![]() Double space two lines below and add the words “written by” and of course… your name. Just start down from the top about a quarter of the page and center your screenplay title, either in all caps or surrounded by quotation marks. YouĪre a screenwriter not a layout artist, so no kerning the letters or fudging on the line spacing. Use "Courier Old" if possible but "Courier New” is also fine. “ COURIER” (typewriter) font 12pt is the one and only font you should use. Note: Hollywood Script Express has you covered, providing all the recommended materials to ensure your script is professionally presented! Fasteners should be placed in the top and bottom holes with the center hole left empty. Avoid the flimsy Staples kind.ģ-Hole-punched - Covers and Pages should be three hole punched. US Letter) with no watermarks.īinding - Two solid brass paper fasteners (1 1/4") a.k.a ‘brads’ should be used to bind the script. 8 1/2" X 11" plain white 20 lbs stock (i.e. Letter! Hollywood does not do metric so keep that A4 away from American airspace. You can also buy specialized software tailored specifically for formatting such as Script Studio which does most of the work for you, auto-completing as you type and formatting your text and margins automatically.Ĭlick here for more detailed information on the specific elements that make up a professional screenplay. Motion picture screenplay are explained below. Save you the embarrassment of such a shredding, the recommended Hollywood standards for formatting a feature length Screenplay contest judge's temper enflame more than a poorly formatted or shoddily presented script. Is just looking for an excuse - any excuse - to tear your submission apart. Final Draft 8.0, Hollywood Screenwriter, Movie Magic Screenwriter 6, and Scriptware are popular screenplay-formatting programs.įor more general tips on formatting, see our other articles: Formatting Numbers In Creative Writing, Don’t Let Misused Hyphens Muddle Your Writing: Basic Hyphenation Rules, and Manuscript Proofreading and Formatting.Your average overworked and underpaid script reader slaving away in some Hollywood hotshot’s Century City office You can also purchase screenwriting software that automatically formats as you type. Using the above margins and tabs, any word-processing program can be set up to format a screenplay. Copy your script on three-hole paper and bind with metal fasteners. Type your name and address in the lower right-hand corner. For the title page, center the title and your name in the middle of the page. Ideal page length for feature film or full-length stage plays is 110 to 115 pages, about two hours. Double-space between dialogue blocks and blocks of descriptive text. If you want to indicate a voice-over, insert (V.O.) to the right of the name. If a character is speaking offscreen, insert (O.S.) to the right of the character’s name. If descriptive text interrupts a character’s dialogue, insert (cont’d) or (cont) to the right of the character’s name the second time the name appears. Dialogue in scripts or screenplays is indented left and right and is 3.5 inches wide. (Parentheticals give extra information about how a line is to be delivered. Place parentheticals one or two tabs (depending on length) to the left of the character name. Capitalize character names for dialogue and set at 4 inches from left margin. Sound effects also appear in descriptive text in caps. The first time a character appears in descriptive text, the character’s name should be in all caps. Descriptive text is 60 characters, or six inches wide, left justified and single-spaced. LIVING ROOM - DAY (note punctuation and spacing). "Interior" and "Exterior" are abbreviated INT. Capitalize sluglines and scene setting indicators. Place page numbers in the upper right-hand corner, 1 inch from right, ½ inch from top, with ½ inch between number and text. Use one space after end-sentence punctuation. To allow for three-hole punching, set left margin at 1.5 inches, right at 1 inch. The following are a few general guidelines for script formatting (the formatting suggestions listed below are based on letter-size 8.5 x 11-inch paper): Whether you have just completed the perfect screenplay, or are about to start writing your debut movie script, do not make the mistake of sending your creation to contests, competitions, or screenplay agents without using proper script format.
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