Screenplay Format Guide

SCREENPLAY FORMAT GUIDE
& RESOURCES FOR BEGINNERS

Why Screenwriting Format Is Important:
A screenplay is a blueprint for a film. It’s not the same as writing a novel
or poem that is meant to stand entirely on it’s own.
I’m not downgrading a screenwriter's work but our job is to build the
structure of a motion picture that is set to come to life.
Everyone from the director and all of the crew underneath them will use
it to guide the process of making the film.
It’s going to be used to schedule the shoot days. Actors are going to
have to study this document over and over again until they memorize it.
A storyboard artist is going to use it as a guide to draw. The

cinematographer is going to use it to create a shot list. Even the video
editors in post-production revisit the screenplay to figure out exactly
how the film will be paced.
It’s so important that it is written clearly in a way that is easy to

understand and visualize when a massive team of people will be
spending over a year of their lives working on creating it.
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MAIN COMPONENTS
OF YOUR PAGE
SLUGLINE:
Sluglines (also known as scene headings) tell the reader where
the action is happening. It’s a location, followed by either day or
night.
DESCRIPTION:
Description of the location, characters, and action indicated
throughout the scene. Also referred to as "the business" of the
scene.
CHARACTER NAME:
The name of the person who is speaking.
DIALOGUE:
What that person is saying.
PARENTHETICALS:
How the character says a specific line or what they're doing while
they are saying it.
CAMERA DIRECTIONS:
Any camera indications of how the scene should be visualized or
from what perspective the information should be shown.
PAGE NUMBER:
Always placed in the top-right corner.
POPULAR CAMERA DIRECTIONS & TERMS
SCREENWRITERS SHOULD KNOW:
ANGLE ON:
This shot suggests another view of a previous shot.
MONTAGE:
The dissolving of two or more shots into each other to create a desired effect, usually
an association of ideas. These shots need not include the main character, and they
don’t have a beginning, middle, and end.
CLOSE-UP:
A shot that emphasizes a detail in a scene. It’s often abbreviated to CU.
O.S.:
Shorthand for off-screen, this abbreviation is used when a character speaks outside the
camera’s view, or when the audience hears a sound but can’t see where it’s coming
from.
CONTINUATION:
When a scene or a speech is interrupted by a page break, type MORE in parentheses at
the end of the last line on the first page, and then type CONT’D after the character’s
name on the next page.
POV:
Shorthand for point of view, this direction implies that the scene is being viewed from
specific character’s perspective. You must identify whose point of view it is and what
exactly he sees. If the POV alternates within a scene, employ the term REVERSE POV.
DISSOLVE TO:
This direction is used when you want to suggest a slow transition from one scene to the
next. You may dissolve to suggest the passage of time between one shot and another or
to suggest one image fading into the next.
SERIES OF SHOTS:
This technique abridges action sequences into a number of short moments involving the
main character, usually without dialogue. A series of shots has a distinct beginning,
middle and end, and is often used to dramatize a passage of time.
FADE IN:
Every screenplay begins with these words. They suggest the movement
from darkness to an image on the screen. They’re typed in all caps at the
left margin followed by a double space and the first slug line.
FADE OUT:
These words end a screenplay. They’re typed to the right margin and
followed by six spaces and the words THE END in the center of the page.
SPLIT SCREEN:
This shot indicates two subjects in different locations on-screen
simultaneously.
SUPER:
Shorthand for superimpose, this term is used if another element is being
superimposed over the action of a scene. A super is often used to show
dates, locations, or text. Alternatives include: TITLE or CHYRON.
INSERT:
A writer uses this direction to highlight an object in the scene or include a
detail that’s outside the scene but important to it. To complete an insert,
do one of three things: Return to the dialogue, switch locations with a new
slug line, or type BACK TO SCENE at the end.
V.O.:
Shorthand for voice-over. This direction is used when the audience hears
a character speak above the action of a scene. It’s often used for
narration.
INTERCUT:
This direction indicates that two scenes are occurring simultaneously in
separate locations. This term appears in all caps as the slug line or in the
description.
TYPES OF SCREENPLAY TRANSITIONS
THAT CAN BE USED BETWEEN SCENES:
SMASH TO:
This is a really abrupt cut, like a "CUT TO:" times ten. The kind of cut
that comes in mid-sentence. Smash cuts are used here to as a form of
montage.
DISSOLVE TO:
When one scene “dissolves” into another scene, almost transforming
into that scene. This is primarily used to indicate that time has
passed.
MATCH CUT TO:

