Screenplay and Screenwriting Notes.
Excerpts taken from:
http://www.screenwriting.info/
Introduction: What Exactly Is a Script?
A script is a document that outlines every aural, visual, behavioral, and lingual
element required to tell a story. Why "outlines"? Because film is a highly
collaborative medium and the director, cast, editor, and production crew will,
based on your "outline", interpret your story their way when it is filmed. They may
consult you, or they may not. Other writers may be brought in or you may be
asked to re-write the entire thing. That's life, in the world of screenwriting. But
because so many people are involved in the making of a film, a script must
conform to standards that all involved parties understand and thus has a specific
format or layout, margins, notation, and other conventions. This document is
intended to overview the typical elements used screenplay writing.
It is crucial to remember that film is a VISUAL medium. You don't tell your
audience your story, you SHOW them. You must learn to write a screenplay
VISUALLY. Write what they will SEE and what they will HEAR. You might love
your characters and know what they are thinking, but the discipline of screenplay
writing is how to show it on a screen. When it happens, it may be just done with a
look, often improvised on the movie set. So just write the pictures, sounds, and
speeches, and leave the rest for the filmmakers.
Special Screenplay Page Properties
Screenplays are traditionally written on 8 1/2" x 11" white 3-hole punched paper.
A page number appears in the upper right hand corner (in the header). No
page number is printed on the first page. The font / type style used is the
Courier 12 font. The top and bottom margins are between .5" and 1". The left
margin is between 1.2" and 1.6". The right margin is between .5" and 1".
The extra inch of white space on the left of a script page allows for binding with
brads, yet still imparts a feeling of vertical balance of the text on the page.
The Courier 12 font is used for timing purposes. One script page in Courier 12
roughly averages 1 minute of onscreen film time. Experienced readers can detect
a long script by merely weighing the stack of paper in their hand.
Script Elements
These are the unique margin, case, and position attributes that give feature film script text the
format and consistency expected by all participants. Once you are accustomed to them you'll be
able to tell your story the way an industry reader is accustomed to seeing it. The elements for a
script are:
1. Title Page
2. Scene Heading
3. Action
4. Character Name
5. Dialogue
6. Parenthetical
7. Extensions
8. Transition
9. Shot
● What is a script
● Abbreviations
● Montages vs Series of Shots
● Common acronyms
1. Title Page
The TITLE PAGE has specific information on it. Type it in the same font as your
script, Courier 12. It should not be on special paper, no graphics - it should just
contain only the following information:
● Centered on the page, vertically and horizontally - The title of your script in
bold type if possible
● Two lines below that, centered on the line - Written by
● Two lines below that, centered on the line - Your Name (and co-writer, if
any)
● In the lower right hand corner your contact information (include agent or
email address)
● In the lower left-hand corner you can put Registered, WGA or a copyright
notification.
The Good, The Bad, The Thin
Written by
Fatty Turner
Copyright © 2001 by Fatty Turner
Fatty Turner
Registered, WGAw
1234 Lake St.
Anytown, CA 12345
(310) 555-1212
2. Scene Heading
Scene Heading are aligned flush left (which we learned is about 1.5" from the
edge of the paper) and are rarely long enough to reach the page margin.
The Scene Heading is written in ALL CAPS. Use a period after the INT. or EXT.,
a hyphen between the other elements of the Slugline (or Scene Heading).
The Scene Heading, sometimes called Slugline, tells the reader of the script
where the scene takes place. Are we indoors (INT.) or outdoors (EXT.)? Next
name the location: BEDROOM, LIVING ROOM, at the BASEBALL FIELD, inside
a CAR? And lastly it might include the time of day - NIGHT, DAY, DUSK, DAWN...
information to "set the scene" in the reader's mind.
The Slugline can also include production information like CONTINUOUS
ACTION, or ESTABLISHING SHOT or STOCK SHOT. Here are examples of
Scene Headings:
INT. BEDROOM - MORNING
EXT. LAS VEGAS STRIP - SUNSET
INT. OFFICE - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS ACTION
EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING
EXT. PASADENA - ROSE PARADE - STOCK FOOTAGE
3. Action
The Rules:
Action runs from left to right margin, the full width of the text on the page, the
same as the Scene Heading. Be sure to use the word wrap function of your script
writing software, to make editing and rewrites easy. Text is single-spaced and in
mixed case.
When you introduce a speaking character for the first time, you should put the
name in all caps.
Writing Tip:
Every moment in a screenplay takes place NOW. Use the active voice (a
window slams shut) not the passive voice (a window is slammed shut).
