Extracting Dialogs from movie scripts using Regex
Question:
I would like to extract movie script dialogues like so:
- UPPERCAPS Character Names
- Dialog followed up until line-break to avoid snatching in the narration as well.
Current Regex: ((s[^w].s[A-Z]+)n+.+)
Problem is, it only extracts the character name and the first sentence from the dialog.
Here’s the testing data:
ADAM
Help! Someone help me! (He stops when
he hears a loud dragging sound somewhere
in the room. He looks out into the darkness
and calls out.) Is someone there? Hey!
(He turns back to the corner to which
he is chained, says in a slightly softer
but still panicked voice) Shit, Im
probably dead.
Suddenly, from out within the darkness comes a mans low, raspy
voice. It startles Adam. The voice, we will soon learn, belongs
to LAWRENCE.
LAWRENCE
Youre not dead.
Adam quickly turns in the direction of the voice. Holding his
arms out for balance, he tries to look across the room to whoever
is speaking, but still cannot see a thing.
ADAM
Whos that? Whos that?!
LAWRENCE
(his voice strangely a bit on the calm
side, and almost irritated with Adams
reaction to the situation. This shall
be his tone for many scenes to come.)
Theres no point in yelling, I already
tried it.
ADAM
Turn on the lights!
LAWRENCE
Would if I could.
ADAM
What the fuck is going on? Where am
I? (He turns into his corner, touching
the wall.)
LAWRENCE
I dont know yet.
ADAM
(smelling something; in disgust) What
is that smell?
LAWRENCE
Shh! Hang on a second, I think I found
something.
With a loud click and an even louder buzzing sound, the very
bright fluorescent lights come to life, lighting up in rows,
starting from Lawrences end and moving towards Adam. As they
come on, Adam is nearly blinded by the sudden change from pitch
black to bright white and squints in pain, holding up his arms
to cover his face. In the light we now see that he is in his
mid-twenties, with short brown hair, wearing a dark blue striped
shirt over a white tee shirt and jeans, looking like a drowned
rat from the tub. It takes him a moment but his eyes finally
start to adjust, and he looks around the room. He and we see
Lawrence, who also winces from the glare of the lights, standing
by the light switch and the door. He is on the opposite end of
the room, also chained to a pipe in the corner by his foot. He
wears a blue button-down dress shirt, now soaked with sweat stains.
He is middle aged, mid to late forties, with pale blonde hair
and even paler skin. Dark circles are under his eyes. Both men
are barefoot.
Lawrences eyes adjust to the light and he sees across the room.
Then, his gaze starts towards the center of the room, as does
Adams, who steps forward as much as he can, a look of horror
on his face. We see lying face down the body of a man who has
blown his brains out, lying in a pool of blood, clad in only
boxer shorts and a tee shirt. In his left hand is a gun, in his
right hand is a micro cassette recorder. A gunshot and a scream
are heard as the camera moves up and in a fast 360° angle above
and circling the man, ending in a full overhead view of him.
The shot cuts to Adam, who reels in shock and disgust.
ADAM
Holy shit!
He turns towards the tub and leans over, gagging and coughing.
Lawrence in the meantime hops forward the best he can, studying
the body with a look of fear and concern. Adam stops coughing
and turns back around, takes another look at the body and around
the room. He looks down at his chain then starts to completely
freak out, grabbing and pulling at his chain.
ADAM
(screaming) HELP!!! (He falls back onto
his bottom on the floor as he yanks
at the chain as hard as he can.) HELP!!!
Help!
Lawrence just stands and watches him with an almost embarrassed,
appalled look at his behaviour. It seems that Lawrence, despite
being in the situation hes in, is above that kind of uncontrolled
reaction. He speaks a bit coldly.
LAWRENCE SANDLER
No one can hear you.
EDIT
New Regex: (w[A-Z]+ns).+?(?=n)
Answers:
You can use the following the regex:
(?:([A-Z]+ *[A-Z]+)n).*?(?=$|([A-Z]+ *[A-Z]+)n)
Explanation:
(?:([A-Z]+ *[A-Z]+)n)
- Non capturing group matches only capital words with 0 or more spaces allowed in between followed by line ending
.*?
- Matches anything as less as possible
(?=$|([A-Z]+ *[A-Z]+)n)
- Positive lookahead to assert either the end or starting of new dialogue as explained above.
I am currently dealing with the same issue. Did you ever find a solution in the end, and if so, would you be able to share it with me?
