2. General Formatting
12-point Courier on US Letter
paper (8.5 inches x 11 inches)
The top, bottom and right margins
are 1 inch. The left margin is 1.5
inches.
Single Spaced
Page numbers are top-right.
Includes a Title Page
3. Scene Heading aka Slugline
Scene’s location and time of day - written
in UPPERCASE.
When you change location or times, create
a new slugline.
● UNLESS moving to a more specific
part of the same location, or action
continues moments later. Use a
subheader to indicate this.
● OR intercutting between locations at
the same time (like a phone call.)
INT. = Interior
EXT. = Exterior
INT./EXT. = Both (e.g. a car)
4. Action
Tells the reader what happens on
the screen.
Only things that can be seen and
heard should be included in the
action.
Written in the PRESENT tense.
The first time a Character’s Name
appears in the action, it should be
typed in ALL CAPS.
5. Character
Character names are in
UPPERCASE and followed
immediately by Dialogue.
If the character will not be seen,
but is assumed to be present in the
scene, use (O.S.) for “off-screen.”
If the character will not be seen
because they are narrating the
scene, use (V.O.) for “voice over.”
6. Dialogue
Used anytime a character is heard
speaking.
If a character’s dialogue continues
from one page to another, use
(MORE) and (CONT’D).
The (MORE) should go below the
break in dialogue on the first page,
and the (CONT’D) next to the
character’s name on the following
page.
7. Parenthetical
Wrapped in parentheses, and
follow a Character or Dialogue
element.
They are an action or attitude
direction for a character.
Used very rarely, and only if
absolutely necessary.
8. Transitions
Film editing instructions that
generally only appear in a shooting
script.
● CUT TO:
● DISSOLVE TO:
● FADE TO:
Start of your script should include
the transition, “FADE IN:”
Last line of the script should be
“FADE TO BLACK.” flush right.
FADE TO BLACK.
