Schellhardt Laura. Screenwriting for Dummies
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How the Screenplay Looks on the Page
As a screenwriter, your job is to immerse the readers in your story. Those read-
ers may be editors, agents, producers, studio execs, actors or directors —
anyone you hope to interest in your piece. You want their eyes moving down
one page and onto the next without having to stop or flip back in confusion.
For that reason, the screenwriting format is designed to fade into the back-
ground. Once mastered, it allows a screenwriter to convey location, character,
and action in a quick and efficient manner. It also enables a screenwriter to
design the mood, angle, and pace of a scene without drawing attention to the
mechanics involved.
Imagine a blank page. In the screenwriting format, six parts are all vying for
space on that page. Those parts are
The description: The description of the location, the characters, and
any action indicated throughout the scene (The description is some-
times referred to as the action or business of the scene.)
The character name: The person doing the talking
The character dialogue: What that person says
Parenthetical directions: How the person says a line. The general rule
here is “less is more.” Better to let the scene convey how a line should
be delivered than to direct every line reading. Also, parentheticals
should not be confused with action. They describe how a line is deliv-
ered, not what’s going on at the time it’s delivered.
Transitional directions: Any camera information or indications of how
the scene should be visualized and/or read
The page number: Page numbers appear on the top right-hand side of
every page except the title page, which is numberless. Scene numbers,
however, are not necessary. Those are reserved for shooting scripts and
will be added by studio personnel later.
Each component has its own placement on the page, and a reader should be
able to distinguish one component from the other at a glance. Together, these
components convey all the necessary information to an audience.
Setting your typeface and your margins
The proper typeface for your script is Courier font. Courier is the font most
widely used in the industry, as it most closely resembles the font of a type-
writer. In general, that means that there are approximately ten spaces to every
inch of line. Why this rule? This type size ensures that, on average, one page
of script reads at one minute — a detail helpful to directors trying to deter-
mine the running time of an individual scene or of the script as a whole. Once
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you’ve become successful in the industry, you may switch to a font that has
equal proportions to Courier, but it’s best to start with the industry standard.
After you set your typeface, program your computer to remember the follow-
ing marginal guidelines for each formatting section.
Left margin: 1
1
⁄2 inches
Right margin: 1 inch
Top margin: 1 inch
Bottom margin: 1 inch
Scene headings (also known as slug lines): Begin at the left margin
Description: Runs the length of the page (after you’ve set your margins)
Character name: 4 inches from the left-hand side of the page (2
1
⁄2 inches
from the left margin)
Dialogue: Begins 2
1
⁄2 inches from the left-hand side of the page (1 inch
from the left margin) and ends at 6
1
⁄2 inches from the left-hand side of the
page (5 inches from the left margin)
Parentheticals: 3
1
⁄2 inches from the left-hand side of the page (2 inches
from the left margin)
Page numbers:
1
⁄2 inch from the top of the page,
1
⁄2 inch from the right-
hand side of the page
Transitional directions (which mainly convey camera information) take sev-
eral forms and have several placements on the page. I detail those forms later
in the chapter in the section called “Camera concerns.”
The method behind this margin madness is simple: Actors concentrate on
dialogue; directors look for the composition and pace of each scene. If your
format is correctly aligned, everyone’s happy. You’ve created special com-
partments for each element. A glance down the left-hand side of the page
reveals the primary locations and actions of each scene. A glance down the
center provides the character list and accompanying dialogue. This structure
lets a reader concentrate on one portion of the scene at a time. Again, this
format is also the industry standard and has been for a long time. While it
may feel restrictive at first attempt, it’s best to get used to it now.
Spacing your script correctly
A screenplay is not a novel. A screenplay is comprised of quick visual clips.
Your central images should be strong and easily accessible. If you lump three
or four of them together in the same scene, they’ll be neither strong nor
accessible. Seeing blocks of text with little or no interruption can be very
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daunting to a reader. If I get tired just glancing at your script, I’ll be unlikely to
start reading it and even less likely to finish it. Your format is an invitation
to read.
Here’s how to space your screenplay to highlight each image in a visually
inviting way:
Single space: Unless you’ve set your computer to double-space mode, it
should automatically single space your work for you.
