Hi beautiful writers of Stage 32!
Quick question on writing diverse character ethnicity and race in your screenplay. Do you feel we need to outline every single person who’s not white, or can we just assume, moreover, that the character other than being identified by age projection MUST be racially profiled in the screenplay? In other words, can MAIN CHARACTER be any race the producers want but you didn’t identify, unless of course defined as a race by the screenplay narratives? Or do you feel to get the diversity it should be clearly defined as such?
NATASHA SMITH (30’s) enters room or do I have to put NATASHA SMITH (Latino, African American, etc. 30’s)?
Thanks for your input
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Hi, Closed Account! It depends for me. If I'm writing a script with roles that can be played by anyone, I don't mention race. If race is important to the story, I put it in the character description(s).
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It helps unless there is a special phrase you can use to distinguish the characters. But for those who are not familiar with that country's people.
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You need to be careful with this. If you specify a characters race for no apparent reason, it can create the perception you see all other characters as white by default. It's best to keep things open ended.
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Concur with CJ, above. I'd also double-down on the specifying for no apparent reason -- there really shouldn't be any detail in your script that's specified without any reason. This leads to loose, random, aimless writing. Obviously, if a character's race is fundamentally significant to your story (egs. Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave; Mollie Burkhart in Killers of the Flower Moon; Chris Washington in Get Out) then you should state as it's essential.
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Interesting answers so far. My current script involves historical references and specific ethnic stories that entwine with others during a time of migration/integration and I have to refer to each ethnicity as such. I never thought much about the perception it could have, I just thought it was a natural thing when describing characters. I'm interested in this conversation.
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Nelson Colon, it all comes down to relevance. If you are telling a story that needs to be accurate, race might be a very relevant factor.
The place a lot of writers go wrong is they pepper a script with representation to try and make it more appealing on a superficial level. By doing this, they reveal they actually see all characters as white, unless specified otherwise. It backfires.
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I am starting this script called Hsfa Adai High and I have diverse characters from the get-go. a cornucopia of nationalities since it is important in the script. I let readers know when a school parade was going on we have Korean club, Samoan Club, Chamorro club, Japanese Club, Yapese club etc so my characters are diverse their names give them a subtle hint too like Kumiko is Japanese or Federico is Hispanic or Jose is Chamorro etc
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Ensemble cast with different races and religions who MUST work together. It is a comedy. No way to avoid mentioning their identities. It worked for me.
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If there is something remarkable about the character's looks that actually serves the story, I'll note it. But I personally do not describe my characters beyond their names and ages for the most part. Not even hair color usually. Not in a screenplay.
If my character is written with clarity, they can be visualized by the reader without detailed description.
To my non professional mind, the casting director is going to pick an actor who best fits the part. That actor may not look like what I describe my character to look like. Scars, tattoos etc can be added, but I want the actor in my creation to feel like my character. They have to nail the personality and mannerisms. The looks... well, they just don't matter as much as the energy of the character.
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In my opinion, I think just Natasha Smith (30's) is fine. Now, if Natasha Smith is Latina or African American --- it should kind of come out with the writing, so to say. The identity that you see for the character should fit into the wider story that you're trying to tell.
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Give them names that suggest ethnicity, unless ethnicity is crucial to the plot and story, then state it.
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Just wanted to thank all of you for your valuable feedback <3. It gives us clarity.
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You're welcome, Closed Account.
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This is a difficult question for me and I have avoided participating in case I am misunderstood. But here goes: I make a mention of the race of the main characters (Black females) because I want to write for Black female actresses, make more opportunities for them. When there is a script written in this industry, it is going to be presented to a Caucasian actress whether people want to acknowledge it or not. Besides, the word is that the industry wants more diversity, so I am trying to provide it.
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Vikki-thank you for taking time out of your day for sharing this. That's what I was meaning to question.
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Vicki, nothing wrong with that, but it's all about story. Recently, I love writing characters where not race is oblique, but gender and age are too. BUT for some characters, one has to be specific without being biased. The pen is mighty.