screenplay-formatting

Screenplay Formatting Skill

Purpose

Format screenplays to industry standard specifications. Proper formatting demonstrates professionalism and ensures your script is taken seriously. One page equals approximately one minute of screen time.

Fountain Format

Fountain is a plain text markup syntax for screenplays that exports to industry-standard PDF.

Basic Elements

Title:
    THE EXAMPLE SCREENPLAY
Credit: Written by
Author: Your Name
Draft date: January 2026
Contact:
    your@email.com
    123-456-7890

====

FADE IN:

INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY

Description of the scene and setting goes here.

CHARACTER NAME
Dialogue goes here.

FADE OUT.

THE END

Element Formatting

Scene Headings (Sluglines)

INT. LOCATION - TIME
EXT. LOCATION - TIME
INT./EXT. LOCATION - TIME

Components:

• INT. (interior) or EXT. (exterior)
• Location name in CAPS
• Time: DAY, NIGHT, CONTINUOUS, LATER, SAME, DAWN, DUSK

Examples:

INT. JOHN'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
EXT. CENTRAL PARK - CONTINUOUS
INT./EXT. MOVING CAR - DAY

Action/Description

Present tense. Active voice. Only what we see and hear.

Keep paragraphs short. Three to four lines maximum.

White space creates pace and readability.

Rules:

• Present tense always
• First appearance: CHARACTER NAME in CAPS
• Sounds in CAPS: BANG, CRASH
• No camera directions (usually)
• No internal thoughts
• 55-60 characters per line

Character Names

CHARACTER NAME
Dialogue here.

CHARACTER NAME (V.O.)
Voice over dialogue.

CHARACTER NAME (O.S.)
Off-screen dialogue.

CHARACTER NAME (CONT'D)
Continued from previous block.

Dialogue

CHARACTER
Regular dialogue goes here.

CHARACTER
(parenthetical)
Dialogue with direction.

CHARACTER
(beat)
Indicates a pause.

Parentheticals:

• Use sparingly
• For tone: (sarcastically)
• For direction: (to John)
• For action: (standing)
• NOT for every line
• NOT for obvious emotions

Transitions

CUT TO:

SMASH CUT TO:

DISSOLVE TO:

FADE TO BLACK.

FADE IN:

FADE OUT.

Note: Most scene changes are implied cuts. Use transitions sparingly.

Special Elements

> INTERCUT - LOCATION A/LOCATION B

FLASHBACK:

END FLASHBACK.

MONTAGE:

A) First image
B) Second image
C) Third image

END MONTAGE.

SUPER: "Three years later"

SERIES OF SHOTS:

A) Description
B) Description

END SERIES OF SHOTS.

Page Layout Specifications

Margins (Industry Standard)

Top margin:     1 inch
Bottom margin:  0.5-1 inch
Left margin:    1.5 inches
Right margin:   1 inch

Action:         Left margin at 1.5"
Character:      3.5" from left
Parenthetical:  3" from left
Dialogue:       2.5" from left, 2" wide
Transitions:    Right aligned

Font and Spacing

Font:           Courier 12pt
Line spacing:   Single
Between elements: Single blank line

Page Numbers

Page numbers top right
First page has no number
"1." or just "1" formats acceptable

Format by Project Type

Feature Film

• 90-120 pages typical
• Three-act structure
• No act breaks marked
• Scene numbers only for shooting scripts

TV Pilot (One-Hour Drama)

• 55-65 pages
• Act breaks marked: END OF ACT ONE
• Teaser optional
• Cold open common

TV Pilot (Half-Hour Comedy)

• 25-35 pages (single-cam)
• 40-50 pages (multi-cam, double-spaced dialogue)
• Act breaks marked
• Tags common

Short Film

• 1-40 pages
• Same formatting rules
• Tighter, more economical

Shooting Script Additions

• Scene numbers (both margins)
• Revision marks (* in margin)
• Colored pages for revisions
• Day breaks
• Page locks

Common Formatting Mistakes

Don't:

❌ We see John walk in (don't say "we see")
❌ JOHN walks in angrily (use action, not adverb)
❌ CAMERA PANS to reveal... (no camera directions)
❌ John thinks about his childhood (can't film thoughts)
❌ John (35, handsome, like Brad Pitt) (too specific casting)

Do:

✓ John enters, shoulders slumped.
✓ JOHN, 30s, weary eyes that have seen too much.
✓ A photograph on the desk catches his attention.
✓ He picks it up. His jaw tightens.

Fountain Quick Reference

# Scene Heading forces a scene heading
.FORCED ACTION LINE (note the period)
@Character Name (forces character)
~Lyrics in dialogue
/*
Block comment
*/
[[ Note to self or reader ]]
= Section heading (for organization)
== Second level heading

Title Page Template

Title: YOUR TITLE HERE
Credit: Written by
Author: Your Name
Source: Based on the novel by Author Name
Draft date: January 27, 2026
Contact:
    Your Name
    your@email.com
    (555) 123-4567
    Agent Name, Agency
Copyright: (c) 2026 Your Name

====

Quality Checklist

• [ ] Title page complete
• [ ] Scene headings consistent
• [ ] Character names capitalized on intro
• [ ] Parentheticals used sparingly
• [ ] Action in present tense
• [ ] Page count appropriate for format
• [ ] Proper Courier 12pt font
• [ ] Margins correct
• [ ] No camera directions (unless shooting script)
• [ ] No typos or grammatical errors
• [ ] Page breaks don't split dialogue
• [ ] Transitions used sparingly