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SCRIPT FORMAT CHEAT SHEET
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TITLE PAGE <ul><li>SCRIPT TITLE </li></ul><ul><li>written by </li></ul><ul><li>Matthew Harris </li></ul>
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CONTACT & DATE <ul><li>12345 Anystreet Rd. </li></ul><ul><li>City, ST/PROV POSTAL </li></ul><ul><li>(555) 555-5555 </li></ul>FIRST DRAFT September 16, 2009
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SCENE HEADINGS <ul><li>Interior or Exterior? </li></ul><ul><li>EXT. HOTEL – ENTRANCE – DAY </li></ul><ul><li>INT. HOTEL – LOBBY – DAY </li></ul><ul><li>Order from general to specific. </li></ul>
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CHARACTERS <ul><li>Introducing a character </li></ul><ul><li>MATTHEW HARRIS walks into the hotel </li></ul><ul><li>lobby. </li></ul><ul><li>Afterwards </li></ul><ul><li>Matthew approaches the front desk. </li></ul>
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DIALOGUE <ul><li>MATTHEW HARRIS </li></ul><ul><li>A character’s name should </li></ul><ul><li>always be capitalized when </li></ul><ul><li>speaking. </li></ul><ul><li>Margins </li></ul><ul><li>Not centered. </li></ul><ul><li>Character Name starts at 4.1” </li></ul><ul><li>Always begins at same point. </li></ul>
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PARENTHETICALS <ul><li>MATTHEW HARRIS </li></ul><ul><li> (flips to next slide) </li></ul><ul><li>Words of direction contained in </li></ul><ul><li>parentheses within dialogue. </li></ul><ul><li>When to use? </li></ul><ul><li>How a line is spoken </li></ul><ul><li>What the character is doing while speaking </li></ul>
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V.O. & O.S. <ul><li>MATTHEW HARRIS (V.O.) </li></ul><ul><li>O.S. or Offscreen </li></ul><ul><ul><li>when a character is physically present in a scene, but outside the view of the camera </li></ul></ul><ul><li>V.O. or Voice Over </li></ul><ul><ul><li>all other instances (i.e. Phone, TV, Speaker, Radio, Narrator, etc.) </li></ul></ul>
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SOUND CUES <ul><li>Capitalize the SOUND, and SOURCE </li></ul><ul><li>of sound. </li></ul><ul><li>MUSIC plays on the SOUND SYSTEM. </li></ul>
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TRANSITIONS <ul><li>FADE IN: </li></ul><ul><li>INT. BAR – NIGHT </li></ul><ul><li>CUT TO: </li></ul><ul><li>EXT. STREET – NIGHT </li></ul><ul><li>FADE OUT. </li></ul>
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OTHER <ul><li>Single Camera Format </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Other formats: </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Sitcom/Multi-Camera </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Stage Play </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>Spelling and Grammar </li></ul><ul><li>Page Numbers </li></ul><ul><li>Copyright </li></ul><ul><li>Registration </li></ul>
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SOFTWARE <ul><li>FINAL DRAFT ($249) </li></ul><ul><ul><li>www.finaldraft.com </li></ul></ul><ul><li>MOVIE MAGIC SCREENWRITER($249) </li></ul><ul><ul><li>www.screenplay.com </li></ul></ul><ul><li>CELTX(FREE!) </li></ul><ul><ul><li>www.celtx.com </li></ul></ul>
4” from top of page, capitalized, underlined. 4 lines below, writer’s name. Two writer’s Name & Name.
If not represented, your address. If represented, your rep’s contact info. Leave draft, and date off if a spec / or sending out. WGA registration/copyright notice.