A tricky form of edit — where you cut the film so the last shot in the
previous scene (say, a hand reaching for a knife) matches the first
shot in the new scene (a hand reaching for an apple). Here are some
example of how and when match cuts are used in film to give you an
idea of how they might be written.
INTERCUT:
Intercutting (or cross-cutting) is where you bounce back and forth
between two different scenes. It’s usually used for phone calls, but
not always.
PROPER PAGE MARGINS
(YOUR SCREENWRITING SOFTWARE SHOULD HANDLE THIS)
LEFT MARGIN:
1-1/2 inches
RIGHT MARGIN:
1 inch
TOP MARGIN:
1 inch
BOTTOM MARGIN:
1 inch
SLUGLINES:
Always capitalized. Run the length of the page (after you’ve set margins)
DESCRIPTION:
Runs the length of the page (after you’ve set margins)
CHARACTER NAME:
3.7 inches from the left side of the page. (2.2 inches from the left margin)
DIALOGUE:
Begins 2-1/2 inches from the left side of the page (1-1/2 inches from the left
margin). Ends at 6-1/2 inches from the left side of the page (5 inches from the
left margin)
PARENTHETICALS:
3.1 inches from the left side of the page. (1.6 inches from the left margin)
PAGE NUMBERS:
Top-right corner, a half-inch from the top of the page. Followed by a period
FONT:
You really shouldn’t use anything other than a 12 point Courier
font or it’s going to look very weird to anyone reading it.
If you want to be super cool, you might even try Courier Prime
which is included in some writing softwares like Slugline.
The font size is also pretty crucial to calculating the timing of your
film.
Typically, one page of a screenplay is equal to one minute of

screen time.
TITLE PAGE:
The very first page in your document should include a title page.
This has your screenplay name, who it’s written by (you), your
email address and phone number.
If you have registered your screenplay with the WGA (Writer’s

Guild of America) so you could include that information as well if
needed.
Sometimes people like to make their script stand out by

customizing their title page with special colors, fonts, doodles, or
whatever.
Quentin Tarantino is known for keeping a handwritten title page

from his first draft. However, you should probably just keep it
simple.
SCREENWRITING SOFTWARE
FREE & PAID
FREE: PAID:
Fade In Final Draft (Industry Leader)
Writer Duet Slugline (What I use)
Trelby Movie Magic Screenwriter
Kit Scenarist Celtx (Very affordable)
StudioBinder Scrivener
Highland 2
Causality
Arc Studio Pro
Prewrite
Drama Queen
Dub Script
This is a fantastic writing toolkit that you can use throughout your film
career whether you're just getting started or have years of experience.
If you're just starting out, it’s best not to get too caught up in which one
you pick, just start writing!
Focus on picking one and getting started as quickly as possible.
Above all, start learning the basic format and the way screenplays work.
You’ll learn more about your personal style and preferences as you go
along and be able to make different choices later if you so choose.

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SCREENPLAY FORMAT GUIDE

& RESOURCES FOR BEGINNERS

A storyboard artist is going to use it as a guide to draw. The

It’s so important that it is written clearly in a way that is easy to

MATCH CUT TO:

Typically, one page of a screenplay is equal to one minute of

If you have registered your screenplay with the WGA (Writer’s

Sometimes people like to make their script stand out by

Quentin Tarantino is known for keeping a handwritten title page

Focus on picking one and getting started as quickly as possible.

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