Professional Documents
Culture Documents
DESCRIPTION:
Description of the location, characters, and action
indicated throughout the scene. Also referred to as "the
business" of the scene.
CHARACTER NAME:
The name of the person who is speaking.
DIALOGUE:
What that person is saying.
PARENTHETICALS:
How the character says a specific line or what they're
doing while they are saying it.
CAMERA DIRECTIONS:
Any camera indications of how the scene should be
visualized or from what perspective the information
should be shown.
PAGE NUMBER:
Always placed in the top-right corner.
POPULAR CAMERA DIRECTIONS & TERMS
SCREENWRITERS SHOULD KNOW:
ANGLE ON:
This shot suggests another view of a previous shot.
MONTAGE:
The dissolving of two or more shots into each other to create a desired
effect, usually an association of ideas. These shots need not include the
main character, and they don’t have a beginning, middle, and end.
CLOSE-UP:
A shot that emphasizes a detail in a scene. It’s often abbreviated to CU.
O.S.:
Shorthand for off-screen, this abbreviation is used when a character speaks
outside the camera’s view, or when the audience hears a sound but can’t see
where it’s coming from.
CONTINUATION:
When a scene or a speech is interrupted by a page break, type MORE in
parentheses at the end of the last line on the first page, and then type
CONT’D after the character’s name on the next page.
POV:
Shorthand for point of view, this direction implies that the scene is being
viewed from specific character’s perspective. You must identify whose point
of view it is and what exactly he sees. If the POV alternates within a scene,
employ the term REVERSE POV.
DISSOLVE TO:
This direction is used when you want to suggest a slow transition from one
scene to the next. You may dissolve to suggest the passage of time between
one shot and another or to suggest one image fading into the next.
SERIES OF SHOTS:
This technique abridges action sequences into a number of short moments
involving the main character, usually without dialogue. A series of shots has
a distinct beginning, middle and end, and is often used to dramatize a
passage of time.
FADE IN:
Every screenplay begins with these words. They suggest the
movement from darkness to an image on the screen. They’re
typed in all caps at the left margin followed by a double space
and the first slug line.
FADE OUT:
These words end a screenplay. They’re typed to the right margin
and followed by six spaces and the words THE END in the center
of the page.
SPLIT SCREEN:
This shot indicates two subjects in different locations on-screen
simultaneously.
SUPER:
Shorthand for superimpose, this term is used if another element
is being superimposed over the action of a scene. A super is often
used to show dates, locations, or text. Alternatives include: TITLE
or CHYRON.
INSERT:
A writer uses this direction to highlight an object in the scene or
include a detail that’s outside the scene but important to it. To
complete an insert, do one of three things: Return to the
dialogue, switch locations with a new slug line, or type BACK TO
SCENE at the end.
V.O.:
Shorthand for voice-over. This direction is used when the
audience hears a character speak above the action of a scene. It’s
often used for narration.
INTERCUT:
This direction indicates that two scenes are occurring
simultaneously in separate locations. This term appears in all
caps as the slug line or in the description.
TYPES OF SCREENPLAY TRANSITIONS
THAT CAN BE USED BETWEEN SCENES:
SMASH TO:
This is a really abrupt cut, like a "CUT TO:" times ten. The
kind of cut that comes in mid-sentence. Smash cuts are
used here to as a form of montage.
DISSOLVE TO:
When one scene “dissolves” into another scene, almost
transforming into that scene. This is primarily used to
indicate that time has passed.
INTERCUT:
Intercutting (or cross-cutting) is where you bounce back
and forth between two different scenes. It’s usually used
for phone calls, but not always.
SCREENWRITING SOFTWARE
FREE & PAID
FREE: PAID:
Fade In Final Draft (Industry Leader)
Writer Duet Slugline (What I use)
Trelby Movie Magic Screenwriter
Kit Scenarist Celtx (Very affordable)
StudioBinder Scrivener
Highland 2
Causality
Arc Studio Pro
Prewrite
Drama Queen
Dub Script
That’s about all you will ever need when it comes to writing
software and in the beginning it’s best not to get too caught up in
which one you pick.
You’ll learn more about your personal style and preferences and
be able to make a more educated choice later if you so choose.
(Like potentially getting into writing in fountain format)
LEFT MARGIN:
1-1/2 inches
RIGHT MARGIN:
1 inch
TOP MARGIN:
1 inch
BOTTOM MARGIN:
1 inch
SLUGLINES:
Always capitalized. Run the length of the page (after you’ve set
margins)
DESCRIPTION:
Runs the length of the page (after you’ve set margins)
CHARACTER NAME:
3.7 inches from the left side of the page. (2.2 inches from the left
margin)
DIALOGUE:
Begins 2-1/2 inches from the left side of the page (1-1/2 inches
from the left margin). Ends at 6-1/2 inches from the left side of
the page (5 inches from the left margin)
PARENTHETICALS:
3.1 inches from the left side of the page. (1.6 inches from the left
margin)
PAGE NUMBERS:
Top-right corner, a half-inch from the top of the page. Followed by
a period
FONT:
You really shouldn’t use anything other than a 12 point
Courier font or it’s going to look very weird to anyone
reading it.
TITLE PAGE:
The very first page in your document should include a
title page.
SETH WORLEY'S
STORY CLOCK NOTEBOOK
DAN HARMON'S
STORY CIRCLE
IN MEDIA RES
STRUCTURE
6 BOOKS EVERY
SCREENWRITER NEEDS TO READ
ADVENTURES IN THE
SCREEN TRADE BY
WILLIAM GOLDMAN
BECAUSE REMEMBER...