a film is a story recorded as a set of moving pictures to be shown on Television or at the cinema (OXFORD ADVANCED LEARNER'S DICTIONARY).
acting is the art or occupation of performing in a play, film, Television, etc. (OXFORD ADVANCED LEARNER'S DICTIONARY)
many people in the growing Ghanaian film industry have argued out reason why filmmakers are to go to learn film making. they have said several times that film making is ab art and for the reason, no one can teach art but rather nurture it.
on the 17th of June, 2011, Socrates Sarfo, the producer of Movie Africa and the director of the infamous movie,"HOT FORK" said on the THANK GOD ITS FRIDAY SHOW (TGIF)that, "there is no reason and sense in training people to become filmmakers but rather those who are already practicing the craft, should rather be trained even though he had said before that you can't train art but nurture it.
he said one disheartening problem for him is the laid down criteria one needs to to attain to be able to go to a film school. he sees no sense in the fact that one needs academic knowledge and credentials to go to a film school besides he was denied formal training when he failed to acquire those credentials.
he believes that the structures that are in place to teach filmmakers are wrong because it teaches people who want to become professional filmmakers instead of teaching those who are already filmmakers even though they don't understand the ethics of film making.
i find his disposition a very shameful one. the talent to act is just not enough, one needs discipline too. the processes one goes through to make a film is a very cumbersome one. the tools used in film making are not talent oriented. the camera is not a talent oriented device, the lighting techniques to simulate reality is not a talent oriented technique, directing is not talent but discipline, make up is not talent and even acting is not just talent but discipline.
standing before a camera to act is not about your talents but rather your knowledge of the tools used in the profession.
the film making process is one that needs careful training. film is a very powerful tool and it can make and unmake society. just because it is lucrative is not a necessity for every one to jump into it.
it is absurd to say that one doesn't need to be trained to become a filmmaker but rather one should practice it and then later be trained. if this is the assertion of Socrates Sarfo and his colleagues, then i fear for the future of the industry.
i do agree that those practicing already needs training to stop them from doing the wrong things they are already doing but the reality is that,
there must be structures to determine who can become a filmmaker and who can't.
the film bill must be revised and promulgated into a law to shape the industry to prevent the incidences of the ATTA MORTUARYMAN, HOT FORK, GREEDY BASTARDS, ETC.
ALBERT KYEI BAFFOUR
A STUDENT OF NAFTI!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
tort of negligence
Asif Tufal
1
www.lawteacher.net
THE TORT OF NEGLIGENCE
1. DUTY OF
CARE
A duty of care was originally established by
applying Lord Atkin’s “Neighbour” Test from:
Donoghue v Stevenson (1932).
The modern three-stage test was laid down by
the HL in: Caparo Industries v Dickman
(1990). The court must now consider:
(C) Whether in all the
circumstances it would be
fair, just and reasonable
that the law should impose a
duty.
It was held not to be fair, just
and reasonable to impose a
duty on the police in:
Hill v C.C. of W. Yorkshire
(1988).
However, a duty was imposed
on the fire brigade in:
Capital v Hampshire County
Council (1997).
(B) Whether there is a
relationship of proximity
between the parties, ie a
legal relationship or
physical closeness.
For example, there was
proximity in:
Home Office v Dorset
Yacht Club (1970).
But not in:
Caparo v Dickman (1990).
(A) Whether the
consequences of the
defendant’s act were
reasonably foreseeable.
For example, damage or harm
was held to be reasonably
foreseeable in:
Kent v Griffiths (2000); and
Jolley v Sutton LBC (2000).
But not in:
Bourhill v Young (1943); or
Topp v London Country Bus
Ltd (1993)
DEFINITION - 1
The breach of a legal duty to take
care, resulting in damage to the
claimant which was not desired by
the defendant: L.B. Curzon,
Dictionary of Law.
DEFINITION - 2
“Negligence is the omission to do something
which a reasonable man, guided upon those
considerations which ordinarily regulate the
conduct of human affairs, would do, or doing
something which a prudent and reasonable man
would not do.” Per Alderson B., Blyth v
Birmingham Waterworks Co. (1856)
Asif Tufal
2
www.lawteacher.net
2. BREACH OF
DUTY
(A) The degree of risk
involved.
Here the court will consider the
likelihood of harm occurring.
There was either no known risk
or a low risk in:
Roe v Minister of Health (1954)
Bolton v Stone (1951).
There was a known risk in:
Haley v London Electricity
Board (1964).
The Standard Expected
Negligence is falling below the standard of the ordinary
reasonable person. Specific rules apply if the defendant is
a child, a learner or a professional:
* For children, see: Mullin v Richards (1998);
* For experts: Bolam v Friern Barnet Hospital (1957);
* For learners: Nettleship v Weston (1971), and Wilsher v
Essex Health Authority (1986).
In all other cases, the court will consider the following
four factors in deciding if there has been a breach of duty:
PROOF OF BREACH
The claimant must produce evidence which infers a lack of
reasonable care on the part of the defendant. However, if no such
evidence can be found, the necessary inference may be raised by
using the maxim res ipsa loquitur, ie the thing speaks for itself. See:
Scott v London & St Katherine Dock Co (1865)
(D) The social importance of the
risky activity.
If the defendant’s actions served a
socially useful purpose then he may
have been justified in taking greater
risks. See, for example:
Watt v Hertfordshire County
Council (1954).
(B) The practicability of taking
precautions.
The courts expect people to take
only reasonable precautions in
guarding against harm to others.
See, for example:
Latimer v AEC Ltd (1952).
(C) The seriousness of harm.
Sometimes, the risk of harm
may be low but this will be
counter-balanced by the gravity
of harm to a particularly
vulnerable claimant. See, for
example:
Paris v Stepney Borough
Council (1951).
Asif Tufal
3
www.lawteacher.net
3. DAMAGE
CAUSED BY
D’s BREACH
(C) Remoteness of Damage
The opinion of the Privy
Council was that a person is
responsible only for
consequences that could
reasonably have been
anticipated:
The Wagon Mound (1961).
The defendant will be
responsible for the harm
caused to a claimant with a
weakness or predisposition to a
particular injury or illness.
See:
Smith v Leech Brain & Co
(1961).
If harm is foreseeable but
occurs in an unforeseeable way
there may still be liability.
See:
Hughes v Lord Advocate
(1963).
However, there are two cases
which go against this decision:
Doughty v Turner
Manufacturing (1964); and
Crossley v Rawlinson (1981).
(B) Multiple Causes
Where there are a number of
possible causes of injury, the
claimant must prove that the
defendant’s breach of duty
caused the harm or was a
material contribution. See:
Wilsher v Essex AHA
(1988).
(A) Causation in Fact
The claimant must prove
that harm would not have
occurred ‘but for’ the
negligence of the
defendant. This test is
best illustrated by:
Barnett v Chelsea &
Kensington Hospital
(1968).
1
www.lawteacher.net
THE TORT OF NEGLIGENCE
1. DUTY OF
CARE
A duty of care was originally established by
applying Lord Atkin’s “Neighbour” Test from:
Donoghue v Stevenson (1932).
The modern three-stage test was laid down by
the HL in: Caparo Industries v Dickman
(1990). The court must now consider:
(C) Whether in all the
circumstances it would be
fair, just and reasonable
that the law should impose a
duty.
It was held not to be fair, just
and reasonable to impose a
duty on the police in:
Hill v C.C. of W. Yorkshire
(1988).
However, a duty was imposed
on the fire brigade in:
Capital v Hampshire County
Council (1997).
(B) Whether there is a
relationship of proximity
between the parties, ie a
legal relationship or
physical closeness.
For example, there was
proximity in:
Home Office v Dorset
Yacht Club (1970).
But not in:
Caparo v Dickman (1990).
(A) Whether the
consequences of the
defendant’s act were
reasonably foreseeable.
For example, damage or harm
was held to be reasonably
foreseeable in:
Kent v Griffiths (2000); and
Jolley v Sutton LBC (2000).
But not in:
Bourhill v Young (1943); or
Topp v London Country Bus
Ltd (1993)
DEFINITION - 1
The breach of a legal duty to take
care, resulting in damage to the
claimant which was not desired by
the defendant: L.B. Curzon,
Dictionary of Law.
DEFINITION - 2
“Negligence is the omission to do something
which a reasonable man, guided upon those
considerations which ordinarily regulate the
conduct of human affairs, would do, or doing
something which a prudent and reasonable man
would not do.” Per Alderson B., Blyth v
Birmingham Waterworks Co. (1856)
Asif Tufal
2
www.lawteacher.net
2. BREACH OF
DUTY
(A) The degree of risk
involved.
Here the court will consider the
likelihood of harm occurring.
There was either no known risk
or a low risk in:
Roe v Minister of Health (1954)
Bolton v Stone (1951).
There was a known risk in:
Haley v London Electricity
Board (1964).
The Standard Expected
Negligence is falling below the standard of the ordinary
reasonable person. Specific rules apply if the defendant is
a child, a learner or a professional:
* For children, see: Mullin v Richards (1998);
* For experts: Bolam v Friern Barnet Hospital (1957);
* For learners: Nettleship v Weston (1971), and Wilsher v
Essex Health Authority (1986).
In all other cases, the court will consider the following
four factors in deciding if there has been a breach of duty:
PROOF OF BREACH
The claimant must produce evidence which infers a lack of
reasonable care on the part of the defendant. However, if no such
evidence can be found, the necessary inference may be raised by
using the maxim res ipsa loquitur, ie the thing speaks for itself. See:
Scott v London & St Katherine Dock Co (1865)
(D) The social importance of the
risky activity.
If the defendant’s actions served a
socially useful purpose then he may
have been justified in taking greater
risks. See, for example:
Watt v Hertfordshire County
Council (1954).
(B) The practicability of taking
precautions.
The courts expect people to take
only reasonable precautions in
guarding against harm to others.
See, for example:
Latimer v AEC Ltd (1952).
(C) The seriousness of harm.
Sometimes, the risk of harm
may be low but this will be
counter-balanced by the gravity
of harm to a particularly
vulnerable claimant. See, for
example:
Paris v Stepney Borough
Council (1951).
