Intro to Screenwriting Week 5: Screenplay Formatting

Photo courtesy of IMDb

This week we covered screenplay formatting and put it into practice by writing 2 page scripts, and watching True Grit.

Lecture

We covered all things formatting:

Page Setup
Title Page
Slug Lines
Action
Dialogue

What is the industry standard screenplay formatting?

Page Setup

When it comes to script writing, the industry standard is 12 point courier font with 1 inch margins on the top and bottom, 1.5 inch margins on left, and 1 inch on the right.

Additionally, page numbers should be in the top right corner.

Title Page

The title page of a screenplay should include:

Title
Written by: Name
Phone number and email in the bottom left corner

Script Pages

When beginning any screenplay, the first line at the top of the first page is always “FADE IN:” Conversely, at the end of every script should be “FADE OUT.” or “THE END.”

Each scene begins with a slugline. The proper format is as follows:

INT./EXT. LOCATION NAME – TIME OF DAY

*INT. stands for “interior” and EXT. stands for “exterior.”

Locations should be general. For example: “JOHN’S BEDROOM,” “PARKING LOT,” etc.

Subheadings can be used to focus on specific rooms in the same location. For example: “INT. LOUISE’S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM – NIGHT”

The first time a character is introduced, their name should be in all caps. Each time after that, normal capitalization is expected.

Action

Action is an integral part of script writing that can make or break a story. A rule of thumb is to keep it “short and punchy.”

Generally, action should be 3 lines or less, and contain one idea in each chunk of lines.

If you want something specific to stand out, WRITE IT IN ALL CAPS!

Most importantly when writing action lines: everything should have a purpose!

Dialogue

Backing up the action is dialogue.

The speaking character’s name should always be in all caps at the head of each line of dialogue. Following it can be a few tags in parentheses:

O.S.
V.O.
CONT’D

O.S.

The O.S. tag stands for off screen. It should be used when we hear a character somewhere else at the location but do not see them at that moment. For example:

Katie hides her phone.

JOHN (O.S.)

I don’t think I can trust you.

V.O.

The V.O. tag stands for voice over. This tag should be used when we hear a character who is not present in the location. V.O. is often used for narration. For example:

JOHN (V.O.)

Once upon a time…

CONT’D

The CONT’D tag stands for continued. It is used when a character’s dialogue is interrupted by action. Some screenwriting software will track this for you and add it automatically. For example:

JOHN

I could’ve sworn I packed it.

John digs through a diaper bag.

JOHN (CONT’D)

GOT IT!

Screening

To take a look at formatting, we analyzed the Coen Brothers’ 2010 film, True Grit.

When a Texas ranger offers to chase her father’s killer, Mattie must team up with the him and a bounty hunter before the killer gets away.

Although it may be controversial, I am generally not a fan of the Coen Brothers. I have read and/or seen their films The Big Lebowski, True Grit, and Raising Arizona.

I find their writing to be extremely geared to the male gaze. Their characters and plots tend to just lean into male interests and humor, that as a woman I don’t particularly resonate with. I can appreciate that Mattie is the main character and female in this one.

Despite that, I do think they write distinct characters well and follow the necessary screenplay formatting.

Assignment

Besides our analysis of the 7 Plot Points of True Grit, we were tasked with taking everything covered so far and writing a 2 page script to share in class.

I was super excited to jump into this and to scratch my itch to write.

I started by brainstorming a couple ideas that were focused on a single moment that I could quickly convey conflict and a resolution. I landed on something to do with 2 friends on prom night arguing outside.

From there, I developed it into a concise but effective 2 pages. It was definitely challenging at first to slim it down, but it really makes you consider what is absolutely necessary to convey a story.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed getting to actually apply the skills we have been studying so far! I am very excited to write longer scripts as we progress in the class.

Don’t forget to check out last week’s blog, and to stay tuned for future updates!