Always write in PRESENT TIME, not the past. (There are rare exceptions to this;
for example, John Milius' The Wind and the Lion had description in past tense
like a novel, but then, he also directed the film.)
Keep your paragraphs short... don't let them go on and on over 4 or 5 lines. The
reader may scan long action paragraphs without really reading them.
FADE IN:
EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING
Sailboats, yachts, and cabin cruisers all bob up and down in
the warm blue
water.
INT. MASTER SUITE - MORNING
Expensive designer sheets and comforter covers the shapely
body of drop dead gorgeous JULIE COOPER, 25. Sunlight filters
through portholes over the muscled, tan body of FRANKIE
CAMPISI, 38. He pulls the comforter down and begins
kissing Julie.
The reader begins to form an idea about the setting and the action taking place.
We know we're on a boat, two characters have been introduced to us, we have
some idea about their physical appearance. And we have a clue to their
relationship.
Avoid a compulsion to write camera angles and shots. If you must emphasize
some shot, write it on a single line. Angles and shots are the domain of the
director an will likely be added in the Shooting Script.
Expensive designer sheets and comforter covers the shapely
body of drop dead gorgeous JULIE COOPER, 25. Sunlight filters
through portholes over the muscled, tan body of FRANKIE
CAMPISI, 38. He pulls the comforter down and begins
kissing Julie. Suddenly, Frankie recoils.
There's a devil tattoo on her shoulder that he's never seen
before.
4. Character Name
The Rules:
The CHARACTER NAME is formatted in uppercase letters and indented 3.5"
from the left margin.
Before a character can speak, the writer inserts a CHARACTER NAME to let the
reader know this character's dialogue follows.
A character name can be an actual name (JOHN) or description (FAT MAN) or an
occupation (DOCTOR). Sometimes, you might have COP #1 and then COP #2
speaking. It is okay to identify the speaking parts like this, but actors will like you
more if you personalize their part with a name. Try to be consistent.
FADE IN:
EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING
Sailboats, yachts, and cabin cruisers all bob up and down in
the warm blue water.
INT. MASTER SUITE - MORNING
Expensive designer sheets and comforter covers the shapely
body of drop dead gorgeous JULIE COOPER, 25. Sunlight filters
through portholes over the muscled, tan body of FRANKIE
CAMPISI, 38. He pulls the comforter down and begins
kissing Julie.
There's a devil tattoo on her shoulder that he's never seen
before.
FRANKIE
5. Dialogue
The Rules:
DIALOGUE margin is indented 2.5" from the left margin. A line of dialogue can
be from 30 spaces to 35 spaces long, so the right margin is a bit more flexible,
usually 2.0" to 2.5".
DIALOGUE rules apply when anyone on screen speaks. During a conversation
between characters. When a character talks out loud to himself... even be when
a character is off-screen and only a voice is heard.
Writing Tip:
Great dialogue is a window into the soul of your character. It sounds real... It's
conversational. The audience feels like a fly on the wall, hearing natural interplay
between characters. Great dialogue may use common language but express
great passion, and even become a catch phrase in popular culture, as the line
from Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry Callahan "Go ahead. Make my day."
It's not a bad idea to read your dialogue aloud to see how it really sounds. If you
have a difficult time reading a line, it may not be good dialogue. You'll definitely
be able to tell if you organize a reading of your script and hear it that way (best
with professional actors, like they do in Hollywood and on Broadway).
FADE IN:
EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING
Sailboats, yachts, and cabin cruisers all bob up and down in
the warm blue
water.
INT. MASTER SUITE - MORNING
Expensive designer sheets and comforter covers the shapely
body of drop dead gorgeous JULIE COOPER, 25. Sunlight filters
through portholes over the muscled, tan body of FRANKIE
CAMPISI, 38. He pulls the comforter down and begins
kissing Julie.
There's a devil tattoo on her shoulder that he's never seen
before.
FRANKIE
Rise and shine, Bluebird. Time
to spread your wings and fly.
6. Parenthetical
Parentheticals are left indented at 3.0" and the right margin is 3.5" although that
is a bit flexible. As seen in our examples, a Parenthetical remark is NOT centered
under the character name.
A Parenthetical remark can be an attitude, verbal direction or action direction for
the actor who is speaking the part. Parentheticals should be short, to the point,
descriptive, and only used when absolutely necessary.
These days, Parentheticals are generally disfavored, because they give direction
to an actor that may not be appropriate once on the set. The slang term for them
is "wrylies" as in:
FRANKIE
(wryly)
Good mornin', Bluebird.
