Young characters

[ScriptNurse]

Do something like "TEN YEARS LATER" as Al suggests and keep using same character name. You cold also include some age reference in the action description, like clothing style suited for a young man, not a boy. Smoking and drinking are also handy for this purpose.

[uncle_al]

Okay, let's get to your questions in some sort of order...

1. Is it acceptable to say "YOUNG SOMENAME" in the dialog headers but only describe them as "Somename" in the actions?  What would a non-noob do?

It makes sense to me that the dialog slugs remain consistent; the description can vary somewhat, since the characters are the same age in the scenes or is this an unwarranted assumption?

2. Is there a formal header that indicates that the characters have grown up or do I just say that in the action?  In the action, should/can I put something like "MATURE ANNIE" and "MATURE DARIN" (in all caps) to signal that it's their first appearance in the script as grown-ups?

You might just put in some subtle hints in the description that time has passed; then again, you could always use an on-screen subtitle, "TEN YEARS LATER".  And if you use "Young Whatsis" in the early going, just call him "Whatsis" in the dialog slugs.

If it makes you feel better, you can CAP the first appearance of the mature character; I don't believe it's necessary.  {But my opinion does not necessarily control.}

3. Is it reasonable to have two different actors play the 14-year old and 24-year old "versions" of the same character in the movie?  Or do you think that the same actor should/can pull it off?  (I know, this is not really script-related.  I just wonder about it whenever I imagine my script being made into a movie).

Since you would only be worrying about this if you were casting it yourself, here are some general guidelines...
There are very few 24-year-olds who can play 14 convincingly.
There are even fewer 14-year-olds who can play 24.  {Trust me on this one; I've seen far too many Super8 films where the director, age 14, tries to have his best friend, also 14, play 25... or 55.}
This works about as well as it sounds like it'd work.  And I was guilty of that myself... when I was 14.
A 14-year-old who can act, and can play 14 convincingly, is a treasure greater than gold...
A 24-year-old who can act is a pleasantly surprising find, also.
Two actors are more easily dealt with, anyway... dealing with child labor laws, on-set tutors, child welfare officers... it's something you don't want to have to deal with.
Of course, if it's right for the film, you do it anyway...

Al B.

[mteverest]

First off, thanks for answering my previous posts.  Please know that I'm always grateful for all the help I get here.  You guys are heavent sent!

I've finally reached the point in my script (page 27 - yoohoo!!!) where my two characters, Annie & Darin, along with their f(r)iends, have grown up and now, I question whether I should explicitly say "Young Annie" and "Young Darin" in the previous pages.  For the dialog headers, I think it makes sense.  But for the action paragraphs, to me, it would sound a little too much.  Since there's 26 pages of them, the reader might start getting annoyed by the ubiquity of "Young" in the descriptions.

I guess my questions are:

1. Is it acceptable to say "YOUNG SOMENAME" in the dialog headers but only describe them as "Somename" in the actions?  What would a non-noob do?

2. Is there a formal header that indicates that the characters have grown up or do I just say that in the action?  In the action, should/can I put something like "MATURE ANNIE" and "MATURE DARIN" (in all caps) to signal that it's their first appearance in the script as grown-ups?

3. Is it reasonable to have two different actors play the 14-year old and 24-year old "versions" of the same character in the movie?  Or do you think that the same actor should/can pull it off?  (I know, this is not really script-related.  I just wonder about it whenever I imagine my script being made into a movie).

Thanks in advance for your help.
Ever