Asif Tufal
3
www.lawteacher.net
3. DAMAGE
CAUSED BY
D’s BREACH
(C) Remoteness of Damage
The opinion of the Privy
Council was that a person is
responsible only for
consequences that could
reasonably have been
anticipated:
The Wagon Mound (1961).
The defendant will be
responsible for the harm
caused to a claimant with a
weakness or predisposition to a
particular injury or illness.
See:
Smith v Leech Brain & Co
(1961).
If harm is foreseeable but
occurs in an unforeseeable way
there may still be liability.
See:
Hughes v Lord Advocate
(1963).
However, there are two cases
which go against this decision:
Doughty v Turner
Manufacturing (1964); and
Crossley v Rawlinson (1981).
(B) Multiple Causes
Where there are a number of
possible causes of injury, the
claimant must prove that the
defendant’s breach of duty
caused the harm or was a
material contribution. See:
Wilsher v Essex AHA
(1988).
(A) Causation in Fact
The claimant must prove
that harm would not have
occurred ‘but for’ the
negligence of the
defendant. This test is
best illustrated by:
Barnett v Chelsea &
Kensington Hospital
(1968).
tort law
Tort law is a branch of the law which covers civil wrongs, such as defamation and trespassing, among many other transgressions. Under tort law, if someone suffers a physical, legal, or economic harm, he or she may be entitled to bring suit. If the suit is deemed valid, damages may be awarded to the victim to compensate for his or her troubles. Most tort laws are found in regional, state, and national civil codes, which often spell out limits on damages and the statute of limitations for tort cases.
Many people divide tort law into three rough categories: negligent torts, intentional torts, and strict liability torts. Torts arising out negligence are civil wrongs caused by negligent behavior or a failure to practice due diligence. For example, if you are playing soccer in the street and you accidentally kick the ball through someone's living room window, this may be a negligence tort. Medical malpractice and other forms of professional negligence are also covered under the umbrella of negligence torts.
Intentional torts are torts which involve a deliberate attempt to harm. Defamation is often viewed as an intentional tort, as is battery, fraud, false imprisonment, and interference with the economic operations of a company. Strict liability torts cover product liability; if a potato peeler takes your finger off when you operate it as directed, the manufacturer could be liable, for example.
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Tort law also covers issues like nuisances, such as noise pollution and loose livestock. In some countries, industrial pollution and releases of toxins are covered under tort law as “toxic torts,” allowing organizations and individuals to bring suit against companies which pollute. Nuisance torts can sometimes be challenging to prove, as the definition of a “nuisance” often varies from person to person.
As can be seen from some of the examples above, a tort doesn't have to cause physical injury or distress. It might cause economic damage, by forcing someone to replace something, interfering with someone's business, or causing someone to miss work. Or it may cause damage to someone's reputation or quality of life. In order for a tort case to succeed in court, the lawyers must generally be able to prove that the accused party had committed the wrong in question, and that the client suffered as a result. Damages may be awarded by a jury or a judge, depending on the case.
Incidentally, don't confuse “tort,” a branch of the law, with “torte,” a rich cake which typically includes a high volume of nuts or chocolate and eggs, with little to no flour.
Many people divide tort law into three rough categories: negligent torts, intentional torts, and strict liability torts. Torts arising out negligence are civil wrongs caused by negligent behavior or a failure to practice due diligence. For example, if you are playing soccer in the street and you accidentally kick the ball through someone's living room window, this may be a negligence tort. Medical malpractice and other forms of professional negligence are also covered under the umbrella of negligence torts.
Intentional torts are torts which involve a deliberate attempt to harm. Defamation is often viewed as an intentional tort, as is battery, fraud, false imprisonment, and interference with the economic operations of a company. Strict liability torts cover product liability; if a potato peeler takes your finger off when you operate it as directed, the manufacturer could be liable, for example.
Ads by Google
Intellectual Property Law
Advance Your Career w/ a Masters in Tech & Intellectual Property Law!
EducationDegreeSource.com/OnlineLLM
Study Law Masters (LLM)
Get LLM in Int. Business Law in 12 Month, Expert Law Tuition, London
www.LSBF.org.uk/LLM
International Arbitration
Dr.iuris Jan Havlicek, professional arbitrator for internat.arbitration
www.janhavlicek.com
Legal English Institute
Legal English for Lawyers, Students American University Law in D.C.
www.wcl.american.edu/SLEI
US Export Rules in Europe
Avoid Conflict With US Laws 10-13 Oct 2011 Seminar in Amsterdam
LearnExportCompliance.com/Amsterdam
Tort law also covers issues like nuisances, such as noise pollution and loose livestock. In some countries, industrial pollution and releases of toxins are covered under tort law as “toxic torts,” allowing organizations and individuals to bring suit against companies which pollute. Nuisance torts can sometimes be challenging to prove, as the definition of a “nuisance” often varies from person to person.
As can be seen from some of the examples above, a tort doesn't have to cause physical injury or distress. It might cause economic damage, by forcing someone to replace something, interfering with someone's business, or causing someone to miss work. Or it may cause damage to someone's reputation or quality of life. In order for a tort case to succeed in court, the lawyers must generally be able to prove that the accused party had committed the wrong in question, and that the client suffered as a result. Damages may be awarded by a jury or a judge, depending on the case.
Incidentally, don't confuse “tort,” a branch of the law, with “torte,” a rich cake which typically includes a high volume of nuts or chocolate and eggs, with little to no flour.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
writing screenplay
Introduction
If you are new to screenwriting, planning to write a screenplay or script of any kind, the good news is that writing in screenplay format is easier and more intuitive today than at any time since first Lanier Word Processing Machine. Advances in screenwriting software now save the hours you would previously have spent learning how to write a screenplay in professional Hollywood format can now be allocated to polishing your plot, honing your dialogue, or learning screenplay structure. Some think screenplay writing is eclipsing the pursuit of the Great American Novel but it certainly isn't any easier. At any rate the making of movies is a collaborative process which demands that those in screenwriting produce a document in particular format, notation, and length called a 'script.'
This overview will begin acquaint you with the screenplay format writing rules and screenwriting etiquette you'll need to know about, and as you browse the following material you may notice the words 'don't', 'avoid' and '...' unless you are directing the movie.' Take that advice to heart. As you become more familiar with the world of screenwriting you'll understand why but for now the scope of this document prohibits a deeper explanation.
Learning how to write a screenplay involves many facets but I hope this basic information will give you a head start on your endeavors, including practical information to help you get your scripts read. And hopefully turned into movies.
Table of Contents
1. What Exactly Is a Script? What Makes Good Story?
2. Script Styles, Submission Scripts, and Shooting Scripts
3. Spec Screenplay Page Properties and Script Length
4. Script Elements and Scene Heading
5. Action
6. Character Name
7. Dialogue
8. Parenthetical
9. Extension
10. Transition
11. Shots
12. Page Breaking, Finer Points, Dual Dialogue, and Adlibs
13. Abbreviations and Montages
14. A Series of Shots and Short Lines/Poetry/Lyrics
15. Intercuts
16. Titles or Opening Credits, and Superimpose or Title
17. Title Page
18. Production Drafts, Top Continued and Bottom Continued
19. Locking Your Script Pages and Locking Your Scenes
20. Header, Do's and Don'ts
21. Other Script Formats
22. Title Page of TV Movies
Chapter 1
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.
What Makes Good Story?
Let's hazard a guess. The movies you loved most featured characters that swept you up, who captivated your emotions, got you involved. The audience viewing a movie not only wants to be interested in and care about the people they see on the screen, they want to be PASSIONATE about them, whether they like them or not. Great heroes and heroines inspire us; great villains make us want to jump into the screen!
There is always something at stake in a good movie. Not just something someone wants, something that must be acquired, no matter what the risk, as in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Or something highly desired by as many main characters as possible, like the small black statue in The Maltese Falcon. Some times it can be an intangible thing, like the freedom of a people in Lawrence of Arabia or Gandhi. All these things drive the character's quest, even gives the hero superhuman strength. It can be something personal (romance) or for the good of all (saving the world from aliens) but it must be powerful and grow more desperate as the story unfolds.
There are always obstacles, which provide that catchword that actors love so much -- CONFLICT. This is the heart of drama. Someone wants something and people and things keep getting in the way of them achieving the goal. At times, the obstacles can be common to both the hero and villain, and the ultimate goal a laudable one for both parties, as in Jingle All The Way. In that film, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad battle to achieve the same goal--the acquisition of the last popular action figure for sale that Christmas season. Both of them have promised their son, and they must not fail. Conflict and obstacles can be physical or emotional. But they have to be in your story or you don't really have a story. In most good stories, the protagonist will also have an inner obstacle, some mental or even spiritual problem, that will be resolved by the time s/he reaches the outward, physical goal of the story. Some people call this inner demon a "ghost," while others call in a "wound."
You need a hook. That's a songwriting term that describes that thing that catches the public's attention. A popular Hollywood term is a "high concept." A better idea might be a simple "What if?" In Galaxy Quest, for example, the concept is "What if the washed-up actors from the crew of a cancelled but still popular sci-fi TV show are pressed into a real war in space by aliens who think the TV show broadcasts they received were documentaries?" A good enough "what if?" will set your script apart from the pack. It is why people will leave the comfort of their homes and plunk down their hard-earned bucks at the local cineplex.
Hollywood buys genres. Agents, managers, and producers are drawn to and specialize in specific genres so approaching them with something they can recognize is a good idea. Successful stories have a fresh face but are identifiable. You know what makes your idea unique, but can you describe it quickly to others? Is it a fast-paced thriller, romantic comedy, action adventure?
Scripts have to look a certain way. I can't stress this point enough. You must present your work like an insider. The sheer volume of submissions makes it so that if ANYTHING about your script looks strange it's headed for the circular file. If you don't know the game they won't play. The scriptwriter has to adhere to conventions covering everything from how many pages to what font (Courier 12 pitch in the U.S.), and that's just the beginning. I recommend you follow those rules, unless you're independently wealthy and plan to finance, produce, and direct your movie. Even then, however, the people you'll need to work with will be accustomed to standard formats.
