is much more precise about format and proper lingo.
But as McKee says in his book STORY -- nobody is going to turn down a fantastic story because of its poor or non-standard formating -- as long as they bothered to read it (which they may not do if they can't make sense of how to read the words on the page.)
Last edited on Mon Sep 8th, 2008 02:40 pm by katoagogo
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Edd
Moderator
| Joined: | Sat Jun 10th, 2006 |
| Location: | Denver, Colorado USA |
| Posts: | 996 |
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Posted: Mon Sep 8th, 2008 03:02 pm |
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"...nobody is going to turn down a fantastic story because of its poor or non-standard formating -- as long as they bothered to read it (which they may not do if they can't make sense of how to read the words on the page.)"
Kato could not be more right! I suggest you take her words to heart.
I use an "as published" style that I've been using for well over a decade and it hasn't gotten in my way. It is exampled in every play on my website. With no tabs, it is much more easy. You just need to remember that one page equals one and a half minutes as opposed to the standard one minute per.
Of course, as for librettii, there are numerous examples to be found by simply Googling: "libretti (or libretto) format."
~Edd
http://www.edwardcrosbywells.com
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