Does anyone know the proper way to have your characters quote other sources? I have a character quote something from Plato and then I have her say- "wasn't Plato clever?" But that feels really off in the scene. Likewise I have a character paraphrase quotes from and old "sacred text" and am not sure how to properly cite this or if I need to?
Screenwriting : Question about using quotes by Angie Baggett
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He-he, "wasn't Plato clever?" Sounds like a character without a personality. About your question. Just think about the credibility of the character and revealing more about her, I'd say.
If you're just talking formatting it would be something like ...
CHARACTER
"Something Plato said, maybe about a cave." Wasn't Plato clever?
But maybe I misunderstand your issue.
Are you asking about creative approach? Or asking about formatting? Perhaps sharing some context of the scene(s) and character(s) would help. ;)
But... Generally... If a character is quoting from something, a book, a poem, a person, a song lyric (if singing, then usually in italics), etc, you put it in quotes within the dialogue. And, no, you do not need to cite your references like you would for a thesis paper or something. Lol! If you wish to "tell" the audience the reference of the quote (if relevant) you could just work it into the dialogue or into the scene naturally somehow.
Just an example:
CHARACTER 1
"Only the dead have seen the end of war."
CHARACTER 2
Who said that, Socrates?
CHARACTER 1
No, no, Plato. Clever, right?
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I would avoid saying "wasn't Plato clever." Perhaps you could illustrate it through a conversation.
Sarah: "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something."
John: "Abraham Lincoln?"
Sarah: "Nope. That was Plato."
John: "I bet you think you're clever."
Sarah: "You know it."
Billy: "I really wish Plato was our current president."
It was an example of how to write quotes, not dialogue guys, Sheesh.
Thanks all! To clarify, I need to know how to cite the source of the original quote. If that is even needed at all. If my character quotes from Plato- do I need to somehow indicate this is not her original thought? Likewise when she quotes a sacred text- I do I need to indicate the idea is not originally hers. This would relate to formatting for the screenplay and avoiding plagiarism.
My bad if I misunderstood your question. A conversation can reveal that the quote was from Plato. The purpose of your script is for the actors and actresses; so you probably don't want to clutter the dialogue. If you are concerned about copyright laws, anything before the twentieth century is not legally protected anymore. Create a separate citation page for copyrighted material.
Then I already answered your question, Angie. Lol! No, you do not cite references in a screenplay. You are writing a movie, not a thesis paper. Within the context of the scene, the context of the characters, what is happening, etc, the quote reference should be clear through the action. You put the quote within quotation marks in dialogue. And as many have described you could use a discussion between characters to give information. If a character picks up a sacred textbook and begins reading from it, what she/he reads appears in her/his dialogue within quotation marks in the screenplay. Here's a John August blog post that may be helpful—in answering the written-in question he points out that you do not need outside authority to support your ideas; the authority needs to come from within your script, not outside. https://johnaugust.com/2009/quoting-books-in-a-script.
Just a random example of quoting... Some screenplays open with a quote. Perhaps it is meant to be superimposed (seen on screen) or not. Either way the purpose is to set a tone. In that usage, the quote reference/person is indeed (usually, Lol!) noted. Take a look at the script for Shutter Island, which quotes T.S. Eliot, the page after the title page: http://www.joblo.com/scripts/Shutter%20Island.pdf.
And to add some further context/information... if characters are just talking about something, making general reference to a brand name or trademark, or a famous quote, or making some pop culture reference, or whatever, as you would in real life, you are within "fair use." No copyright/trademark issues. If you are concerned about such things, then research "fair use" or talk to a lawyer. In its most general sense, "fair use" is any use of copyrighted material done for a limited and “transformative” purpose, such as to merely comment upon or mention (like your characters may do), to criticize, or news reporting, teaching, and/or parody of a copyrighted work. Such uses can be done without permission from the copyright owner. Hope that helps. ;)