Chapter 2
Script Styles
Below is a listing of the most common script formats in use today. This document will be dealing with Feature Film/Television Movie of the Week which are very similar but the others are distinctly different. Their attributes complement the needs of production distinct to the medium, the working style of the actors, and production personnel:
In this document:
• Screenplay / Feature Film
• Television Movie of the Week
Not addressed:
• Stage Plays and Musicals
• Sitcoms (3-camera, 1-camera, tape and film)
• Soap Operas/Daytime Television
• Audio/Visual Scripts/Dual Column
• Multimedia
Scriptwriters for any of the above formats will present their work in either of the two variants below depending on whether they are trying to sell their work or have sold it and are working in the production part of the process.
Submission Scripts
AKA a Spec Script. This is a script written without being commissioned or bought, on the speculative hope that it will be sold. This overview will favor the philosophies of spec script writing which is to say, 'stay out of the way of the collaborative process'! The do's and don'ts you'll see here will reflect this philosophy.
Shooting Scripts
Once a script is purchased, it often goes through a series of rewrites before it is put into production. Once that happens, the script becomes a 'Shooting Script' or Production Script. All the scenes and shots of a shooting script are numbered and each scene and shot are broken down into all the component pieces required to film it. The production assistants and director can then arrange the order in which the scenes will be shot for the most efficient use of stage, cast, and location resources.
Since feature screenplay format is the most popular form of script today, we will begin by exploring that layout. Later, we'll discuss the other formats, building on what we've discovered here.
A general comment about script formatting: Although a certain format has become more and more standardized in recent years, there isn't ONE way, ONE set of margins, ONE style. There is a RANGE OF CORRECTNESS. All the software program formats and measurements fall within this range.
Chapter 3
Spec Screenplay Page Properties
The Rules:
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 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.
Writing Tip:
Script writing software is pre-programmed with all these rules right out of the box.
Script Length
The average feature screenplay, traditionally, is between 95 and 125 pages long. In Hollywood these days scripts generally don't run longer than 114 pages. Comedy scripts are typically shorter, dramas longer. There are, naturally, variations. You could be writing an action-packed film where your description takes only 10 seconds to read, but will take 45 seconds of film time. Here's an example:
Cpl. Owens sheds his pack and picks up the machine gun. He runs from doorway to
doorway, dodging enemy fire while shooting back, until he reaches the church
bell tower.
Writing Tip:
If you had a script full of scenes like this, you could come up with a short script in total pages... but that doesn't mean when it is filmed it would be short. By the same token, another writer could write the same scene and have it take up half a page. It just depends on the writing style of the individual writer.
125 page scripts are considered on the long side for a screenplay. Length is a very important component of the script. When you turn in a script to a producer, the very first thing s/he will do is fan through the pages and look at the last page to see how long it is. It doesn't matter if you've written the most incredible screenplay ever, if it's too long they may refuse to read it.
The Industry's aversion to long scripts is due to economic considerations. Films under two hours mean more showings per day in a theater, which means more revenue for the exhibitor, distributor, filmmaker, and possibly even you, the screenwriter.
When you realize your script is long and have to start cutting your work, keep in mind that if a scene can be removed and the story continues to work, that scene wasn't necessary. EVERY SCENE should not only move the story along to its conclusion; it should be an integral part of the path to the climax.
Chapter 4
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:
• Scene Heading
• Action
• Character Name
• Dialogue
• Parenthetical
• Extensions
• Transition
• Shot
Scene Heading
Writing Tip:
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.
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
Software Tip:
Script writing software will automatically file each new Scene Heading you use. This alleviates the need to retype the same text again and again, and it also helps you keep your script consistent. There is nothing more distracting to the reader than to see one Scene Heading read:
EXT. - OUTER SPACE RAIN FOREST - NIGHT
and two pages later:
EXT. - OUTER SPACE JUNGLE - NIGHT
Keeping Scene Headings consistent allows your reader to recognize locations and places and not have to figure out if this is a new set (location). You don't want to take the reader's mind off your story, ever.
Here is a sample in Scene Heading sample in script form:
FADE IN:
EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING
We have 'established' that we're in a marina at dawn.
Chapter 5
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.
Software Tip:
Script writing software intuitively formats the spacing and text between different paragraph styles for you as you type. All you worry about is your story!
The ACTION or Description sets the scene, describes the setting, and allows you to introduce your characters and set the stage for your story. Action is written in REAL TIME.
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 nude, 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's naked body.
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 nude, 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 grins
at Julie's naked body. Suddenly, Frankie recoils.
There's a devil tattoo on her shoulder that he's never seen before.
Chapter 6
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.
Software Tip:
When you use script writing software the use of long, difficult to type character names is a breeze. The programs automatically learn and keep track of the CHARACTER NAMES you use, allowing for consistency and ease. No need fear those JACQUELINEs and DR. FRANKENSTEINs; two quick keystrokes are all you will need to make them appear on the screen.
Script writing software will also insert the correct spacing from the previous paragraph style, saving you thousands of keystrokes during the writing process.
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 nude, 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's naked body.
FRANKIE
Chapter 7
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).
Software Tip:
Script writing software now has the capacity to read your dialogue back to you via your computer's sound system. You assign a gender to your character name, even different inflections, and you can have a staged reading of your script right there in your living room.
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 nude, 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's naked body.
FRANKIE
Rise and shine, Bluebird. Time
to spread your wings and fly.
Chapter 8
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.
Parentheticals are also used in some scripts as the (continuing) notation. If a character is speaking followed by an action line and then the same character continues speaking, this notation can be used, but the New Spec Script frowns on all such superfluously inserted notations.
FRANKIE
(getting out of bed)
After six. You're gonna be late
again and I don't want to hear
it.
Frankie pulls all the covers off of Julie. She sits up in bed, pulls on a long
T-shirt, and shuffles to the bathroom.
FRANKIE
(continuing)
You're welcome.
Software Tip:
Script writing programs may give you the option of placing the (continuing) as a parenthetical remark or on the same line as the Character name, looking much like an Extension.
FRANKIE
(getting out of bed)
After six. You're gonna be late
again and I don't want to hear
it.
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 (CONT'D)
You're welcome.
Software Tip:
The (CONT'D) is entered automatically by the script writing software if that option is chosen.
It indicates that the character continues speaking throughout the action.
Chapter 9
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.
Chapter 10
Transition
We must begin with this remark: Nowadays, in Spec Scripts, 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.
Software Tip:
Most Transitions are already programmed into script writing programs, capitalized and lined up for those rare occasions when you can't resist to use one.
Frankie pulls on a pair of shorts, slips into some running shoes and exits.
CUT TO:
(Remember, the Cut To: will probably be left out in most spec scripts these days. What it indicates is a complete change of location.)
Chapter 11
Shots
The Rules:
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!
Another shot used from time to time is INSERT. INSERT is used solely as a direction - to focus on something integral to the scene, often something that the audience needs to read or what would otherwise be too small to be clearly seen in a full, wide scene.
INSERT - RANSOM NOTE
Writing Tip:
A well-constructed action paragraph or a single line might achieve the same goal without distracting the reader. Be vigilant of the flow of the story, and try not to interrupt it.
Chapter 12
Page Breaking
Software Tip:
If you still need convincing that script writing software is a useful tool for a screenwriter, page breaking will clinch it for you: If you've followed the program's simple directions while writing your script, then all of the following rules will automatically, dare we say magically?, self-execute right in front of your eyes, while you are writing. The software will
• Never end a page with a Scene Heading. The ONLY time this is acceptable is if another Scene Heading or Shot follows. (An example would be an Establishing shot and then an interior scene heading.)
• Never start a page with a Transition.
• Automatically place Continued: notations when it breaks an Action paragraph or a Dialogue.
• Never end a page with a Character Name line. At least two lines of Dialogue if there are that many (including a Parenthetical, if used) must follow.
• Never end a page at a Parenthetical. Dialogue MUST follow.
• If you have Dialogue, a Parenthetical and then Dialogue again, break the page BEFORE the Parenthetical.
Finer Points
Now you are familiar with the basic elements and directions for writing a spec script. With these elements, or simply using a script formatting software, you will write a standardly acceptable script. It will look professional, and the reader will not automatically assume you are an amateur storyteller because you don't know basic screenwriting rules. Now there are a few finer points we should discuss.
Dual Dialogue or Side-By-Side Dialogue
When two of your characters speak simultaneously, that's called dual dialogue or side by side dialogue. In the script we've been following, our characters might have this conversation:
Frankie and Julie are in a heated argument.
FRANKIE JULIE
Get out of my life! I can't Don't you yell at me! I'll leave
stand the sight of you any when I'm when I'm good and
more!! ready! Tough!!
Software Tip:
All of the script writing programs let you write this style of dialogue with ease, but you should probably avoid this device unless absolutely necessary.
Writing Tip:
Amateur screenwriters often do it in emulation of some old favorite scene, or to try to interject "conflict." However, you are more likely to distract the reader and disrupts the flow of the story. Don't give them a reason to put your script down by interjecting unclear scenes and dialogue.
Adlibs
Sometimes in a script it's acceptable or even necessary to have a crowd scene with ad lib dialogue. There are two basic ways of writing this.
The first way to do it is in an action line.
The CROWD in the bleachers taunts the pitcher: "You stink!" "Rubber arm!"
"Ball!" "You throw like my sister!"
The second choice is to do it is as a character and dialogue.
CROWD
You stink! Rubber arm! Ball! You
throw like my sister!!
Chapter 13
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
b.g. is used in an action paragraph.
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 tells the sound people an effect is needed.
SFX: The BLAST of a train whistle
SPFX = special effects
SPFX announces that a special effect is necessary (one that might not require the use of CGI).
SPFX: A beam of light illuminates Frankie's face. His features slowly melt like
a wax figure.
M.O.S. = without sound
The story goes that a German-born director (perhaps Josef von Sternberg, who discovered Marlene Dietrich) wanted to shoot a scene without sound and told the crew to shoot "mit out sound," a phrase which the crew found humorous and thus proliferated it. It is most commonly used to show impending impact of some kind.