All description
All lines of dialogue
All parentheticals
All camera directions, sound cues, and visual effects
Between the character name and the ensuing dialogue
Double space:
Between paragraphs of lengthy description
Between the end of a dialogue clip and a new speaker’s name
Between the end of a dialogue clip and a new description
Between the slug line (see the “Key Formatting Elements” section, later
in this chapter) and the description
Triple space:
Before starting a new scene
After you become familiar with the formatting parameters, you have a choice
to make. How do you want to move between them? You may set your tabs in
advance and tab from one element to the next. However, this method makes
editing cumbersome because any textual alteration disturbs the spacing. As
an easier choice, most computers allow you to define new styles (dialogue,
name, and parentheticals, for example) and assign them to a keystroke. One
key takes you to the dialogue box, another to the name, and so on. On most
computers this feature is found in the toolbar at the top of your page under
Format. A quick scroll down the Format list should reveal the Styles compo-
nent (Formatting and Styles in Microsoft computers). Click that option and
follow the directions from there. Defining your styles makes editing easier as
you rework each section individually. Or, as a final option, you may choose a
program designed to format the script for you.
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Making your computer work for you
Many screenwriters write with software, and I detail those options for you
later in this chapter. However, it’s important to know how to write without
the software, if only to understand formatting basics. Screenwriting format is
like a calculator. It will solve problems for you, it will simplify your efforts,
but if you don’t understand the principles behind it, you’re losing a skill.
That said, I encourage you to create your own formatting template before
relying on software. And while every computer differs slightly, there are ways
to spacially structure your page on both MAC and PC. I will assume that
you’re working in Microsoft Word. If you don’t own that program, go pur-
chase it. Once you’ve got it, try setting your page up this way:
1. Open a new Word document.
2. Set your margins.
If you’re working on a PC, you find this option by choosing File➪ Page
Layout. If you’re working on a MAC, choose Document➪Format.
3. Choose and set your font to Courier.
4. Type a character’s name and space it in the appropriate margin on
the page.
5. Highlight that name so that the computer recognizes it.
6. Choose Format➪Styles.
The Styles command is also sometimes found under the Document
menu where it is called Styles and Formatting. Either way, Styles is
the key.
7. In the Styles dialog box, click the New Style or Create New Style
button.
8. After you choose that style, name it.
I suggest calling it Name or Character so that you can recognize it
quickly.
9. After you named your style, click the Format or Options button.
The Shortcut Key dialog box appears. The shortcut key is what you’ll hit
every time you want to write a character’s name.
10. Choose a shortcut that’s easy to type quickly.
Shift+N or Shift+C are good, because you can remember them as Shift
Name or Shift Character.
11. Click Apply Changes.
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Now you’ve created a Style for character names. If you want to jump to
another character in dialogue, you simply type your shortcut. You should
now make similar styles for description, dialogue, and parentheticals. This
way, you can move between them with a strike of a key.
Creating a PDF
PDF means portable document file, and it’s a quick and easy way to freeze
your script in one format. You should create a PDF of your script before you
print it or before you send it to any kind of reader via e-mail. That way, your
format doesn’t become confused in transfer.
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Screenwriting software: Let the computer
do the formatting
Some writers find the screenwriting format to
be overly complex and time consuming. After
all, you want to spend your time concentrating
on the story, not the look of the page. It’s impor-
tant to know the basic formatting rules, but once
you have those down it may be time to purchase
some screenwriting software. Software cer-
tainly allows writers to work more quickly with-
out the hassle of individual tabulation or margin
setting. It also produces scripts that look indus-
try-ready right away. Screenwriting systems
abound these days, so peruse your options
carefully. The best packages do the following:
Format and paginate your script as you write
Provide templates for movie scripts, tele-
plays, and stage plays
Offer direct Web links to screenwriting sites
Organize your notes for quick reference
Help you register your scripts online with
the Writer’s Guild of America
Provide troubleshooting advice from pro-
fessionals on everything from character
development to writer’s block
Breaks your script into sections and trans-
fers those onto index cards, which is partic-
ularly helpful when you want to rearrange
scenes or eliminate them altogether
Help turn your script into a stage play or
novel (should you want to)
I encourage you to investigate your software
options online prior to purchasing anything.
Some systems focus on story and/ or character
development; others, on formatting only. Of the
systems available, the most common are Movie
Magic Screenwriter) www.screenplay.
com; 800-84-STORY) and Scriptware (www.
scriptware.com).
All three of these systems are compatible with
Macintosh and Microsoft Word, and all three
offer a similar array of features. Final Draft and
Movie Magic are the most common programs
in the industry. Movie Magic includes free tech
support (Final Draft charges) as well as a pro-
gram with built in 3 x 5 note cards that you can
rearrange and print. Scriptware is less expen-
sive, but also less widely used in the industry. It
also doesn’t provide tech support.
