Download : screenwritingformatoverview.pdf– 509KB
1) Sluglines, also known as Scene Headings.
These appear at the beginning of a new scene and tell us the scene’s setting. They look like this:
INT. KITCHEN WALL – DUSK
Sluglines are made up of these three elements:
1) INT. or EXT.
Short for Interior and Exterior, this tells the production crew whether or not they’ll need to wear sun block on the film shoot.
2) Location.
Where the scene takes place. These should be short: LIBRARY CIRCULATION DESK or TRAILER PARK or
3) Time.
Usually just DAY or NIGHT but can be as specific as 4:59 A.M. (if, say the bomb is set to go off at 5:00.)
2) Action.
This describes what is happening on the screen, and which characters, if any, are involved. It looks like this:
INT. KITCHEN WALL – SUPPORT BEAM SURFACE – DUSK
Terry the Termite and his brother, Chomper, are huddled in a dark corner, deep in the kitchen wall. Chomper is pacing nervously up and down a small section of the kitchen’s main support beam stopping for a nibble every now and then while Terry is perched dead center on a metal bolt protruding from the beam.
With a few exceptions we’ll talk about later, Action follows standard rules of capitalization. It’s single-spaced and always in present tense. (If the action happened in the past, the Slugline will tell us this. Thanks, Slugline.)
3) Character Name.
This always appears above Dialogue and tells us which character is speaking. It looks like this:
Character names are always in ALL CAPS.
4) Dialogue.
The words the character speaks. It looks like this:
Chomper, I wish you would stop that. You aren’t helping anything (He scratches his shoulder) and you’re stirring up wood dust. Can you just relax a little? It will be dark soon enough. We can move around a little more then.
Chomper, I wish you would stop that. You aren’t helping anything (He scratches his shoulder) and you’re stirring up wood dust. Can you just relax a little. It will be dark soon enough. We can move around a little more then.
Are you hungry for more? Then read on …
SLUGLINE VARIATIONS:
Be glad he can’t find us! The day he does … Sorry, kiddo, I’m just hungry, and tired, and I miss …
EDDIE
Yes, my precious. Those little buggies won’t be able to resist you.
Be glad he can’t find us! The day he does … Sorry, kiddo, I’m just hungry, and tired, and I miss …
.
TERRY
I can’t shake it Chomper. I just wanted some sandwich. I thought the coast was clear…
CUTS:
Terry slumped on the peg, with his brother shaking him.
He’s gone.
Note that you may see writers using terms like JUMP CUT or SMASH CUT to imply a super-fast, in-your-face editing style. If using BRUCE LEE KARATE CHOP CUT makes you feel awesome, then go for it; just know that many pros consider it amateurish. Besides, not matter how it’s written, a cut always happens in 1/24th of a second – the amount of time it takes to switch from one frame to the next.
ACTION SEQUENCES:
Bounces off the wall and hits the floor.
BAM. He hits the ground outside and is already running.
MORE DETAILS:
Parenthetical:
These are used within dialogue to describe what a character is simultaneously doing, who she’s talking to, or how he is speaking. They look like this:
(shoving wood shavings into his mouth methodically, spitting bits as he speaks)
(singing aloud)
(to Terry)
You!
Voice Over (V.O.):
Used when a character or narrator can be heard talking from some unknown place (the future, heaven, inside our head). It looks like this:
CHOMPER (V.O.)
He wanted so much to see the world beyond.
Off Screen (O.S.):
Used when a character in the scene can be heard but isn’t actually on the screen. It looks like this:
EDDIE (O.S.)
I can hear you, my little buggies, and I will find you!
Capitalization within Action:
The very first time a character’s name appears in Action, it appears in ALL CAPS.
TERRY looks quickly around and dives off the kitchen lamp. The tea kettle WHISTLES. EDDIE runs into the kitchen and sees Terry. Terry is frozen in fear, a piece of sandwich in his mouth. BIG DADDY T lets out a yell and launches himself, SPLINTER in hand, at Eddie’s face.
Camera Directions:
These indicate how close the camera is, how it will move, focus, etc. Directions include POV shots, pans, tilts, push ins, pull outs, dolly moves, tracking shots, close ups, wides, etc.
Page numbers:
These go in the upper right-hand corner. There’s no page number on the first page of a screenplay.
Scene numbers:
DO NOT put scene numbers on your scenes. These are only for shooting scripts and are used to help the production crew plan the shooting schedule.
Cover page:
Centered on the page, ## down, is the title of your film in ALL CAPS, then a double space and then "by," another double space, and "your name."
In the lower right-hand corner, ## in and ## down, put your name, mailing address, telephone number, email, and, if you’ve decided to register your script with the Writer’s Guild, your Writer’s Guild registration number.
FONT, MARGINS, AND SPACING
Screenplays live on letter-sized paper (8.5 x 11 inches). They’re always written in Courier font, 12 point, 10 pitch. No bold, no italics.
Page Margins:
Left: 1.5 inches Right: 1 inch Top: 1 inch Bottom: 1 inch
Screenplay Element Margins:
Slugline: left margin 1.5 inches Action: left margin 1.5 inches Character name: left margin 3.7 inches Dialog: left margin 2.5 inches, right margin 2.5 inches (or 6 inches from left edge of page) Parentheticals: left margin 3.1 inches, right margin 2.9 inches
Spacing Between Elements:
Between Slugline and Action: double space Between Action and more Action: double space Between Action and Character Name: double space Between Character Name and Dialogue: single space Between Dialogue and the next Character Name: double space Between Dialogue and Action: double space Between Character Name and Parentheticals: single space Between Parentheticals and Dialogue: single space Between Action and Slugline: double space Between Dialogue and Slugline: double space