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. Although a French word, it was created by Russian director Sergei Eisenstein as a "montage of attractions" to elicit emotions on several levels. Most often it is used as a passage of time device. 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.
You can also number the scenes A), B), C) if you prefer. Either numbering format is correct. (Note that the mother's emotions change through the montage from joy to weariness, once Josh is completely ambulant there should be some element of the story that a montage will illustrate.)
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.
Chapter 14
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, the shot series are action paragraphs and may also be numbered 1) 2) 3).
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.
Writing Tip:
This particular style of writing takes more space on the page, but it also is a faster read. Why? Look at all the white space in the second example... the reader's eyes can read that passage very quickly.
Another style of writing has to do with EMPHASIS in the action element. Too often, readers will skim a script, particularly if the action paragraphs are overly long. Here's an option of how to get the necessary points across. Italics, bold or underlining are not used for emphasis.
Terry DROPS to the floor as a BEAM OF LIGHT sweeps across the room. He hears the
FLOOR SQUEAK in the outer office. Terry HOLDS HIS BREATH as a big, bulky
SECURITY GUARD enters.
Short Lines/Poetry/Lyrics
Once in a while, it's necessary to write dialogue with a series of SHORT LINES. One example might be if your character is reciting poetry, or singing a song.
JULIE
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
I'm writing a script,
How 'bout you?
Song lyrics are typically written in all caps.
JULIE
(singing)
ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT
GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM
MERRILY, MERRILY, MERRILY, MERRILY
LIFE IS BUT A DREAM.
Chapter 15
Intercuts
Occasionally in a script, you might want to cut back and forth between two or more scenes. These scenes are occurring at the same time. Instead of repeating the Scene Heading for each scene over and over, an INTERCUT is used. This gives the reader the sense that the scene is moving rapidly back and forth between locations. There is a great sequence of intercuts in The Deer Hunter of shots of hunters out in the woods with a wedding going on simultaneously, at a different location. Here's another example:
INT. SHERRI'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Sherri starts disrobing in front of her open bedroom window.
INT. LENNY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Lenny gets up to cross to the fridge to get a beer. He looks out his window and
catches a glimpse of Sherri across the courtyard. He freezes, watching her.
INTERCUT BETWEEN LENNY AND SHERRI
Sherri sits on the bed and unbuttons her double-breasted suit jacket.
Lenny moves closer to the window for a better vantage point.
Sherri stands, hopping a few feet, trying to step out of her skirt.
Lenny, eyes glued to Sherri, moves to keep her in view. He slams his bare foot
into a dumbbell on the floor.
LENNY
Ow!
Sherri hears the yelp and looks in Lenny's direction.
Lenny sees Sherri and DROPS from her view.
Another type of INTERCUT is used when two characters are on the phone and you don't want one half of the conversation to be O.S. - you want to show them both.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Sherri, comfy on the couch, is reading a book when the phone rings. She answers
it.
SHERRI
Hello?
EXT. PHONE BOOTH - REST AREA
Lenny sips a Coke as he talks.
LENNY
Hey Honey, I'm in Barstow.
INTERCUT BETWEEN LENNY and SHERRI
SHERRI
Oh, Honey, that's great...
you'll be here by morning.
LENNY
Yep... I've got the pedal to the
metal.
In older films it was common to use a split-screen to show such a conversation. It's not common these days, and unless you have a very good reason for writing it in, it is best to INTERCUT.
Chapter 16
Titles or Opening Credits
In some scripts you read, you'll see this notation:
BEGIN TITLES or BEGIN OPENING TITLES followed by END TITLES or OVER OPENING CREDITS followed by END OPENING CREDITS. An example:
FADE IN:
EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING
Sailboats, yachts, and cabin cruisers all bob up and down in the warm blue
water.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
BEGIN TITLES
as hundreds of young, perfect bodies of college age kids frolic during spring
break.
Writing Tip:
Don't bother putting in Beginning and Ending titles. It is not usually done in a spec script, and you can't predict where the producer and director will want to insert the titles, the sequence of footage shot with the opening credits rolling over it. Don't give yourself the extra work.
Superimpose or Title
When the notation SUPERIMPOSE or TITLE OVER is used, text or an image is placed on top of the film footage. Most of the time, it contains information the director thinks the audience needs to know... like the place or time of the next scene.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Hundreds of young, perfect bodies of college age kids frolic on the sand and in
the warm water.
SUPERIMPOSE: Daytona Beach, Spring Break, 1966
Only the text, "Daytona Beach, Spring Break, 1966" would appear toward the bottom of the screen.
Any text, like subtitles or translations of foreign signs, etc., fall into this category.
Do not use SUPERIMPOSE: unless there is a definite need for it. It has been so overused, it is some times spoofed, the way director Ron Howard did in Splash.
Chapter 17
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
Writing Tip:
Authorities differ on whether or not you should note on your title page that you have registered your screenplay with the Writers Guild of America, west. Some people think it is the mark of an amateur, yet some producers insist upon it. Naturally, if you live east of the Mississippi River in the United States, you might have registered your script with the Writers Guild of America, east, and would thus note Registered, WGAe. One thing is certain, however. A U.S. copyright has much more legal standing that either registration. Note the copyright on the page. For more information about your legal protection in any creative work, see the U.S. Copyright Office Web page at http://www.copyright.gov/.
Chapter 18
Production Drafts
You've sold your script, and lo and behold, you're still the writer of the next phase! Time for Production drafts and revisions (a.k.a. Production Rewrite). All script formatting software available at The Writers Store are terrific at generating locked scripts (meaning the pages are finalized), A & B pages, numbered scenes and other specifics of the production draft.
One of the ways production drafts differ from spec scripts is NUMBERED SCENES. Your script-formatting program can do this automatically. It numbers the SCENE HEADINGS with numbers to the left and right of the scene heading. The purpose of scene numbers is to aid the work of the Assistant Director and Producer in their efforts of breaking down the scenes for scheduling, and budgeting the script for production.
REVISED April 30, 2001 BLUE 1.
FADE IN:
1 EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING 1
Sailboats, yachts, and cabin cruisers all bob up and down in the warm blue
water.
2 EXT. BEACH - DAY 2
as hundreds of young, perfect bodies of college age kids enjoy spring break.
Top Continued and Bottom Continued
Software Tip:
Script formatting software can easily insert Top CONTINUED and Bottom CONTINUED into your script, IF YOU WANT THAT DONE. It depends on who you are submitting to and at what stage the project is in.
Writing Tip:
Top and Bottom CONTINUEDs were common practice in the past, a stodgy convention indicating that a scene continued beyond the page the reader just finished reading. Typically in spec scripts this is no longer done, and your benefit of that change are the extra four lines of text you have just gained to write a better script.
Chapter 19
Locking Your Script Pages
Once the script is "published" and handed out to the department heads and talent in preparation for production, the pages must be LOCKED so that any changes made after this time are easily tracked.
If any changes are made to the script after circulation, only the REVISED PAGES will be printed and distributed. The REVISED PAGES must be easily incorporated into the script without displacing or rearranging the original pages.
All of our script writing software is designed to break revised pages according to the rules listed above, and they are capable of "locking the pages" before revisions are made. Once you lock a script, if you add more material to a page than will fit on that page, the program will generate what's called an "A" page and the subsequent writing will be a "B" page, i.e. Page 110A or Page 110B.
Locking Your Scenes
In a published script, scene numbers must also remain the same. In other words, if a scene in OMITTED, though the number is retired, it remains in the script with the word OMITTED next to it. Any new scene must have a letter next to the number to indicate that it was added after the original scenes were locked.
If you add a scene to the script, the program will automatically generate an "A" scene number. Revisions will be automatically generated by script formatting software programs and marked with an asterisk in the right margin.
1 OMITTED 1*
2 INT. MASTER SUITE - MORNING 2
Expensive designer sheets and comforter covers the nude, shapely body of drop
dead gorgeous JULIE COOPER, 25. Sunlight filters through portholes over the
muscled, tan body of FRANKIE JONES, 38. He pulls the comforter down and begins
kissing Julie's naked body.
FRANKIE
Hey, Baby, rise and shine.
You've got to get up and outta
here.
JULIE
(sleepily)
What? What time is it?
2A INT. BATHROOM - DAY 2A*
The added INT. BATHROOM scene would show us what Julie is doing, while in the previously mentioned scene we only heard her O.S. as the camera remained on Frankie and the original room.
Chapter 20
Header
Another element of the production draft is the HEADER. A header occupies the same line as the page number, which is on the right and .5" from the top. Header information is printed on every script page. Information contained in the header includes the date of the revision and the color of the page. The header of the production draft of a script might look like this:
REVISED April 30, 2001 BLUE 1.
REVISED April 30, 2001 BLUE will print at the top of every single revised page, unless you tell your scriptwriting program to omit this information on the first page. On the first page of a production draft, however, you should include your header, if you have one. The page number will, of course, change.
Writing Tip:
Don't worry about what color of paper to use for subsequent changes to the same scene. If your still writing the revisions once the script is in production, they'll tell you what to use. This is determined by the production staff.
Do's and Don'ts
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.
Chapter 21
Other Script Formats
So far we've mostly discussed submission or spec screenplays. The same elements used in a screenplay are used in several other script formats. Only measurements and format vary here and there.
• MOW - Movies of the Week
• DTV - Direct TV Movie
• Hour Episodic TV Show
These formats are almost identical as the format of the spec screenplay. However, these scripts are broken into ACTS that are delineated within the body of the script. An act covers that part of the story that takes place between the commercials. Hence, an ACT BREAK is a commercial break.
When a MOW Act begins, note it this way:
ACT ONE
When an Act ends, note it this way:
END OF ACT ONE
MOW or DTV scripts usually have 7 acts. When a MOW ends, note it this way:
THE END
A MOW will also have a (roughly) three- to eight-minute "teaser" that begins the story, noted this way:
TEASER
A Teaser is not usually noted with END OF TEASER. Rather, the scene simply ends and a new page begins where Act One starts. A one-hour episodic script will also have a Teaser, albeit a shorter one than a MOW.
