This document discusses the standard format for screenplays, including the six main elements: 1) Scene headings that indicate the location and time, 2) Action lines that describe what can be seen and heard, 3) Character names in all caps to indicate who is speaking, 4) Parentheticals for stage directions within dialogue, 5) Dialogue blocks offset from the margin and written side by side for dual dialogue, and 6) Transitions to indicate how one scene changes to the next. It also provides examples of these elements and discusses keywords like imagery, dialogue, and plot in screenplays.

1. Screenplay Format
Lecture #1
Tutor: Muhammad Rawaha Saleem
Company: ecHaaR Studio

2. Screenplay Format
Most modern screenplays, at least in Hollywood and related screen cultures,
are written in a style known as the Master Scene Format OR Master Scene
Script. The format is characterized by six elements, presented in the order in
which they are most likely to be used in a script:
 1 . Scene Heading, or Slug
 2 . Action Lines, or Big pint
 3 . Character Name
 4 . Parentheticals
 5 . Dialogue
 6 . Transitions

3. Screenplay Format – Scene Headings
Scripts written in Master Scene Format are divided into scenes: "a unit of
story that takes place at a specific location and time". Scene headings (or
slugs) indicate the location the following scene is to take place in, whether it
is interior or exterior, and the time-of-day it appears to be.
Conventionally, they are capitalized, and may be underlined and/or bolded.
In production drafts, scene headings are numbered.

4. Screenplay Format – Action Lines
Next are action lines, which describe stage direction and are generally written
in the present tense with a focus only on what can be seen and/or heard by
the audience.

5. Screenplay Format – Character Names
Character names are in all caps, centered in the middle of the page, and
indicate that a character is speaking the following dialogue. Characters who
are speaking off-screen or in voice-over are indicated by the suffix (O.S.) and
(V.O) respectively.

6. Screenplay Format – Parentheticals
Parentheticals provide stage direction for the dialogue that follows. Most
often this is to indicate how dialogue should be performed (for example,
angry) but can also include small stage directions (for example, picking up
vase). Overuse of parentheticals is discouraged.

7. Screenplay Format – Dialogue
Dialogue blocks are offset from the page's margin by 3.7" and are left-
justified. Dialogue spoken by two characters at the same time is written side-
by-side and is conventionally known as dual-dialogue.

8. Screenplay Format – Transitions
The final element is the scene transition and is used to indicate how the
current scene should transition into the next. It is generally assumed that the
transition will be a cut, and using "CUT TO:" will be redundant. Thus the
element should be used sparingly to indicate a different kind of transition
such as "DISSOLVE TO:".

9. Screenplay Sample

10. Screenplay Sample

11. Screenplay Format – (Keywords)
Imagery
Dialogue
Plot

12. Five Basic Steps in writing a
Screenplay
To be Continued…..