MASTERING

SCRIPT
FORMATTING
E G B E M AW E I D. S A M M Y
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THE IMPORTANCE OF SCRIPT FORMATTING

• Proper formatting ensures your screenplay is presented professionally and makes it

easier for producers, directors, and actors to read and understand.

• It can be what initially separates your work from either being read or discarded,
regardless of how good your story and dialogue are.

• Mastering script formatting is essential for ALL screenwriters.

• Psst: Use industry-standard software like Final Draft or Celtx for proper formatting.

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QUOTES

• "Screenwriting is not about writing a perfect script; it's about getting your story across in the most
effective way possible." - Quentin Tarantino

• "Formatting is the skeleton that gives your story structure and life." – Unknown

• "You need to learn the rules before you can break them effectively." - Syd Field

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THE STANDARD ELEMENTS OF A
SCREENPLAY
1. Scene headings
2. Action lines
3. Character names
4. Dialogue, and
5. Transitions.

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1. SCENE HEADING

• A scene heading is like the address of a story's location. It gives us essential information about
where and when a scene takes place.
• INT., EXT. or EST. – These mean interior, exterior or establishing.
• For example: INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY.
– In this format, INT. stands for interior, COFFEE SHOP is the location, and DAY indicates the time.

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1. SCENE HEADING

• Scene headings set the stage for our story both literally and figuratively, allowing readers to
visualize the scenes vividly.
• If you are talking about specific parts of a larger building, you can write your scene heading as
below:

• Whether you use a dash (-) or a slash (/), you’re correct.

• Be sure to maintain consistent use of your choice.

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2. ACTION LINES

• Action lines are the brushstrokes that paint the visual canvas of your screenplay. They describe
physical actions, movements, and important visual details.
• "Action is character. If we can't see what your characters are doing, we won't know who they are." -
David Mamet

• You need to write in present-continuous tense. The events of your script are happening right
now.
– A bad example is:“She walked into the room, and her eyes scanned the cluttered shelves.”
– A good example is: "She walks into the room, her eyes scanning the cluttered shelves."

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2. ACTION LINES

• Use active verbs and concise language to create a clear mental image for the reader.

• Remember, less is often more when it comes to action descriptions.

• Keep it short, concise and straight to the point.
• "A screenplay is not a novel, but it should read like a thrilling short story." - Michael Hauge

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2. ACTION LINES
• You do not need to describe things that can be identified with a single phrase.

• Unless there is a need to know the colour of shirt or jeans, or the style of the jeans, or how tight or
loose the clothing or material is, that information is irrelevant.

• If you are writing a scene that takes place in a bedroom, there’s no need to say that the cupboard is as tall
as a mahogany and the shelves are the type of brown that we see after the earth is freshly dug – these
are irrelevant details.

• "Paint a picture with your words, and let the reader's imagination do the rest." - Robert McKee

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2. ACTION LINES

• Don’t jampack too much in a paragraph.

• Spread your paragraphs, make it easier for the eyes to navigate the page.
• DO NOT include camera directions.
• You don’t need to tell the reader that “The camera follows” or “We see”. Write what we are
seeing, don’t tell us what we see.
• If a character sees something, then you say “XYZ sees ABC doing 123”.

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3. CHARACTER INTRODUCTIONS

• The first time we meet the person, the name is capitalized. After that, write the name regularly.
• Your character bible in your treatment has your character’s full profile. For the screenplay, let
us know your character in a few words or just a sentence.

• Your characters' first appearances are crucial – they should tell us more about the character
than just their physical appearance.

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3. CHARACTER INTRODUCTIONS

• The first is the correct way to introduce your character. The second has too much info that
can’t be seen.

• From this introduction, we get a sense of Joe's age and his distracted demeanor.
• These introductions should reveal personality traits, traits that give us a glimpse into who the
character truly is.

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DIALOGUE

• Dialogue is the true test of a screenplay." - Billy Wilder

• Dialogue is the heartbeat of your screenplay. It reveals character relationships, conflicts, and advances the plot.
• Take this example:

• In just a few words, we learn about Sarah's attitude and the power dynamic in the scene.

• Dialogue should also have subtext – hidden meanings beneath the words, which adds depth to your characters'
interactions.

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DIALOGUE
• Use parentheticals to provide context for the delivery of lines. But…
• Avoid overly using parentheses (). The dialog can show the intent or attitude of the speaker.

• OR

• OR

• "Show, don't tell. Let the character's actions and words reveal who they are." - John August

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TRANSITIONS
• Transitions are the bridges that smoothly connect different parts of your story. They indicate shifts in
time, location, or tone.
• Consider the classic CUT TO: a quick transition that moves us from one scene to another. Used for
sharp, sudden or dramatic scene changes.
• FADE IN and FADE OUT are used to open and close the story.
• FLASHBACK TO or BACK TO for when you need to take the reader back to an earlier scene, not for
when you want to write a flashback.
• INTERCUT for when the events from multiple scenes are taking place at the same time.
• Transitions guide the pacing and flow of your narrative.
• Note that you don’t need transitions for every scene.

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OTHER FORMATTING TIPS

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MONTAGE

• Montages are excellent tools for compressing time or showing a sequence of related events.
• You can depict character development, learning processes, or the passage of time.

• This helps condense information effectively while maintaining the story's momentum.

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MONTAGE EXAMPLE

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MONTAGE EXAMPLE

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HOW TO WRITE ACTION SCENES
• To write impactful action, consider balancing description, pacing, and emotion.

• This description captures the action and emotion, making the reader feel the intensity.

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HOW TO WRITE ACTION SCENES
• If you want to write an action script, read scripts for action films.

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CONCLUSION

1. "The first draft is just you telling yourself the story." - Terry Pratchett
2. "The more you write, the easier it gets. The more it becomes a habit, the less a chore." - Octavia Butler
3. "Your screenplay is a blueprint. It will evolve, so don't be afraid to revise and adapt." – Unknown

• Formatting can be what initially separates your work from either being read or discarded, regardless of
how good your story and dialogue are.

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RESOURCES

• Formatting Montage - https://screenwriting.io/how-do-you-format-a-montage-in-a-screenplay/

• Story Sense - https://www.storysense.com/format.htm

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