Screenplays should be formatted according to industry standards. Scriptwriting software will make these adjustments for you automatically, or you can set the proper tabs with your word-processing software.
The measurements given below will vary among screenplays (and scriptwriting software) but these measurements are acceptable norms. There are some minor variations in format between spec screenplays and shooting scripts. The following guidelines apply to specs.
General Layout
Font
12-point Courier only
Pages
A page number appears on the upper-right-hand corner of every page (except the first).
Each page represents approximately one minute of screen time. This is the reason your screenplay should run between 90 and 120 pages.
Page margins
Top: 1"
Bottom: 1"
Left: 1.5" (the extra width allows room for binding)
Right: 1"
Spacing
Everything is single-spaced.
Always insert a blank space between paragraphs or when you switch from scene heading to description or from description to dialogue.
Scene Headings
Each scene begins with a scene heading, also known as a "scene header" or "slugline." The scene heading indicates the time and place of each scene. Whenever either the time or place changes, by even a little bit, this constitutes a new scene.
The scene heading contains three pieces of information:
Scene headings start on the left margin. They are spelled in CAPS. Insert one space between the end of the previous scene and the scene heading. Before the time designation, you can use a dash, double dash, or just a space. A scene heading looks like this:
EXT. THELMA'S HOUSE - DAY
If it's essential that the scene take place at DAWN, MORNING, DUSK, EARLY EVENING, then you can use those terms. If it's essential that the scene take place at an exact time, then you can state the time, such as 4:00 A.M.
If a scene occurs shortly after the previous scene in the same location, then you can indicate the time with LATER, or some variation thereof, like so:
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
When the action moves from one place to another without a break in time—say, following a character who is walking through a building, then you can indicate the time with CONTINUOUS, like so:
INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
Scene Description
Scene description, also known as "action" or "direction," conveys what happens: physical actions, character and setting description, sounds, etc.
All description starts at the left margin and runs straight across to the right margin, and looks like this:
Louise drives through the desert back toward the road, past the burning debris of the truck. As she gets to the road she stops. Thelma climbs into the front seat.
Dialogue
The words spoken by the characters are dialogue.
Dialogue is always preceded by a character name, also known as a "character cue," which gives the name of the character speaking in CAPS. If the character is very minor, you might use a designation, such as WAITRESS or OLD MAN.
The character name starts 4" from the left of the page.
The dialogue itself starts 2.5" from the left of the page. It should run no farther than 2.5" from the right of the page, and looks like this:
LOUISE
Why don't you ditch that loser husband of yours?
Parentheticals
A parenthetical, also known as a "line action," is a brief description inserted within dialogue and surrounded by parentheses. A parenthetical will indicate how a line is said, or indicate a minor action done by a character while speaking.
A parenthetical is inserted into the dialogue section, but on a line of its own. It starts 3" from the left of the page. It should run no further than 3.5" from the right of the page, and looks like this:
LOUISE
(wistful)
I wonder if Jimmy's gotten back.
V.O./O.S.
When a character speaks in narration (or speaks without being in the scene) it is referred to as voice-over. Voice-over is indicated by placing V.O. beside the speaker's name, like so:
THELMA (V.O.)
Alright, ladies and gentlemen, let's see who'll win the prize for keepin' their cool.
When a character speaks from nearby but is off screen, this is indicated by placing O.S. beside the speaker's name. For example, if a character is calling from a neighboring room, O.S. might be used, like so:
J. D. (O.S.)
(through the door)
Thelma? It's me.
Transitions
Some screenplays indicate the transition from scene to scene with this:
CUT TO:
The words begin 5.5" from the left of the page.
As there's no real need to use CUT TO after every scene, you can just skip it. You may wish to use it if you want to indicate an especially fast or dramatic transition from one scene to the next.
If you want a transition that is really fast or shocking, then you may use this:
SMASH CUT TO:
If you want a transition that is especially slow, then you may use this:
DISSOLVE TO:
It's optional, but a screenplay may start with:
FADE IN:
And end with:
FADE OUT.
Continued
If a character's speech is cut off at the page break, then you continue the speech on the following page. You indicate it is a continued speech with CONT'D (although some scripts don't capitalize "cont'd"), like so:
LOUISE (CONT'D)
I don't want to see any more beef jerky. It's drivin' me crazy. The whole car smells like it.
You may also use this technique when a character's speech is interrupted by action, but it's not essential. Like so:
THELMA
And smooth, boy, are you smooth.
They kiss passionately.
THELMA (CONT'D)
You're kinda the best thing that's happened to me in a long time.
In a shooting script, CONTINUED (or MORE) is sometimes used on the bottom and top of pages where a scene continues from one page to the next, but this isn't necessary for a spec script.
Other Capitalization
Capitalize each letter of a character's name the first time that character appears in the script, like so:
DARRYL comes trotting down the stairs.
In a shooting script, sound effects are capitalized. You may also do this in a spec script, but it's not essential. It works like so:
As they speed out of the parking lot back to the road, we hear MUSIC blaring from the nightclub. They hit the main road with tires SQUEALING.
Camera Directions
Spec screenplays should include few or no camera directions, but if it's crucial to indicate what the camera should show, you can indicate it, like so:
Hal goes over a list of every registered green T-Bird in the state.
COMPUTER MONITOR
Names are scrolling by as Hal stares blankly at the screen.
Occasionally, you can use actual camera terms, if you must. The most common types of camera directions are CLOSE ON,
CLOSEUP, EXTREME CLOSEUP. If the camera is close, indicate it like so:
EXTREME CLOSEUP of Darryl's face.
The terms ANGLE, and ANGLE ON designate where the camera is focused, like so:
ANGLE ON THELMA
She has her finger on the lever.
When a character's name is preceded or followed by POV, this means we are seeing something from that character's point of view. Like so:
LOUISE'S POV OF THE SPEEDOMETER AT 100 mph.
Notice that all explicit camera directions are spelled in CAPS.
Montage
When a series of scenes or shots is shown in quick succession, this is called a montage. A montage may forgo scene headings and appear like so:
MONTAGE
1.Early-morning staff.
2.A truck driver climbing into his cab with a silver thermos.
3.Squirrels hopping around on the ground.
You can skip the numbers if you like. Or you can use letters. Or you can go as simple as this:
MONTAGE of early-morning staff, a truck driver climbing into his cab with a silver thermos, squirrels hopping around on the ground.