Thanks in advance,
I would like to extract movie script dialogues like so:
- UPPERCAPS Character Names
- Dialog followed up until line-break to avoid snatching in the narration as well.
Current Regex: ((s[^w].s[A-Z]+)n+.+)
Problem is, it only extracts the character name and the first sentence from the dialog.
Here’s the testing data:
ADAM
Help! Someone help me! (He stops when
he hears a loud dragging sound somewhere
in the room. He looks out into the darkness
and calls out.) Is someone there? Hey!
(He turns back to the corner to which
he is chained, says in a slightly softer
but still panicked voice) Shit, Im
probably dead.
Suddenly, from out within the darkness comes a mans low, raspy
voice. It startles Adam. The voice, we will soon learn, belongs
to LAWRENCE.
LAWRENCE
Youre not dead.
Adam quickly turns in the direction of the voice. Holding his
arms out for balance, he tries to look across the room to whoever
is speaking, but still cannot see a thing.
ADAM
Whos that? Whos that?!
LAWRENCE
(his voice strangely a bit on the calm
side, and almost irritated with Adams
reaction to the situation. This shall
be his tone for many scenes to come.)
Theres no point in yelling, I already
tried it.
ADAM
Turn on the lights!
LAWRENCE
Would if I could.
ADAM
What the fuck is going on? Where am
I? (He turns into his corner, touching
the wall.)
LAWRENCE
I dont know yet.
ADAM
(smelling something; in disgust) What
is that smell?
LAWRENCE
Shh! Hang on a second, I think I found
something.
With a loud click and an even louder buzzing sound, the very
bright fluorescent lights come to life, lighting up in rows,
starting from Lawrences end and moving towards Adam. As they
come on, Adam is nearly blinded by the sudden change from pitch
black to bright white and squints in pain, holding up his arms
to cover his face. In the light we now see that he is in his
mid-twenties, with short brown hair, wearing a dark blue striped
shirt over a white tee shirt and jeans, looking like a drowned
rat from the tub. It takes him a moment but his eyes finally
start to adjust, and he looks around the room. He and we see
Lawrence, who also winces from the glare of the lights, standing
by the light switch and the door. He is on the opposite end of
the room, also chained to a pipe in the corner by his foot. He
wears a blue button-down dress shirt, now soaked with sweat stains.
He is middle aged, mid to late forties, with pale blonde hair
and even paler skin. Dark circles are under his eyes. Both men
are barefoot.
Lawrences eyes adjust to the light and he sees across the room.
Then, his gaze starts towards the center of the room, as does
Adams, who steps forward as much as he can, a look of horror
on his face. We see lying face down the body of a man who has
blown his brains out, lying in a pool of blood, clad in only
boxer shorts and a tee shirt. In his left hand is a gun, in his
right hand is a micro cassette recorder. A gunshot and a scream
are heard as the camera moves up and in a fast 360° angle above
and circling the man, ending in a full overhead view of him.
The shot cuts to Adam, who reels in shock and disgust.
ADAM
Holy shit!
He turns towards the tub and leans over, gagging and coughing.
Lawrence in the meantime hops forward the best he can, studying
the body with a look of fear and concern. Adam stops coughing
and turns back around, takes another look at the body and around
the room. He looks down at his chain then starts to completely
freak out, grabbing and pulling at his chain.
ADAM
(screaming) HELP!!! (He falls back onto
his bottom on the floor as he yanks
at the chain as hard as he can.) HELP!!!
Help!
Lawrence just stands and watches him with an almost embarrassed,
appalled look at his behaviour. It seems that Lawrence, despite
being in the situation hes in, is above that kind of uncontrolled
reaction. He speaks a bit coldly.
LAWRENCE SANDLER
No one can hear you.
EDIT
New Regex: (w[A-Z]+ns).+?(?=n)
You can use the following the regex:
(?:([A-Z]+ *[A-Z]+)n).*?(?=$|([A-Z]+ *[A-Z]+)n)
Explanation:
(?:([A-Z]+ *[A-Z]+)n)
- Non capturing group matches only capital words with 0 or more spaces allowed in between followed by line ending
.*?
- Matches anything as less as possible
(?=$|([A-Z]+ *[A-Z]+)n)
- Positive lookahead to assert either the end or starting of new dialogue as explained above.
I am currently dealing with the same issue. Did you ever find a solution in the end, and if so, would you be able to share it with me?
Thanks in advance,