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As English is not my first language, I found that I sometimes have doubts about how to best describe particular facial or vocal expressions, when I need to deliver a succinct description of a character’s action in a script. So, I started making a list of words or phrases, I would come across that could work as a reminder when my ‘blank vocab’ moments occur.
I thought, it may be a useful list for others who also grabble with the English language, as I do.
Action | Vocal Action | Descriptive | Sound
Action
| bangs table | action |
| both breathing heavily | action |
| breathes deeply | action |
| breathes shakenly | action |
| breathing heavily | action |
| clears throat | action |
| clicks tongue | action |
| coughs | action |
| curses under breath | action |
| curses under his breath | action |
| exhales | action |
| exhales deeply | action |
| exhales sharply | action |
| faint laughter | action |
| fusses | action |
| gasps | action |
| gasps and whispers | action |
| gnashing teeth | action |
| groans | action |
| growling | action |
| grunting | action |
| grunts | action |
| heavy breathing | action |
| inhales deeply | action |
| laughter | action |
| muttering | action |
| panting | action |
| panting heavily | action |
| pants | action |
| perma-smile | action |
| polite cough | action |
| sarcastic cough | action |
| sarcastic laughter | action |
| scoffs | action |
| scoffs and chuckles | action |
| shouting | action |
| shuddering | action |
| sighs | action |
| sighs and sniffles | action |
| sighs deeply | action |
| sniffles | action |
| sniffles and clears throat | action |
| Back to Top |
Vocal Action
| baby cooing | vocal action |
| baby fusses | vocal action |
| chuckles | vocal action |
| chuckles softly | vocal action |
| cooing | vocal action |
| hmm | vocal action |
| huh? | vocal action |
| Mmm-hmm | vocal action |
| mouthing [something] | vocal action |
| mumbles | vocal action |
| mumbles indistinctively | vocal action |
| nah | vocal action |
| stammering | vocal action |
| stammers | vocal action |
| stutters | vocal action |
| uh-huh | vocal action |
| Uh… | vocal action |
| Um… | vocal action |
| whispers | vocal action |
| Back to Top |
Descriptive
| all exclaiming | descriptive |
| all screaming | descriptive |
| all yelling | descriptive |
| arm looped through | descriptive |
| bear growling | descriptive |
| bickering | descriptive |
| chanting | descriptive |
| groggily | descriptive |
| indistinct chatter | descriptive |
| mimic firing | descriptive |
| mimic shooting | descriptive |
| murmuring | descriptive |
| neighing horses | descriptive |
| newscaster speaks | descriptive |
| people chanting | descriptive |
| people clamouring | descriptive |
| people murmuring | descriptive |
| people murmuring on TV | descriptive |
| reporters clamouring | descriptive |
| speaking instinctively | descriptive |
| whispers indistinctively | descriptive |
| woman on intercom | descriptive |
| Back to Top |
Sound
| Action | Type |
|---|---|
| bell tolling | sound |
| buzzes in | sound |
| camera shutter clicking | sound |
| cell phone vibrates | sound |
| creaking floors | sound |
| disconnects | sound |
| door creaking | sound |
| doorbell rings | sound |
| engine rumbling | sound |
| festive music | sound |
| footsteps approaching | sound |
| knife clatters | sound |
| laptop chimes | sound |
| liquid pours | sound |
| man on intercom | sound |
| monitor chimes | sound |
| phone rings | sound |
| TV cuts off | sound |
| woman on intercom | sound |
| Back to Top |
Crossfade 