Screenwriting : Character descriptions by Venessa Peruda

Copy that. Thanks!

I had to figure out what you are referring to with those. So I would suggest descriptions in detail. I try very hard not to go “default white”. If the race of the person isn’t important I’ll try and make that person not white.

They’ll cast who they want. But if I can plant a seed of thought.

I agree with Craig and like him I never say a character has to be a certain race unless it is vital to the story. If you do it you are limiting potential buyers.

I hear that. But is using "WOC" or "POC" an acceptable term for a character description? Is the term not common knowledge enough?

I have a script with a large and diverse ensemble cast. I would say be as specific as necessary. I have a Creole character, it's important to who she is. I also have two characters I describe as racially ambiguous. I want the reader to know that they're diverse however; I don't want to limit them to any one idea as to race in terms of casting (there's also a mystery as to who those characters are, it's motivated). Nick Assunto makes the best point, P.O.C. or abbreviations come off as lazy writing.

Nick hit it dead on the head. The terms don't have much use within a script for character description and can come off as lazy/uninterested or offensive.

Understood! Thanks everyone.Very helpful.

No idea was POC and WOC means. It would confuse me at first look.

I got it right away but I wouldn't be able to contextualise it within a character description as it's such an ambiguous term. I'd also be wary if it felt forced at all. I see a lot of people "diversifying" the characters in their scripts by peppering in minority references in descriptions and shouting from the rooftops about how progressive they are. It can come across as cringeworthy as they're often only making things look far worse, especially if those token characters are also stereotyped.

If you want better representation in films you're involved with, one of the best ways you can do this is to keep a list of up and coming actors that you feel deserve a break and would bring a lot to the production. You can have that list ready to go incase you're ever asked to contribute suggestions which is going to be more likely with smaller indie films.

Barry John Terblanche Inclusivity is extremely important to me. I'm simply asking for advice on what the industry standards are for people/women of color for character descriptions. There's nothing racist here.

I initially thought WOC/POC was a way to specify a character as non-white, but keep the ethnicity open for casting. But according to this discussion, some people don't even recognize the term, and it comes off as lazy or offensive. Query resolved!

I was curious as I've never seen those type of descriptions before. In one of my scripts, I described a Boston police officer as a black male on the cusp of retirement. For some reason, this is how I pictured him as he is partnered up with a young white female. I guess it makes the dynamic more interesting?? I don't know. In any case, I usually don't describe characters as far as race is concerned if it's not pertinent to the story unless it's the lead, otherwise it's left up to casting.

Venessa Peruda. If that is all you wanted to know, there is no industry standard. However a good number of people wouldn't even know what POC and WOC means. It is better not to abbreviate in a screenplay.

I describe my characters fully. For age I uses general terms , teen, young, forty something. But I describe race or gender because it fits the stories I write. The story is yours; if you wrote the character Black, Latino, Asian or White, you can say so. If that upsets anyone then I am not concerned.

From one of my scripts:

"The driver steps out. He is JEROME TURNER, a Black Los Angeles police detective in his late thirties. His car, his clothes say Venice Blvd. He looks at the bare hills across the highway, turns looks at the Mesa in the distance behind the station.

TURNER

Damn, this is the big nowhere."

I spent too many years as an engineer subtly hiding that fact that I was Black until an interview to care that anyone is still offended.