All right. Time to learn the ins and outs of screenplay formatting. We're going to throw a lot of information at you right now, but don’t get discouraged. We have said it before, and we will say it again and again. April is for getting your script written. If this means that your script isn’t formatted perfectly during Script Frenzy, that is totally fine! You'll have plenty of time to fix it later.

 

The Basics

Almost 99% of your script will involve just four elements: Sluglines, Action/Description, Character Names, and Dialogue. Learn how to format the Big Four and you're in the clear.

 

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:

 

 

Sluglines are made up of these three elements:

– 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.

– Location. Where the scene takes place. These should be short: LIBRARY CIRCULATION DESK or TRAILER PARK or AL'S BRAIN.

– 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).

Sluglines are always in ALL CAPS. There are usually two spaces between INT./EXT. and Location, and then space, hyphen, space between Location and Time. Occasionally, you'll need a Sublocation to clarify the Location. That looks like this:

 

 

Remember, a new scene occurs every time there's a shift in time, location, or both. So you'll be writing a lot of Sluglines.

 

2) Action/Description. This describes what is happening on the screen, and which characters, if any, are involved. It can be found underneath the Slugline like this:

 

 

With a few exceptions we'll talk about later, Action/Description 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.) Also, you always need some Action/Description after a Slugline, even it's only a single line. Like this:

 

 

3) Character Names. Character Names always appears above Dialogue in ALL CAPS and tell us which character is speaking.

Sometimes you'll have minor characters that you won't want to name. It's okay to just call them CLERK or PEDESTRIAN or MONKEY WARRIOR. If there are several of the same type of character, add a number: COP #1 or BODY BUILDER #2.

 

4) Dialogue. The words the character speaks. It looks like this:

 

 

Dialogue is single spaced and follows standard rules of capitalization (If it's in all caps, you're probably reading a TV script). Unlike in novels, there are no quotes around Dialogue, unless the character is quoting someone.

Now, here's an example of how all four elements come together on the page:

 

 

Presto! You now have the four basic building blocks you need to write a screenplay. If you would like to start your screenplay now, go right ahead!

Are you hungry for more? Then read on…

 

Slugline Variations

Now that you've learned how to write a standard Slugline, here are few variations that come up in specific situations:

1) If a scene starts in a general Location, let's say BACK STAGE, and continues as the characters move between Sublocations, such as BACK STAGE and STAGE, you don't need to repeat the Location or the Time with each new Slugline. You can do this:

 

 

With some help from context, we understand that the two characters are moving around in the same auditorium in continuous time.

2) Finally, if a scene occurs in a Location, followed by a scene in the same Location but at a later time, the word LATER can be used in the Slugline.

 

 

Cuts

Once upon a time, it was standard to use the words "CUT TO:" to indicate a change in scene. Nowadays, the cut that comes with a scene change is implied by a new Slugline and "CUT TO:" isn't used as much.

The best time to use "CUT TO:" is when you really want to emphasize a change between two scenes. Like this:

 

 

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, no 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

Writing an action sequence can take a little getting used to, as you learn to translate what you envision on the screen into words. In general, keep in mind that the way you format action should mimic its pace. The faster the action, the more you'll want to break it up into little bits. Feel free to use fragments to keep the pace fast. You can also use capitalization to emphasize and draw attention to elements.

 

 

More Details

Parenthetical: These are used within dialogue to describe what a character is doing while they talk, who she's talking to, or how he is speaking. They look like this:

 

 

A parenthetical always lives inside parentheses and on its own line. A parenthetical also takes up space, slows your pace, and annoys actors, who don't like being told how to say their lines. So try to only use a parenthetical where not using one would lead to confusion.

 

Voice Over (V.O.): Used when a character or narrator can be heard talking from some unknown place (the future, heaven, inside his or her head). It looks like this:

 

 

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:

 

 

Capitalization within Action: Every time a character's name appears in Action, it must be written in ALL CAPS. Some writers also use ALL CAPS when a sound effect appears in Action. Others capitalize important props. This would look like this:

 

 

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.

 

Fonts, 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
• Dialogue: 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

You know, it's probably a lot easier to remember that in a single character's speech, made up of Character Name, Dialogue, and possibly a Parenthetical, there are single spaces between the elements. Between everything else, double space.

 

Whew! We did it. Now let’s put this knowledge to practice.

Still a little confused? Here is a short screenplay that will guide you through formatting. It is written by our very own Orange County Municipal Liaison, TSEdiot, and stars some of our Office of Letters and Light staff!

Or, you can just download some awesome free software that does all this for you.