A MOW will also have a similar (but shorter) "Tag" scene at the end that caps off the story and keeps your audience riveted by the television until after the next set of commercials. This is usually not delineated as such.
A one-hour episodic program usually has 4 acts.
Page numbering is continuous for both forms.
Chapter 21
Other Script Formats
So far we've mostly discussed submission or spec screenplays. The same elements used in a screenplay are used in several other script formats. Only measurements and format vary here and there.
• MOW - Movies of the Week
• DTV - Direct TV Movie
• Hour Episodic TV Show
These formats are almost identical as the format of the spec screenplay. However, these scripts are broken into ACTS that are delineated within the body of the script. An act covers that part of the story that takes place between the commercials. Hence, an ACT BREAK is a commercial break.
When a MOW Act begins, note it this way:
ACT ONE
When an Act ends, note it this way:
END OF ACT ONE
MOW or DTV scripts usually have 7 acts. When a MOW ends, note it this way:
THE END
A MOW will also have a (roughly) three- to eight-minute "teaser" that begins the story, noted this way:
TEASER
A Teaser is not usually noted with END OF TEASER. Rather, the scene simply ends and a new page begins where Act One starts. A one-hour episodic script will also have a Teaser, albeit a shorter one than a MOW.
A MOW will also have a similar (but shorter) "Tag" scene at the end that caps off the story and keeps your audience riveted by the television until after the next set of commercials. This is usually not delineated as such.
A one-hour episodic program usually has 4 acts.
Page numbering is continuous for both forms.
Chapter 22
Title Page of TV Movies
In the TV movie formats it is customary to place the title of the script, the show and its episode on the first page at the top.
Lettering can be either uppercase or mixed case.
Place the title(s) in quotation marks.
Center the text on the line.
Fade In: follows the act title.
The following is an example of a MOW title page:
"A Day In The Life"
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
INT. BABY NURSERY - MORNING
Also, the end of each act is signaled with the FADE OUT: notation as well as the end of act notation.
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT ONE
=======FORCED PAGE BREAK==================
16
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
Software Tip:
When using script writing software you should always place a forced page break between acts. In other words, each act starts at the top of a new page.
Writing Tip:
Do not number the scenes. That's the job of the production office.
The Rules:
A MOW may also have a CAST LIST and on a separate page a SET LIST, much like in theatre scripts, but these forms change with the years. It's best to simply acquire a sample of a recently-aired MOW to learn the current convention.
The End
Well, that's as much as I've collected so far but I'll be adding more as I go. I hope this has been helpful and has assited you in finding the way to get to the next step in your screenwriting adventures.
If you are new to screenwriting, planning to write a screenplay or script of any kind, the good news is that writing in screenplay format is easier and more intuitive today than at any time since first Lanier Word Processing Machine. Advances in screenwriting software now save the hours you would previously have spent learning how to write a screenplay in professional Hollywood format can now be allocated to polishing your plot, honing your dialogue, or learning screenplay structure. Some think screenplay writing is eclipsing the pursuit of the Great American Novel but it certainly isn't any easier. At any rate the making of movies is a collaborative process which demands that those in screenwriting produce a document in particular format, notation, and length called a 'script.'
This overview will begin acquaint you with the screenplay format writing rules and screenwriting etiquette you'll need to know about, and as you browse the following material you may notice the words 'don't', 'avoid' and '...' unless you are directing the movie.' Take that advice to heart. As you become more familiar with the world of screenwriting you'll understand why but for now the scope of this document prohibits a deeper explanation.
Learning how to write a screenplay involves many facets but I hope this basic information will give you a head start on your endeavors, including practical information to help you get your scripts read. And hopefully turned into movies.
Table of Contents
1. What Exactly Is a Script? What Makes Good Story?
2. Script Styles, Submission Scripts, and Shooting Scripts
3. Spec Screenplay Page Properties and Script Length
4. Script Elements and Scene Heading
5. Action
6. Character Name
7. Dialogue
8. Parenthetical
9. Extension
10. Transition
11. Shots
12. Page Breaking, Finer Points, Dual Dialogue, and Adlibs
13. Abbreviations and Montages
14. A Series of Shots and Short Lines/Poetry/Lyrics
15. Intercuts
16. Titles or Opening Credits, and Superimpose or Title
17. Title Page
18. Production Drafts, Top Continued and Bottom Continued
19. Locking Your Script Pages and Locking Your Scenes
20. Header, Do's and Don'ts
21. Other Script Formats
22. Title Page of TV Movies
Chapter 1
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.
What Makes Good Story?
Let's hazard a guess. The movies you loved most featured characters that swept you up, who captivated your emotions, got you involved. The audience viewing a movie not only wants to be interested in and care about the people they see on the screen, they want to be PASSIONATE about them, whether they like them or not. Great heroes and heroines inspire us; great villains make us want to jump into the screen!
There is always something at stake in a good movie. Not just something someone wants, something that must be acquired, no matter what the risk, as in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Or something highly desired by as many main characters as possible, like the small black statue in The Maltese Falcon. Some times it can be an intangible thing, like the freedom of a people in Lawrence of Arabia or Gandhi. All these things drive the character's quest, even gives the hero superhuman strength. It can be something personal (romance) or for the good of all (saving the world from aliens) but it must be powerful and grow more desperate as the story unfolds.
There are always obstacles, which provide that catchword that actors love so much -- CONFLICT. This is the heart of drama. Someone wants something and people and things keep getting in the way of them achieving the goal. At times, the obstacles can be common to both the hero and villain, and the ultimate goal a laudable one for both parties, as in Jingle All The Way. In that film, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad battle to achieve the same goal--the acquisition of the last popular action figure for sale that Christmas season. Both of them have promised their son, and they must not fail. Conflict and obstacles can be physical or emotional. But they have to be in your story or you don't really have a story. In most good stories, the protagonist will also have an inner obstacle, some mental or even spiritual problem, that will be resolved by the time s/he reaches the outward, physical goal of the story. Some people call this inner demon a "ghost," while others call in a "wound."
You need a hook. That's a songwriting term that describes that thing that catches the public's attention. A popular Hollywood term is a "high concept." A better idea might be a simple "What if?" In Galaxy Quest, for example, the concept is "What if the washed-up actors from the crew of a cancelled but still popular sci-fi TV show are pressed into a real war in space by aliens who think the TV show broadcasts they received were documentaries?" A good enough "what if?" will set your script apart from the pack. It is why people will leave the comfort of their homes and plunk down their hard-earned bucks at the local cineplex.
Hollywood buys genres. Agents, managers, and producers are drawn to and specialize in specific genres so approaching them with something they can recognize is a good idea. Successful stories have a fresh face but are identifiable. You know what makes your idea unique, but can you describe it quickly to others? Is it a fast-paced thriller, romantic comedy, action adventure?
Scripts have to look a certain way. I can't stress this point enough. You must present your work like an insider. The sheer volume of submissions makes it so that if ANYTHING about your script looks strange it's headed for the circular file. If you don't know the game they won't play. The scriptwriter has to adhere to conventions covering everything from how many pages to what font (Courier 12 pitch in the U.S.), and that's just the beginning. I recommend you follow those rules, unless you're independently wealthy and plan to finance, produce, and direct your movie. Even then, however, the people you'll need to work with will be accustomed to standard formats.
Chapter 2
Script Styles
Below is a listing of the most common script formats in use today. This document will be dealing with Feature Film/Television Movie of the Week which are very similar but the others are distinctly different. Their attributes complement the needs of production distinct to the medium, the working style of the actors, and production personnel:
In this document:
• Screenplay / Feature Film
• Television Movie of the Week
Not addressed:
• Stage Plays and Musicals
• Sitcoms (3-camera, 1-camera, tape and film)
• Soap Operas/Daytime Television
• Audio/Visual Scripts/Dual Column
• Multimedia
Scriptwriters for any of the above formats will present their work in either of the two variants below depending on whether they are trying to sell their work or have sold it and are working in the production part of the process.
Submission Scripts
AKA a Spec Script. This is a script written without being commissioned or bought, on the speculative hope that it will be sold. This overview will favor the philosophies of spec script writing which is to say, 'stay out of the way of the collaborative process'! The do's and don'ts you'll see here will reflect this philosophy.
Shooting Scripts
Once a script is purchased, it often goes through a series of rewrites before it is put into production. Once that happens, the script becomes a 'Shooting Script' or Production Script. All the scenes and shots of a shooting script are numbered and each scene and shot are broken down into all the component pieces required to film it. The production assistants and director can then arrange the order in which the scenes will be shot for the most efficient use of stage, cast, and location resources.
Since feature screenplay format is the most popular form of script today, we will begin by exploring that layout. Later, we'll discuss the other formats, building on what we've discovered here.
A general comment about script formatting: Although a certain format has become more and more standardized in recent years, there isn't ONE way, ONE set of margins, ONE style. There is a RANGE OF CORRECTNESS. All the software program formats and measurements fall within this range.
Chapter 3
Spec Screenplay Page Properties
The Rules:
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 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.
Writing Tip:
Script writing software is pre-programmed with all these rules right out of the box.
Script Length
The average feature screenplay, traditionally, is between 95 and 125 pages long. In Hollywood these days scripts generally don't run longer than 114 pages. Comedy scripts are typically shorter, dramas longer. There are, naturally, variations. You could be writing an action-packed film where your description takes only 10 seconds to read, but will take 45 seconds of film time. Here's an example:
Cpl. Owens sheds his pack and picks up the machine gun. He runs from doorway to
doorway, dodging enemy fire while shooting back, until he reaches the church
bell tower.
Writing Tip:
If you had a script full of scenes like this, you could come up with a short script in total pages... but that doesn't mean when it is filmed it would be short. By the same token, another writer could write the same scene and have it take up half a page. It just depends on the writing style of the individual writer.
125 page scripts are considered on the long side for a screenplay. Length is a very important component of the script. When you turn in a script to a producer, the very first thing s/he will do is fan through the pages and look at the last page to see how long it is. It doesn't matter if you've written the most incredible screenplay ever, if it's too long they may refuse to read it.
