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A well-written script tries to create in the
reader’s mind the experience of watching a movie. That means describing
images, sounds, actions, and speech in such a way that the scenes unspool as they
would on a theater screen.
In the movies, unlike in a novel, we are limited to
the physical senses of sight and sound. Refrain from describing what
cannot be seen or heard. For example, don’t describe a character in terms
of their occupation, as this usually isn’t evident from their appearance.
Employ props and clothing to give us visual clues, or reveal a character’s
identity subtly in dialogue.
Before you tell us what takes place,
it’s usually a good idea to set the stage. The first time we see our
characters in a particular setting, describe it briefly to help convey the mood
and bring the scene to life.
Make the description kinetic and visual, but succinct and specific. Replace passive verbs (e.g. “is”) with
active verbs to make the action more dynamic. Don’t editorialize by using
adjectives or adverbs that express a personal reaction, such as “hideous,”
“amazing,” or “incredible.”
Strip your description of any clichés and generic
phrases that contribute nothing to our understanding of the characters or
situation. Don’t
just write that a character is standing in a room, for example, or sitting at a
desk. Give them some business that indicates their personality or
attitude. Open each scene with them already engaged in some action that
relates to the story.
Such directions as “PAN TO,” “DOLLY IN” and “CRANE
UP” should be used sparingly. No director wants the writer to tell him how to
move the camera. It’s possible to convey the
shot you envision simply by describing the scene in a manner that leads the
mind’s eye of the reader.
It’s not necessary to describe minor gestures and
reactions. Nor is it necessary to slug out a different camera angle (e.g.
“BACK TO JONATHAN”). Such overwritten description tends to distract rather
than enhance, especially when it interrupts an exchange of dialogue. Leave
it to the actors and the director to interpret the lines and block out the scene.
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It’s not necessary in the body
of a scene to mention the location, the time of day, or whether it’s an
interior or exterior, as this is already known from the
scene heading. |
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If a legend, such as a locale
or a date, is to be superimposed upon a scene, then standard format dictates
it be placed within quotes and preceded by the word “SUPERIMPOSE:” (in ALL
CAPS with a colon). Do not abbreviate “SUPERIMPOSE” as “SUPER.”
Do not place the legend above the scene heading, but within the scene
itself. The word “TITLE:” is incorrect, as titles are only used at the beginning of
a movie. Similarly, the term “TITLE CARD:” would designate a separate
graphic element, a card that is not superimposed over the scene. Title
cards were common in silent films, but are seldom used today. |
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In action and description, a
character’s name should be written in ALL CAPS only when that character
first appears in the script. After that, the name should appear in
Title Case. This holds true even for bit parts, such as Medical
Examiner. |
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Always employ the number
symbol (#) when referring to numbered characters, such as Girl #1 and Girl
#2. |
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A character’s age should be
written as numbers, set off by commas, not enclosed in parentheses. |
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Be consistent in naming your
characters. If you introduce an Armed Man, for example, always call
him the Armed Man. Don’t call him Thug just for the sake of variety. This can be confusing. |
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To minimize any possibility of
confusion (and to make the script easier to
read), avoid naming two principal characters with the same initial letter
(e.g., Albert and Anderson). |
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Refrain from using ALL CAPS
just for emphasis. There are three occasions when it’s permissible to
use ALL CAPS in description: 1) when introducing a character, 2) to
denote camera direction, and 3) to draw attention to sound effects.
The main reason for using ALL CAPS is to aid the production manager in
breaking down the script. |
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When wrapping lines, do not
insert hyphens to break words. |
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Do not justify the margins.
A fully justified script may appear neater, but it’s more difficult to read
than a script with paragraphs that are “ragged right.” |
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There is no need to lead into
some dialogue by describing that a particular character
says something, as this purpose is served by the character cue. |
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If possible, refrain from
interrupting a passage of dialogue with tiny bits of direction. Such
direction would be more economically presented as a
parenthetical. |
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An ellipsis consists of three
periods. No more, no less. There should be a space between an
ellipsis and the text that follows it, but no leading space. An
ellipsis does not have any spaces between the periods. Make sure
you’re not using an ellipsis symbol (usually the result of writing in
Microsoft®
Word® with its “AutoCorrect” feature), as this
symbol places the periods too close together for a screenplay. |
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Text that is visible onscreen,
such as a newspaper headline, words on a sign or on a computer monitor,
should be set off in quotes. |
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Song titles in description
should also be enclosed in quotes. |
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The titles of books and
publications should be underscored when they appear in description. |
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If an action element describes
something that occurs off-screen, then the term “off-screen” should be
abbreviated as “o.s.” |
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The abbreviations for
background (b.g.) and foreground (f.g.) are written in lower case. The
same applies to the abbreviation for point-of-view (p.o.v.), without sound (m.o.s.),
voice-over (v.o.), and off-screen (o.s.) when used in description. |
 
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