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Most MAC computers come with the option of turning a document into a PDF.
You’ll find that option when you try to print your script. Under the Print box
(where it asks you how many pages and what printer) is a PDF button. Click
that button instead of Print, and your computer will convert your document
into a PDF.
Many PC computers come with this option as well. If yours doesn’t, there are
many free PDF program downloads available online. My personal favorites are
CutePDF writer: www.cutepdf.com
Desk PDF: www.docudesk.com
Primo PDF: www.primopdf.com
It may also be advisable to purchase Adobe Acrobat. It not only creates PDF
files, but it helps you read more unusual ones that may be sent to you.
However, Acrobat is a bit pricey, so try the free downloads first.
Once you’ve created a PDF version of your script, you won’t be able to alter it
in any way, nor will the people you send it to. Always date the PDF so that
you can keep track of it. Also, always save the Word version of your script, as
that is the copy you will revise. You’ll probably create many PDF versions of
your screenplay as time goes by. Many of those you should feel free to dis-
card after they’ve served their purpose.
Key Formatting Elements
Here’s a dilemma: You’re an aspiring screenwriter struggling to format your
script correctly. You have a lot to say and little time in which to say it. You
can’t be terse or verbose; you must land somewhere in between. To top these
requirements off, you want the script to smack with a unique style and flair.
Now, how are you going to do all that?
In a first draft, your primary objective is to get the information onto the page.
You can trim, twist, and tweak it into a work of art later, but for now, craft one
element at a time with an eye toward a story. What’s happening, who’s it hap-
pening to, why is it important, and how efficiently can you let an audience
know these things? The format directs your information to its proper location
on the page, and every location has a distinct set of tasks.
Character introductions
Always capitalize every letter of a character’s name when she first appears
in the script. This layout indicates a new figure on the protagonist’s or audi-
ence’s horizon and focuses the attention, however briefly, on a new energy in
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the script. From that point on, only capitalize every letter of the character’s
name prior to her dialogue.
When you introduce a character, give a brief but telling description, and then
plunge her into the action. For example:
MOLLY MALONE, a 30-something former beauty queen, strides confi-
dently into the room.
I use all capital letters for Molly’s full name this first time she’s introduced,
and then I type it normally throughout the ensuing text. If she first arrives as
a mere figure or a silhouette, the initial description might read as follows:
The FIGURE of a woman stands in the doorway. Moonlight silhouettes her
ample form.
This is the first character description. When Molly moves into the scene, the
description then reads:
The figure steps firmly into the room. It is MOLLY MALONE, a 30-some-
thing former beauty queen with the confidence of a bobcat and the claws
to match.
I’ve capitalized both introductions, first the figure, and then Molly Malone,
emphasizing the transition from the suggestion of a character to the full char-
acter herself.
Here are a few more details to keep in mind when crafting character
introductions:
Use full names for the character’s initial introduction and one part of
the name thereafter. My character’s full name is Molly Malone. I let the
reader know this as soon as she enters, but thereafter, I refer to her as
either “Molly” or “Malone” in both description and in dialogue. If your
character’s full name is Mr. Nelson, refer to him as “Nelson” for the rest
of the text.
Allow incidental characters to remain incidental characters. Your
script may call for a waitress, a busboy, a nurse, a ticket agent, a clerk,
and so on. These characters are functional roles and will return in your
story sparingly. Therefore, their introduction need only be minimal. For
example:
The WAITRESS, clearly a veteran server, brings him his coffee and winks
in passing.
Two ARMED GUARDS barrel past, shoving people out of their way as they
charge after him.
The HOTEL CLERK checks the bill and glares at him before disappearing
into the back room.
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More description than this is distracting. It diverts attention from your
main character and the scene’s action. Capitalize incidental characters’
titles, suggest an age or distinguishing characteristic if necessary,
but don’t linger on them. They’re meant to fulfill a functional role and
disappear.
Avoid using names of real actors. You may imagine your main character
as an Al Pacino–type or a Meryl Streep–knockout. You may imagine as
much, but don’t include those details in your description. Actors read-
ing your script want to imagine themselves (who else?) in the role.
They’ll be discouraged at best and insulted at worst to see someone
else’s name on the part.