The Industry's aversion to long scripts is due to economic considerations. Films under two hours mean more showings per day in a theater, which means more revenue for the exhibitor, distributor, filmmaker, and possibly even you, the screenwriter.
When you realize your script is long and have to start cutting your work, keep in mind that if a scene can be removed and the story continues to work, that scene wasn't necessary. EVERY SCENE should not only move the story along to its conclusion; it should be an integral part of the path to the climax.
Chapter 4
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:
• Scene Heading
• Action
• Character Name
• Dialogue
• Parenthetical
• Extensions
• Transition
• Shot
Scene Heading
Writing Tip:
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.
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
Software Tip:
Script writing software will automatically file each new Scene Heading you use. This alleviates the need to retype the same text again and again, and it also helps you keep your script consistent. There is nothing more distracting to the reader than to see one Scene Heading read:
EXT. - OUTER SPACE RAIN FOREST - NIGHT
and two pages later:
EXT. - OUTER SPACE JUNGLE - NIGHT
Keeping Scene Headings consistent allows your reader to recognize locations and places and not have to figure out if this is a new set (location). You don't want to take the reader's mind off your story, ever.
Here is a sample in Scene Heading sample in script form:
FADE IN:
EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING
We have 'established' that we're in a marina at dawn.
Chapter 5
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.
Software Tip:
Script writing software intuitively formats the spacing and text between different paragraph styles for you as you type. All you worry about is your story!
The ACTION or Description sets the scene, describes the setting, and allows you to introduce your characters and set the stage for your story. Action is written in REAL TIME.
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 nude, 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's naked body.
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 nude, 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 grins
at Julie's naked body. Suddenly, Frankie recoils.
There's a devil tattoo on her shoulder that he's never seen before.
Chapter 6
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.
Software Tip:
When you use script writing software the use of long, difficult to type character names is a breeze. The programs automatically learn and keep track of the CHARACTER NAMES you use, allowing for consistency and ease. No need fear those JACQUELINEs and DR. FRANKENSTEINs; two quick keystrokes are all you will need to make them appear on the screen.
Script writing software will also insert the correct spacing from the previous paragraph style, saving you thousands of keystrokes during the writing process.
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 nude, 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's naked body.
FRANKIE
Chapter 7
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).
Software Tip:
Script writing software now has the capacity to read your dialogue back to you via your computer's sound system. You assign a gender to your character name, even different inflections, and you can have a staged reading of your script right there in your living room.
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 nude, 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's naked body.
FRANKIE
Rise and shine, Bluebird. Time
to spread your wings and fly.
Chapter 8
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.
Parentheticals are also used in some scripts as the (continuing) notation. If a character is speaking followed by an action line and then the same character continues speaking, this notation can be used, but the New Spec Script frowns on all such superfluously inserted notations.
FRANKIE
(getting out of bed)
After six. You're gonna be late
again and I don't want to hear
it.
Frankie pulls all the covers off of Julie. She sits up in bed, pulls on a long
T-shirt, and shuffles to the bathroom.
FRANKIE
(continuing)
You're welcome.
Software Tip:
Script writing programs may give you the option of placing the (continuing) as a parenthetical remark or on the same line as the Character name, looking much like an Extension.
FRANKIE
(getting out of bed)
After six. You're gonna be late
again and I don't want to hear
it.
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 (CONT'D)
You're welcome.
Software Tip:
The (CONT'D) is entered automatically by the script writing software if that option is chosen.
It indicates that the character continues speaking throughout the action.
Chapter 9
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.
Chapter 10
Transition
We must begin with this remark: Nowadays, in Spec Scripts, 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.
Software Tip:
Most Transitions are already programmed into script writing programs, capitalized and lined up for those rare occasions when you can't resist to use one.
Frankie pulls on a pair of shorts, slips into some running shoes and exits.
CUT TO:
(Remember, the Cut To: will probably be left out in most spec scripts these days. What it indicates is a complete change of location.)
Chapter 11
Shots
The Rules:
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!
Another shot used from time to time is INSERT. INSERT is used solely as a direction - to focus on something integral to the scene, often something that the audience needs to read or what would otherwise be too small to be clearly seen in a full, wide scene.
INSERT - RANSOM NOTE
Writing Tip:
A well-constructed action paragraph or a single line might achieve the same goal without distracting the reader. Be vigilant of the flow of the story, and try not to interrupt it.
Chapter 12
Page Breaking
Software Tip:
If you still need convincing that script writing software is a useful tool for a screenwriter, page breaking will clinch it for you: If you've followed the program's simple directions while writing your script, then all of the following rules will automatically, dare we say magically?, self-execute right in front of your eyes, while you are writing. The software will
• Never end a page with a Scene Heading. The ONLY time this is acceptable is if another Scene Heading or Shot follows. (An example would be an Establishing shot and then an interior scene heading.)
• Never start a page with a Transition.
• Automatically place Continued: notations when it breaks an Action paragraph or a Dialogue.
• Never end a page with a Character Name line. At least two lines of Dialogue if there are that many (including a Parenthetical, if used) must follow.
• Never end a page at a Parenthetical. Dialogue MUST follow.
• If you have Dialogue, a Parenthetical and then Dialogue again, break the page BEFORE the Parenthetical.
Finer Points
Now you are familiar with the basic elements and directions for writing a spec script. With these elements, or simply using a script formatting software, you will write a standardly acceptable script. It will look professional, and the reader will not automatically assume you are an amateur storyteller because you don't know basic screenwriting rules. Now there are a few finer points we should discuss.
Dual Dialogue or Side-By-Side Dialogue
When two of your characters speak simultaneously, that's called dual dialogue or side by side dialogue. In the script we've been following, our characters might have this conversation:
Frankie and Julie are in a heated argument.
FRANKIE JULIE
Get out of my life! I can't Don't you yell at me! I'll leave
stand the sight of you any when I'm when I'm good and
more!! ready! Tough!!
Software Tip:
All of the script writing programs let you write this style of dialogue with ease, but you should probably avoid this device unless absolutely necessary.
Writing Tip:
Amateur screenwriters often do it in emulation of some old favorite scene, or to try to interject "conflict." However, you are more likely to distract the reader and disrupts the flow of the story. Don't give them a reason to put your script down by interjecting unclear scenes and dialogue.
Adlibs
Sometimes in a script it's acceptable or even necessary to have a crowd scene with ad lib dialogue. There are two basic ways of writing this.
The first way to do it is in an action line.
The CROWD in the bleachers taunts the pitcher: "You stink!" "Rubber arm!"
"Ball!" "You throw like my sister!"
The second choice is to do it is as a character and dialogue.
CROWD
You stink! Rubber arm! Ball! You
throw like my sister!!
Chapter 13
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
b.g. is used in an action paragraph.
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 tells the sound people an effect is needed.
SFX: The BLAST of a train whistle
SPFX = special effects
SPFX announces that a special effect is necessary (one that might not require the use of CGI).
SPFX: A beam of light illuminates Frankie's face. His features slowly melt like
a wax figure.
M.O.S. = without sound
The story goes that a German-born director (perhaps Josef von Sternberg, who discovered Marlene Dietrich) wanted to shoot a scene without sound and told the crew to shoot "mit out sound," a phrase which the crew found humorous and thus proliferated it. It is most commonly used to show impending impact of some kind.
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. Although a French word, it was created by Russian director Sergei Eisenstein as a "montage of attractions" to elicit emotions on several levels. Most often it is used as a passage of time device. 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.
You can also number the scenes A), B), C) if you prefer. Either numbering format is correct. (Note that the mother's emotions change through the montage from joy to weariness, once Josh is completely ambulant there should be some element of the story that a montage will illustrate.)
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.
Chapter 14
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, the shot series are action paragraphs and may also be numbered 1) 2) 3).
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.
Writing Tip:
This particular style of writing takes more space on the page, but it also is a faster read. Why? Look at all the white space in the second example... the reader's eyes can read that passage very quickly.
Another style of writing has to do with EMPHASIS in the action element. Too often, readers will skim a script, particularly if the action paragraphs are overly long. Here's an option of how to get the necessary points across. Italics, bold or underlining are not used for emphasis.
Terry DROPS to the floor as a BEAM OF LIGHT sweeps across the room. He hears the
FLOOR SQUEAK in the outer office. Terry HOLDS HIS BREATH as a big, bulky
SECURITY GUARD enters.
Short Lines/Poetry/Lyrics
Once in a while, it's necessary to write dialogue with a series of SHORT LINES. One example might be if your character is reciting poetry, or singing a song.
JULIE
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
I'm writing a script,
How 'bout you?
Song lyrics are typically written in all caps.
JULIE
(singing)
ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT
GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM
MERRILY, MERRILY, MERRILY, MERRILY
LIFE IS BUT A DREAM.
Chapter 15
Intercuts
Occasionally in a script, you might want to cut back and forth between two or more scenes. These scenes are occurring at the same time. Instead of repeating the Scene Heading for each scene over and over, an INTERCUT is used. This gives the reader the sense that the scene is moving rapidly back and forth between locations. There is a great sequence of intercuts in The Deer Hunter of shots of hunters out in the woods with a wedding going on simultaneously, at a different location. Here's another example:
INT. SHERRI'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Sherri starts disrobing in front of her open bedroom window.
INT. LENNY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Lenny gets up to cross to the fridge to get a beer. He looks out his window and
catches a glimpse of Sherri across the courtyard. He freezes, watching her.
INTERCUT BETWEEN LENNY AND SHERRI
Sherri sits on the bed and unbuttons her double-breasted suit jacket.
Lenny moves closer to the window for a better vantage point.
Sherri stands, hopping a few feet, trying to step out of her skirt.
Lenny, eyes glued to Sherri, moves to keep her in view. He slams his bare foot
into a dumbbell on the floor.
LENNY
Ow!
Sherri hears the yelp and looks in Lenny's direction.
Lenny sees Sherri and DROPS from her view.
Another type of INTERCUT is used when two characters are on the phone and you don't want one half of the conversation to be O.S. - you want to show them both.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Sherri, comfy on the couch, is reading a book when the phone rings. She answers
it.
SHERRI
Hello?
