How to Format a Screenplay Without Screenwriting Software
While screenplay formatting software like Final Draft and Movie Magic Screenwriter are great time savers, there may come a time when you need to manually format a screenplay. You will need to arrange a submission script in the accepted industry format. For the most part, submission script formatting involves the elements scene headings, scene action descriptions, character names (dialogue headers), and character dialogue. As a general rule, each page counts as a minute in film time. A new script should be somewhere between 90 and 120 pages long.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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1
Acquire at least a couple copies of screenplays, preferably from films that have already been produced. Study these scripts and compare the formatting in each one.
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2
Scene headings appear at the beginning of each new scene. Headings include the scene's time and place, and designate whether the scene is an interior ("INT.") or exterior ("EXT.") shot. Example:
"EXT. LONDON PUB ALLEY - NIGHT"
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3
Scene action provides economical descriptions of characters, character movements, places, and things within each scene. Scene descriptions must be single-spaced. Example:
"INT. LONDON PUB - NIGHT
The drunken truck driver pushes "King Arthur" out the pub's front door."
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4
Character names always appear centered and capped above script dialogue. Example:
"KING ARTHUR"
Knave! Unhand me! -
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Dialogue is always indented in a block formation to distinguish it from scene action. Example:
"INT. LONDON PUB - NIGHT
The drunken truck driver pushes "King Arthur" out the pub's front door.
"KING ARTHUR"
Knave! Unhand me!
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1
Tips & Warnings
The formatting suggestions at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences web site are highly recommended.
Note that there are formatting differences between shooting scripts (pre-production) and submission scripts.
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