Also known as character intro · first appearance · introducing a character
The first time a speaking (or important) character appears on the page: name in caps, plus a short visual or behavioral hook that makes them legible before they talk.
On the page
Introduction
MAYA CHEN (30s) shoulders in.
A strong introduction does three jobs fast: names the role for production, gives the reader a picture, and hints at attitude or contradiction. "MAYA (30s), rain-soaked, already mid-argument with the parking meter" beats a résumé of traits. Age bands help casting; novels of backstory in the intro line do not.
Caps on first appearance are the convention that feeds breakdowns and cast lists. After that, ordinary sentence case in action is normal. Re-capping the name every entrance creates false "new character" noise. Keep the cue spelling identical to the introduction so tools and coordinators never invent twin roles.
Introductions are also tone. A comedy intro can land a joke in the first image; a thriller intro can withhold a face and still define threat through behavior. When notes say characters blur together, rewrite first appearances before polishing late dialogue — the room decides who matters in those opening lines.
No. Speaking leads and story-critical figures need a clear hook; day players may need only a function and a vivid detail. Length should match narrative importance.
Prefer age or age range in the action introduction, not inside the cue. The cue stays a stable production name; the intro carries casting and first-impression detail.
No. Standard practice capitalizes the name on first appearance in action, then uses normal case afterward. The character cue above dialogue stays uppercase throughout.
Normalize every cue, introduction, and alias before sharing. Mixed names fracture breakdowns and cold reads. A global rename pass is cheaper than explaining "Maya/Maya2" in the room.