EXT. PHONE BOOTH - REST AREA
Lenny sips a Coke as he talks.
LENNY
Hey Honey, I'm in Barstow.
INTERCUT BETWEEN LENNY and SHERRI
SHERRI
Oh, Honey, that's great...
you'll be here by morning.
LENNY
Yep... I've got the pedal to the
metal.
In older films it was common to use a split-screen to show such a conversation. It's not common these days, and unless you have a very good reason for writing it in, it is best to INTERCUT.
Chapter 16
Titles or Opening Credits
In some scripts you read, you'll see this notation:
BEGIN TITLES or BEGIN OPENING TITLES followed by END TITLES or OVER OPENING CREDITS followed by END OPENING CREDITS. An example:
FADE IN:
EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING
Sailboats, yachts, and cabin cruisers all bob up and down in the warm blue
water.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
BEGIN TITLES
as hundreds of young, perfect bodies of college age kids frolic during spring
break.
Writing Tip:
Don't bother putting in Beginning and Ending titles. It is not usually done in a spec script, and you can't predict where the producer and director will want to insert the titles, the sequence of footage shot with the opening credits rolling over it. Don't give yourself the extra work.
Superimpose or Title
When the notation SUPERIMPOSE or TITLE OVER is used, text or an image is placed on top of the film footage. Most of the time, it contains information the director thinks the audience needs to know... like the place or time of the next scene.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Hundreds of young, perfect bodies of college age kids frolic on the sand and in
the warm water.
SUPERIMPOSE: Daytona Beach, Spring Break, 1966
Only the text, "Daytona Beach, Spring Break, 1966" would appear toward the bottom of the screen.
Any text, like subtitles or translations of foreign signs, etc., fall into this category.
Do not use SUPERIMPOSE: unless there is a definite need for it. It has been so overused, it is some times spoofed, the way director Ron Howard did in Splash.
Chapter 17
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
Writing Tip:
Authorities differ on whether or not you should note on your title page that you have registered your screenplay with the Writers Guild of America, west. Some people think it is the mark of an amateur, yet some producers insist upon it. Naturally, if you live east of the Mississippi River in the United States, you might have registered your script with the Writers Guild of America, east, and would thus note Registered, WGAe. One thing is certain, however. A U.S. copyright has much more legal standing that either registration. Note the copyright on the page. For more information about your legal protection in any creative work, see the U.S. Copyright Office Web page at http://www.copyright.gov/.
Chapter 18
Production Drafts
You've sold your script, and lo and behold, you're still the writer of the next phase! Time for Production drafts and revisions (a.k.a. Production Rewrite). All script formatting software available at The Writers Store are terrific at generating locked scripts (meaning the pages are finalized), A & B pages, numbered scenes and other specifics of the production draft.
One of the ways production drafts differ from spec scripts is NUMBERED SCENES. Your script-formatting program can do this automatically. It numbers the SCENE HEADINGS with numbers to the left and right of the scene heading. The purpose of scene numbers is to aid the work of the Assistant Director and Producer in their efforts of breaking down the scenes for scheduling, and budgeting the script for production.
REVISED April 30, 2001 BLUE 1.
FADE IN:
1 EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING 1
Sailboats, yachts, and cabin cruisers all bob up and down in the warm blue
water.
2 EXT. BEACH - DAY 2
as hundreds of young, perfect bodies of college age kids enjoy spring break.
Top Continued and Bottom Continued
Software Tip:
Script formatting software can easily insert Top CONTINUED and Bottom CONTINUED into your script, IF YOU WANT THAT DONE. It depends on who you are submitting to and at what stage the project is in.
Writing Tip:
Top and Bottom CONTINUEDs were common practice in the past, a stodgy convention indicating that a scene continued beyond the page the reader just finished reading. Typically in spec scripts this is no longer done, and your benefit of that change are the extra four lines of text you have just gained to write a better script.
Chapter 19
Locking Your Script Pages
Once the script is "published" and handed out to the department heads and talent in preparation for production, the pages must be LOCKED so that any changes made after this time are easily tracked.
If any changes are made to the script after circulation, only the REVISED PAGES will be printed and distributed. The REVISED PAGES must be easily incorporated into the script without displacing or rearranging the original pages.
All of our script writing software is designed to break revised pages according to the rules listed above, and they are capable of "locking the pages" before revisions are made. Once you lock a script, if you add more material to a page than will fit on that page, the program will generate what's called an "A" page and the subsequent writing will be a "B" page, i.e. Page 110A or Page 110B.
Locking Your Scenes
In a published script, scene numbers must also remain the same. In other words, if a scene in OMITTED, though the number is retired, it remains in the script with the word OMITTED next to it. Any new scene must have a letter next to the number to indicate that it was added after the original scenes were locked.
If you add a scene to the script, the program will automatically generate an "A" scene number. Revisions will be automatically generated by script formatting software programs and marked with an asterisk in the right margin.
1 OMITTED 1*
2 INT. MASTER SUITE - MORNING 2
Expensive designer sheets and comforter covers the nude, shapely body of drop
dead gorgeous JULIE COOPER, 25. Sunlight filters through portholes over the
muscled, tan body of FRANKIE JONES, 38. He pulls the comforter down and begins
kissing Julie's naked body.
FRANKIE
Hey, Baby, rise and shine.
You've got to get up and outta
here.
JULIE
(sleepily)
What? What time is it?
2A INT. BATHROOM - DAY 2A*
The added INT. BATHROOM scene would show us what Julie is doing, while in the previously mentioned scene we only heard her O.S. as the camera remained on Frankie and the original room.
Chapter 20
Header
Another element of the production draft is the HEADER. A header occupies the same line as the page number, which is on the right and .5" from the top. Header information is printed on every script page. Information contained in the header includes the date of the revision and the color of the page. The header of the production draft of a script might look like this:
REVISED April 30, 2001 BLUE 1.
REVISED April 30, 2001 BLUE will print at the top of every single revised page, unless you tell your scriptwriting program to omit this information on the first page. On the first page of a production draft, however, you should include your header, if you have one. The page number will, of course, change.
Writing Tip:
Don't worry about what color of paper to use for subsequent changes to the same scene. If your still writing the revisions once the script is in production, they'll tell you what to use. This is determined by the production staff.
Do's and Don'ts
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.
Chapter 21
Other Script Formats
So far we've mostly discussed submission or spec screenplays. The same elements used in a screenplay are used in several other script formats. Only measurements and format vary here and there.
• MOW - Movies of the Week
• DTV - Direct TV Movie
• Hour Episodic TV Show
These formats are almost identical as the format of the spec screenplay. However, these scripts are broken into ACTS that are delineated within the body of the script. An act covers that part of the story that takes place between the commercials. Hence, an ACT BREAK is a commercial break.
When a MOW Act begins, note it this way:
ACT ONE
When an Act ends, note it this way:
END OF ACT ONE
MOW or DTV scripts usually have 7 acts. When a MOW ends, note it this way:
THE END
A MOW will also have a (roughly) three- to eight-minute "teaser" that begins the story, noted this way:
TEASER
A Teaser is not usually noted with END OF TEASER. Rather, the scene simply ends and a new page begins where Act One starts. A one-hour episodic script will also have a Teaser, albeit a shorter one than a MOW.
A MOW will also have a similar (but shorter) "Tag" scene at the end that caps off the story and keeps your audience riveted by the television until after the next set of commercials. This is usually not delineated as such.
A one-hour episodic program usually has 4 acts.
Page numbering is continuous for both forms.
Chapter 21
Other Script Formats
So far we've mostly discussed submission or spec screenplays. The same elements used in a screenplay are used in several other script formats. Only measurements and format vary here and there.
• MOW - Movies of the Week
• DTV - Direct TV Movie
• Hour Episodic TV Show
These formats are almost identical as the format of the spec screenplay. However, these scripts are broken into ACTS that are delineated within the body of the script. An act covers that part of the story that takes place between the commercials. Hence, an ACT BREAK is a commercial break.
When a MOW Act begins, note it this way:
ACT ONE
When an Act ends, note it this way:
END OF ACT ONE
MOW or DTV scripts usually have 7 acts. When a MOW ends, note it this way:
THE END
A MOW will also have a (roughly) three- to eight-minute "teaser" that begins the story, noted this way:
TEASER
A Teaser is not usually noted with END OF TEASER. Rather, the scene simply ends and a new page begins where Act One starts. A one-hour episodic script will also have a Teaser, albeit a shorter one than a MOW.
A MOW will also have a similar (but shorter) "Tag" scene at the end that caps off the story and keeps your audience riveted by the television until after the next set of commercials. This is usually not delineated as such.
A one-hour episodic program usually has 4 acts.
Page numbering is continuous for both forms.
Chapter 22
Title Page of TV Movies
In the TV movie formats it is customary to place the title of the script, the show and its episode on the first page at the top.
Lettering can be either uppercase or mixed case.
Place the title(s) in quotation marks.
Center the text on the line.
Fade In: follows the act title.
The following is an example of a MOW title page:
"A Day In The Life"
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
INT. BABY NURSERY - MORNING
Also, the end of each act is signaled with the FADE OUT: notation as well as the end of act notation.
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT ONE
=======FORCED PAGE BREAK==================
16
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
Software Tip:
When using script writing software you should always place a forced page break between acts. In other words, each act starts at the top of a new page.
Writing Tip:
Do not number the scenes. That's the job of the production office.
The Rules:
A MOW may also have a CAST LIST and on a separate page a SET LIST, much like in theatre scripts, but these forms change with the years. It's best to simply acquire a sample of a recently-aired MOW to learn the current convention.
The End
Well, that's as much as I've collected so far but I'll be adding more as I go. I hope this has been helpful and has assited you in finding the way to get to the next step in your screenwriting adventures.
Robert Mckee's note on screenplay
If you're interested in screenwriting then the first thing you have to come terms with is that film history is littered with good manuscripts that never got made. The director fell out with the producer. The star got pneumonia. The distribution company got cold feet.
It's possible to make quite a tidy sum out of writing screenplays that will be never be seen by a single paying punter. Somewhat demoralising, you may think, but before you worry about all that, you have to write the manuscript in the first place.