JULIE
(sleepily)
What? What time is it?
FRANKIE
(getting out of bed)
After six. You're gonna be late
again and I don't want to hear
it.
7. Extension
● O.S. - Off-Screen
● V.O. - Voice Over
An Extension is a technical note placed directly to the right of the Character
name that denotes HOW the character's voice will be heard by the
audience. An Off-Screen voice can be heard from a character out of the
camera range, or from another room altogether.
Frankie pulls all the covers off of Julie. She sits up
in bed, pulls on a long T-shirt, then swings her legs
onto the floor and shuffles off to the bathroom.
FRANKIE
(continuing)
You're welcome.
(beat)
Hey, how long you gonna be? I've
got a meeting and I need to
shower.
JULIE (O.S.)
Twenty minutes.
Some writers use O.C. (off camera) in place of O.S. The "beat" used above
simply denotes that Frankie pauses (perhaps formulating his next thought)
before uttering his next bit of dialogue.
Another common extension is V.O. That stands for Voice Over. Think of a
V.O. as a narration, or a character speaking while s/he isn't in the scene. Or
s/he can be in the scene, but also acting as narrator, reflecting on and
describing some time gone by. This dialogue is recorded and then laid in
over the scene in editing.
FRANKIE (V.O.)
I knew I wasn't gonna get in
that shower for at least 45
minutes, so I went for a run.
Our character Frankie is reminiscing about the morning on the boat in a
Voice Over.
8. Transition
We must begin with this remark: Nowadays, transitions are frowned upon, a
waste of a couple of lines you could better use for brilliant dialogue, and are only
used when absolutely necessary.
The Rules:
When you DO use a Transition, the left margin is at 6.5" and a right margin of
1.0". Transitions are formatted in all caps and almost always follow an Action and
precede Scene Headings.
Transitions you may be familiar with are:
● CUT TO:
● DISSOLVE TO:
● SMASH CUT:
● QUICK CUT:
● FADE TO:
● FADE OUT (never at the end of the script)
Writing Tip:
The only time to use a Transition in a spec script is if it's integral to telling
the story. For instance, you might use a TIME CUT: to indicate passage of
time. More commonly, a DISSOLVE TO: indicates that time has passed. Or,
you might need to use MATCH CUT: if you want to illustrate that there is
some correlation between something we just saw and something in the new
scene. The point is, unless you become quite skilled in screenwriting don't
use these things unless absolutely necessary, because the director of the
film will probably think of something different.
9. Shots
Shots are formatted like Scene Headings, flush left margin, all uppercase. Blank
line before and after.
A SHOT tells the reader the focal point within a scene has changed. Here are
some examples of shots:
● ANGLE ON --
● EXTREME CLOSE UP --
● PAN TO --
● FRANKIE'S POV --
● REVERSE ANGLE --
Writing Tip:
As the writer, for reasons already mentioned you should be very judicious
using a SHOT to redirect the reader's focus. Your "directing" runs the risk of
interrupting the flow of your storytelling. If what you really want to do is
direct films, do yourself a favor and DON'T do it in a script you're trying to
sell... wait until it sells and try to negotiate a package deal with you on
board as the director. This most often is a possibility after you've already
had one of your screenplays filmed.
Once in a while, calling a shot is necessary. You want the reader to see
something not obvious in the scene or you want to achieve a particular
emotion or build to a climax. This device allows you to achieve this goal.
If you are describing a prison riot, with a prisoner holding a guard at
knifepoint, and you want the audience to see a sharpshooter aiming at the
prisoner, you might use a shot like this:
A PRISONER shoves a homemade shiv against the throat of
a PRISON GUARD.
PRISONER
(trembling)
I'll kill him! I mean it.
PRISON GUARD
Take him out! Now! Do it!
ANGLE ON - A PRISON GUARD SHARP-SHOOTER
as he lines up the shot, finger poised on the trigger.
PRISONER
I want to talk to the Warden.
NOW!
Abbreviations
The film industry uses several abbreviations as shortcuts in scripts. It's up to you
whether you use these abbreviations or not. Some readers find them distracting,
while others prefer the shorthand. We've already discussed several -- O.S., O.C.,
V.O. -- which are specific to scripts. Here are some others.
b.g. = background
Frankie sits on the bed tying his shoes. In the b.g., Julie
takes money out of
his wallet. She also pockets his car keys.
CGI = computer generated image
CGI denotes action that cannot be filmed normally and will require the use of
computers to generate the full imagery, as used in films like The Matrix.
