Script Writing Format | How To Format Your Screen Play | The Film ...

Screen Writing is a very fun way to write, it?s written to be read, it?s written to be performed, it?s written to be acted. Screen Writing is writing to describe what you see and hear, and that?s it. For this reason Script Writing has it?s own format. To get started, let?s take a look at the video below. It?s the best quick start for script writing I?ve found, I use final draft, but I think using word is a great way to internalize this format.

Here is a great illustration on how Script Writing Format Works.

Fade In:

?

Every screen play starts with Fade In, it signals the start of your movie and the beginning of your script.

Scene Heading:

A screen heading lets the reader/actor/director know whether the scene is INT.(interior-inside) or EXT.(exterior-outside), the exact location of the scene, and whether it?s a ?DAY? or? ?NIGHT? shot. The Scene heading is also in all CAPS.

Action:

Action usually follows the screen heading to describe the action taking place on screen. There is where a screen writer meets the challenge of getting there vision to the page by showing and not telling. You only write what can be seen and heard. She picks up the bloody knife from her husbands body and attacks his murder. A little morbid and scary, but your drama and story really shine through in the action. Action is where you move your story forward, don?t try to do thing through the dialog. Show, don?t tell. Dialog is almost incidental as it us usually a result of the action and not vice versa.

Character?s First Appearance:

A characters first appearance is all in CAPS.? This way an actor or director instantly knows when a character is walking onto a scene for the first time, and is being introduced to the audience. When your reading the script, putting the name in all caps catches your eye and is really easy to see where a characters part begins.

Transition:

The transition is only placed at the end of the scene. ?Dissolve To? or ?Cut To? are common transitions. ?Fade Out?? in the end is a transition and ?Dip to Black? which fades to black and then to your picture to show the passage of time. Like say a person pulls the covers up to go to bed, and it fades to black and then to a morning shot with this person wakes up. Communicating a passing of time.

Character:

Well this is a simple one, this is your character name which is where the character is about to have dialog which is written right under the character name. This is indented past the action so it?s very easy to read and easy to find on the page.

Dialog:

Here your character speaks, it takes place right under the character name. It?s indented in far enough to be very easy to read. And is done automatically with programs like Final Draft and Celtix script writing programs.

Subheading:

This is a like scene heading, and assumes the previous scene heading details like INT/EXT (Interior/Exterior). NIGHT and DAY, ect. Instead of writing a full scene heading, you just write the new location.

Parenthetical:

A action or attitude direction like (Over Phone) (Screaming) (Absolutely Furious) which is for the character to used while speaking and acting the dialog.

Extension:

O.S stands for ?Off Screen?. Meaning the character can be responding to someone on the other side of the room and is not actually in the shot or scene while shooting. But can be ?heard.?

Mores and Continuations:

If you run out of room when you are writing someone?s dialog than you can simply write. (MORE) at the end on the page. And write (CONT.D) next to the Character name to tell the reader this dialog is continued from the page before.

Page Number:

Every script needs page numbers. Don?t forget them. Final Draft and Celtix adds these for you. Highly recommend using one of these programs.

Intercut:

Just communicates fast or quick back and forth cuts between two or more scenes. Like a phone conversation between two or more people.

Celtx The Free Script Writing Software:

Celtx.Com

Here?s a video on basic screen format, and how to use Celtx to format your script.

Final Draft Is a Great Program: Here?s a quick tutorial on how this works. (Kinda Long)

It will show you how to use it, and shows you how it formats your script for you. I use Final Draft.

In Conclusion:

Script Writing is a great way to communicate the vision of your film to your actors, directors, producers, and crew as provide a road-map to your story. Using a standard format means everyone will be able to understand it and use it professionally. Plus it?s a great way to tell a visual story, as the 1 minute per page really translates well to the screen. I have found that my scripts average about a minute per page, and it?s a great indicator for how long your film will be.

I highly recommend you use a software to write your scripts for you, though I do like creating one the old fashion way in word as doing so really gets you to understand and remember proper script format. I use Final Draft know professionals who use celtx which is a free downloadable program. Now that you have a proper outline to format your script, go write some great stories.

?

Source: http://www.thefilmmakersworkshop.com/script-writing-format-how-to-format-your-screen-play/

shawn johnson Tony Sly Lauren Perdue tagged Heptathlon London 2012 shot put London 2012 Track And Field