We asked two successful screenwriters, Shane Connaughton and Robert McKee, for guidance on how to write an effective screenplay.
Starting points - immediate advice for aspiring screenwriters
Remember that a good screenplay is a story and stories are critically important - they offer people equipment for living. Write about what is familiar to you and what you are passionate about.
"It's the storyteller - be it for the stage, page or screen, who civilises us. The art of writing makes meaning out of life. So screenwriting is not to be taken light-heartedly. It's a serious business."
Robert McKee
"Write about what you know and what you care about. I want to say to people who read my screenplays or see my films - this is what it was for me on the planet when I was alive."
Shane Connaughton
The first step - writing a treatment
A treatment can mean different things - it can refer to an outline of the plot, or to a detailed plan that you use to help you write the screenplay.
"A true treatment is something that you would never show anyone! It's an elaborate plan which describes scene by scene what the characters say and do, and what they're thinking and feeling. It should be about 80-100 pages long. It's a tool that the writer uses to build toward the screenplay."
Robert McKee
"I've learned over the course of practice that the shorter a treatment is, the better."
Shane Connaughton
How to structure a screen play
The famous French film maker, Jean Luc-Godard said, "All stories should have a beginning, a middle and an end, but not necessarily in that order."
Robert McKee outlines the structure of any story like this:
1. a key event or an inciting incident
2. a struggle against all the forces of life
3. a crisis
4. a climax
5. a resolution.
"Having a clear idea of possible beginnings, middles and ends, is a big help for me. But if the story is strong enough within you, you'll be pressurised a certain way and the story will tell itself. Beginnings and middles and ends are a very good way of trying to work it out in advance. Don't do anything on a whim or because you want to feel really fancy - it just doesn't work. Lies are soon found out. You can't fool an audience."
Shane Connnaughton
"Remember a story expresses how and why life changes from one condition at the beginning, to another condition at the end. For example, take that wonderful screenplay by Shane Connaughton and Jim Sheridan, My Left Foot: A man in utter poverty, suffering from a dreadful disease, leading a virtually meaningless and painful life, eventually finds meaning and achievement in life despite everything against him because he has an enormous will to change.
This story went from the negative to the positive; your story might go from the positive to the negative. You need a key event that throws things out of balance at the beginning of the story, then a struggle against all the forces of life, passing points of no return in terms of the central character's effort, until there comes a moment called the crisis. The crisis is when there is only one possible further choice of action for the character to achieve their desire. When the character takes that action, we call that moment the climax. Then you need a brief resolution at the end to bring things back to normal for the audience! That's the rhythm of any story."
Robert McKee
Writing exposition
The exposition is the facts of your story. It's all the facts about the characterisation, the history, the society, the physical setting and so on.
You only need to include the facts that the audience need to know at any given time - and no more!
Remember to dramatise these facts when you include them in your screenplay.
"I think of exposition as the clues to the characters and to what is going on in a film. For example, if your opening scene is a man digging potatoes in a field, you simply write: A man, Thomas Larkin, age 60, 6 foot 6 inches tall, is digging potatoes in a field. Then think of any other important details. Perhaps the field is by a river. Perhaps there's an army approaching the field. Imagine you're telling the story to a child at bedtime and you're trying to keep their interest."
Shane Connaughton
"I was given this advice by my writing tutor: Convert exposition to ammunition. For example, don't give the characters unnatural dialogue in which they tell each other things they already know about each other. The famous axiom that should guide you is: Show don't tell."
Robert McKee
Creating characters and dialogue
Write detailed notes on the history of your characters but follow the same principles given for exposition. Remember some characters will need depth; what they say and do may be very different from their secret desires.
To help you write realistic sounding dialogue, listen carefully to people around you.
Write dialogue last and remember that the real drama of a film is underneath what is being said and done.
"As I come from a theatre background, I always do build up a detailed picture of a character - I ask myself: what's their favourite colour, where did they go to school, who was their mother and so on. I always listen to people as I walk around. A young writer must listen, that's for sure. You have to have an interest in people; you have to have interest in humanity to be a writer - it goes without saying."
Shane Connaughton
"The key to character is desire. Ask yourself: What does my character want consciously and unconsciously? When you have a complex character, and you can answer those two questions clearly, suddenly your ability to create your character takes a huge leap forward. Remember that dialogue is the last step in the process of writing a screenplay, it's the frosting on the cake, because how do you know what a character is going to say until you know what that character is doing? And how do you know what the character is doing until you know what the character wants? So write your screenplay from the inside out, not the outside in."
Robert McKee
Reviewing and rewriting
Pare down your dialogue!
Read your screenplay aloud to hear if it flows well.
Remember film is all about images.
"If you don't cut down your dialogue somebody else will and they'll be less merciful than you! Cut to the quick. Cut to the chase all the time."
Shane Connaughton
"Any time you write a line of dialogue that you think is really wonderful, that's the first sign it should be cut! For the screenwriter, dialogue is the regretful second choice. Check that you have tried throughout to write in a purely visual way."
Robert McKee
It's possible to make quite a tidy sum out of writing screenplays that will be never be seen by a single paying punter. Somewhat demoralising, you may think, but before you worry about all that, you have to write the manuscript in the first place.
We asked two successful screenwriters, Shane Connaughton and Robert McKee, for guidance on how to write an effective screenplay.
Starting points - immediate advice for aspiring screenwriters
Remember that a good screenplay is a story and stories are critically important - they offer people equipment for living. Write about what is familiar to you and what you are passionate about.
"It's the storyteller - be it for the stage, page or screen, who civilises us. The art of writing makes meaning out of life. So screenwriting is not to be taken light-heartedly. It's a serious business."
Robert McKee
"Write about what you know and what you care about. I want to say to people who read my screenplays or see my films - this is what it was for me on the planet when I was alive."
Shane Connaughton
The first step - writing a treatment
A treatment can mean different things - it can refer to an outline of the plot, or to a detailed plan that you use to help you write the screenplay.
"A true treatment is something that you would never show anyone! It's an elaborate plan which describes scene by scene what the characters say and do, and what they're thinking and feeling. It should be about 80-100 pages long. It's a tool that the writer uses to build toward the screenplay."
Robert McKee
"I've learned over the course of practice that the shorter a treatment is, the better."
Shane Connaughton
How to structure a screen play
The famous French film maker, Jean Luc-Godard said, "All stories should have a beginning, a middle and an end, but not necessarily in that order."
Robert McKee outlines the structure of any story like this:
1. a key event or an inciting incident
2. a struggle against all the forces of life
3. a crisis
4. a climax
5. a resolution.
"Having a clear idea of possible beginnings, middles and ends, is a big help for me. But if the story is strong enough within you, you'll be pressurised a certain way and the story will tell itself. Beginnings and middles and ends are a very good way of trying to work it out in advance. Don't do anything on a whim or because you want to feel really fancy - it just doesn't work. Lies are soon found out. You can't fool an audience."
Shane Connnaughton
"Remember a story expresses how and why life changes from one condition at the beginning, to another condition at the end. For example, take that wonderful screenplay by Shane Connaughton and Jim Sheridan, My Left Foot: A man in utter poverty, suffering from a dreadful disease, leading a virtually meaningless and painful life, eventually finds meaning and achievement in life despite everything against him because he has an enormous will to change.
This story went from the negative to the positive; your story might go from the positive to the negative. You need a key event that throws things out of balance at the beginning of the story, then a struggle against all the forces of life, passing points of no return in terms of the central character's effort, until there comes a moment called the crisis. The crisis is when there is only one possible further choice of action for the character to achieve their desire. When the character takes that action, we call that moment the climax. Then you need a brief resolution at the end to bring things back to normal for the audience! That's the rhythm of any story."
Robert McKee
Writing exposition
The exposition is the facts of your story. It's all the facts about the characterisation, the history, the society, the physical setting and so on.
You only need to include the facts that the audience need to know at any given time - and no more!
Remember to dramatise these facts when you include them in your screenplay.
"I think of exposition as the clues to the characters and to what is going on in a film. For example, if your opening scene is a man digging potatoes in a field, you simply write: A man, Thomas Larkin, age 60, 6 foot 6 inches tall, is digging potatoes in a field. Then think of any other important details. Perhaps the field is by a river. Perhaps there's an army approaching the field. Imagine you're telling the story to a child at bedtime and you're trying to keep their interest."
Shane Connaughton
"I was given this advice by my writing tutor: Convert exposition to ammunition. For example, don't give the characters unnatural dialogue in which they tell each other things they already know about each other. The famous axiom that should guide you is: Show don't tell."
Robert McKee
Creating characters and dialogue
Write detailed notes on the history of your characters but follow the same principles given for exposition. Remember some characters will need depth; what they say and do may be very different from their secret desires.
To help you write realistic sounding dialogue, listen carefully to people around you.
Write dialogue last and remember that the real drama of a film is underneath what is being said and done.
"As I come from a theatre background, I always do build up a detailed picture of a character - I ask myself: what's their favourite colour, where did they go to school, who was their mother and so on. I always listen to people as I walk around. A young writer must listen, that's for sure. You have to have an interest in people; you have to have interest in humanity to be a writer - it goes without saying."
Shane Connaughton
"The key to character is desire. Ask yourself: What does my character want consciously and unconsciously? When you have a complex character, and you can answer those two questions clearly, suddenly your ability to create your character takes a huge leap forward. Remember that dialogue is the last step in the process of writing a screenplay, it's the frosting on the cake, because how do you know what a character is going to say until you know what that character is doing? And how do you know what the character is doing until you know what the character wants? So write your screenplay from the inside out, not the outside in."
Robert McKee
Reviewing and rewriting
Pare down your dialogue!
Read your screenplay aloud to hear if it flows well.
Remember film is all about images.
"If you don't cut down your dialogue somebody else will and they'll be less merciful than you! Cut to the quick. Cut to the chase all the time."
Shane Connaughton
"Any time you write a line of dialogue that you think is really wonderful, that's the first sign it should be cut! For the screenwriter, dialogue is the regretful second choice. Check that you have tried throughout to write in a purely visual way."
Robert McKee
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