CGI: His mouth begins to melt, then disappears entirely.
f.g. = foreground
f.g. is used in action the same as b.g., except the action takes place in the
foreground.
SFX = sound effects
SFX: The BLAST of a train whistle
SPFX = special effects
SPFX: A beam of light illuminates Frankie's face. His
features slowly melt like
a wax figure.
M.O.S. = without sound
M.O.S. Horses stampeding down Main Street.
POV = point of view
The camera 'sees' the action from a specific character's position
JULIE'S POV - Frankie sits on the bed tying his shoes.
Montages
A MONTAGE is a cinematic device used to show a series of scenes, all related
and building to some conclusion. Think of a baby being born, then rolling over,
then taking its first steps, and finally running through the sprinklers. For example:
MONTAGE
1) Josh is born. The doctors clean him and hand him over to
his smiling mother.
2) Josh rolls over in his playpen. His mother applauds.
3) Holding on to the coffee table, Josh takes his first
steps. His mother
joyously hugs him.
4) Clad in droopy diapers, Josh runs gleefully through the
sprinklers. His
mother sighs, and reaches for the diaper bag.
The MONTAGE is formatted as a single shot, with the subsequent scenes action
elements of the complete sequence. It isn't necessary, but some writers write
END OF MONTAGE when the montage is completed.
A Series of Shots
A SERIES OF SHOTS is similar to a Montage, but it usually takes place in one
location and concerns the same action. Think of the movie Earthquake...
SERIES OF SHOTS
A) Store windows start to rattle and shake.
B) Hanging signs swing back and forth.
C) Bricks and shards of glass begin to fall onto the
sidewalks.
D) People run for cover.
A SERIES OF SHOTS is formatted as a SHOT ... just like a Montage.
A MATTER OF STYLE
Some writers will incorporate a series of shots into a script without noting it as
such. This generally contributes to a smoother flow of the action. The action lines
might be short, descriptive sentences on separate lines.
The Piazza de Palma is packed with Saturday shoppers.
A LOUD SHOT rings out.
Pigeons take flight, WINGS FLUTTERING EN MASSE.
Heads turn in the direction of ANOTHER GUNSHOT.
A frightened child drops his ice cream cone and CRIES.
A woman SCREAMS.
Another style for writing the sequence above is:
THE PIAZZA DE PALMA
is teaming with Saturday shoppers.
A LOUD SHOT
rings out. Pigeons take flight. Heads turn in the direction
of ANOTHER GUNSHOT.
A FRIGHTENED CHILD
drops his ice cream cone and CRIES. A SCREAM is heard.
Do's and Don'ts Of Scriptwriting
Do's
● Do proofread your script. Spelling is very important. Don't trust your spell
checking program, it may miss grammatical errors and won't have some
terms in its built-in dictionary.
● Do get someone else to proofread your script. A fresh pair of eyes will
often catch something you continue to miss.
● Do get the best photocopy you can. No one wants to read a dirty page.
● Do use good quality brass brads to bind your script. Acco #5 brads are the
best, because they are long enough to fit through the entire thickness of
your script. Solid brass brads (as opposed to brass-plated brads) are
preferable.
● Do register your script with the Writers Guild of America but don't forget to
copyright it as well. A WGA registration expires quickly, while a copyright is
good for decades.
● Do send a one-page (or less) cover letter with your script when you send it
out. Make the letter short, concise and to the point. There are books and
articles on the subject, but basically they simply want to know what the
script is about and where to reach you.
● Do follow the rules unless you KNOW a darn good reason not to.
Don'ts
● Don't create a fancy Title page with giant fonts, colored letters, etc. A Title
page has title and screenwriter's name(s) in the middle, and your contact
information (address, phone number) at the lower right hand.
● Don't put a quotation on the title page. Most likely, no one but you will care.
● Don't put a date on your script, or the draft version.
● Don't put blank pages in the script to set things apart.
● Don't put a second page with the quotation that tells the theme of your
screenplay.
● Don't do a page of character descriptions and back story. That's a
convention from the theater that is inapplicable in Hollywood. If your script
doesn't tell that story, you're in trouble.
● Don't include any illustrations, no matter how cute you think they are.
● Don't put the script title on the first page of the script.
● Don't use more than two brads, but use three-hole paper. Brads are used
in top and bottom holes only.
● Don't use colored paper or anything but 20 pound 3 hole punch paper.
● Don't expect to have your script returned to you. Send it out, let it go. If a
self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) is specified, include one. Then
relax; a lot of people will have sent scripts to the same company.