Avoid detailed description of age or physical characteristics unless
pertinent to the story. Consider this character description:
Sarah Smith, a 29-year-old, 5-foot-10-inch strawberry blonde, strolls into
the office.
No look says 29 years old, so unless the script centers around her fear of
growing older, you’d do better to say “late 20s” or “pushing 30” here.
You’re trying to capture the character’s essence. I want a suggestion of
age and type, yes, but more importantly, I want a peek at her fundamen-
tal nature. If her vital statistics — hair, eyes, height, weight, exact age,
and so on — help suggest that nature, include them. It’s important, for
example, that Erin Brockovich wears tight, revealing clothing. Her
physique becomes an asset to her in the quest for information. However,
if these details are unimportant to the story, including them simply
limits you to actors with a certain build and hair color. Why alienate
talent unnecessarily?
Finally, avoid overly brief and overly long character descriptions. Here are
two examples of awkward introductions:
Too brief:
Leslie Bell, a typist in her mid-20s, jogs through Central Park.
What does a typist look like, exactly? I’m not sure. This description provides
information but fails to suggest a picture of the person in question.
Too long:
Leslie Bell, a short, skinny powerhouse in her mid-20s, with dimples and a
persistent twinkle in her green eyes, sprints through Central Park in her
purple Adidas sportswear with a water bottle in one hand and her Sony
Walkman in the other. She stares ahead, her gaze fixed on some unseen
finish line, her brow is furrowed in determination.
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This moment provides more details than a reader can absorb. Character
descriptions should be short, no longer than two sentences if possible.
Adjectives and adverbs are the enemies of clear writing. Does the running
suit absolutely have to be purple, or does the Walkman need to be a Sony?
Probably not. When in doubt, cut it out.
Here’s a possible reworked version of the description:
Leslie Bell, a powerhouse of a woman in her mid-20s, sprints through
Central Park, her eyes fixed ahead. A quick glance at her shoes reveals
that the soles are worn thin.
This rewrite may even be too long for some tastes. However, I’ve consoli-
dated it to include the most telling details, those that suggest a person
behind the physique.
A capable introduction of a minor character offers the necessary information
without detracting attention from more important players in the scene. On
the other hand, a compelling main-character introduction shouts, “Here I am!
Watch me!” and follows the character into action.
Cinematic description
Screenwriting is a visual art, so visual description makes up more than half of
every strong script. Screenplay description includes
The slug line
A description of each location
The choreography of characters in a scene
Any and all ensuing action
Slug lines
The first line of every scene is called a slug line. Slug lines break the script
into individual scenes, guiding readers through changes in time and locale.
Master slug lines are informative tags that appear at the beginning of every
scene. They provide the following information:
Whether a scene takes place inside or outside (INT./EXT.)
The scene’s location
Whether it’s day or night
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Subsidiary slug lines, also known as abbreviated slug lines, indicate that the
action has switched to a different area of the same general location. Because
time also remains consistent, subsidiary slug lines include only the new loca-
tion. They may also be used to call attention to one important object in the
scene. In this case, the line consists of the object alone. Because slug lines
are important, they’re always capitalized. They run from the left-hand margin
to the right and are generally one line in length. If they run longer, break the
line at a logical point and continue writing immediately below the first line
without skipping a space.
A typical master slug line looks like this:
INT. AIRPORT TERMINAL — NIGHT
Notice that I’m not including scene or act numbers here. Scene and act num-
bers are used only in outlines should the writer wish to organize the scenes
prior to writing the draft. Never include them in a working draft, as they
distract a reader from your story. The director and cinematographer will
number scenes for the shooting script in production.
Slug lines should be as standardized as possible. They’re designed to quickly
establish the general location and time of each shot. For this reason, interior
and exterior are always abbreviated (INT. and EXT.). You skip a space and pro-
vide a more detailed description after the slug line. For example:
INT. AIRPORT TERMINAL — NIGHT
The terminal is all but deserted. An elderly MAN and a teenage GIRL
slump on chairs at opposite ends of the space. He is asleep. She is not.
If your action then switches to the check-in counter, you might follow this
description with a subsidiary slug line.
THE CHECK-IN COUNTER
Two AGENTS wearily type information into the computer. One looks up,
gives the girl the once-over, then returns to his work.
If he notices that she has a tattoo, an alternate subsidiary slug line may read
One looks up and gives the girl the once-over. His eyes linger on her
shoulder and
HER TATTOO
of a dragon with a sword in its mouth. He then returns to his work.
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